Spokane is the trade center for the 36 county “Inland Northwest” region encompassing Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, Western Montana and parts of Oregon and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Spokane is the second largest city in Washington and is at the heart of a tremendous region of endless beauty and recreational opportunities. [...]
From the time the mountain rumbled then blew its lid on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens has attracted an enormous crowd to see it from every angle. The following information, provided by the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Headquarters, should be most helpful when you decide to take a look yourself. Viewpoints: For [...]
You can look from every direction in this city and see some of the most spectacular natural beauty. To the east is the Cascade Mountain Range. The Olympic Mountain Range from the west and Seattle sits on a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound, the saltwater arm of the Pacific Ocean and the freshwater Lake Washington. 14,410 [...]
Mt. Baker rises majestically 10,778 feet above sea level in the center of Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. It is Whatcom County’s single most spectacular attraction. Perpetually snow- capped and sporting several active glaciers, the mountain was dubbed “Komo Kulshan” or “white and shining” by early Indian tribes. When Capt. George Vancouver sailed into Puget [...]
A year-round tourist destination, San Juan Island at 55 square miles, is the second largest island in a chain of 172 islands in the northern most stretch of the Puget Sound and is situated between Canada’s Vancouver Island and the Washington State mainland. San Juan Island has hills and mountains, cliffs and bluffs, trails and [...]
The Grand Coulee Dam, known as the eighth wonder of the world, is an experience visitors will remember for a lifetime. It is one of the largest concrete structures ever built and the world’s third largest hydroelectric facility. The dam harnesses the Columbia River for irrigation, power and flood control. When taking a tour of [...]
The Spokane Health District, the Inland Northwest Trails Coalition, and the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service joined forces to improve the health of Spokane County residents by encouraging more walking and bicycling in their community. A walking brochure was produced by the committee which featured eight great walks in [...]
Millersylvania State Park consists of a small lake surrounded by forest in the south Puget Sound region of Western Washington. It was designed largely by the National Park Service as a camping and swimming facility in the midst of the Great Depression, and was developed by a local brigade of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). [...]
“The Barefoot Bandit: The True Tale of Colton Harris-Moore, New American Outlaw” (Hyperion), by Bob Friel: It’s not often that a travel and adventure writer who hopscotches the globe for good stories stumbles upon a riveting tale on his own doorstep, especially when he lives on a sparsely populated island in the far reaches of [...]
Duncan Garden at Manito Park and Botanical Gardens in Spokane – Wikimedia
Spokane is the second largest city in Washington and is at the heart of a tremendous region of endless beauty and recreational opportunities.
You will find a landscape of great adventure in and around Spokane. Within an hour’s drive from downtown, visitors will discover high country lakes, a lonesome patch of desert, forests and fast running rivers in addition to great rolling wheat fields and geologically important rock formations. Downtown Spokane is a shopper’s paradise. Fifteen blocks of downtown are connected by enclosed skywalks, which take you everywhere you want to shop protected from any elements.
The park straddles the Spokane River with broad rolling lawns, bridges spanning the rushing waters of Spokane Falls, shade trees and walking paths.
There is the famous antique Looff Carousel, entertainers that perform on stages in natural amphitheaters and the IMAX Theatre offering feature films. A thrilling Gondola Skyride that takes the visitor over the falls. Many special events are held in the park and during the winter months you can ice skate at the Ice Palace. Many adventures await the visitor in this wonderful park, as well as the starting point of the Centennial Trail, a walking and biking path running 37 miles along the Spokane River into the beautiful city of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where it winds around part of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Another park to be enjoyed while in Spokane is Manito Park which features the Duncan Garden, Rose Garden, Lilac Garden, Japanese Garden, the Conservatory and many ponds, play fields and picnic areas.
The Riverside State Park offers another view of the Spokane River with wilderness-like natural trails, picnic areas and camping facilities. All of this, and only minutes from downtown. The Spokane area boasts of many other attractions including the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and Historic Campbell House. During the summer season, the Spokane Market Place offers fresh local produce, ethnic foods and Northwest arts and crafts in an outdoor setting. If you are a sports enthusiast, there is something for everyone, spectator or participant. For the golf enthusiast, there are 19 beautiful and challenging courses within the Spokane area.
Seventy-six lakes are located within 50 miles of Spokane. Rock climbing is right outside of town, and wilderness adventures are only minutes away. For more information about the many, many wonderful things to do and see in the Spokane area, please contact the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau by calling toll free (888) SPOKANE or the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce at (509) 624-1393 or the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce at (509) 924-4994.
Mount St. Helens – Wikimedia
The following information, provided by the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Headquarters, should be most helpful when you decide to take a look yourself.
Viewpoints: For an awe-inspiring look at the power unleashed by Mother Nature, nothing quite compares to the viewpoints at Windy Ridge and Coldwater Ridge. Easily accessed by car on paved U.S. Forest Service roads due south from Randle, Windy Ridge dramatically displays the effects of the forces that vaporized 1,313 feet of mountain top.
