Olympia (Washington)

By plane

• Fly in through SeaTac Airport.
• Olympia Regional Airport (private, charter)

By car

• From Interstate 5 (I-5) Olympia is accessed from exits #99 ("93rd Ave SW") through #109 ("Martin Way E") along I-5. Downtown can be accessed from Exit #105 ("State Capitol City Center/Port of Olympia") from both directions. The off ramp comes into town as 14th Ave SE towards the state capitol. From the northbound lanes the off ramp from Exit #105 further splits to #105A which goes into 14th Ave SE or #105B which goes into Plum Ave SE on the east side of the downtown core. Or exit off at Pacific Ave at Exit #107 which comes into downtown as State Ave NE.
• US Hwy 101/SR-8 From I-5 US-Hwy 101 is at Exit #103. If going west, the same highway becomes SR-8 after going past the US-Hwy 101 turnoff towards Shelton and Port Angeles.
• From Kitsap Peninsula Go south on Hwy 3 and follow signs for "Hwy 3 South Belfair" Continue south along WA-3 through Belfair and Shelton where it ends into US-Hwy 101 south of Shelton. Merges into a freeway continuing east into Olympia as US-Hwy 101 or west to Aberdeen as SR 8.

By bus

• Greyhound

  phone: +1 360 357-5541
  address: (bus station) 107 7th Ave SE
  Travels primarily on Interstate 5 (Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Kelso/Longview and Portland.)

• Grays Harbor Transit Rt #40

  phone: +1 360 532-2770
  address: Greyhound station at 107 7th Ave SE
  Olympia Greyhound depot, downtown Olympia Transit Center (same stop at Mason Co Transit #6); Elma, McCleary, Montesano & Aberdeen/Hoquiam in Grays Harbor County.

• Mason Transit Rt #6

  phone: +1 360-427-5033
  address: Intercity Transit Olympia Transit Center @ 222 State Ave NE
  Olympia to/from Shelton. Schedules are infrequent so check schedules closely if choosing to use public transportation to travel through the Kitsap Peninsula, west of the sound. An alternative to traveling to Bremerton by bus is to take Greyhound up to Seattle and then a ferry across or take Intercity Rt 612 or 620 to Lakewood or Tacoma and transfer to Sound Transit Rt #590 or 594 to reach downtown Seattle.

• Intercity Transit

  phone: +1 360 786-1881
  address: (downtown transit center) 222 State Ave NE
  Operates local buses in and around Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater as well as express buses from downtown Olympia & Lacey to Lakewood and Tacoma. Listed are bus routes connecting downtown Olympia to Lacey, Tumwater, Lakewood, and Tacoma.

• 13 Frequent local route from the Labor & Industries (L&I) office in Tumwater to the downtown Olympia Transit Center (Bay 'D') along Capitol Way/Capitol Blvd. Transfer to Rural Transit (see below) at Tumwater Square along Cleveland Ave SE & Emerson. (Rt #609 from Tumwater no longer operates)
• 62a & 62b frequent local route from Lacey to the downtown Transit Center (Bay 'H') via Martin Way. The 612 express bus only make one stop at the Martin Way P&R.
• 64 local route from Bay 'I' to the Amtrak Station in Lacey via College St. Makes multiple stops to pick up and drop off people on request.
• 612 Express buses from Bay 'F' to downtown Tacoma & Tacoma Dome via Martin Way P&R and Lakewood (Lakewood Sounder & Lakewood P&R). Transfer to Pierce Transit and Sound Transit buses in downtown Tacoma, Lakewood Sounder Station and/or Lakewood Park & Ride. Transfer to Rt #62a or 62b at Martin Way P&R to reach additional destinations in Lacey.
• 620 Weekend express bus from downtown Olympia Transit Center (Bay 'M') to Tacoma Mall via Lacey (Martin Way P&R and Lacey Transit Center) & Lakewood. No service to downtown Tacoma or Tacoma Dome.

• Rt #2 Goes from Tumwater Square along Old Hwy 99 SE to Tenino and east towards Rainier along Sussex Ave E
• Rt #3 Goes from Tumwater Square along I-5 and Case Rd Sw to Grand Mound P&R (Exit #88 from I-5) and then west on US Hwy 12 to Rochester and the Chehalis Tribal Center on the Chehalis Indian Reservation.
• Rt #4 goes from Centralia to Grand Mount P&R, to Tenino (Tenino Library), Bucoda and back to Centralia from Bucoda.

