Fantastic Day Trips Out Your Front Door at McCormick

Posted February 1, 2022

As the winter months are mid-way, we are excited to share some day trips you can enjoy out your front door at McCormick that keep you (or at least try to) dry! Let’s start our journey with a stop for the wine lovers:

Eagle Harbor Wine Co.

Eagle Harbor Wine Co is a special treat, with wines crafted by Emily Parsons.  Visit their Winslow tasting room to taste their double gold medal winner Founder Merlot, crafted of grapes sourced from the legendary Walla Walla Valley.  Merlot, a well loved red bordeaux varietal, is a champ here in Washington State.  If you’re a fan of the film Sideways and since watching refuse to drink Merlot, we beg you to reconsider.  The good news is, to compliment the Merlot, Eagle Harbor also pours its “best of the best” Raptor.  The Raptor is crafted from the best barrels of their Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  For an approachable and easy to love red bordeaux blend, try the Condor.  White wine drinkers, never fear, you’ll also enjoy their Goldfinch Chardonnay and Viognier.

Little known but interesting fact.  Of the 7 wineries on Bainbridge, 2 (28%) have women as winemakers.  Doesn’t seem like a lot, except when you compare to California wineries, where just 10% have women winemakers.

Eleven Winery

At Eleven Winery, taste award winning Syrah from the Yakima Valley’s Elephant Mountain Vineyard, Vinognier from the Yakima Valley’s Sugarloaf Vineyard, and Ratio:Rosso, a lively blend of Lemberger, Mourvedre, and Syrah.  Lemberger is a unique red varietal, primarily grown in Central Europe, and special to find in a Washington blend, with just over 70 acres planted in our state.  Lemberger adds a spicy touch the blend with Rhone varietals, Mourvedre and Syrah.  If you are in the mood for entertainment, Eleven also hosts concerts and pop-up oyster bars on weekends at their winery just up the road.

And now for the ones who love cute little towns. If you haven’t been to either yet, this is your chance! While summer month flood both places, they tend to be a little quieter during the rainy winter months. Find plenty of cute shops and restaurants at either town:

Port Townsend

If you haven’t yet explored this gem in Washington State, put it on your to do list, stat!  Port Townsend takes you back in time, with Victorian architecture, tree lined streets, incredible dining and unique art galleries on its historic main street.   Port Townsend is surrounded by water, and keeps visitors busy with year round festivals, events and activities.  Especially popular is the Wooden Boat Festival, September 9-11, 2022. Explore 300 vessels in this charming coastal town, and relive days gone by.

Port Angeles

Port Angeles is considered a gateway to the magnificent Olympic National Park.  “In 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt visited the Olympic Peninsula and added his support to establishment of a national park.”  Good news for us, the Olympic National Park was designated the following year. The Olympic National Park has nearly 1 million acres for year-round exploring.  You’ll enjoy every setting – from rugged beaches, to old growth forests, to pristine lakes.

Now for those who don’t mind a little rain (it is Washington after all):

Lakes and Rain-forests

Not far from Port Angeles you’ll find beautiful Lake Crescent.  Boaters, swimmers, and paddlers love this lake and its extraordinary blue water.  The Lake Crescent Lodge,  built in 1915, takes you back in time, and enjoy exploring the trails that surround it.

Lake Crescent Lodge, Olympic National Park

About two hours from Port Angeles you’ll find the Hoh Rain Forest, one of four rain forests in the area and another place to explore.  The Hoh is a biosphere reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has a yearly rainfall totaling 12-14 feet!   A lush canopy of trees, mosses, and ferns dot the landscape, making for an enchanting experience.   Not far from the Hoh rainforest you’ll find the town of Forks, made famous most recently by the Twilight book and movie series.

Beaches

Ruby Beach Image by Liz Dean

The Olympic National Park may have its incredible trails, majestic mountains, and pristine lakes, but it also has some of the most magnificent shorelines in the world.  The beaches near Port Angeles, including several in the Olympic National Park, will take your breath away.  While the water is cold and it may not feel like the tropics, you’ll be mesmerized by the scenery.  This is a special place.

First, we visit Rialto Beach, one of the 10 best west coast beaches as named by USA Today.  Rialto is embellished with driftwood, sea stacks, black pebbles and powerful surf.  For a more remote location, Shi Shi Beach, accessible by a hike through a rain forest.  Last but not least, Ruby Beach.  About an hour and a half from Port Angeles, this Ruby Beach can be easily accessed by car (though not ADA accessible due to drift wood on the trail), and is something special to experience.  A comment on TripAdvisor says it best – “Wow! Just Wow!”.  Plan your trip to arrive at low tide for incredible tide pools.

Let us know if you visit any of these places on our list by tagging us on social @liveatmccormick !