Washington's capital is a small, rather relaxed city at the very southern tip of Puget Sound, and it is where Highway 101 makes its last stand. The road, which begins its long loop of the Olympic Peninsula here, runs up the coast of the continent from California, and anyone arriving from Newport in Oregon will have been riding beside the Pacific for much of the way. Olympia itself sits on the shore of Budd Inlet, with the white Capitol dome on the hill above and the ferry-scarred waters of the sound just below.
The approach from the south passes through damp forests of Douglas fir, western red cedar and hemlock, the sort of green that looks almost black under a grey sky. That grey sky is part of the deal. Rain is frequent from autumn to spring, and the coast road can be slick with moss and fallen needles, so a good rain suit is more useful than a clever playlist. Summer, from July to September, is the proper season, with long light evenings, warm days and clear views of the Olympic and Cascade peaks. Traffic around Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater can be heavy on weekday afternoons because of the I-5 corridor.
The city has a lively streak. It has a waterfront farmers market, a number of independent bookshops and music venues, and it was the home of a well-known independent music scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The state Capitol campus is pleasant to walk through, with the Legislative Building a fine example of domed American classical architecture. Oysters are the local food, especially from the small bays around Totten and Eld Inlets, and many places serve them fresh, alongside craft beer from the region's many small breweries.
In terms of practicalities, there is no worry about fuel here. Olympia and its neighbours Tumwater and Lacey together form a sizeable urban area with petrol stations, motorcycle shops, supermarkets and plenty of places to sleep. It is also a sensible place to buy supplies before the thinly populated western reaches of the peninsula, where services get farther apart. Walk the harbour at dusk, and the lights, ferries and gulls make a fitting end to a long road.