• #574 Lakewood, Tacoma Dome Station, Federal Way, 272nd-I-5, Kent Des Moines Highway (SR-516), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• #594 Lakewood, Downtown Tacoma/UW Tacoma, Tacoma Dome Station, Downtown Seattle
• South Sounder Tacoma, Puyallup, Kent and Seattle transfer at Lakewood Station or Tacoma Dome Station

By train

• Amtrak

  address: Olympia-Lacey Centennial Station @ 6600 Yelm Hwy Se
  The following are the Amtrak routes serving Lacey/Olympia:

• Amtrak Cascades... runs between between Seattle and Portland 4x daily serving Tukwila, Tacoma, Lacey (Olympia), Centralia and Kelso in Washington state. They run from Seattle to Vancouver via Everett, Mt Vernon & Bellingham 2x daily and from Portland to Eugene via Oregon City, Salem & Albany 2x daily. Additional service from Seattle to Vancouver and from Portland to Eugene are provided on the Amtrak Thruway Bus.
• Amtrak Coast Starlight makes an once daily trip in each direction between Seattle and Los Angeles along the same route with the same stops as the Amtrak Cascades (except Tukwila & Oregon City) between Seattle and Eugene, OR.

• Olympia's numbered streets run East-West, and the city is broken into four quadrants with the center point in downtown. Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast. These indicators come after any address.
• Capitol Way is the main north - south street in the downtown area. Fourth Avenue is the main connector that runs through downtown east - west.
• The city's downtown district lies in the middle of what residents refer to as the Westside and the Eastside. Most residents of the city will claim these two areas are distinctively different.
• Intercity Transit operates the bus system. $1.25 per trip or $2.50 for a day pass.

Brylie Oxley

• Bigelow House Museum

  phone: +1 360-753-1215
  address: 918 Glass Ave NE
  Olympia's oldest surviving home, built in 1850s when Washington was a territory. Oregon Trail Pioneers Daniel and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow were early advocates of women's voting rights, public education and the rule of law. Home to the same family until 2005, it contains original furnishings, photos and documents dating back 150+ years.

• The Evergreen State College

  phone: +1 360-867-6000
  address: 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
  Public baccalaureate liberal arts college, known for alumni such as Kathleen Hanna, Carre Brownstein and Matt Groeing. Beautiful forested campus with miles of secluded hiking trails and beach access.
• Olympia Marina
• Olympia has a thriving music community, with frequent local performances by rock, jazz, blues, folk, and other bands. Local noncommercial community radio station KAOS at 89.3 FM (which also streams live at ) features tremendous variety of independent artists, often live in their performance studio. The station is on the campus of The Evergreen State College.

• Washington State Capitol Building

  phone: +1 360 902-8880
  address: 416 Sid Snyder Ave
  One of the largest free standing masonry domes in the world. Hourly tours

• Budd Bay Charters

  phone: +1 360 539-8981
  address: 525 Columbia St NW
  Olympia Harbor. Budd Bay Charters provides boat tours of the Olympia harbor and beyond. Has 21' electric boats that tour the harbor or you can rent them. Also have tours on 38' Sailboat and 18' Runabout speed boat.

• Chehalis Western TrailGreat rail trail for bicycling. The Trail is paved and close to 20 miles long. Goes along lakes, farms, orchards, suburban developments and a river.

• Hands On Children's Museum

  phone: +1 360 956-0818
  address: 414 Jefferson St NE
  The Hands On Children's Museum stimulates curiosity, creativity and learning through fun, interactive exhibits and programs for children.

• Washington Center For The Performing Arts

  phone: +1 360 753-8585
  address: 512 Washington Street SE
  South Puget Sound's largest performing arts facility provides a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities.

• Wolf Haven International

  address: 3111 Offut Lake Rd SE, Tenino WA 98589
  Is a wolf sanctuary located about a half an hour from Olympia. Forty-seven wolves reside at the refuge and it can be toured by visitors. It has been listed several times in reputable wildlife journals as being one of the top wolf sanctuaries in the United States.

• South Sound Wine TrailThe South Sound Wine Trail extends from Lacey through Olympia to Shelton and includes 7 wineries. Includes stops at Medicine Creek Winery, Madsen Family Cellars, Northwest Mountain Winery, Stottle Winery, Olympia Wine Tasting Bar (McCrea Cellars & Vina Salida), and Walter Dacon. During your tour you will often have the chance to speak with the winemakers and owners to receive unique insight into their wines.

• Olympia Farmer's Market

  address: 700 Capital Way N
  North End of Capitol Way near the waterfront. One of the largest in the state. The market's schedule is seasonal.

• Last Word Books

  phone: +1 360-786-WORD
  address: 111 Cherry St NE
  A self-proclaimed "radical, independent bookstore" which deals almost exclusively in used-books, Last Word was started in 2002 by Evergreen College alumni. Crammed with every book you could want (other than current bestsellers, and romance novels) amid ambling, complex shelves which migrate every few months, it is difficult to imagine anywhere less reminiscent of Barnes & Noble. Chat with the cashier, attempt to pet the deaf (?) cat, and wander its weirdness. They also buy books for cash or trade.

