With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, February is the perfect time to bring your sweetheart to the peninsula for a romantic getaway! Stay in one of our many “swoon-worthy” accommodations, from inns to resorts and hotels to lodges. Satisfy your foodie cravings for a locally sourced meal paired with delicious artisan beverages. And what could be more romantic than to saunter along our pristine beaches and sneak a kiss by a sea stack? Whatever captures your heart, the Olympic Peninsula welcomes you with indulgences to up the romance factor at every turn.
We look forward to your visit this month!
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Photo by Matt Nichols courtesy of Forks Chamber of Commerce |
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Olympic Peninsula Insights – Romancing the Rain in Forks
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Meet the People Who Make a Difference – John Anderson
- Upcoming Events
- Olympic National Forest
- Olympic National Park
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OLYMPIC PENINSULA INSIGHTS |
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Romancing the Rain in Forks |
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Few things are more romantic than watching a magical sunset over the ocean or walking hand in hand along a trail under draping moss, stopping to kiss in the rain. Forks, the setting for the famous Twilight Saga, offers the perfect place. Engagements, elopements, weddings, anniversary trips, and relaxing getaways go together, and especially in the magnificent natural settings that surround this area on the peninsula’s West End. Make plans now to spend special time with the person you love most, romancing the rain! READ MORE
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MEET THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE |
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John Anderson – John's Beachcombing Museum
How one man has made a difference, one piece of debris at a time
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John Anderson found his passion for beachcombing after his friend invited him to come along while he looked for Japanese glass floats. He was hooked! Now, over 40 years later, he has amassed quite a collection of items found on Washington’s coast. Since retiring from his day job as Forks’ only plumber, he created John’s Beachcombing Museum so that people from all over the world can see what gets discarded or washed up on beaches from Queets to Lake Ozette.
His one-acre property holds boats, floats, and everything you can imagine, and some you can’t! Some of his favorite finds include messages in bottles, a matching pair of slippers found a year apart, and Japanese glass floats, of course. You can find weather stones for sale, unique handmade artwork, and tons of other things (literally).
While it may seem like a fun way to spend an hour, it’s more than entertaining, it’s educational. Thousands of people have been through his unique museum since it opened in 2015, learning about marine debris and how it affects our oceans and beaches. John’s mission is to remove what debris he can from the beaches, whether it’s to display in his museum, to recycle or to dispose of. His weekly 4 to 5-mile beach hikes mean he is constantly helping to keep the rugged coastline clean and hopes to continue his passion for many years to come. LEARN MORE
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FREE DAY
Washington State Parks / Olympic National Park / Olympic National Forest
February 20 / Presidents' Day
In honor of this federal holiday, Washington State Parks, Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest will celebrate with a FREE DAY for entrance, making it easy for you, your family and friends to get outside and enjoy the stunning winter beauty of our parks. #getoutside
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Frosty Moss Relay
Port Angeles
February 25
Experience the Green Season on the Olympic Peninsula by running through mossy, ferny forests with your pals. Towering evergreens, endless moss and ferns, miles of waterfront and snow-capped mountains are your cure for gray-season blues! Bring your best road and trail running buddies. The Full Moss is 80 miles and the Mini Moss at 30 miles. LEARN MORE
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4th Annual Sunshine Festival
Sequim
March 3 and 4
Celebrate the sun as we shake off the winter blues and celebrate the coming of the spring and summer seasons at the Sequim Sunshine Festival. We have a host of events planned for the entire family. Registration is open for the Sun Fun Color Run a festival favorite. LEARN MORE
Visit craft vendors at the Sunshine Market and enjoy good food and live music throughout the day. Take in the Interactive Light Experience and discover light as a form of artistic expression. Help with the community mural and make your own luminary. You won’t want to miss the illuminated drone show by Firefly Drone Shows, this year bigger and better than ever, to top off the festival.
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Olympic National Forest is now offering a permit for free personal use firewood. Those who receive free use firewood permits may gather up to six cords per year and can use firewood for cutting, manufacturing, handling, or other processing, but not for resale. Those wishing to gather firewood are required to obtain a free permit through a Forest Service office. Forest Service offices remain open at limited capacity due to staff shortages, however, feel free to call 360-956-2402. If no one answers, leave a message and someone will get back to you in one to two days.
Winter recreation is picking up and the Olympic Peninsula has been experiencing wild weather. Visitors should use caution and remember that most forest roads are not maintained throughout the winter.
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Hurricane Ridge Winter Shuttle Service | Photo courtesy of HikeOlympic.com |
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There’s fresh snow on Hurricane Ridge where you can enjoy a variety of winter activities and fun! Hurricane Ridge Road is scheduled to be open this winter Friday through Sunday and holiday Mondays, weather and road conditions permitting. The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is open those same days from 9 am to 4 pm with limited services. LEARN MORE
Bring the family for Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing and Tubing at the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club (Saturdays and Sundays).
To make winter access easier, Hurricane Ridge Winter Shuttle Service operates on Saturdays from now to March 26, 2023, departing from Port Angeles Wharf at 8:30 am and returning around 3:30 pm. Advance online reservations are recommended. LEARN MORE
As always, know before you go and plan ahead. For the most current information about conditions at Olympic National Park CLICK HERE. Road and weather conditions are updated and available on a recorded line by calling 360-565-3131.
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Plan your next trip to the Olympic Peninsula this winter
and for year-round activities by requesting your
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Winter is a perfect time of year to get away. The Olympic Peninsula is a magical place to spark your senses and explore the natural beauty and magnificence of the area. Doing so in a safe and sustainable manner is vital to everyone’s well-being, so we encourage you to know before you go.
If we can assist you with your travel planning, please contact us directly. We look forward to seeing you on the Olympic Peninsula this season!
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