Olympic Peninsula Washington

We had heard so much about how beautiful the Olympic Peninsula in Washington was, that we were excited to explore this new, to us, region. So after picking up luscious donuts at Legendary Doughnuts, and a brief stop in Olympia to visit the capitol, we headed to the peninsula.

Lake, mountains, trees and rocks in Olympic Peninsula Washington

Fabulous scenery on the way to Olympic National Park

Washington State Capitol in Olympia

Large white building with columns and dome is the capitol in Olympia WA

Washington State Capitol in Olympia WA

Building with columns on campus of Washington's state capitol.

Washington State Capitol Campus

Large monument topped with bronze statues of soldiers from WWI seen on our way to Olympic Peninsula Washington

WWI Memorial honoring Washingtonians who perished

Beautiful trees and red flowering bushes in Olympia WA, state capitol campus.

Gorgeous Washington State Capitol Campus

The Washington State Capitol campus was gorgeous! Since it was Spring, everything was in bloom and looking lush. The campus was quite impressive and very reminiscent of Washington DC. We didn’t spend much time there because we still had so much ground to cover. So after snapping a few photos we continued on our journey.

Olympic Peninsula Washington offers gorgeous vistas

Loving the incredible beauty of the Olympic Peninsula, we decided that if we returned to Washington, we would try to find an RV park there. There was so much to see there, and with only one day we only scratched the surface. But what a glorious surface that was.

Taylor Shellfish Farms

Small white building of Taylor Seafood Market in Olympic Peninsula Washington

Taylor Seafood Market, Olympic Peninsula Washington

Our first stop was at Taylor Shellfish Farms Seafood Market. Their motto is “From tide to table”. This family business has been dedicated to farming high quality, sustainable shellfish in the Pacific Northwest since 1890. Now, five generations later, they are still providing the best shellfish the area has to offer.

Their great great-grandfather found his true calling in oyster farming beginning in Totten Inlet with the tiny Olympia Oyster. Since then each and every generation of the Taylor family has been instilled with a passion for shellfish, their community and the rugged terrain of western Washington.

Large oyster shell sculpture, large white semi truck, lawn and trees in Olympic Peninsula Washington

Oyster shell sculpture at Taylor Seafood, Olympic Peninsula Washington

In the last 30 years the Taylor family has expanded their product line to include geoduck, mussels and a variety of half-shell oysters. The Taylors have created a family environment of over 500 dedicated employees that includes their children. Consistency is key. They are driven to provide high quality shellfish and plan on maintaining this legacy for many more generations.

Our seafood purchases

We came prepared with a cooler and they supplied us with plenty of ice to keep our sack of clams, pint of shucked oysters and smoked oyster spread nice and cold until we returned home to Ladybug. I was intrigued by the geoduck, which is an enormous clam that looks like a fat tongue. I had only seen geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) on TV cooking shows, so when I saw it for sale I was tempted to buy one. One would probably be enough for 4 people when used in a recipe. But with a price tag of $60 for one geoduck, I decided to pass. I was thrilled with our purchase of clams, oysters and smoked oyster spread. What a feast we had to look forward to that night.

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park, Washington

Tree covered mountains and their reflection in Olympic Peninsula Washington

Serenity

Mountains, rocks and lake in Olympic Peninsula Washington

The spectacular beauty of Olympic Peninsula Washington

From there we drove the picturesque route to the entrance of Olympic National Park. The vistas were so breathtaking that our photos don’t even do them justice. This is a place where the lake water is so clear that you can see the bottom. The water looks like shimmering emeralds.

Mountains, trees and lake with logs floating on the Olympic Peninsula Washington

Floating logs look like a raft on the lake in Hoodsport in the Olympic Peninsula Washington

Tree covered mountains, a river with rocks forming rapids in the Olympic Peninsula Washington

Rapids in Olympic National Park

Emerald green lake water, mountains and trees are a background for a cabin in the Olympic Peninsula Washington

Lake water the color of shimmering emeralds and so clear you can see the rocks on the bottom!

Green lake water, mountains, trees and blue sky peaking through clouds in the Olympic Peninsula Washington

Such beauty that you won’t want to leave the Olympic Peninsula Washington

We passed several small waterfalls created by melting snow. And there were place where logs were floating in clusters, creating what looked like rafts. There were rapids, and bridges, cabins and mountains. Lake water was so still that the reflection of everything surrounding the lake appeared as a mirror image. Simply breathtaking beyond belief.