On the way to the viewpoint, only 4-1/2 miles from the crater, you’ll see thousands of acres of big timber blown down or snapped off by the force of the blast.
On the west side of Mount St. Helens, the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, an extension to Highway 504 from Castle Rock leads to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The observatory is 90 minutes from I-5 and is open 7 days per week 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. but is closed in the winter. It offers interpretive talks and eyewitness accounts of the eruption. For hours please call (360) 274-2140.
Pike Place Market Seattle – Wikimedia
You can look from every direction in this city and see some of the most spectacular natural beauty.
Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities you’ve ever seen. It has everything you could want for a vacation destination and then some. When you see it from the 605 foot Space Needle, you will fall in love.
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the last Farmer’s Market of this size and variety left in the country. This has now become one of the most popular attractions in the city. Take the Pike Place Hillclimb Tour if you want to find many of the seafood restaurants you’ve heard about.
The Hillclimb will take you down several flights of stairs to the waterfront. This area stretches for approximately a mile and a half from Piers 52 to 70. You will find amazing restaurants, great shops and many attractions in this area, including the departure of the Spirit of Puget Sound harbor cruises.
Argosy Cruises also take you sightseeing or to the Tillicum Village on Blake Island for an American Indian Salmon bake.
Depending on what season you visit Seattle, you might want to take in a sporting event. Seattle is home of the Seahawks & Mariners who invite you to come to a game.
www.washingtontravelrecreation.com
Mt Baker from Artists Point – Wikimedia
When Capt. George Vancouver sailed into Puget Sound in 1791, the active volcano on Mount Baker was spouting steam and smoke. Vancouver honored a junior officer of his fleet by naming the peak Mount Baker. Its adjacent peak, Mt. Shuksan (9,038 feet) is one of the most photographed peaks in the world. It towers above the ski and visitor area reached by Hwy. 542.
Maple Falls and Glacier nestled in the mountains at the edge of the Mt. Baker National Forest. There are several restaurants, some lodging, two small grocery stores and the last gas station on the highway for visitors to the area. Travelers enjoy the drive to the top, passing waterfalls and panoramic views of rivers, forest and mountains.
Cypress Island in the San Juan Islands – Wikimedia
San Juan Island has hills and mountains, cliffs and bluffs, trails and paths and an abundance of wildlife. You’ll share your days with bald eagles, deer, red fox, black-tail deer and other wildlife. A drive around the island reveals diverse terrain: prairie and pastureland, lakes and ponds, old growth forests, low mountains, rocky shores and long, log strewn beaches, with panoramic views of the Canadian Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula.
The county seat of San Juan County, which includes the islands of San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw, is accessible by water and air. The most common means of travel is by Washington State Ferries (www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/) departing for San Juan Island daily from the port of Anacortes, located approximately 80 miles north of Seattle. San Juan Airlines offer daily flights to the island.
While visiting San Juan Island, be sure to make a trip to one of their many great parks, including the whale overlook at Lime Kiln Point State Park and San Juan Island National Historical Park. The island is situated in what is referred to as a “Banana Belt” and protected from extreme weather systems by nearby Vancouver Island, and the Olympic Mountain Range resulting in minimal rain and over 247 days with sunshine annually.
A variety of recreational activities are available most months of the year including camping, hiking, biking, sailing or boating, kayaking, golf and horseback riding. The San Juan shorelines offer frequent sighting of the magnificent Orca whales and harbor seals which reside in the waters surrounding San Juan Island. World-class fishing and scuba diving can be rewarding sports as well.
On the east side of San Juan Island is the town of Friday Harbor, a quaint seaport which rises from the ferry landing and public marina; where it is an easy stroll to the docks, airport, parks, restaurants, shops, galleries and lodging facilities. There is an excellent variety of shops and galleries to explore with shelves overflowing with quality island-made products and works of art. Dine at a variety of first rate restaurants, or browse in museums and antique shops. Enjoy live theater year-round at the state of the art San Juan Community Theater.
On the north end of San Juan Island is the village of Roche Harbor. Listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, it is approximately ten miles from Friday Harbor. This Village is a lively place full of history and fun. Roche Harbor has a private airstrip, marina, lodging, restaurants, outdoor sculpture park and shopping opportunities.
Lodging is available year-round on San Juan Island. Options range from rustic cabins, to comfortable bed and breakfast inns to full-service resorts. Camping is another way to enjoy overnight visits. There are tent and vehicle sites in county and private campgrounds, both on the Salish Sea as well as near lakes and woods.
For a map of the island or other information, please contact the San Juan Chamber of Commerce at (360) 378-5240 or www.sanjuanisland.org or San Juan Islands Visitor’s Bureau at (888) 468-3701 x1, or visit www.VisitSanJuans.com
For lodging, visit the B&B Association of San Juan Island at www.san-juan-island.net or phone toll free (866) 645-3030.
