Thoughts on Olympia, WA?

[Urbanguy]

I finally explored Olympia, Washington last weekend after many years of bypassing it & what a surprisingly funky, liberal & artsy little capital city it is! I'm not sure how Washingtonians view the city but I was quite surprised & really enjoyed touring the state capital & buildings around it. Lot's of great looking buildings in that area & a couple of jewels downtown too. By the way the state capital is immaculate -- it makes Oregon's, Hawaii's & many other's look like outhouses! Tiffany Chandeliers, Marble walls & stairs, etc. I can see why Gregoire wanted to be re-elected! Lol!

I may make another visit in the near future but I'm still unfamiliar with the city, what it has to offer & good places to eat. I ate at the Oyster House & Shari's during my stay but noticed quite a few Vietnamese & Thai eatiers downtown. Anyhow, what are your thoughts & perhaps places to see & do?

[Fiat Lux]

Olympia is a neat place. The places I recommend to see and do are the Capitol campus, Percival Landing (boardwalk/park on waterfront), Farmers Market, downtown core, Capitol Lake (if sunny), and Tumwater Falls (can walk there from downtown along Capitol Lake).

For food the Oyster House was a good choice. Budd Bay Cafe, and the two Anthony's also have great seafood. Taylor Shellfish, one of the nation's largest shellfish farmers is HQed 15 miles away, so there is always great/fresh shellfish. Xinh's in Shelton, about 20 minutes away also has fantastic seafood and has been featured on national TV multiple times. For upscale, eat at Gardner's. Rambling Jacks, across the street from the new city hall is popular. Falls Terrace overlooking Tumwater Falls is good too.

For cheaper eats Old School Pizza is a local favorite. Chop Sticks is a popular Asian eatery. Meconi's, up near the Capitol is a local favorite sandwich shop. Across Capitol Way is Wagner's, a fantastic German bakery. There are also taquerias, BBQ joints, teriyaki, Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, and Indian Cuisine. There is also the Fish Brewing Company, home of Fish Tale Ale. There also many bars, many of which have regular live music at night.

A good time to visit are during either of twice yearly Art Walks, Lakefair, Sand in the City, or during the Tug Boat races.

[Fiat Lux]

Here are a few pics of Olympia I took a few years ago:

[Black Box]

I love the view of the Olympics from Olympia! I have a soft spot for Olympia. It's cute, has an odd charm and a creepy coastal northwest gateway feel to it. I once took the Grays Harbor Transit bus to Hoquiam from Olympia. Whoa!