MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY is full of gratitude, ample food and an all-day flurry of televised football and basketball.
Happy Thanksgiving, my hope is all who read this are warm and with friends and family, sitting in salivatory anticipation of a splendid meal.
When the aroma of roast turkey begins to waft throughout the house, it’s like Tom Petty sings: the waiting is the hardest part.
The reasons to be thankful for living on the outdoor mecca known as the North Olympic Peninsula are legion.
This includes fishing on rivers, lakes and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Not to mention the Pacific Ocean, with its plentiful opportunity and vast expanses.
Crabbing, shrimping and squid fishing are also on the table (in season).
Hunting for deer, elk, bear and a variety of other varmints, some of the feathered flock, also provide opportunity.
There’s an entire mountain range out there full of hidden valleys, lakes and peaks to explore.
And it appears that skiing, snowboarding and tubing will be an option for mountain sport enthusiasts this winter after a couple of dreadful seasons.
I’ll be busy working this holiday weekend, but I’m still thankful.
Something tells me there are plenty of stories remaining to tell this season for the Neah Bay football team, starting with its 1 p.m. state semifinal at the Tacoma Dome on Friday.
I’ll admit to being a bit bummed that I won’t have the chance to watch my bowl-bound Washington State Cougars take on Washington in the Apple Cup, but I’ll survive.
There is a bowl game to come, something that has only happened five times in my 16 seasons of fandom (fan dumb?).
I’m glad to have the opportunity to cover championship teams like the Red Devils, or the Peninsula College men’s soccer team and women’s basketball team.
But you don’t have to hoist a title to earn my gratitude.
Play your heart out, enjoy the game and be appreciative of the opportunities provided and I’ll be in your corner every time.
Enjoy today. And be thankful for where we live and the bevy of activities available.
Free park entry
So about that turkey, stuffing and pie. Most folks will want to work some of it off and a good way is to go play in Olympic National Park for free Friday.
In celebration of Thanksgiving and as a way to encourage healthy outdoor time, Olympic and Mount Rainier national parks will offer free entry to all park areas that day.
Some areas are closed. The storm that hit the North Olympic Peninsula on Nov. 13 washed out Olympic Hot Springs Road near the Elwha Campground and damaged that campground and Altair farther up the Elwha River.
However, the road to Hurricane Ridge is scheduled to be open Friday through Sunday and remain open those days, weather permitting.
Information about visiting Olympic National Park can be found at www.nps.gov/olym.
Information about visiting Mount Rainier National Park is available at www.nps.gov/mora.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
