QUILCENE:
The Pearl of the Peninsula By Stella Wenstob
As you travel along the Olympic Peninsula Highway there is a little town that you can miss if you blink. Don’t blink! Perched right on the edge of the Olympic National Forest with its feet in the Hood Canal, Quilcene offers a little slice of Canal living. As full logging trucks rumble by on Hwy101 it is easy to be inspired by this little town’s living logging heritage. Self-taught brew master Melody Bacchus at the 101 Brewery at Twana Roadhouse has created a line-up of fresh micro-brews, that celebrates forestry in their name – most famously the Pecker Pole Ale, named for the logging spar pole. In its rustic, woodsy décor, the Twana Roadhouse offers gourmet burgers and Hood Canal seafood (when in season). If you’re more interested in a quick pit stop on your way to the Olympic National Forest, the Gear Head Deli has delicious automotive themed sandwiches – our editor’s favorite is the Elk Camino Burger. They also offer deli meat and cheese perfect for stocking up for on hiking provisions on your excursion up nearby Mount Walker.
Mount Walker is the only peak along the Hood Canal that has a road to its summit providing stunning views (when the weather cooperates) of Puget Sound, Mount Rainier and Seattle. Window shopping in Quilcene is fairly limited, but there is an outdoor park-like market area with luscious gardens and a couple of permanent shops. Picket Fence Antiques curates a unique blend of antiques and hand-made giftware from the Northwest. The Quilcene Village Store is another shopping experience with its bulk food, African basketry and organic groceries – its Quilcene’s answer to Trader Joe’s.
53
FJORD
