100 Mile Walk: The Final Leg

[This post is part of a series detailing Cale and my plans for each leg of  our 100 mile walk to Great Wolf. Our goal is to establish a safe route that follows sidewalks and trails as much as possible, and provides good places to stop, refuel, and refresh along the way. We actively solicit your suggestions if you know the area we will be walking through.]

Start: Offut Lake Resort
End: Great Wolf Lodge
Total distance: 14.6 miles

Friday, July 25, one week after setting out from Bellevue, Cale and I will finish our 100 mile walk to Great Wolf!

Morning

Start: Offut Lake Resort
End: Sandstone Cafe
Distance: 5.1 miles
Time: 2 hours (8:30am - 10:30am)

We will scrounge a quick breakfast at the general store at the Offut Lake Resort, and then head to Tenino for a fuller meal. To get there, we will head west on Offut Lake Road (best accessed via a quick jaunt on Bryant Street). After a mile and a half, we will turn left on Old Highway 99 and follow it straight into Tenino.

As far as lunch venues go, Don Juan's Mexican Kitchen looks great. However, the restaurant doesn't seem to open until noon. The Sandstone Cafe also looks nice and opens early, which is good given I suspect we'll be up with the sun on this final day of walking.

Note that Offut Lake Road takes us right by Wolf Haven (1.2 miles into our morning walk). Wolf Haven offers an hour long tour of the sanctuary at 10am. If Cale and I aren't in a hurry to finish our walk and don't mind spending an extra hour on our feet we have the option of visiting with some real wolves prior to arriving at Great Wolf.

The Last Stretch

Start: Sandstone Cafe
End: Great Wolf Lodge
Distance: 9.5 miles
Time: 4 hours (11:30am - 3:30pm)

The final stretch from Tenino to Great Wolf is 9.5 miles along Old Highway 99. We haven't had such a long, unbroken stretch scheduled prior in our walk, but I think we'll do the last stretch fast knowing the end is in sight. There won't be sidewalks, but by now that should be old hat.

We will need to grab water and snacks in Tenino before hitting the road for the final stretch. Check in is at 4pm. Dinner will be a celebratory feast at Great Wolf!