| Start | Westport Winery |
| Eating and drinking | Hama Hama Oyster Saloon |
| End | Home |
Westport Winery gardens
Westport Winery has beautiful grounds and gardens that are open to the public (and there may be a geocache or two as well), and we opted for a little exploration of the gardens before hitting the road. Unfortunately, our schedule did not permit us a visit to the International Mermaid Museum.
Hama Hama Oyster Saloon
Uncertain when we planned the trip whether it would be 5 or 6 days, we decided today that it was time to head back home. The eastern side of the peninsula has plenty of hikes, but we were dealing with wet shoes and tired pups.
On our radar but not planned, we crossed our fingers for walk-in availability at at Hama Hama Oyster Saloon (as there were no same day reservations available). We lucked into it being a day they were open – Friday – and likely due to the time of year – had no wait. Although reservations secure a table in one of the A-frame shelters, even the walk-in tables are covered. They also each have their own propane heater, which was much appreciated on this blustery day. The food was delicious!
In addition to the fresh lemonade, we ordered a half-dozen each of the raw and grilled oysters, the grilled cheese with onion jam, and seafood chowder. Everything was just so good.
The way home
We planned to return the way we planned to arrive – via the Port Townsend ferry. Checking in on the cameras and schedule, we – once again – rerouted through Kingston. There was no wait, and we were on the water before long. A combination of traffic apps helped us navigate through local roads to avoid the worst of I-5 traffic.
Olympic Peninsula post-mortem
This turned out to be a great first real trip in the new van. We picked the perfect time of year – with most everything open (save some visitor centers and ranger stations), ideal weather (mild temperatures and mostly dry), and limited traffic (people and cars). We’re thrilled that we added Cape Flattery to the trip and really feel as though we had a good introduction to what the Olympic Peninsula has to offer.
Next time, we’ll have to add some more hikes (looking at you Mount Storm King) and return to the beaches (not sure how we missed seeing the Tree of Life – oops!). It feels far more manageable now that we have a better sense of the geography, the sites, and the distances.
We have some ideas for Ody. While we were waiting for the ferry to depart, we placed an order for an upgraded suspension (Van Compass 4.3). Nothing went wrong with the stock suspension, but the sway and cornering was definitely a bit rough at times, most noticeably driving out the windy road to Cape Flattery. We’re also interested in identifying some additional storage solutions. We didn’t struggle too much with finding a place for everything, but constantly moving the backpacks from the seat to the floor to the seat got rather old quite quickly.
Stay tuned for more posts on updates to Ody and more adventures!
platoaddict's pursuits 