Queen O Q - Travel, Family & Fun

Olympia, Washington

 

If you remember your geography class, you'll remember that Olympia is the capital of the State of Washington. Since we like to expose our children to historical and meaningful places, and we love having fun, of course, we recently made the trek to Olympia to visit the capital building. We were fortunate enough to have an informative tour guide who was patient with my many questions and knowledgeable about the beautiful capital building.

The most prominent visual on campus is the Legislative Building. It stands 287 feet high and is the tallest masonry dome in North America. The building was constructed between 1922-1928. We entered this impressive building through massive bronze doors and were amazed by the floor to ceiling marble inside. 

One of my favorite aspects of the tour was viewing the magnificent chandeliers in the capital building. I learned that they were made by Tiffany and Company of New York and the one in the rotunda was large enough to hold a Volkswagen bug inside.

We were allowed into the State Reception Room to see the round table where the governor signs documents and meets heads of state. The room features the world's largest single-loom carpet. This beautiful carpet was made in 1928 by the Mohawk Company. We even got to visit the Governor's office to view the portrait paintings of the past governors. I enjoyed the visit to the Senate Chambers too. The architecture is amazing.

While we were in Olympia we stayed at the Phoenix Inn Suites. It turned out to be one of the best

hotel experiences we've had in a very long time. The place was clean and the room was spacious and featured a flat screen television and leather pull-out sofa. I was happy to tumble into the comfy bed that night at the Phoenix Inn Suites. I had a good night's rest and enjoyed a delicious and ample breakfast that included eggs, sausage and our personal favorite, waffles. I observed a staff member down on her hands and knees scrubbing the inside of the cupboards in the breakfast room which confirmed to me just much effort invested assuring that the hotel was clean for their guests. The staff went beyond the call of duty to make sure that we were taken care of and happy with our stay. The lobby featured a chess/checkerboard for guests to use. My children loved to play chess, checkers and a game that combined the two game pieces that only they know the rules to. I was sitting in the lobby, watching them play, when the mentioned to my husband that I was going to get a cup of coffee. The maintenance manager overheard me saying this and offered to go and get it for me. This is only one instance where the staff went beyond the call of duty to make the guests feel like family, rather than customers.

I would highly recommend visiting Olympia, Washington and staying at the Phoenix Inn Suites.