This post is sponsored by RLH Corporation.
Being born in Washington State, I’m allowed to say the Olympic Peninsula is the most beautiful corner of the entire country. And, being a constant traveler and having seen a lot, I’m confident when I say it. We have mountains, forests, lakes, the ocean, beaches, whales, puffins…basically nature and wildlife on a matchless level. Even though it’s a three-hour drive from my house, there’s always so much going on during the year that when I do make it out for a visit, it’s a very special trip. This year, I had the opportunity to see it through the Hotel RL lens, and it was a truly memorable experience.
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We arrived at sunset. Hotel RL feels almost like a resort in a secluded lot surrounded by trees with a beautiful view of Capitol Lake. Although the pool was closed for the season, we had a great view of the property from our balcony. It was a quick drive into old town for dinner at Waterstreet Café for dinner and drinks, which included an incredible charcuterie board.
However, my favorite corner of Hotel RL Olympia is the Victrola Coffee stand in the lobby. As a guest, you get a free 8-ounce espresso drink in the morning, and since my mother doesn’t drink coffee the barista let my mom “donate” her drink to me, so I got to enjoy a 16-ounce soy latte. I always appreciate little touches like this that take customer service to the next level. Plus, there’s the cute VW bus that makes a perfect little vignette for a photo.
Before we hit the road, we explored a coffee shop and used bookstore where I picked up a couple vintage Nancy Drew books to add to my collection. Next, we got to visit the Capitol building (right across the lake from Hotel RL) which has been on my bucket list since I was a little girl.
The drive to Port Angeles, our next destination, is nothing but beautiful scenery and has a ton of great pull-offs, some of them even official State Parks (bring cash if you plan on parking for awhile). Thanks to all the great views we enjoyed on the drives, we pulled in to Port Angeles right around sunset again and zipped off to dinner at Next Door Gastropub, which offered some of the most memorable macaroni and cheese I’ve had in a long time.
But the real treat came the next morning. The Port Angeles Red Lion Hotel is located right on the beach, which made for an absolutely incredible view to wake up to. My mom and I spent the morning exploring the beach and local pier before doing some shopping in town (don’t miss the adorable and addicting Odyssey Bookshop) and then heading on to another local port town, Port Townsend, before we had to catch the ferry home. I wanted to visit the Point Wilson lighthouse, because I’m kind of a lighthouse nerd, as well as Manresa Castle which some Nancy Drew computer games (nerd alert again) are based off of! It was such a cool experience.
I wouldn’t have been able to make this trip happen without RLHC, and thanks to the convenience of their locations I can’t wait to do this itinerary again—hopefully with a few additional locations! There’s so much on the Olympic Peninsula to explore. Make sure to check out the Hotel RL rewards program before planning your next trip. It really caters to the everyday American traveler, which, in this case, is me! I spent years road tripping with my family and after signing up with Hello Rewards, I feel like a whole new hotel world has opened up to me and I’m ready to hit the road again. Now, the only decision to make is…where to next?
