Port Angeles Getaway
/If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that we went on a little trip to Port Angeles in March with our two boys (ages 2 years old and 5 years old). If you have Instagram, you can see all the stories from the trip on my Port Angeles highlight.
Anyway, we had a lovely trip and so I wanted to share our adventures with you. If you’ve been to Port Angeles, please share in the comments any awesome experiences you’ve had there!
Day 1
Depart for the Trip — 1pm
We left at 1pm since we waited until Caleb was out of school and it was near nap time (hoping Wesley would go down for a little nap in the car).
Arrived at AirBnB — 3pm
We stayed a lovely AirBnB (here is the link) with two rooms and an easy drive to downtown Port Angeles. When we arrived, we settled down and relaxed for just a bit.
Waterfront Exploration — 4pm-6pm
We drove down to the waterfront to explore. We parked near the Red Lion hotel and the Feiro Marine Life Center.
Hollywood Beach - This little, sandy beach is right next to the Fiero Marine Center. The boys took off their shoes and ran in the sand for a little bit. Then we scootered around for a few minutes.
City Pier - Also right in this area was the pier and a great lookout tower. We scooted/walked down the pier and got a great view of Port Angeles. We learned Caleb is a wee bit scared of heights and Wesley is definitely not (at least yet).
Downtown - Walked Downtown on First Street which is just the second street up from the waterfront (parallel to the waterfront). It was late so many of the stores were closed but we check out these two:
Sound Bikes & Kayaks - Lots of bikes and kayaks to check out. The kids got a kick out of all the kayaks they had out. Unfortunately, no rentals going right now, but maybe soon!
Northwest Fudge and Confections - What a fun shop! It’s like an old time candy store with candy of every kind. We grabbed some fudge, gummies, and hard candies!
Dinner - 6pm
Just up the hill from the downtown core (still on First St) is Little Devil’s Lunchbox. It was empty inside and so we opted to dine-in. They had burritos and tacos, but we opted for burritos, which were delicious. They had a kids menu as well so the boys enjoyed burritos and quesadillas.
Day 1 Slideshow
Day 2
Morning Preparations — 6am-9am
Breakfast - Just two shops down from the market is Easy Street Coffee & Tea. The coffee was decent, but nothing to return to necessarily. The breakfast sandwiches did the trick, but honestly, if we ever do this again, we’d just grab breakfast burritos and sandwiches at the market (they looked good!).
Picnic Supplies - We went to Country Aire Market and grabbed some sandwiches, chips, and snacks for our lunch. This is a great fresh market and reminds me of a Sprouts or similar natural food store. And the kids loved the little shopping carts to push around.
Olympic National Park Adventures — 10am-1pm
Madison Falls and Elwha River - Our first stop, Madison Falls, is only about a 20 minutes drive from Port Angeles.
Madison Waterfall - This isn’t Niagara Falls, but it’s a decent sized waterfall that totally impressed the kids. It’s a great reward for such a short walk. You can even do it in a stroller since it has a nice, paved path. My 5- and 2-year-olds both did the walk by themselves, no sweat. It got a lot of oohs and ahh.
Elwha River - Next to the parking for the waterfall, is the Elwha River. You just have to climb a few rocks, but once you’re down to the riverbed you can explore quite a bit. There are lots of rocks and sticks to use for explorations. Honestly, I think the kids may have enjoyed this more than see the waterfall. Note: Our trip was in March, so I’m not sure how this riverbed looks water level-wise in other seasons.
Cresent Lake Lodge - After our waterfall and riverbed explorations, we headed to Cresent Lake which is about 30 minutes drive. The Lodge was closed, but the parking was open and we could walk the lodge grounds. It’s a beautiful lake and we were happy to just walk around and enjoy the view. This is where we hunkered down and enjoyed lunch on the picnic tables!
Mid-Day Rest / Nap — 1pm - 3pm
Returned to AirBnB - The drive back to Port Angeles from Cresent Lake was about 30 minutes. If you don’t need the rest, you could continue adventures near the lake. There is the Marymere Falls in this same area and I noticed some other trails as well. But we headed home to have a nap and quiet time.
Treats and Meats - After nap time, we treated ourselves to McDonald’s ice cream cones. Then, we randomly picked up beef jerky from Sunrise Meats since our good friend recommended it. If you’re a jerky connoisseur, you should check it out. The shop is definitely just a butcher shop, but the jerky is good.
