Girl squad overnight in Port Angeles

Put yourself first for once and take off for a night!

By Missy Bouchat on June 20, 2019

As moms and military spouses, it's extremely important that we are indulging in our own self-care -- including taking a break from the madness and enjoying good company. One of the best ways to de-stress is to spend quality time with other spouses, in a setting that is both exciting and detached from your day to day. There are many quick day trips that you can take with your girlfriends all around Washington state, including sunny Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula.

Port Angeles is the largest city in Clallum County with a population that reaches just shy of 20,000 people, compared to Tacoma, the largest city in Pierce County, with a population of 198,000. While the city is small, it beautifully represents the peacefulness and quiet town charm you see throughout the entire Olympic Peninsula. It is known as the gateway to one of the best parks in the Northwest, the Olympic National Park, where travelers from all over the world come to experience the Hoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, and the incredible sandy shores of Kalaloch, La Push, and Rialto Beaches. With over one million acres of protected natural terrain, you could spend an entire week exploring. In addition to the many opportunities for hiking, biking and fishing, Port Angeles is a lovely destination for history, local cuisine, art galleries, antiquing, festivals, and incredible views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca onto Vancouver Island in British Columbia. You can even take the ferry up to Victoria.

On our girls' trip to Port Angeles, we started the day heading out across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge on Highway 16 on an early Friday morning. No trip across the Kitsap Peninsula would be complete without a stop at Brothers Greenhouses in Port Orchard, famous for their life-size Hobbit House and incredible selection of the highest quality, locally grown plants.

From there we moved up to the Viking city of Poulsbo -- a fantastic place to explore great shops, grab an amazing lunch and enjoy the views at The Loft, and sip on a Moscow Mule sampler at Slippery Pig Brewery.

From there, we pushed forward the last hour and change to our adorable Farm House Studio Airbnb on a 60-acre family farm, where we enjoyed more good conversation around our artisan charcuterie board. As the sun dipped down for the day, we filled our wine glasses and walked across to a neighboring Bed and Breakfast, where they welcomed us onto the property with open arms. We made our way down to the beach and watched the sun set over the water, as a few friendly seals poked their heads up to check us out. We spent the remainder of the evening checking out the farm, drinking more wine, talking and laughing.

The next morning, we packed up our things and headed to the beautiful town of Port Townsend, where we enjoyed seeing the magnificent Victorian homes and had an amazing breakfast at Blue Moose Café, a delicious and rustic restaurant set among the boat yards. From there we headed back home to our families to enjoy the rest of the weekend with them. 

Self-care should never feel selfish or difficult. We have to take care of ourselves in order to take care of the people we love. Whether that be exercising, getting a massage, or having lunch with a close friend (or new friend!), be sure to schedule your "me" time in. A girls' overnight trip may even be the rejuvenation you didn't know you needed. I know it was for me. There are so many great spots to travel to in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, with so many variations for different interests and hobbies, it's time to grab your girl squad and take off.