Family trip to the Olympic Peninsula

Kent's parents were visiting so we wanted to give them an outdoorsy Pacific Northwest experience. We decided to drive out to the Olympic Peninsula to take them to Sequim, which is where I raced earlier this summer. The weather in Seattle was overcast and expected to be cloudy and/or rain all day so rather than take the convertible, we opted to drive a Zipcar. I had already rented a Zipcar previously so I knew how easy it'd be.

We left for Sequim in the late morning, and by time we got up the Edmonds Ferry there was a two hour wait. Yuck! We patiently waited in line, while catching up with Mom & Dad, and were pleased when we only had a 70 minute wait before we were on our way.

The Ferry drops in Kingston and then it's another 45 miles east to get to Sequim. We stopped for a coffee and then headed to the Dungeness State Park which overlooks the Sound. We had a quick picnic while hiking in the sun and stopping to take pics. (I'll have to get copies from Mom so I can add them to my post.) The bluffs in the park are magnificent and I'd highly recommend allowing enough time to hike down the beach. It's absolutely gorgeous.

Kent and I had been to Sequim for my bike race, but we hadn't been up to Hurricane Ridge while we were on the Peninsula in spring so we went there next. The park is a destination to spend an entire day and/or weekend. It was so beautiful. It took awhile to drive up the 14 mile road due to construction delays, but the summit was well worth the time. The mountain views are unbelievable. Again, I need to find pictures from Mom so I can give you an idea. The Hurricane Ridge website shows a bit, but the views are even more breathtaking in person. Since the visitor center closed at 6p and we needed to get the Zipcar back to Seattle, we didn't have nearly enough time to see everything. We will go back!

I wish we could have taken a leisurely pace back to Seattle, but I was totally stressed about returning the Zipcar on time. It's the first time I used a car and was worried that I might be late (which is not an option for me!). As I realized there was a wait for the return ferry, I decided I better call to find out my options about returning the car. I was thrilled when I was greeted by an automated message knowing it was me and asking if I wanted to extend my reservation. I guess no one was using the car after me so the system walked me through adding additional time for the return. Easy schmeezy!

So, Mom, Dad, Kent and I were able to enjoy the ferry and drive back to Seattle at a relaxed pace...well, as relaxed as it can be with Kent at the wheel.

We drove around 180 miles that day and put no miles or wear-and-tear on our own car. Plus, without having to pay for the gas needed for the trip, it was very economical way to travel to the Peninsula.

In case you haven't already figured it out, I'm a big Zipcar fan!!