Port Angeles Meanderings — 4pm -6pm
Ediz Hook - This is <10 minutes from Port Angeles (technically, it’s in Port Angeles). And it’s a 3-mile-long sand spit that extends out from Port Angeles. It’s what helps create the calmer waters in the Port Angeles waterfront/harbor area. Unlike the Dungeness Split, you can drive almost all the way to the end of the split. There is the US Coast Guard station at the end, so you have to stop before that, though. We enjoyed walking on the calmer, harbor side of the split and played with rocks and sticks. (Random Note: There are a bunch of wild cats that live out here and some guy comes out and feeds them everyday).
NOTE: Honestly, we were really hoping to get into the Feiro Marine Life Center, but it’s reservations only and we were not quick enough pre-trip in booking it. For your benefit, note that you can book it online in advance on their website.
Shopping and Happy Hour - We finished up our day downtown Port Angeles catching a few shops we missed the day before. We checked out these shops:
Moss - Like a Northwest Anthropologie, but honestly it seemed to have more men’s clothing than women’s clothing. They did have cute things, though!
Odyssey Bookshop - A crazy, crowded, books-everywhere bookshop with kids center in the back.
Next Door Gastropub - This is where we had a drink and some french fries. It opened up so it was like outdoor eating inside. It was a nice little break and the kids got coloring books.
Dinner and Ending the Day - 6pm onward
We ordered delivery from The Strait Slice Pizza for dinner and it was so delicious. I really wish they were in Tacoma. Maybe we were really hungry, but man it was good. Totally recommend this one!
Day 2 Slideshow
Day 3
Breakfast and Drive — 6am-10am
Breakfast - We tried The Coffee Box which is actually connected to the Storm King Athletic Club. Don’t mind that, it’s got a healthy vibe to the food, but it’s not inside the gym or anything. In fact, the decor is lovely and we enjoyed sitting up in the loft with a nice view of the Port Angeles area. I loved my açaí bowl and my hubby got the breakfast sandwich. Yum! There was a small pastry case and the boys both picked out a donut. The coffee was great as well.
Drive to Sequim - Sequim isn’t too far away, so we decided to head there for a few new adventures. We would have considered Feiro Marine Life Center, but it was still booked up. We also considered Freshwater Bay or Salt Creek Recreation Area, but they are the opposite direction and we wanted a more casual drive home.
Sequim Adventures — 10am-11:30am
Dungeness River Audubon Center & Railroad Bridge - This is a fantastic trail/walk! The bridge is an old railroad bridge, but it has been turned into a walking trail. You can walk, scooter, bike, run…whatever on this trail. A little gem! I hear there will be a new center with exhibits in the future, which will add even more to this stop. (There might even been one existing, but we couldn’t find it for the live of us).
Note: Our original intention was to go to the Olympic Game Farm, but then we realized our dog was in the car with us and that just would not work since wild animals come up to your car (umm, no, not with our dog…and I don’t think it’s allowed either).
Coffee Break - We grabbed a latte at Essence Coffee Roasters, which we’ve been to before and just love. The mocha is heavenly.
Bakery Stop - We also grabbed some bread and treats from Pane d’Amore Bakery. Again, a return favorite of ours. We love this bread!!
Cider, Lunch, Drive Home — 12pm - 3pm
Finnriver Cidery - This was our last stop of the trip. It was not too far out of the way on our route back home to Tacoma and we had fond memories of a visit many years ago. We arrived right at noon when they opened and there was a line already. I was impressed on how organized the staff was with getting everyone ready to enter. They mentioned there is usually a wait to get in, so keep this in mind if you plan to come here.
It’s a lovely covered patio (cider garden) with heaters if the weather is cold. You can order food right from your table from either the pizza place, Dented Buoy, or from Finnriver Kitchen. We did both! The boys got pizza to share and we got sandwiches and salads from Finnriver. Both food options were completely delicious. We also ordered a flight of cider for tasting. It was just a delightful experience.
You can walk the Finnriver fields as well, but we skipped this since the boys were cranky and we were ready to head home. But they looked like a pleasant excursion outdoors…next time for us!
Drive Home - And that’s a wrap! We had a wonderful and memorable trip. And luckily, Wesley did nap on the way home. Score!
Day 3 Slideshow
