Evening Activities in Olympic Nat'l Park
 

Our trip to ONP is finally coming up and we are getting excited! Just wondering what everyone does at night after hiking and after dinner. Without Tv's, phones, and computers, we may need some "socialization!" :o) Thanks to the Fodorites' great advice, we will be staying at Lake Crescent. Thanks!

Hi Jaci,

Time to brush up on your gin rummy! The ONP is a laid back corner of the world and you will find yourself enjoying the company of others, playing games, reading a book you have long wanted to read, and enjoying a cool one.

Also, you will find the days very long, with darkness falling late, the sun rising early, so you will probably be going to bed shortly after dark and getting up early. You may be surprised how nice it is to feel you are stepping back in time.

We basically hiked as long as we could, then went back to our B&B and cleaned up and went to bed.

The Lake Crescent Lodge has a nice, upscale restaurant. A late dinner there would be pleasant.

Bring lots of bug spray. Our kids were just talking about the bugs at ONP this morning (the trip was 2 years ago.)

Enjoy talking to the people you are with, have nice long dinners (whether you are cooking or eating out), read, play cards or board games, plan the next day's adventures, star watch, take a walk if there's a bright moon out, or go to bed early.

Turn on a portable radio and try to figure out what they're talking about on the CBC French language service from Victoria.

Good star gazing if it's clear, too.

Speaking of star gazing, when are you going? The Perseid meteor shower puts on quite a show. It will peak around August 12. You can count shooting star after shooting star.

we stayed at Lake Crescent last year. It was far enough away from everything, that we wouldn't have wanted to drive anywhere after dinner. we hung out and had after dinner drinks on the porch, or sat at the bar and talked politics with the bartender and some of the guests. that was it. We were pretty beat after a long day of hiking, and tended to eat dinner late, anyways.

Lake Crescent Lodge is so darn beautiful, you certainly will not need any entertainment. Enjoy a meal, sit on the porch, wander the grounds... My favorite after dark activity is to go to the field in back of the lodge and lie down and look up at the billions of stars - it's just amazing!

Thanks for all the info. I suppose I sort of knew the answer all along. I'm sure I'll be fine - I just need to re-learn how to relax. I am looking forward to the trip. Thanks.