Union, Washington Weather

About Union, Washington

Union rests on the western shore of the Hood Canal, a long, narrow arm of Puget Sound, where the land shoulders itself against the water in a series of green slopes and shadowed inlets. It lies 6.5 miles south-east of Mason, WA (from Mason, WA: bearing 138°T), and is situated 9.7 miles north of Shelton. The air here, especially in the early morning, carries the damp, clean scent of salt and evergreen, a bracing perfume that seems to cling to the very bark of the Douglas firs and Western red cedars that dominate the surrounding hillsides. Sunlight, when it breaks through the often-present cloud cover, spills in luminous shafts, illuminating patches of fern-choked forest floor and glinting off the smooth, grey stones that line the water's edge. This is a place where the wildness of the Olympic Peninsula brushes close, where the quiet murmur of the tide is a constant companion to the rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a gull. The history of Union is as deeply entwined with the water as the barnacles on the pilings of its old docks. For generations, logging and fishing were the lifeblood that pulsed through this small community, the rhythmic thud of axes and the steady pull of nets echoing across the canal. Though the great logging camps have long since faded, the spirit of self-reliance and a deep respect for the natural world persist. Today, the economy of Union is a gentler ebb and flow, with small businesses catering to the steady stream of visitors drawn by the canal's serene beauty and the promise of fresh seafood. The local marina, a cluster of weathered wooden structures, still hums with activity, a modern-day echo of the maritime past, while the surrounding waters, a sanctuary for seals and a vibrant ecosystem, continue to offer sustenance and solace.