Olympic National Park
 

Planning on adding this my upcoming Northwest vaxcation. Is it worth it vs. extra time on Vancouver Island?

You can take a ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles and make it a day trip. I think the Olympics (meaning the Park and Mountains) are wonderful.

BTW, a favorite restaurant/ inn on Vancouver Island is the Sooke Harbor House in Sooke -- they used to offer an edible flower tasting menu.

Oh, yes yes yes, Olympic National Park is a fantastic place. From Port Angeles (WA), it's a quick drive to the park headquarters, where there are some amazing views and hikes. My favorite place in the park is Lake Quinault (kwin-AULT, not kee-noh), which is a gorgeous lake surrounded by rainforest. Lots and lots of wonderful places to hike and explore--the Lake Quinault Lodge is an especially pleasant (if not terribly modern) place to stay. My only disappoint was in the hot springs between Lake Quinault and Port Angeles: if you go, be prepared for warm waters (which were fine) and an overpowering aroma of rotten eggs (which was less than fine).

Vancouver Island is a pleasant enough place, mind you, but there's plenty of chaff among its wheat. (Duncan, for example, has an interesting aboriginal place to visit, but the town itself is butt ugly.) Oly Nat'l Park, on the other hand, is 100% certified good stuff (though it admittedly lacks Nanaimo bars), and is certainly worth a visit.