Olympia Washington

We’ve visited Olympia WA -- where Jim lived from 1996 to 2000 -- twice since we’ve been staying at the Lewis-McChord Travel Camp.  Olympia is just 15 miles south of the military base and is both funky and upscale.  It has beautiful homes and parks, a lovely waterfront with expensive-looking sail boats, and a downtown full of small restaurants and shops -- even a shoe store, and I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen a non-chain shoe store. 

The state capitol as seen from across a pier.  About 46,000 people live in Olympia, which is on the extreme southern tip of the Puget Sound. I've seen more Obama/Biden bumper stickers in our few visits to Olympia than I did in Salt Lake during the entire 2008 election. 

Jim and Cooper walk past some of Olympia's shops.  There 
are dozens of small restaurants, antique stores, second 
hand shops, book stores, jewelry stores ... it was nice to see 
so many independently run businesses.  

Jim and Cooper walk along the beach at Olympia's Burfoot 
County Park.

Bev among the ferns on the path to Burfoot County Park. It is a Hansel and Gretel forest just yards from the salt water.

Jim kayaked a lot when he lived on the Puget Sound.  Today we rented a kayak and took a float around his old neighborhood.  I was at the front of the kayak, and took this photo by holding my arms straight up and pointing the camera backwards.

Another shot from the kayak, obviously.  Jim lived in (and actually built) the house on the far right.

Close up of Jim's former house.  It's the one in the middle.