Renovations make town flush with pride

SEQUIM -- This town seems to be bursting with pride as a major revitalization construction effort hits its stride in the downtown corridor.

Historically, the small Olympic Peninsula community has been touted as one of the best places in the state to live. Owing to a natural phenomenon called the rain shadow, Sequim gets only about 15 inches of rain a year, less then a lot of areas in the much more arid eastern half of the state.

Because of the mild climate, coupled with the low cost of living, retirees have flocked in droves to Sequim over the years. The city also is considered the gateway to myriad recreational activities associated with the nearby Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

A new and slightly unusual source of community pride was unveiled earlier this month when the city inaugurated its first public restroom on Sequim Avenue, just north of Washington Street.

The city didn't go all out and use searchlights to announce it was in service, but Sequim was proud enough of the restroom to drape a giant "Grand Opening" banner prominently over the front. And a high-tech restroom it is, with automatic flushing toilets, faucets and hand dryers. Take my word for it -- it's a beauty.

Kyla Becker, owner of Hurricane Coffee Co., a popular shop just down the street from the new facility on the most prominent street corner in town, joked, "Only in Sequim would we have a grand opening for a restroom."

Despite the jokes, the modern restroom is emblematic of the larger downtown economic revitalization that started last fall and should be finished by June.

The restroom and adjacent, free, off-street parking -- paved and landscaped a couple of weeks ago -- are part of the city's ambitious plan that will include new sidewalks, curbs and gutters, a storm-drain system, water lines, street lighting, street benches and landscaping.

Most of the merchants I spoke with think the improvements will significantly spruce up what one business owner described as an ugly downtown corridor. Washington Street, the main east-west route through town, has been unsightly for years.

Proponents of the revitalization effort say better traffic flow, parking, landscaping and sidewalks will benefit everyone who works in or visits downtown Sequim. Washington Street improvements should be completed by the end of March.

Besides improving public access to downtown shops and galleries, Sequim's downtown face-lift should serve as a sexier backdrop for all the year-round recreational opportunities in the region, from birding tours along the Dungeness River to a game of golf at Dungeness Golf Course.

Even in the dust from all the construction, Washington Street is alive with a variety of restaurants, from excellent traditional Mexican fare at El Cazador Grill and Cantina, to the funky, old-fashioned hamburger and fries drive-in next door called Tootsies. Both are on the west side of town.

When Arturo Briseno, the gregarious proprietor of El Cazador, walked through his establishment at dinnertime, he worked the customers like a politician. One customer even hollered clear across the restaurant to congratulate him on becoming a grandfather for the first time. Arturo, who has owned the restaurant since 1988, smiled and waved back.

Jeff Larsen / P-I

El Cazador owner Arturo Briseno in the lobby of his Mexican grill and cantina.

The stucco Southwest-style restaurant building is attached (a little awkwardly architecturally) to the base of a vintage 1940s grain elevator that was operational until the late 1970s. Because the grain elevator is the tallest structure in Sequim, it makes El Cazador probably the easiest restaurant to find. The service was fast and my small combination chicken enchilada and beef tamale dinner ($7.95) was very tasty.

Tootsies' bright pink exterior also makes the restaurant easy to spot on Washington Street, near El Cazador and the grain elevator. Owner Candy Diesen tipped me that she and a partner have bought the Red Ranch Restaurant, a popular Sequim landmark just west of Tootsies. All she would tell me is they plan to make substantial improvements and change the meat-and-potatoes style for which the Red Ranch has been noted. She wouldn't give me an opening date either (the restaurant is closed for renovation).

Gwennies, a tidy, traditional 1950s-style cafe east of Sequim Avenue, features a traditional menu, with good food, service and prices. It's one of those places where the waitress knew everyone who came in for breakfast -- except me. By the time I finished my eggs over-easy and sausage, I practically knew her life story just by overhearing conversations she had with the regular customers.

Dungeness Golf Course likes to brag that it gets less rain then golf courses in Palm Springs, Calif. The 6,456-yard, 18-hole track north of downtown is a fun test of golf, and with four sets of tees so golfers at all skill levels are able to enjoy the course. The pro shop will book tee-time reservations 60 days in advance, either by phone or e-mail. The course also has a full-service restaurant and lounge called the Greenside Grill.

Whenever I travel to the Olympic Peninsula, I try to stop for lunch or dinner at Petals Garden Cafe. The restaurant is outside the construction corridor on the south side of U.S. Route 101 off Sequim Avenue, in a small greenhouse-like structure adjacent to an herb farm.

The blackened-chicken sandwich is worth the short detour off 101. Almost large enough for two, it's served with a crisp garden salad and a cup of homemade blue cheese dressing on the side.

Just west of downtown, the Dungeness River Audubon Center is center stage at the popular Railroad Bridge Park, along the shore of the Dungeness River. The center has a number of natural and cultural exhibits, and every Wednesday morning at 8:30 it hosts a free bird walk in the riparian forest along the lower Dungeness River.

Another integral part of the park is the 1914 railroad bridge and trestle over the Dungeness River that has been refurbished and made passable for bicyclists, walkers, joggers, wheelchairs and strollers.

One day in 1972, Roger Schmidt parked his pickup alongside Route 101 just west of downtown Sequim, unhooked the tailgate, taped a "For Sale" sign to a box of tomatoes. The rest is history.

Today Schmidt's once humble roadside produce stand is the bustling Sunny Farms Country Store, noted for selling mostly organically grown fruits and vegetables. One employee called the food products "healthier -- but it's not a health-food store."

Jeff Larsen / P-I

An aging sign on the side of a building in downtown Sequim.

Displays on either side of the narrow aisles brim with fruits and vegetables (mostly organic), bulk foods, vitamin supplements, health and beauty aids, plus feed and farm supplies, a country-style deli, and a meat department with a real butcher.

Lost Mountain Winery is, as far as I could tell by the steep, winding road to get there, on a lost mountain, but still with a Sequim address.

It's easy to tell that owners Steve and Sue Conca -- who single-handedly crush the grapes and bottle and package all 1,500 cases of wine they sell each year -- really like what they do. Steve's favorite wine is from an old family blend without sulfites, which he calls Lost Mountain Red.

The winery was established by Steve's father, Romeo, in 1981, when there were only 17 other wineries in the state. It's still family-owned and the only winery in Sequim.

The couple has fashioned a wine-tasting room out of what was once Steve's father's home, and beginning in April it will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Before then, call to see if either one of them is around.

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