The Capitol City
Olympia often gets overlooked in Washington, considering it’s just south of Seattle and Tacoma. However, it’s got a lot going on. The State Capitol is there, and briefly visible when driving through on I-5. In addition, it’s the self-proclaimed Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. The one thing it can’t claim is hosting the Olympic Games. Have no fear, I’ll get that application to the IOC going.
The first time I stopped in Olympia was purely to see the Capitol. It’s something I’m always keen to do when I visit new states. The building is a bit smaller than others and has an off white-light brown color. It’s kind of like an old tennis shoe. Or, maybe rustic is a better descriptor.
My second visit was wiith Rita, and unplanned. We were driving back from Oregon to Kent, and the weather was very poor. Rain fell in sheets, and the lack of visibility started wearing thin on our nerves. We decided to pull over in Olympia and spend a night in a hotel. The next morning, we took some time to walk in Olympia’s downtown district.
We are in Washington
Many cities in Washington have a certain ambiance that ties them all together. It’s hard to put words to it, but certain characteristics bring it out; the smell of stagnant seawater, Coast Salish art, cloudy skies, and high-rise apartments. Olympia is a great example of this. The downtown borders the South Puget Sound and the Capitol Lake, and there are excellent walking paths to see it all.
We started at Capitol Lake, and then walked down to the docks. There are mostly sailboats, but one big container ship anchored off shore. The rain stopped the night before, but in the morning the fog rolled in. This really gave the town some Washington character. We walked along the boardwalk to Percival Landing Park and its longhouse style Harbor House. Then we returned to Capitol Lake and let our dog, Toad, sniff the water.
There’s a lot of Salish style art, including a wooden orca statue. We didn’t stop in cafes or restaurants, but I would like to go back to Olympia Oyster House. Although Olympia doesn’t get a lot of snow, that didn’t stop them from whipping out the Christmas decorations. The downtown was filled with the holiday spirit. Large wreaths hung from lampposts and lights were strung across the street.
