Of all the places we have traveled, Olympic Peninsula of Washington state ranks among our favorites. This is where your eyes find relief from the wearying sight of big cities, and your hands relax on the steering wheel as the world slows to a more comfortable pace. The air is crystal clean, thanks to reliable sea breezes. It is a land of water, both salt and sweet, as the powerful ocean and placid lakes, tumbling rivers and cascading waterfalls mingle with both the mainland and island groups. And let’s not forget the forests — dense and ancient, these moss-bearded woods blanket the landscape all the way from the rocky seashore to breathtaking mountain heights, giving way only where the glaciers take over.

At the center of the peninsula looms 8,000-foot Mount Olympus, the spectacular geologic feature for which Captain John Meares named the peninsula. In 1788 Meares declared, “If that not be the home where dwell the gods, it is certainly beautiful enough to be, and I therefore will call it Mt. Olympus.”

Surrounding Mt. Olympus on all sides is what many consider to be the garden spot of America, where wildflowers enjoy a long season and wild rhododendrons sprinkle the forest with brilliant splashes of color. Indeed two of the popular local events are the Rhody and the Lavender festivals. And if your tastes run to garden stuff that you can eat, there are numerous “U Pick-’em” style farms where you can harvest strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and other goodies in their seasons.

If we were visiting the Olympic Peninsula for the first time, our list of activities and adventures would include some of the following items. Pull out a map and follow along.

• Be a beach bum. On the west side of the peninsula, enjoy Pacific Ocean beach combing, clamming, fishing and beach kite flying. One of the nicest sandy beaches with easy access is found at Kalaloch. Picturesque Ruby Beach, north between Kalaloch and Forks, has a meandering creek and dramatic sea stacks just off shore. The beach was named for the garnet-colored sand. Early in the last century, miners panned for gold here. West of Forks and north of the Quillayute River, Rialto Beach is one of the few drive-to beaches in the area. After winter storms, it is not uncommon for beachcombers to find such treasures as glass floats that have broken free from Japanese fishing nets.

• Bring an umbrella for this stop. With an average annual rainfall of 240 inches, the Hoh Rain Forest on the southwest side of the Olympic range is a rare temperate rain forest (found only in New Zealand, Chile, and the Pacific Northwest). There are easy loop trails near the year-round Visitor Center (turn east off of Hwy 101 just south of Forks). The 3/4-mile Hall of Mosses Trail is a deep, dark, scary wood straight out of a childhood fairy tale. Along the 1-1/4-mile Spruce Trail that follows the Hoh River through red alder and maple, you will see a landscape that was carved by a glacier-fed river. A 1/4-mile paved mini trail near the visitor center is suitable for a wheelchair or stroller.

• Next stop: Asia. You can stand on a platform on the most northwestern tip of the lower 48. West of that, the next landmass is Asia. To get there, drive through the village of Neah Bay (stop to visit the Makah Museum) and continue west to the Cape Flattery trailhead, where a wood-plank walking path leads westward through the forest. Follow the trail to spectacular vistas of surf pounding on the wild, rocky shore. From here, you will have a perfect view of Tatoosh Island and the lighthouse at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

• Rest your weary soul. Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, a few miles west of spectacular Lake Crescent and then 12 miles south on a well-marked spur road, offers RV facilities, fine dining, a small store and gift shop, a trio of hot mineral pools and a freshwater pool, and massage. You might want to walk the trail to the Sol Duc waterfall first and then soak in the hot mineral pools at the resort to relax.

• Awesome views. Drive up to Hurricane Ridge (17 miles south of Port Angeles at an elevation of 5,200 feet) and witness the breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If you can take your eyes off the mountain, look north and you’ll see Victoria, British Colombia, on Vancouver Island. If you have an extra day, park your RV in Port Angeles and step onto the ferry for a ride across to Victoria, British Columbia’s splendid provincial capitol. It’s an excellent “walking city,” with everything only an easy stroll from the ferry terminal.

• Probe the tide pools. Salt Creek County Park (west of Port Angeles off of Hwy. 112) is a great place to enjoy oceanside RV camping with a postcard view north toward Vancouver Island across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. At low tide, the rocky shoreline is exposed and you can find anemones, urchins, starfish and other creatures trapped in tide pools, awaiting the next high tide.

• Hook, Line and Sinker. Fish the Rivers of the Olympic Peninsula for trout, steelhead and salmon. In season, these mighty fish challenge the skills of anglers who come from far and wide for a chance to catch their limit. Check with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (www.wdfw.wa.gov) for seasons and licensing information.

• Golfer’s paradise. You don’t have to be Tiger Woods to play a round at famous Port Ludlow Golf Club, where 27 holes of championship golf await. The fairways wind through towering evergreens, and present stunning vistas of Ludlow Bay and the Hood Canal. Esquire magazine regarded Port Ludlow Golf Club as one of the world’s most scenic, and it is consistently rated as one of the country’s best resort courses by Golf Digest and Golf Magazine.

• Splish splash. The rivers of the Olympic Peninsula are well known for their power and beauty. The Hoh River, Sol Duc River and Elwha River offer countless opportunities to enjoy a broad range of gentle to exciting river rafting, canoeing and kayaking adventures for those willing to dip a paddle. On the turquoise glacier-fed Hoh, you can paddle westward from Mt. Olympus toward the Pacific Ocean on Class II rapids. The north-running Sol Duc raises the stakes to more powerful Class III, for those seeking a bit more excitement. And the Elwha, near Port Angeles, offers choices of Class II or III. And for flat-water paddling, Lake Crescent and Lake Ozette just can’t be beat.

• Spit. (No, that’s not what I mean.) Hike to the lighthouse at the end of North America’s longest spit (a natural finger of sand that extends out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.) Dungeness Spit and Wildlife Refuge north of Sequim is now more than six miles long and continues to grow in length at a rate of 30 feet per year. There are more than 200 species of birds that call the spit home. It is also the natural habitat of Dungeness crabs.

• One of the jewels of the Olympic Peninsula is Port Townsend — Washington’s “Victorian City” complete with galleries, antique shops and museums. The restored downtown section of Port Townsend is a nationally recognized Historical District of restored buildings circa late 1800s. If you visit in early September, don’t miss the Wooden Boat Festival. Any time of year, pay a visit to historic Fort Worden, where “An Officer And A Gentleman” was filmed.

Of course, this is only the beginning. Because you’ll never be able to see and do it all in one visit, you’ll be drawn back time and again to this magnificent corner of America.