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.

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.