Top Things to do in Dupont
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What to do and see in Dupont, United States: The Best Places and Tips
Discover the best top things to do in Dupont, United States including Lewis Army Museum, Chambers Bay, AMC Loews Lakewood Towne Center 12, Sunnyside Beach, Thurston County Off Leash Dog Park, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Lakewold Gardens, The Home Course, Lake Quinault, Topside Bar & Grill.
Restaurants in Dupont
1. Lewis Army Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Museum displaying military memorabilia dating from 1804 to the present.
Reviewed By AF_Hiker - Silverdale, Washington
The museum just recently reopened after some reconstruction of the inside exhibits. Despite the building being 3 floors and big, the museum only covers the first floor. The displays are nicely done, and covers military history of the post from 1849 to the present. There are several Army vehicles and tanks outside the museum to see. Nice museum to visit.
2. Chambers Bay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
With tawny fescue grasses, towering sand dunes, massive fairways, and breathtaking views of the Puget Sound and snow-capped Olympic Mountains, Chambers Bay brings the traditions of Scottish linksland to the Pacific Northwest. Located in University Place, Washington, this 18-hole, walking-only course provides an authentic links experience for players of every ability. Chambers Bay Grill is known for both its delicious food and panoramic views which makes it the perfect place to celebrate the end of a round or simply enjoy the splendor of the Puget Sound, the majestic Olympic Mountains and expansive golf course views. Frequented by golfers and locals alike, the Grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full bar service and an interesting list of Northwest wines. The Grill also hosts frequent specialty events including Winemaker, Brewmaster, and Distiller dinners. This 930-acre site also includes over two miles of saltwater shoreline, two and a half miles of urban creek and canyon. Enjoy a walk on the beach and over 5 miles of public trails or relax at Central or North Meadow.
Reviewed By PilotMike2009 - Constant Traveller
Chambers Bay Golf Course has a wicked reputation. It's built on the remains of an old quarry, the greens are weird, and the memories of the USGA debacle at the 2015 U.S. Open have the golf snobs blasting this layout for a thousand sins. Well, they are all wrong. This is a great track, a fun locale, and a completely unique course which I would go back and play again any time.
In July 2017 My wife and I were in Tacoma on a holiday, expressly with an eye on playing Chambers Bay. While this sounds like a modest plan, we had two strikes against us. First, she’s a petite grandmother — not exactly a long-ball hitter. Secondly, I play with 100-year old hickory clubs. Neither of us are going to over-power this course like Speith or Johnson or even a low-handicap amateur. The question remained unanswered: can average golfers enjoy Chambers Bay?
The answer is unequivocally YES.
We arrived at the course early in the morning and enjoyed the convivial chatter in the parking lot as we and a dozen of other arriving players put on our golf shoes. After visiting the pro shop we jumped into a shuttle bus and are driven down a very steep hill to the first tee. There you will find a snack bar, the practice range and a putting green. We also met our caddies and a father-son pair with which we had been matched. The only thing lacking are golf carts. Yes, Chambers Bay is a “walking only” course, and that makes this very good experience even better.
The views across this course and Puget Sound are unmatched. It is a remarkable experience to stand on the first tee, fescue waving gold in the bright yellow morning sun, bright green fairways stretching as far as the eye can see. The city of Tacoma is completely hidden; the noise of modern life blocked by the ridge of hills behind the course. Its a magical instance, almost a “Brigadoon” moment, as if you somehow just had been teleported to the fields of Dornoch, Shishkin, Macrahanish or St. Andrews, just with nice weather and better food.
About the caddies. Yes, our foursome shared two caddies and they were excellent, absolutely perfect gentlemen and extraordinarily helpful. I don’t think you would want to play this course for the first time without a caddy; the ball simply rolls too far in unpredictable directions. There's a good chance you would get lost, possibly play the wrong holes and maybe never find your way home. Plus, shot placement is essential on this course, and knowing the distances also is a key element. Our caddies helped us with all this AND kept us cheery with encouragement and funny tales.
I will not bore you with a shot-by-shot recounting of our game; I know nobody cares. But I will tell you that every hole is unique, every shot requires strategy and every putt requires serious concentration. This is a mental and a physical work-out, but it’s all worth it.
My favorite hole was #6, high up on the ridge. My caddy told me to aim far, far left — right into the fescue — but the ball landed on the edge of the fairway on a ridge, skidded over the ridge, and turned hard right, rolling another 75 yards downhill almost into the cup. An amazing bit of "local knowledge" there; another reason to trust your caddy!
My wife enjoyed the bowl-like #9, an intimidating par three with a 100-foot drop from tee to green. She ended up in the fescue but that didn’t diminish her thrill of the chase!
Dustin Johnson called #18 “the dumbest hole in the world” but he’s wrong, it plays fair and true.
I recall the course has six sets of tees, which it needs. I played from the white tees with my hickory clubs and on most holes had excellent chances to play in regulation, so the distances are fair. The father-son team that we played with were long-ball hitters, and they played from the tips. Sadly, this is a course that values accuracy more than distance and they got hammered. My father used to say, "Short and straight beats long and crooked" and Chambers Bay proved him right.
After the golf, we enjoyed a very nice lunch at the club house, so just because the golf is over doesn’t mean the fun has stopped.
Greens fees were about $250 per person, which is reasonable value. I am extremely impressed that the Commissioners of Pierce County had the courage and the vision to reclaim this wasteland, to ban golf carts, and invest in the excellent golfing experience it is today. It’s good for the sport, it’s good for Tacoma and it’s good those of us who throw a bag over our shoulder on the first tee and challenge ourselves as much as the course.
