Trying to coordinate a day's drive from Seattle to Port Angeles (to catch the 5:20 pm ferry to Victoria). We will have all day and so would like to optimize the few extra hours to visit Hurricane Ridge and maybe Lake Crescent. We'll leave Seattle around 9am (flight arrives the previous night)
Mostly, I'd like to plan a spot for a nice lunch and build around that. Have been looking at the lodges (Lake Crescent, Kalaloch, Log Cabin), but need some guidance. Looking for views, and not so far from Hurricane Ridge as to be too rushed, and a nice but casual lunch.
We have enough time for maybe one or two very short hikes on Hurricane Ridge (thinking maybe the meadow and also Hurricane Hill?) but that the drive up and back will consume some time. Figuring we will want to leave Hurricane Ridge around 3pm to get to Port Angeles and get in line (at least 90 minutes early) for the 5:20p ferry? We do have a reservation for that sailing.
This will be latter half of September. Your thoughts?
Hurricane Ridge on a Drive-By, with Lunch?
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We did just about the same thing - and I would recommend you maximize the beautiful scenery/experience - and pick up the makings of a picnic lunch at a deli or specialty store - or plain old grocery store - and enjoy it at the top of Hurricane Ridge (where you might see some deer, etc) - or overlooking the lake.
The sun porch at Lake Crescent Lodge is a beautiful setting for lunch, and the hike to Marymere Falls from the lodge is one of our favorites. (I do not recommend Log Cabin Resort and Kalaloch is too far away.)
The logical routing is Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Port Angeles (for the 5:20 ferry). However, there is no place I know of near Hurricane Ridge that serves a good lunch and has a view. Lake Crescent Lodge is less than 40 miles from Hurricane Ridge, but it takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive there because it is slow going down from the ridge and because you have to plow through Port Angeles before you can pick up any speed.
If you have a reservation there is no need to be in line more than 15 or 20 minutes before sailing.
I agree with Tomsd that a picnic would be an excellent way to have lunch with a view and it will also help you make the best use of your time. If you picnic at Hurricane Ridge, you will probably have time to drive along the south shore of Lake Crescent, which is one of my favorite drives on the Olympic Peninsula.
HTTY
htty: Yes, was thinking 45 minutes from Hurricane Ridge to ferry - so 3pm departure for the 5:20 sailing.
Picnic does sound good - any idea how chilly and sunny it might be on either the ridge or lakeside in late September, on a bet?
I wore out a set of brakes, coming down from H.R, sometime in the 80s. Car was a Ford Taurus.
Gear down, TravelingMan76, or you will continue to burn up your brakes. If you have a PRND2L automatic you should be in 2; if you have a manual transmission you should be in third or second.
Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers on NPR, got a letter from a woman who wore out the brakes on a Prius because she could not figure out how to gear down. They pointed out that "B" on the shifter means braking.
Actually, if you have a reservation, you need to be in line at least 60 minutes before sailing or you could lose your reservation. Coming back from Victoria, the time is 90 minutes. We have done this and they did turn people away who did not adhere to the timeframe policy.
We did Hurricane Hill last week and the meadow hike.
We spent about 15 minutes on the Meadow and about 3 hours on Hurricane Hill. Many deer there and tons of wildflowers. We saw a few mountain goats and there were several reports of 2 black bears and a cougar on HR.
We spent one night each in Lake Crescent, Sol Duc, and Kalaloch lodges. Best meal was at Lake Crescent. They have a pastry chef. Had a bread pudding made out of Banana Pound Cake that was very good.
My favorite places we visited during our 4 days there-
Hurricane Ridge
Sol Duc Falls
Rialto Beach hike to Hole in the Wall
Here is a link to my photos from this past weekend.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0IatW7FqybsWcd
Don't go by your GPS on your way to Hurricane Ridge.
There is food at the day lodge at Hurricane Ridge. Wife had a burger and I had chili. The chili was very good and burger was fine. A little bit better than one would expect. They also had some decent looking grab and go salads and sandwiches. You can eat on the patio too.
Sorry for the multiple post. If you decided to go to Rialto, a good place for food is the Hardware/Grocery Store in Forks. Very nice deli there for that size of town. Good coffee in the store too.
We also found a good place in Port Angels for Coffee-Blackbird Coffeehouse.
The hike from Rialto to Hole in the Wall is probably best at low tide, so check the tide tables before you go.
You can't really go wrong with any place. There is a short hike at Lake Crescent to Marymere Falls that is nice too.
Just depends if you want Mountains, Lakes, Ocean, or waterfalls.
Great pics and info Spiro: Was this meal at the Lake Crescent Lodge: Looks very tasty: http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/detail.sfly?sid=0IatW7FqybsWcd&imageIndex=31&fid=f5350993646b06be
And this one?
http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/detail.sfly?sid=0IatW7FqybsWcd&imageIndex=32&fid=f5350993646b06be
Meal I had photos of was at Quinault. Coffee is at Cafe Vivace in Seattle.
The meat and cheese tray was at Salumi in Seattle