Spring Comes Alive in Olympia and Thurston County

From fresh oysters to the outdoors and Saturday markets, the state capital creates an agenda of its own

written by Ryn Pfeuffer

I lived in Seattle for nearly two decades and still managed to overlook Olympia. Maybe I assumed Washington’s capital would feel buttoned-up, or maybe I was distracted by ferries heading north. Spring proved me wrong. With Thurston County just beyond town (think waterfalls roaring, wildlife stirring, prairies greening), Olympia makes for an easy base. Add cherry blossoms and magnolias on the capitol campus and the Procession of the Species in April, and the city feels fully awake.

An overview of Olympia, the state capital. (photo: Experience Olympia & Beyond)

Three days is plenty to use Olympia as a launching point and see how much lies just beyond its city limits.

Day 1

DOWNTOWN • OYSTERS • SMALL-BATCH SCOOPS

If you’re driving south from Seattle, ease into the weekend with lunch at Bacco Trattoria Italiana, just off Martin Way East in Lacey, right before you reach Olympia. It’s an easy stop locals swear by: small dining room, handwritten notes lining the walls and Italian comfort food rooted in chef Riccardo Simeone’s hometown of Gaeta. The potato crocchette arrive hot and crisp, the bucatini all’Amatriciana unapologetically rich. It’s the kind of meal that makes you stop checking the clock and put up your out-of-office reply a little earlier than planned.

From there, continue into downtown and check in at the DoubleTree by Hilton Olympia Downtown Capitol District, a convenient home base near Percival Landing. Rooms on the quieter back side look toward the waterfront. The location makes it easy to explore on foot. So, drop your bags, and head out.

Downtown Olympia is compact but full of personality. The Wiggle Room packs vintage furniture, rock ’n’ roll memorabilia and crystals into a thoughtfully curated space that invites browsing. A few doors down, Browsers Bookshop manages to feel both deeply local and surprisingly comprehensive, with staff picks, Pacific Northwest titles and a calendar full of community events that spill beyond its small footprint.

Nearby, Compass Rose offers an artful mix of indie jewelry, fragrances, books and gifts sourced from local artisans and small makers across the country. Nothing feels random. A stop at Rainy Day Records completes the loop: crates packed with vinyl, posters lining the walls and staff who still talk about the local music scene with genuine enthusiasm.

Dinner belongs at Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar. Grab a seat at the front oyster bar if you can, and watch the shucking while a knowledgeable server explains how farming techniques shape flavor and shell. Chelsea’s tide-tumbled Pacific oysters shine, especially the Mirimichi from Totten Inlet. Plates like geoduck ceviche with cucumber and lime or Brussels sprouts topped with butter-poached Dungeness crab show off the kitchen’s deft hand. And if you’re feeling celebratory, oysters and caviar with crème fraîche, and potato chips, are always a smart decision.

Sample a variety of fresh oysters at Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar. (photo: Experience Olympia & Beyond)

Dessert is close by at Sofie’s Scoops, tucked inside 222 Market. The small-batch gelato is made fresh daily using milk from TUNaWERTH Creamery in nearby Tenino, pasteurized on-site. Flavors rotate; Olympia Fog, scented with black tea and vanilla, is a standout. Check Instagram for the day’s offerings.

Wind down the night with a short walk. Shiny Prize serves retro cocktails from a Trapper Keeper menu in a tiny, neon-lit room. Around the block, The Brotherhood Lounge offers shuffleboard, a heated patio and cozy booths inside the historic Labor Temple. Cash only. Hit the photo booth before turning in.

Day 2

FARMERS MARKET • BRUNCH • WOLVES

Saturday morning starts at the Olympia Farmers Market, a waterfront fixture for more than fifty years and one of the state’s largest. (It runs Thursday through Sunday, April through October; Saturday during the fall and winter months.) Stalls spill over with just-cut greens, crusty loaves cooling in paper bags, jars of smoked salmon and buckets of fresh-cut flowers. Nearby, makers sell hand-thrown pottery, candles, prints and letterpress cards. Food trucks keep everyone well fed—pakoras, breakfast burritos, tamales, bratwurst, meant to be eaten on the move, as music drifts through the market. It’s Olympia at its most communal.

Hit Olympia’s farmers market to get the most of the local terroir. (photo: Cayman Waughtel/Experience Olympia & Beyond)

From there, head south to Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls, where the Deschutes River rushes past at arm’s length, framed by mossy stone and evergreens. Just beyond, brunch at Bar C’est L’eau feels like an impromptu trip to Paris. The bistro-crêperie sits in the Tumwater Craft District and does quiet indulgence nicely. The crêpe madame arrives layered with house-cured ham, Dijon, Gruyère and egg; adding the house bacon turns it properly decadent. Take a seat at the bar, order a glass of bubbles and let the morning stretch.

Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls is a beautiful outing. (photo: Experience Olympia & Beyond)

The afternoon is reserved for Wolf Haven International in Tenino, a globally recognized wolf sanctuary set on 82 acres of rare Mima Mound prairie. Tours are small and require reservations; only a limited number of wolves are visible, by design. Wolf Haven prioritizes minimal human interference, focusing on conservation, education and the role wolves play in healthy ecosystems—particularly for endangered Mexican gray wolves and the critically endangered American red wolves. The sanctuary participates in both recovery Made Inside“international” programs and is the first and only wolf sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. If you’re lucky, a distant howl carries across the prairie, a quiet reminder of the important work being done here.

Treat yourself to a dash of France with a crêpe madame at Bar C’est L’eau. (photo: Bar C’est L’eau)

If you have time on the way back, Offut Lake Resort is worth a stop. A longtime local favorite, it offers cabins, RV sites and a general store stocked with fishing gear and essentials. The on-site Lady of the Lake serves food and drinks with views of the lake.

Dinner brings you back to Olympia for Nineveh, a rare find focusing specifically on Assyrian cuisine. Run by siblings Lisa and Jacob David, the restaurant balances warmth and precision. Order the lahamajeen, flatbread topped with ground lamb and beef, pomegranate molasses and mint, and save room for the tahini pie finished with pistachio and rose.

Day 3

SCIENCE CENTER • PASTRIES • BIRD-WATCHING

Ease into the morning at Glowies, where egg sandwiches come on tasty brioche buns. Order the SPCE (fried Spam, crispy rice cake, nori, egg, cheese, sesame mayo) and pair it with a Glowie, an affogato-style drink brightened with citrus curd.

A few blocks away, the WET Science Center offers a surprisingly engaging look at water conservation and wastewater systems through hands-on exhibits that lean smart rather than preachy. It’s free, easy and worth a quick stop.

Before heading out of town, stop at Left Bank Pastry for a sweet treat. The minimalist space turns out excellent baking: canelés with crisp, caramelized shells, croissant doughnut holes (a kid fave) that sell out quickly and savory quiches that travel well.

End the weekend at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, where the Nisqually River fans into Puget Sound. Boardwalks skim tidal marsh and mudflat, and the light and wildlife seem to shift by the hour. Go early for owls in the woods; move slowly, and keep an eye on both sides of the trail. Sparrows and warblers flit low, while herons and eagles rule the sky. Near the Twin Barns, close to the barns and brushy edges, keep an eye out for long-tailed weasels. Also, don’t miss the Nisqually Overlook; it’s especially good for bird-watching at low tide.