You may purchase an event ticket and taste at all six wineries for $25 (and receive a wine glass) or visit individual wineries for $5. Each winery will add their own flair to pairing wine and chocolates. Some add spice, some make it fruity, and some infuse their wine into chocolate. It all sounds good to me.

You are sure to find at least one combination that transports you to another world.

Make a weekend of it. Travel between Port Angeles and Port Townsend, stopping in Sequim for a little sun on the way. You may want to hike down to the Dungeness Spit or stroll the beaches at Fort Worden in between tastings. There is no hurry. The weekend is yours.

Sequim Bay, originally uploaded by wildestseas.

If it is possible to visit Sequim Bay in the coming months, do so. Take a walk along the western edge of the bay on the Olympic Discovery Trail. Bring or rent a kayak, and get out on the water at dawn. Sail or motor to the John Wayne Marina for a weekend.

Breathe deeply. Relax.

sequim, washington, originally uploaded by BobButcher.

This photo wonderfully illustrates “the blue hole” that is often found over Sequim, thanks to the Olympic Mountains Rain Shadow. As clouds block the sun over Port Angeles, Vancouver Island, and Port Townsend, the blue hole ensures that residents of Sequim will bask in sunshine.

January tends to be a gray, rainy month in the coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Most of us who live here don’t mind so much, as long as we can escape to the sun from time to time. Some folks head east of the Cascade Mountains, where the sun is usually accompanied by snow. Others head to Sequim, where mild temperatures reign.

When you feel yourself in need of a little vitamin D, pack your bags and head to Sequim. Oh, and don’t forget your sunblock.

When in need of a blustery walk to clear the head after to much pie, a beach walk out on the Dungeness Spit is perfect. When the family needs to romp in the snow over the long December break, Hurricane Ridge is the place to be. When you’re starting to wilt because you haven’t seen the sun in a month, head to Sequim and soak up a little vitamin D.

Place yourself in the picture below – a peaceful refuge during the sometimes stressful holidays.

Dec 2007 077, originally uploaded by riffy.

It should therefore come as no surprise that elk roam through Sequim from time to time. Sequim sits at the foot of the Olympic Mountains, on grassy fields that lead up to the Salish Sea. Roosevelt Elk, numbering about 5,000 in the Olympic National Park, are frequent visitors to the land in and around Sequim.

Sequim is a small city on the edge of northwest wilderness. It is well worth visiting.

elk 14, originally uploaded by donmarcyp.

Sailboat at Sunrise, Sequim, originally uploaded by Eric Reimer.

Serenity. Sail away to Sequim, on the Olympic Peninsula, in the Pacific Northwest.

Calm Waters, originally uploaded by Pure Michigan.

Here at the Lake to Lake Michigan State Bed and Breakfast Conference. Pure Michigan has thousands of fantastic photos on Flickr. Who knew Michigan was so beautiful?

Sequim Bay low tide, originally uploaded by carlys_dad.

At the southern tip of Sequim Bay on the Olympic Peninsula lies the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Reservation. Over the past decade, the face of south Sequim Bay and the Jamestown S’Klallam has greatly changed. Indeed, if you haven’t driven out Highway 101 to Sequim in a while, you may not recognize the area around Blyn.

There is a beautifully situated rest stop at the south end of Sequim Bay that provides great views of the bays (sometimes it is simply worth pulling over to fully take in the view). Here you will also find a bit of interesting history about the tribe. Be sure to check out the great market across the street from the rest stop if you are in need of snacks (along with the first gas station since before the Hood Canal Bridge). There is also the Seven Cedars Casino – popular with visitors and locals alike thanks to the great shows and good atmosphere.

A View from Sequim, originally uploaded by ePut.

Views in the Pacific Northwest and, specifically, the Olympic Peninsula, are generally stellar. Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca, two mountain ranges, volcanoes towering 10,000 to 14,000 feet above sea level… how can your jaws not drop in wonder?

The views from Sequim are spectacular – like the one above, seen from Bell Hill. Views from Sequim have all the elements listed above, plus the following: Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands and Whidbey Island on the horizon; and the Olympic Mountains pressing at your back as you look out over lush flat fields to the Salish Sea.

If you haven’t yet experienced the beauty of Sequim, hurry.

The pumpkin patch, originally uploaded by carlys_dad.

It’s October, and the Sequim Pumpkin Patch beckons. Open daily, the patch boasts pumpkins, of course, but also a fantastic corn maize, animals, hot apple cider and a little spookiness, too. Plan to wear your walking shoes if you dare to enter the corn maize, and don’t be in a hurry – some of the best fun is had when you get lost. This is the essence of autumn. The air is crisp, the mountains are out, and the pumpkins are flying (thanks to the pumpkin toss).

Head west out of Sequim on Highway 101, and hook at right at Kitchen-Dick Road. Look for the pumpkin tower, and you are there.