2 Best Sights in Hood Canal, The Olympic Peninsula and Washington Coast

This distillery decorated with old tools and other memorabilia from the building's previous life as a hardware store offers informative tastings and, by appointment, entertaining tours. For a small operation, Hardware has developed a big following for its fruit-and-honey Bee's Knees liqueurs (the fig variety is a standout) as well as spicy Cardamom Aquavit and herbal-accented Dutch genever–style small-batch gin. A couple of doors down, the beer garden at Potlach Brewing is a nice place to sample locales ales, including some aged in Hardware Distillery whiskey barrels.

An 8-mile forest drive from Hoodsport along Highway 119 leads to this 4,000-acre glacial reservoir that hugs the less-visited southeastern border of Olympic National Park. The lake is a gem that's popular with hikers and campers but is also wonderful for canoeing and kayaking (there are a couple of rental outfitters along the shore) as well as fishing for salmon and trout. Relax on the beach or cool off with a dip at Skokomish Park on a summer day, or make your way to nearby Mt. Ellinor Trailhead, where there are both moderate and quite strenuous hikes into the mountains that rise above this glorious lake.