Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Around its campus you'll see sculptures, the Tivoli fountain, and a conservatory
(Mon-Fri 8am-3pm). The capitol is open daily with tours offered hourly
between 10am and 3pm. For more information on tours of the grounds, contact
the
State Capitol Visitor Center
(
&
360/586-8687;
www.ga.wa.gov/visitor).
OTHER AREA ATTRACTIONS
In downtown Olympia, you'll find the
Olympia Farmers Market,
700 N.
Capitol Way (
&
360/352-9096;
www.farmers-market.org), on the waterfront
adjacent to Percival Landing Park. This is the second-largest open-air produce
market in the state; it also has numerous prepared-food vendors and features live
music on the weekends. Between April and October, the market is open Thurs-
day through Sunday from 10am to 3pm; from November to December it's open
Saturday and Sunday only.
If you'd like to learn more about the area's history, especially that of the Native
Americans who have called this region home for thousands of years, stop by the
small
Washington State Capital Museum,
211 W. 21st Ave. (
&
360/753-2580;
www.wshs.org/wscm). However, it is the building itself, an Italian Renaissance
mansion built in the 1920s for a former mayor of Olympia, that is the most
interesting part of a visit to this museum. The museum is open Tuesday through
Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday from noon to 4pm. Admission is $2 for
adults, $1.75 for seniors, and $1 for children 6 to 18; free for children under 6.
PRESERVES, PARKS & GARDENS
Lying at the edge of downtown Olympia,
Capitol Lake
and its surrounding
park lands are favorites of area joggers, canoeists, and anglers. There is an excel-
lent view of the Capitol from the west side of the lake. Also in downtown is the
1
1
⁄
2
-mile-long
Percival Landing
boardwalk, which wanders along the shore of
Budd Inlet past marinas, restaurants, public art, and interpretive panels.
Between these two parks, you'll find Heritage Park and the Heritage Fountain,
which has 47 choreographed water jets that are fun to watch. In summer, the
fountain is a popular spot with local children who run through the fountains.
On the north side of Olympia along the East Bay of Budd Inlet, you'll find
formal gardens, several miles of hiking trails, nice water views, and a beach at
Priest Point Park,
on East Bay Drive. The 3-mile round-trip Ellis Cove Trail
provides beach access.
Just across I-5 from Olympia, you'll also find
Tumwater Falls Park,
along a
rocky stretch of the Deschutes River. Here small waterfalls cascade over rocks
and in the autumn, Chinook salmon can be seen as they return to the park's
holding ponds. Within the park you'll find a couple of historic homes that are
open to the public. The
Crosby House,
703 Deschutes Way SW (
&
360/943-
9884
), was built by Bing Crosby's grandparents and is open for tours Thursday
and Sunday from 1 to 4pm; admission is by $2 suggested donation. The adja-
cent
Henderson House,
602 Deschutes Way SW (
&
360/754-4163
), is open
Thursday, Friday, and Sunday between 1 and 4pm; admission is by donation.
Despite the waterfalls, salmon, and historic homes, the presence of the now-
closed Miller Brewing Company's huge Tumwater Brewery (formerly the
Olympia Brewery) looming overhead and the roaring traffic on I-5 a few feet
away detract quite a bit from the aesthetics of the setting. Still, for the riverside
trails and the chance to see salmon in the fall, this park is worth a visit.
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
(
&
360/753-9467;
http://nisqually.
fws.gov), located 8 miles north of Olympia at exit 114 off I-5, preserves the delta
