Vacations Blog

What's More Amusing than a Canoe Ride?

People in the Seattle area are not easily amused.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that we here in the Northwest are not funny people. Quite the opposite really.  I mean, take a look at some of our most famous citizens: Bill Gates – A laugh a minute.  Kurt Kobain – What’s funnier than checking yourself out when you are at your prime?  Ichiro – Most hilarious Japanese import since Mr. Miyagi.

Actually, we would be a lot more amusing up here in the Seattle area if it weren’t for the dearth of amusement parks we have to deal with. Perhaps it is the months on end of drizzle, outright rain, and grey skies that doesn’t lend itself well to outdoor family fun.  Conversely, when the weather does get nice, there are endless natural wonders to behold.  Whatever the reason be, when we do come across just such an amusing place, however small scale it may be, it is certainly worth mentioning.

This past weekend, my wife, son, and I visited Remlinger Farms and Family Fun Park in Carnation, Washington.  Located about 35 minutes east of Seattle, Remlinger Farms is a unique family experience complete with acres of berry fields ripe for picking, a market loaded with fresh farm produce, a family friendly restaurant, various farm and fire vehicles to crawl in and around, a petting zoo where the little ones can get up close and personal with any number of goats, sheep, bunnies, chickens, or ducks, daily performance shows AND – you guessed it – rides.

Ever Rode in a Spinning Pumpkin?

Now these rides are not going to thrill many kids in the teen and older set.  However, for the little ones such as my 2-year-old son, this park was a thrill a minute.  There were pony rides, a slow paced canoe ride around a ‘raging’ river, a hay maze, old-time cars moving around a track where the little ones could get the sensation of driving, a long pedalcar track, bouncy rooms, a mini roller coaster and other carnival type rides including a thrilling pumpkin spin, and best of all for my son – a steam train leaving every 10 minutes. The train would circle the farm and view various farm and western themed displays before traveling through a darkened tunnel as it pulled back into the station.

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When we drive west from Idaho, we’re usually heading toward the Seattle area to visit friends and family.  But for restful family vacations, we drive just a little further west to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.  It’s an amazingly diverse place, and we never know what we’re going to find when we go there to explore.

A lavender farm in Sequim, Washington

Last summer we spent a day in the area around the town of Sequim (that’s pronounced “skwim”) on the northern shore of the Peninsula. Our first stop was at a lavender farm.  Sequim bills itself as the lavender capital of North America, which explains why there is lavender everywhere you look.  Each July the town holds a 3-day Lavender Festival to celebrate the fragrant purple flowers.  Any time of the year, you can find all things lavender at dozens of farms and shops throughout town.  Take a chance and sample some lavender ice cream.  It leaves an interesting aftertaste.  We spent about an hour strolling the beautiful grounds of the Purple Haze Lavender Farm.  There’s no charge to just wander around admiring the flowers and the view.  There’s a gift shop, stocked with all things lavender, as well as a quaint farm house available as a vacation rental

Five miles of sand and driftwood

The kids were restless, so we moved on to what turned out to be the great surprise of the day.  We found it at The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Sequim.  The main geographic feature of the Refuge is the Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the country.  Quite honestly, I wasn’t expecting much at the Spit.  A lot of sand, to be sure. But the simplicity of the place is what charmed us. The Spit is five miles of sand and driftwood, with ocean on either side. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

I’ve never seen my kids happier than when they gazed out over all that driftwood and began mentally designing tri-level forts and castles. The sand and the ocean were a blur to them. All they cared about was building stuff.  There is no shortage of material to work with, and there is certainly no shortage of sunshine on the northern coast of the peninsula.  The dry climate of Sequim (only 15 inches of rain a year) almost guarantees that rain won’t ruin your family vacation.

Zen rocks at the Dungeness Spit

This is the kind of outing where you don’t need to bring anything but a few chairs, towels, and snacks.  If you’re not in the mood to build driftwood forts, you can take off your shoes and enjoy a leisurely barefoot stroll down the beach.  Or sit and stack rocks (talk about a stress reducer).

It’s surprising finds like Sequim and the Spit that is making my family fall in love with the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. It’s one of the most diverse, and least crowded, areas I’ve ever visited. It’s easily accessible from Seattle by ferry, the roads are good, the distances not too far, and the scenery is some of the most spectacular in the country.  You can hike on a glacier, stroll through a rain forest, and then enjoy a driftwood fire on a spectacular ocean beach, all in one day.

Most of all, the Peninsula reminds me that the simple things are sometimes the best. Children certainly don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to have fun on vacation. A simple walk on the beach can spur imagination and creativity like nothing else. That’s what will keep us returning to places like the Dungeness Spit.

Strolling along the spit.

Building a driftwood fort on the Dungeness Spit

All photos by Phil Corless

After a “new stay-at-home mom, anything to get me out of this house” visit to the pumpkin patch in the fall of 1999, an annual trip to Belvedere Plantation has become a family tradition. Built in the 1760’s, Belvedere is a 645-acre working farm about 17 miles outside of Fredericksburg, VA. Don’t let the proximity to I-95 fool you, when you get to the farm you will be in the country. I’m talking parking in the grass, dusty dirt road, overall wearing, campfire country. You’ll know you’re there when you see the caterpillar made from hay bales.

Over the years Belvedere Plantation has added many new activities and attractions. The corn maze was added several years back. Huge slides and pumpkin cannons are also a part of the fun. There is so much to do that I recommend planning a full day for a visit. You won’t get bored, but you might get tired. Don’t worry, they serve refreshments and have plenty of hay bales to sit on if you need to rest. Port-a-potties, much nicer than this one, and a hand-washing station are also on site. Outside refreshments are not allowed and the concessions are a bit pricey, but not over the top. Same day re-admission is allowed so you can always pack a picnic lunch. They have picnic tables near the front entrance.

The one thing I appreciate most about a family trip to Belvedere Plantation is that it is truly a family friendly place. Every activity for the older children and adults has a children’s activity nearby. Zips lines come in four different sizes, including mini zip-lines with baby seats. The corn maze has three different levels of difficulty and the big pedal cart track has a smaller track right beside it. Instead of dividing up the family and shooing the little ones off to the kiddies section everyone gets to play together. And play you will.

When you go be sure to wear your jeans and sneakers. You’ll be swinging from ropes in a hay barn and sitting on straw bleachers at a pig race. This is not the place for dress pants or high-heel sandals. If you have a straw hat, you won’t feel out of place. You’ll fit right in.
Admission:
$14 per person (2 and under admitted free)

Members of the U.S. Armed Forces with valid ID – $12

Seniors (65 young years and over) – $12

Note: Discount coupons can be printed from the website or you can get $2 off Farm Admission with a non-perishable food item donation. Last year they collected 4-1/2 tons of food for the Fredericksburg Area Food bank.

Accessibility: With the exception of the corn maze, the farm is stroller and wheel chair accessible. The paths are dirt and gravel and can be a little bumpy but they are well maintained. As with all the staff I encountered, the hayride operators are friendly and helpful with special needs riders.

Photo Credits: All photos by Sherry Roberts