B  is for the BLUE HOLE, a term, familiar to pilots, that refers to our unusual weather. BANANA BELT is a more familiar term. What it means is that we are protected from most of the rain and cold by our friendly Olympic Mountains, and when it is raining or snowing 30 miles away, it is probably dry and perhaps even sunny in Sequim. We average only about 17 inches of rain a year, and have over 300 days each year with some sun (on the average.) Perhaps it means BED AND BREAKFAST inns, and we have plenty of them. When friends or family come to visit, why not treat them to accomodations in a folksy home or a world famous ocean-front B&B. Don't forget the game of BRIDGE! We have everything from a 16 table duplicate game to round-robin socials.

C stands for COMFORT, whether you are talking about the weather, the people, anything. The folks who live here almost wallow in comfort, which is probably why they are so nice.

D is for DUNGENESS, our famous crabs and also the name of the original settlement in our area of the Olympic Peninsula. Our main north-south road is named Sequim-Dungeness Way (the road from Sequim to Dungeness).

E  could stand for ELECTRICITY, which is reasonably priced or the ENVIRONMENT, which is clean and healthy. No smog, no factories, no crowds, no mess. It might even stand for ELK, since we have a herd that resides in the area, and has been spotted many times by the locals.

F  brings to mind FORKS, a small town about 90 miles from here which is the jumping off place for the FAMOUS RAIN FOREST, the only temperate rain forest in the northern hemisphere. Of course, we must mention the FERRIES that take us across Puget Sound to Seattle, across the Strait to Victoria, or on a tour of the San Juan Islands. What a lovely way to travel.

G  has got to mean GOLF and it does to many Sequimites. In the immediate vicinity there is Sunland Golf Club, a tight 18 hole challenge (private), Dungeness Golf Club, a public 18 hole course, and a public driving range. Dungeness Meadows, a lovely community has its own 11 hole course and play is free to residents of that community.

H  may refer to HURRICANE RIDGE, a world famous spot only 30 minutes from downtown Sequim. Winter and summer, you can drive up to the ridge from which you can spot dozens of glaciers. Rangers are always there to guide hikes and answer questions. Of course, HIKING is popular with many of our residents.

I  means INDIVIDUALS and we have lots of them. It is amazing how retired people learn to enjoy being themselves after years of living in the working world. It also stands for IRRIGATION DITCHES. Sequim's climate is so dry early settlers resorted to digging these ditches in order to have enough water to grow crops. Every year Sequim celebrates with the IRRIGATION FESTIVAL in early May with a big parade and a week long festival. This has been going on for over 100 years, the longest continuously running festival in the state!.

J  is for the Strait of JUAN DE FUCA, our northern border and what separates us from Canada. From the bluffs of Sequim you can see across the Strait to Vancouver Island. At night, the lights of Victoria sparkle like diamonds.

K  could mean KELP, found on our beaches, or KLALOCK, a seacoast resort not far from here and a great place to go to watch winter storms come in across the Pacific. How about KAYAKING? There are lots of places to put your boat in the water.

L  is for LAKE CRESCENT, a peaceful spot just 30 minutes west of Sequim. There you can picnic, hike, swim, canoe, or even enjoy an elderhostel event in their forest camp.
 

N  has to stand for NORTH, and we are that. However, because of the protection we get from our mountains and the huge bodies of water that surround us, we don't get too cold. The average low temperature from December through February is about 32 degrees. Many days in the winter are warm enough to play golf.

O  brings us back again to the OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS, and the OLYMPIC PENINSULA, and even Mount OLYMPUS, one of the peaks in the OLYMPICS.

P  stands for PENINSULA, which means we have a lot of water around us: the Pacific Ocean, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Sequim Bay, Discovery Bay, Hood Canal, to say nothing of the lakes and rivers. If you love water sports, or just enjoy beachcoming, the OLYMPIC PENINSULA is for you.

Q  is for QUIET. Peace and quiet. That stuff that makes tension go away. You will find a lot of it in this part of the world. There is also a large and active QUILTING club known as the Sun Bonnet Sues.

R  means RECREATION for one, and RETIREMENT for sure. Sequim is a retirement mecca, and has become a popular spot with retirees from all walks of life and all areas of the country.

S  is for SUNNY SEQUIM, what else? Also SAILING, SALMON, and the famous Dungeness SPIT. Visitors can walk to the end of the spit (over 5 miles) - no vehicles allowed - and get a close-up view of the DUNGENESS LIGHTHOUSE.

T  stands for Sequim's rating as a retirement area. MONEY Magazine rated Sequim as one of the TOP TWENTY places to retire in the USA. TAXES are always interesting to retirees. No income tax, intangibles tax, or inheritance tax in the state of Washington.

U  means UNCLUTTERED and UNCROWDED, two wonderful attributes in a retirement community. Whether you are going to the bank, the movies, the golf club, the grocery store, or the doctor's office, you will seldom stand in a line. What a difference that makes in everyday life.

VICTORIA, British Columbia is only a short ferry ride away. This is a wonderful place to go for a day trip.The ferry from Port Angeles delivers you to the center of downtown Victoria, where you can take a bus to the Buchart Gardens, a truly remarkable horticultural extravaganza. Other sights there are the Empress Hotel, (remember to have tea at 4:00 pm) and the Royal Museum.

WHERE TO RETIRE'S spring 1997 issue described Sequim as an "undiscovered retirement haven". You can contact them for a reprint of this article at 1502 August Dr., Suite 415, Houston, TX 77057.

X  is for XRAY, (I know, that's a stretch), but how else do we get in our medical center. Olympic Medical Center is the hospital in Port Angeles, just about 25 minutes away, and Seattle is home to some of the best medical care in the country. For everyday needs, the medical complex in Sequim has everything you could ask for.

YEARLY RAINFALL in Sequim is about the same as Palm Springs, California. Sequim sits right in the middle of a unique rainshadow area caused by the Olympic Mountains. As a result, winter temperature seldom fall below freezing, summer temperature rarely get above 85, and rainfall is about 17" annually.

Z  believe it or not, stands for ZEBRAS and we have some at the Olympic Game Farm. This is a favorite outing for the grandchildren, as they get to see and feed llamas and buffalo, and see many other animals, some former movie and TV stars.