Port Angeles Vision

As a former Canadian Mountie who received an idyllic posting to the southern tip of Vancouver Island after his six months of basic training in Regina, Saskatchewan, I came to love the west coast clime and surrounds. The moderate temperatures and the excitement of coastal life, after growing up on a farm on the prairie, drove me to promise my new bride that someday we would come back this way to retire. Heading off to make my fortune in places that spanned the entire continent, I resigned myself to that day which stood like a distant star in some far off galaxy.

The new millennium came and went, our kids grew up, and grandkids started to come along. One day an article from the Wall Street Journal crossed my desk that rolled my memory back to the day when I solemnly vowed to return to the lush coastal environs of the northwest. It spoke of the “blue hole” of the Olympic Peninsula that acted as a rain shadow (a region of reduced rainfall on the lee side of high mountains) to the whole area. It all made sense. The mystique of perfect summers and mild winters had a reason behind it. (Link to WSJ article: www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/relocation/20000323-jr.html?refresh=on)

Having only seen the snow-capped Olympic Mountains from the north shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, namely the city of Victoria, I had to take a trip back to discover the Olympic Peninsula. This adjoining locale, which included a state-side mountain and coastal environment, seemed to fulfill that dream and beckoned further investigation. I set a budget to acquire acreage sufficient to make a down payment on my youthful promise. That eventful Memorial Day weekend trip in 2002 resulted in the discovery of a waterfront property that held the best views of the Olympic Peninsula in perfect balance. Today, that dream has grown into the George Washington Inn (www.GeorgeWashingtonInn.com), located between Sequim and Port Angeles, where others have the opportunity to share in the beauty and majesty of God’s handiwork, and to reflect on the faith and legacy of our founding father.