When we were invited to a wedding in Port Orchard, WA, we knew we needed to take full advantage of the situation and make some time for family adventures. With only four days, we were not able to explore everything we wanted to, but the places we did visit were amazing!
Where We Stayed
Per our usual style, we rented an Airbnb condo in Port Ludlow. We Settled on “Captain Bergs Getaway” because it was centrally located between the wedding venue and the places we wanted to explore.
Overall, we loved the condo. There were quite a few breakable things that I quickly hid in a closet, but the view was breathtaking and the beach nearby was teaming with sea creatures. Another bonus was the pool that overlooked the bay.
Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
Our first stop was at Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the fee to enter the park was $3.00. This is one of the worlds largest sand spits jutting out into the Puget Sound. One side of the beach provides a sheltered and calm refuge for water fowl and other marine life, while the other side is pounded by breakers.
For the ambitious, one could choose to hike the 5 miles along the sand spit out to the lighthouse. With small kiddos, we opted to enjoy the lighthouse from where we were.
The hiking paths were well maintained and small human friendly. It was about a half mile hike from the parking lot to the beach.
I would recommend proceeding with caution if you choose to visit with small children. The beach and view were beautiful, but the powerful waves had me a bit nervous. Definitely not a safe spot for playing in the waves.
Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls
A major highlight of the trip was visiting Lake Crescent, one of the popular beauties of the Olympic National Park. We parked at the Storm King Ranger Station on the West end of the lake and there was no fee.
The lake is amazingly clear, and in my opinion, a refreshing temperature to swim in on a hot summer day.
Our family headed up the Barnes Creek trail to see Marymere Falls. The trails are kid friendly and easy to navigate. Every fork in the road is well marked. Along the path we encountered giant Pine and Cedar trees, squishy forest creatures and an overwhelming amount of beautiful greenery everywhere.
Hiking down to Marymere Falls was an absolutely magical experience. I would highly recommend being a rebel and jumping the guardrails to take a dip in the pool under the falls. The current is not even strong enough to sweep our toddler off her feet and the stream is small and shallow so I wasn’t worried about kids falling in and getting washed away.
If you visit, have your camera ready!
We would have made a day out of Lake Crescent had we been more prepared. If you want to stay for several hours, be sure to pack food.
Salt Creek Recreation Area
After we re-fueled with some grub in Port Angeles, we headed out to Salt Creek Recreation Area to find some tide pools. This park is free and has some pretty expansive features to explore. 
We hit the park in the afternoon and had to rush and explore as the tide was coming in. The tide pools didn’t disappoint! I would recommend visiting at low tide (duh).
If your kids are like ours and never run out of energy, the park has a bonus play area that is new and fun.
Port Townsend, Kinzie Beach & Fort Worden State Park
On our last day, we had a few hours to spare before heading home. We decided to make a quick stop in Port Townsend before heading home.
Port Townsend had a cool historic downtown with lots of restaurant and shopping choices. However, with four small children in tow, we drove straight through and headed for the beach.
We ended up landing at Kinzie Beach which is the rocky tide pool side of Fort Worden State Park. The park would have cost us $10.00 to enter, however, we have a Discovery Pass so it was “free.” There is another side of the park with a vast sandy beach. Our family is more into the critters than building sand castles though, so we went for the rocks.
The Bunker at Kinzie Beach
Another highlight of our trip was happening upon the bunker at Kinzie Beach. This huge bunker is abandoned free, for exploring.
I have to admit, exploring this place was pretty dang amazing. If we wouldn’t have been in a hurry to hit the road, this place could have easily soaked up a couple hours of our time.
There were passageways, lookouts, ladders, rooms and hallways that the kids LOVED snooping around in. This place is a serious treat for those giant imaginations.
Farewell
Unfortunately, our adventures had to come to an end. We definitely have plans to return for more exploration. There is still tons of cool things to see in the Olympic National Park and along the Puget Sound.
Some things we missed were the Sol Duc hot springs and the Hoh Rain Forest. Upon further research of the hot springs, we realized it would be a couple mile hike into the wilderness to get to the un-maintained natural pools. With small children we didn’t feel like this was the best idea.
Also, the Hoh Rain Forest, which I know is amazing, we had to postpone because of it’s distance away from everything else. We decided to plan another trip to hit the coastline of WA and the rain forest.
The trip was amazing though, and as my youngest son put it, ” I wish I could live on vacation. ”