3. AMC Loews Lakewood Towne Center 12
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 102 reviews
Reviewed By Chris P
This is a good theater. It has the reclining, assigned seats and very clean. It's a bit expensive, but worth the seat. Over all cost, recline seat, with popcorn and a drink cost about $25/person. Like most theaters, it's a bit cold, so bring a small jacket.
There really isn't a bad seat with the reclining chairs, so IF you get caught in the front row, it's not going to be the end of the world, you just recline all the way back. It's not the ideal seats, but it's not like the older tradition head craning seats.
Parking doesn't fair to well on a busy opening night of a movie, but if you have time to go during the week day, you can get an up front slot.
This theater is located in the Lakewood Town center, so if you have teenagers, there is lots to do. Currently there is still a Boarders Books with a Starbucks inside. If your looking at the front, off to the left, they are building Washington's first Chronic Taco. Popular is California, it should do well here. It looks like it will be open sometime the end of the month.
4. Sunnyside Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By ChrisBarrett-in-UP - University Place, Washington
Nice little strip of course sandy beach. Has 2 sand volley ball courts set up and covered BBQ areas, plus plenty of open space to spread out. Calm water good for swimming or paddle boarding on warm days. Pay parking lot.
5. Thurston County Off Leash Dog Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By FlipFlopWanderer - Seattle
We were driving to Portland from Seattle and needed a place to stop and run our dog. We found this wonderful gem right off the freeway, exit 111. There were separate areas for small and large dogs. Cute fire hydrants, a bridge and concrete tunnel for the dogs. There was also a table for people. Lots of free parking, a play ground for kids. there was a path around the perimeter. Due to the wet weather, it was a bit muddy but the worse thing was all the dog poop! Very disappointed that owners did not remove their dog's mess, especially since the park had free doggie doo bags and trash cans!
6. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 488 reviews
Located on the Nisqually River Delta in Southern Puget Sound, this refuge consists of three thousand acres of salt and freshwater marshes, grasslands and mixed forest habitats that provide a resting and nesting area for a wide variety of migratory birds.
Reviewed By KendianaJones - Burien, WA
The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge has an interesting history. For decades, a hand-dug dike kept the salt water out, allowing for large-scale farming on this land. Only recently was the dike removed and an elevated boardwalk installed. Read about the history at the Visitor’s Center.
There is a loop path from the Visitor’s Center that traverses wetlands and riparian forest. Including a couple of side trails to short viewpoints, the loop is about 1.5 miles. Near the far end of the loop are two historical barns from the farming era, and just beyond that is an elevated walkway that looks like a dike. You can follow it a half mile to the beginning of the elevated boardwalk, which extends another 1.1 miles over tidal flats to its end at Nisqually Reach. (A “reach” is where a river widens; in this case it is where the Nisqually River, originating from the Nisqually Glacier on Mt. Rainier, empties into Puget Sound.) The entire area is fantastic for birding. You can do the loop and the entire boardwalk in less than five miles.
Tip: Check the tides for Nisqually Reach before you go. The area of the walkway can be underwater, or mostly dry, depending on the tide.
7. Lakewold Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Lakewold Gardens is a premier 10-acre historic garden estate that features formal and natural settings. Located just south of Tacoma off of I-5 we are near the hustle and bustle of the city, but our gardens feel worlds away. Nestled amidst the lush English-inspired gardens is the Georgian-style mansion which overlooks Gravelly Lake. This historic and unique property is open year round to the public for self-guided garden tours and also serves as an elegant setting for a wedding, corporate event, or a private function. The Wagner House and gardens offer a variety of meeting room space that can be utilized many ways – from a small staff retreat in our upstairs boardroom overlooking the gardens, to an evening reception under our wisteria draped veranda – an event held at Lakewold is unlike any other. You and your guests will enjoy a beautiful backdrop and view from any of our event spaces. Special features include: a wisteria covered veranda, gorgeous spiral staircase, a unique quatrefoil pool, winding pathways, and a historic brick walkway. Discover why we are one of the premier venues in the South Sound.
Reviewed By watravelinggal - Port Orchard, Washington
We did a day trip to Lakewold this past week. What a lovely series of gardens it is. There is a fee to get in and there are self guided or docent guided tours. We did the self guided tour; the site was easy to...MoreThat you for the great review! We're glad you had such a good time during your self-guided tour. We look forward to having you back through the changing seasons to see more!
8. The Home Course
Overall Ratings
4 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By elvis46 - Olympia,Washington
True test of golf where just any one hole can affect your scorecard.
Views of a distant mountain, waterway, no homes on course, sand and more sand, water, doglegs, wind, fast level greens and greens with slopes of 4 degrees. Open Links style setup. The greens fee is high unless you are a WSGA member, PNGA, member, Home Course club member, or Golf Now member. It deserves to be played at least once even if it means splurging because you will remember the experience for a lifetime.
9. Lake Quinault
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 121 reviews
Reviewed By DoloresJacoby - West Palm Beach, Florida
It's enjoyable to do the loop that drives around the entire lake from north shore to south shore and make stops along the way. One can see ancient and gigantic trees of Sitka spruce and cedar, rainforest, waterfalls, elk herds and beautiful glimpses of the lake. There are a couple of hotels and lodges to visit as well. Enjoy the drive, it's worth it.
10. Topside Bar & Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By geraldh463 - Fox Island
Went here on a gorgeous spring evening, unfortunately everybody else did to. Very crowded, long wait just to get a table inside. I had the gummy crab cakes, way too much filler, served with a bernaise sauce. The sauce was way too tame.
Service was slow due to the busyness. I'll go back but avoid the crab cakes.
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