After 22 years, Sequim remains a destination for lavender lovers.

Thousands, probably millions of people have walked the beautiful pink and purple rows each year but this year I wanted to try something that may not have been done before: visit as many of the 16 free admission lavender farms in one day as possible.

Why? My coworkers and I thought about the reality of just how much someone could actually see in three days. Some of that time would be spent traveling to Sequim, scheduling ferries, finding places to stay, etc. We also thought some tourists are on a budget, which drew us to this idea, what I’m calling the Lavender Marathon.

Disclaimer: this challenge was done the week prior to the Sequim Lavender Weekend set for July 20-22 so experiences may differ with traffic flow and farm availability.

There are actually 19 farms on the map for Sequim Lavender Weekend, but I needed to narrow down the farms somehow because 19 in one day is daunting, let alone visiting 16. There are three lavender farms I didn’t visit that cost an admission fee to get in this weekend: Purple Haze Lavender Farm, and Jardin du Soleil Farm and Olympic Lavender Company who offer a joint admission. I definitely recommend you check out their festival events too.

As for my marathon, I thought narrowing it down to free farms included most of the farms, and made the task more feasible.

How did I prepare?

A few nights before the challenge, I made a list of the 16 farms I planned on visiting, and learned what times and days they were open. The next thing I did was look at the map for Sequim Lavender Weekend (found at all the farms and around Sequim in the official program) of all the farms and plan a tentative route. I knew my route might change, so I just had a rough idea of how I wanted to do it. Various driving maps are available from participating lavender farms, too.

The day of the challenge

I knew the weather was going to be warm and sunny (it peaked at 76 on July 12) so I made sure to apply sunscreen, bring a hat and lots of water and some snacks. I know that sounds silly, but this weekend is going to be warm and sunny, so make sure you prepare for that accordingly! I also brought a good friend to come with me and keep me company. Thanks Julia!

Initially, I was going to start at Carrie Blake Community Park, where the Sequim Lavender Festival Street Fair is set for this year, but decided to start closer to where I live and hit the farms that open at 9 a.m. first so I could get more done earlier. Most of the farms open between 9-10 a.m. and close between 5-6 p.m., with a few exceptions.

My route

What I found was that each set of lavender farms was accessible in a sort of loop, which is what I would recommend if you want to see multiple lavender farms in one day. You also can get from one farm to the next within these loops fairly quickly and easily because they are located so close together. I think my comfort zone was four-five farms in one day, despite me visiting 16.

Loop 1: I started at about 9:30 a.m. and headed to B&B Family Farm off Old Olympic Highway, then went up the road to Earth Muffin Lavender on Woodcock (which is only open July 20-22), followed by Fat Cat Lavender on Cays Road and Lavender Connection also on Cays Road. I was able to hit about all these farms within an hour or so. Your time and experiences will vary.

Loop 2: Next, I headed west to Kitty B’s Lavender Farm on Cameron Acres Lane, then hopped over to Victor’s Lavender Farm on Old Olympic Highway, followed by Washington Lavender Farm on Finn Hall Road. I had a chance to chat with Victor Gonzalez of Victor’s Lavender on Old Olympic Highway, who specializes in retail and wholesale selling lavender stalks to other lavender farms both locally, nationally and internationally.

“The (Sequim Lavender) Festival is a time to celebrate and have fun,” Victor said.

Loop 3: If you’re looking for a place to eat a picnic lunch, Martha Lane Lavender has picnic tables, chairs and some shaded seating. I headed there to eat a quick lunch as this spot marked my half-way point (farm no. 8). This farm is up for sale as of this year as the owners are looking to transition to their next phase of life.

Owners of Martha Lane say they love meeting new people each year.

“The highlight of my day is meeting people,” Martha Lane owner said.

I then set out for Nelson’s Duckpond & Lavender Farm off Hooker Road where you’ll run into Tilly Nelson, 13, selling lemonade for $1 per cup. Tilly has been selling lemonade for years since she was a young girl and donates the proceeds of her lemonade to a community cause each year. This year, Tilly said she plans on donating the proceeds from lavender season to the Sequim Food Bank.

“We like to give back to the community,” Tilly said.

I concluded this loop at Lost Mountain Lavender off Taylor Cutoff Road.

Loop 4: I got back on US Highway 101 eastbound to hit my last loop of farms closer to city limits and headed to Peninsula Nursery off Sequim Dungeness-Way, then Graysmarsh Farm off Woodcock Road and back to hit Meli’s Lavender off Old Olympic Highway. At Meli’s, there’s a giant purple picture frame in the middle of rows of lavender to take a photo in.

At this point, it was about 4 p.m. and I knew Sunshine Herb & Lavender Farm closed at 5 p.m. and had to hustle out there to make it in time. Blackberry Forest and Troll Haven were on my list, but as a reminder they only open their lavender fields during Sequim Lavender Weekend .

I stopped by Sunshine first and then went out to Troll Haven and returned back to Blackeberry Forest to end my trip by about 5:30 p.m.

All in all, I finished the route in about eight hours.

What I learned

Timing is important. Every farm has different seasonal hours and opening and closing times. If you are interested in visiting a particular farm or farms, I suggest looking up the opening and closing times or calling the farm to get that information ahead of your visit.

If I were to do it again, I would choose one loop to visit each day of the weekend (about three-four farms) and stick to those few farms for the day to spend more time at each one.

Get to know the owners or employees of that farm if they’re around. My favorite part of the experience was chatting with the owners and learning what he or she is selling, what’s different about that farm and how he or she got started.

Every farm is very different in its own way. It might sound cliche, but it’s true. Some farms offer U-pick, oils, tours, kids craft activities, food and drink options, music, and more. But aside from those things, the aesthetics of each farm is individual and charming and has its own personality from the moment you pull up to the venue.

Things to note

Some farms have a public restroom available and others do not. The same goes with allowing pets in the farm: a few farms allow pets in as long as it is on a leash and others do not.

Three farms/locations are only open during Sequim Lavender Weekend July 20-22, those include Blackberry Forest, Earth Muffin Lavender and Troll Haven.

For more information on Sequim Lavender Weekend, visit www.sequimlavenderweekend.com or www.visitsunnysequim.com.

Reach Erin Hawkins at ehawkins@sequimgazette.com.

Tilly Nelson, 13, at Nelson’s Duckpond and Lavender Farm sells lavender lemonade every year and plans to donates the proceeds from this year to the Sequim Food Bank. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins

Victor Gonzalez of Victor’s Lavender Farm specializes in wholesale lavender and sells lavender stalks to many farmers locally, nationally and internationally. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins

Alex and Sara Lehmann of California visit Washington Lavender Farm for the first time and take a look out at the Straits of Juan de Fuca on July 12. Sequim Gazette photo by Erin Hawkins