• Cebu Restaurant

  phone: +1 360 455-9128
  address: 9408 Martin Way East
  Serves Filipino food in a friendly atmosphere. It's a little bit hard to find - it's in a strip mall next to a gas station. If you're heading east on Martin Way, it's not too far past Marvin Road.

• Norma's Burgers

  phone: +1-360 456-6547
  address: 7210 Martin Way East
  A local chain. Norma's won the Best Burger in Washington State for the year 2007, probably for their John Wayne Burger. Also serves breakfast, sandwiches, and seafood.

• Norma's at I-5

  phone: +1-360 412-0333
  address: 10322 Martin Way East
  A second location for this local chain.

• O'Blarneys

  phone: +1-360 459-8084
  address: 4411 Martin Way E
  If you like chicken, try the "Breasts and Jos".

• Eastside Big Tom Drive Inn:

  phone: +1 360 357-4852
  address: 2023 4th Ave E
  A Big Tom with the works. Milkshakes and crinkle fries are also excellent. Bring cash and a hearty appetite.

• Anthony's Homeport

  phone: +1 360 357-9700
  address: 704 Columbia Street NW
  On Olympia waterfront. Upper scale fine dining.

• Lemon Grass Restaurant

  phone: +1 360 705-1832
  address: 212 4th Ave. W
  If you love Thai food, this is the place.

• McMenamin's Spar Cafe

  phone: +1 360 357-6444
  address: 114 4th Ave. E.
  The oldest restaurant/bar in town, dating back to the 1930s. Great atmosphere, food and libations.

• Vic's Pizzeria

  phone: +1 360 943-8044
  address: 233 Division St Nw
  One of the most popular restaurants in Olympia with excellent and often unusual flavors of pizza. All of them are delicious.

• Old School Pizzeria

  phone: +1 360 786-9640
  address: 108 Franklin St
  Olympia, WA. Very similar to Vic's. Movie posters line the walls of this restaurant.

• Brewery City Pizza3 locations in Olympia. Another very popular pizzeria.

• King Solomon's Reef

  phone: +1 360 742-3199
  address: 212 4th Ave E
  A Olympia staple in the heart of downtown; a fun, off-beat but classic dinner. Has everything from burgers and shakes to sesame tofu. Plus there's the bar.

• The lounge at King Solomon's Reef, 212 4th Ave E, 360-357-5552. is the quintessential Olympia dive-bar. Dark, tobacco-stained, with well drinks that bite back and bar food to match, The Reef is where the locals go after shows or just to hang out late at night. A good place to go absorb some drinks while avoiding Oly's meat-market scene.

• Jake's on 4th

  address: 311 4th Ave E
  A dance nightclub with dj dancing Th-Su. Features hot dog stand with walk-up window as Olympia Hot Dog Company

• The Mark

  phone: +1 360 754-4414
  address: 407 Columbia Street SW
  The Mark is the only certified organic restaurant in Washington. Local ingredients are used when possible. Banquet facilities available. Hours are Th-Sa, 5PM – 1AM and M-W by private hire. Reservations recommended.

• Fish Tale Brew Pub

  phone: +1 360-943-3650
  address: 515 Jefferson Street SE

• Madsen Family Cellars

  phone: +1 360 438-1286
  address: 2825 Marvin Rd NE Ste D
  A small boutique winery that uses grapes sourced from Eastern Washington. The tasting room has dry whites, off-dry and sweet whites, a pink, Sangiovese plus the bordeaux reds - Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and a Bordeaux Blend called Othello.

• McCoy's Tavern

  phone: +1 360 352-0696
  address: 418 4th Ave E
  The best dive bar in Olympia. Loud music, graffiti, cheap strong drinks and a sweet outdoor patio. "Like hanging out with the roadies after an awesome show"

• Le Voyuer

  phone: +1 360-943-5710
  address: 404 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501
  Arty dive restraunt, lounge and performance venue with a vegan heavy menu, particularly well fried garlic fries. Large diverse international and domestic bottle beer fridge and local/domestics on tap. All-age performance venue till 10, well known for its punk shows.

• DoubleTree by Hilton

  phone: +1 360 570-0555
  address: 415 Capitol Way N

• Swantown Inn Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +1 360 753-9123
  address: 1431 11th Ave SE
  A 1887 Queen Anne/Eastlake Victorian Mansion listed on both the city and state historical registers. Located in a quiet neighborhood.

• The Olympia Timberland Library, 313 8th Ave. SE, offers free wireless Internet.

• The Evergreen State College

  address: 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
  Has open free WiFi on campus

• Seattle
• Tacoma
• Olympic National Park The diverse heart of the Olympic Peninsula offers jagged mountains, rugged coast and lush rainforests.
• Mount Rainier National Park Beautiful Mt. Rainer is crowned with waterfalls, meadows and glaciers.
• Mt. St. Helens This volcano, famous for its 1980 eruption lies an hour and 45 minutes from Olympia.

Fredddie