Lavender farms in Sequim get national attention

Sequim's abundant fields of lavender have caught the attention of The Washington Post.

Driving the news: Sequim, located about 65 miles northwest of Seattle, was hyped by one lavender farmer as "America's Provence" in the paper's travel section over the weekend.

What they're saying: "If Provence is the sun king of lavender fields, then Sequim is the rain shadow queen," the Post writes.

• That's a nod to the rain shadow effect, whereby the Olympic Mountains make the area around Sequim drier than neighboring areas.
• When it comes to lavender growing, drier = better.

Pro tip: Sequim holds an annual lavender festival in mid-July. But even though that's passed, you can still experience all that purple floral goodness.

• Blooming season is far from over, and 16 farms — many of which have shops selling lavender oils, lotions and other concoctions — will be open through at least Labor Day, the Post writes.