August 13, 2016
Best National Park Lodges for a Drink
So you've spent the day traipsing great swaths of land, catching glimpses of bears and billygoats, staring up at sky-high waterfalls and down into prehistoric craters. You are, of course, exploring one of the great National Parks, America's best idea. You're also in need a cold one somethin' fierce. Say hello to America's second best idea: National Park Lodges. Grand, classic and unmistakably Americana, the National Park Lodges are worth a visit in and of themselves. Some have grand ballrooms, others have epic views, many have been featured in classic films, and all hit the spot after a long day on the trail. Here are some of our favorite National Park Lodges to grab a drink and let it all sink in.
Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge, Grand Canyon National Park
Nothing gets your heart pumping like staring 8,500 feet straight down. Better get a drink to calm your nerves. Perched on the edge of the Grand Canyon's North Rim, the North Rim Lodge and Roughrider Saloon make for a pretty epic stop after hiking nearby Kaibab Trail. Grab a Dark n' Stormy and see if your drink doesn't predict the future: At over 1,000 ft higher than the South Rim, the North Rim is known for it's unpredictable weather. Sit back in the stellar common room and watch a summer storm roll through, or lounge on the patio listening as the piñons and ponderosas whisper across the canyon. Open May 15 - October 15, so get a move on!
Stanley Hotel, Rocky Mountain National Park
Their slogan says it all, "7500 feet above the ordinary!" Sure, it's the entrance of the rough n' tumble Rockies, but make no mistake, the Stanley Hotel drips with glamour. Established in 1909 by a well-to-do yankee in search of a summer home, Freelan Oscar Stanley wanted his hotel to hold it's own against the poshest hotels of the East Coast. Goal achieved, Mr. Stanley. Belly up to the Cascades Whiskey Bar and experience the Rockies the Stanley way - scotch in hand, beautiful views a plenty. The bar offers Colorado's largest selection of whiskeys, bourbons and scotch (we like the Stanley Old Fashioned for the black walnut bitters), and a healthy dose of paranormal activity. In 1974 Stephen King spent some time at the Stanley Hotel and came up with a story about a haunted mountain hotel plagued by unkind spirits... perhaps your second drink will be The Shining Redrum Punch...
Crater Lake Lodge, Crater Lake National Park
Sitting on the deck at Crater Lake Lodge, beer in hand and good friends at your side, you think to yourself, "Well this is pleasant." But as you look down to the crystal blue lake below, you realize just how terrifying this place really is: You are teetering on the edge of a massive caldera, just a step away from falling into the deepest lake in the United States which, only 8,000 years ago, was a massive volcano. So it's okay if you're feeling a little jumpy all of a sudden. But by your second beer you've come to grips with the fact that you're having happy hour on the edge of an abyss.Grab a flight of local Oregonian beers on tap and watch the lake change as the sun sets. No reservations.
Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Yosemite National Park
No "Best of" list would be complete without mentioning the beloved Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Awahnee Hotel) at the heart of Yosemite Valley. Where else can you sip champagne and gaze upon Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point? Sitting in the great dining room, you can't help but sit up a little straighter and tap into your inner President Roosevelt - no matter how sweaty you were just a few hours ago. Towering 34-ft ceilings, glowing chandeliers and enormous pine rafters evoke the great pioneer days of yore. But unlike the mountain men and women who came before us, you can't just roll in off the wagon. Men are required to wear long pants and shirts with a collar, while ladies are asked to cover their knees and shoulders. It's a small price to pay for an evening in one of America's grandest hotels.