Grand Coulee Dam – Wikimedia
The dam harnesses the Columbia River for irrigation, power and flood control. When taking a tour of this phenomenon, allow about two hours.
A visitor center on the west bank below the dam is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. the rest of the year. The dam tour is closed New Years day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Phone (509) 633-9265.
Take a breathtaking ride down the face of the dam in a glass enclosed elevator and see the spectacular laser light show which is projected on the spillway at night, or rent a houseboat and cruise Lake Roosevelt. Remember to stop at the Colville Confederated Tribes Museum in the town of Coulee Dam.
Spring Canyon Park on Lake Roosevelt is a great place to picnic, go swimming, launch a boat or a sailboard. Closeby you will find the four small communities of Elmer City, Coulee Dam, Grand Coulee and Electric City.
A stop-over visit to these towns will be well worth your time.
Spokane Healthy Recreation Trails
A walking brochure was produced by the committee which featured eight great walks in the Spokane area designed for individuals of all ages and ability levels. This brochure included health statistics on calories burned and steps taken for each walk. In addition, videos offered safety tips and etiquette advice for pedestrians and cyclists sharing the streets of Spokane.
– Friends of the Centennial Trail
Millersylvania State Park
It was designed largely by the National Park Service as a camping and swimming facility in the midst of the Great Depression, and was developed by a local brigade of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It remains a camping and swimming park today and the 17 large buildings and many smaller landscape features left behind by the Corps are still in service. The rustic style and fine craftsmanship exhibited by the many 1930s-era structures in the park are typical of Depression-era parks throughout the United States but few are as well preserved or more appreciated as those at Millersylvania.
Olympia, Washington, 12245 Tilley Road South
– Alex McMurry courtesy Washington Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation
But when teenage outlaw Colton Harris-Moore, whose thievery ranged from Snickers bars and frozen pizzas to expensive boats and planes, unleashed his “wily one-kid crime wave” on Orcas Island, it would have been impossible for a writer like Friel not to realize that a world-class story had landed in his lap.
Harris-Moore was captured in the Bahamas after nearly two years on the lam, and his saga ended early this year when a federal judge in Seattle sentenced him to 6 1/2 years in prison. But the public’s fascination with the outlaw who was dubbed “the Barefoot Bandit” is sure to continue, fueled by Friel’s book and a planned Hollywood movie.
The reader is introduced to the 17-year-old protagonist during his white-knuckle flight in a stolen Cessna 182 over the jagged peaks of the Cascades while knocked about by 60 mph winds and sought by law enforcement. Being alone in the cockpit and lacking any official flight training add to the sense of adventure.
He survived that and other brushes with mortality recounted by Friel, who chronicles the string of Northwest larcenies and incarcerations that culminated in a cross-country run and Harris-Moore’s capture at sea. Even as he becomes the object of a nationwide manhunt, the gangly 6-foot-5 youth comes across as more Huck Finn than John Dillinger. Indeed, Friel’s account of Harris-Moore’s miserable upbringing cannot help but evoke sympathy, even in the face of his succession of bad decisions.
Throughout it all, Harris-Moore nurtured a dream of becoming a pilot. His computer skills, intuitive intelligence and studies of flight manuals served him well when he took to the air. His brazen burglaries at houses, airplane hangars and marinas, usually carried out while shoeless, outwitted police and won him the support of countless fans who trumpeted his exploits on the Internet and wore T-shirts celebrating his lawlessness.
“Colt’s combination of twenty-first-century tech savviness and nineteenth-century outlaw cojones came together to create a remarkably effective criminal,” Friel writes.
The author seems to have been destined to tell this story. He lives, after all, on the island where Harris-Moore became notorious for his larcenous ways. The travel writer was also well acquainted with Eleuthera, the island paradise where the young outlaw made his last stand.
But those were just lucky coincidences. It is Friel’s ability to spin a great yarn that draws the reader in from the start and never lets up. And he does it with deft reporting and a breezy and entertaining style that enlivens a tale as incredible as it is true.
By JERRY HARKAVY
For The Associated Press
La Conner Festivals of Music & Art
The Swinomish Blues Revue will be the host band for the events (Nick Vigarino – guitar/dobro/vocals, Terry Nelson – piano/organ, Chris Leighton – drums/percussion, and Emmanuel del Casal – bass) with rotating special guest performers. Special guest vocalists are Kathi McDonald and Patti Allen.
Schedule of events at press time include;
4:00 pm: a social hour with a classical piano duo
5:00 pm: jazz/swing vocalist Trish Hatley,(Hans Brehmer – piano, and Phil Demaree – bass)
7:00 pm: Nick Vigarino
7:30 pm: Patti Allen and Kathi McDonald join the band
Maple Hall is located at 104 Commercial Ave, La Conner.
This is an all ages event. Admission is $20 / 15 yrs and under free. Food and spirits provided by Washington Sips. More info: 360-387-0374, nickvigarino@yahoo.com.
