WA Weekend: State Parks’ Birthday Party

Washington’s State Parks are 100 years old this month and that calls for a celebration!



Mark your calendars for next Saturday, March 30th, 2013 when all state parks will welcome guests – for FREE – no Discover Pass needed!

In fact, mark your calendars for all these FREE days at Washington State parks in 2013:

March 30: Recognition of State Parks’ 100th birthday on March 19
April 27 - 28: Recognition of National Parks Week
June 1: National Trails Day
June 8 - 9: National Get Outdoors Day and WDFW Free Fishing weekend
Aug. 4: Peak summer season free day
Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day
Nov. 9 - 11: Veteran’s Day weekend

Celebrate the State Parks Centennial at Cama Beach and Camano Island state parks:


These two parks are just over an hour’s drive north of Seattle and and overlook Puget Sound’s Saratoga Passage. 

Cama  Beach State Park is the state’s newest state park – a once-privately-owned fishing resort -- that has been lovingly restored by the state parks department staff and a group of dedicated volunteers.

The March 30th celebration begins at 10 a.m. when you can build and fly kites at Camano Island State Park with the Friends of Camano Islands Parks. Then hike to nearby Cama Center at Cama Beach State Park for the main event activities. A shuttle is available to transport visitors back to the Lowell Point Parking lot.


 Main events at Cama Beach State Park: Activities include beach walks (2 to 3 p.m.);
* toy boat building (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.);
* marine tank display (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.);
* craft projects (noon to 4 p.m.);
* boat house tours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.);

And what’s a birthday party without cake?  The cake cutting will take place at 1:30 p.m.

For a schedule of events at all state parks, just click this link:
Washington State Parks’ Centennial Celebration and let the party begin!

Thanks for your visit today! Come back again on Travel Tip Tuesday and Travel Photo Thursday. . .and if you’ve not yet ‘liked’ our Facebook page, TravelnWrite – you are missing out on other travel tips and tidbits!

About these Photos: I took them last September during a visit to Cama Beach State Park. It is enchanting and offers overnight accommodations. There’s more information and photos about it at:  http://www.travelnwrite.com/2012/09/waweekend-cama-beach-retro-resort.html

Springtime in Washington's Wine Country

Spring officially arrived sometime around 4 a.m. PDT on Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest. It blew in on a cold, windy day, prompting us to take an armchair spring trip to Washington’s Wine Country:

In fairness, the 'wine road' leads many directions throughout our Evergreen State with 'wine country' stretching from our southern neighbor Oregon  north to Canada. We headed to Chelan, Washington; a  town that wraps itself around the base of the 55-mile long glacier-fed Lake Chelan (that's just a small section in the photo above). Those snow-covered peaks in the background are the North Cascades Mountain Range.

For decades Chelan’s hillsides were carpeted with orchards. Today the orchard is giving way to the vineyard.

In addition to being a popular part of wine country and a favorite destination for water- and outdoor-enthusiasts, this north central Washington town is also The Scout’s hometown.

Designated as an official American Viticulture Area (AVA) in 2009, this Lake Chelan area is home to more than 20 wineries.

A number of the wineries have views of the lake, but one of our favorites is the 28-acre Benson Estate Vineyards and Winery where the photos above were taken last April.

Spring -- before the summer's warm temperatures draw hordes of tourists to the hotels, condos, and timeshares that dot the shoreline, –  is our favorite time to visit this small town of 3,945 residents.

Although wine grape growing is the hot new agricultural pursuit here, there are still plenty of orchards intermixed with the vineyards – producing  apples, pears, and cherries.  Their blooms announce spring's arrival.

We are ending our armchair outing with a photo taken in the summer to show you how the vineyards will look only a few months from now. 

This photo was taken at Chelan’s Nefarious Winery. Its vineyard behind me replaced a long-time orchard; one that belonged to The Scout’s family.  For year's as we'd arrive in town, he'd point to it, noting, “I helped plant that orchard.”

We visit the 'old orchard' when we get back to Chelan, and as we've sipped wine on this patio, we've toasted The Scout's past. But, if we were there today, we'd offer a toast to spring and the promise it holds: “To Spring! May yours be filled with travel adventures!”

It is Travel Photo Thursday, so be sure to stop by Nancie’s  Budget Travelers Sandbox for more armchair travel via photos.

If You Go:

Chelan is about three and a half hours drive from Seattle. The nearest airport is in Wenatchee, about 45 minutes away.
For information on wineries, accommodations and events: www.lakechelan.com

Tuesday Travel Classics: The Majestic Hotel

Our Travel Classics feature takes us back to the United States’ Pacific Northwest this weekend for a stay at The Majestic Inn and Spa in Anacortes, Washington. . .

Telling friends that we celebrated The Scout’s birthday a few weeks ago at this charmer in the middle of the Historic District in Anacortes, a city about an hour and a half north of Seattle, their response is the same: 

“Anacortes? Isn’t that where you catch the ferry to the San Juans and Victoria, B.C.?”

One and the same! 

But if you’ve only driven to the ferry, you’ve missed some great Northwest history and a true Travel Classic hotel.

One of our favorite places in this wood-framed charmer -- that houses a spa, bar, restaurant and meeting rooms -- is its teeny-tiny top where there’s a surprisingly spacious sitting room for the use of guests.  From its comfy chairs there’s a 360-degree view that takes in a bit of the San Juan islands, Guemes Channel, the town’s sprawling commercial district and its Cap Sante Marina.

The hotel building dates back to the late 1800’s; a time during which the town was booming with hopes of being the transcontinental railroad terminus.  Staff members told us that this enormous building was moved to its present location in the early 1900’s from one several blocks away. The move, done by horse teams pulling the building on log skids, spanned an entire summer.

Guest rooms have been modernized and an elevator carries guests to all but the top, the fifth, floor these days. 

We’d opted for one of the favored corner rooms on the top floor which required climbing a flight of stairs. . .but the room and its deck made that climb worth it.

(It was too cold to sit outside but we often stepped outside to enjoy the view from our perch high above town. That’s our deck just on the roof line.)


Our room, one of 21 in the hotel, had a sitting area and wet bar with small refrigerator, television, and en suite bath.

A French press coffee maker was provides and the front desk provided as many packets of fresh ground coffee as we wanted.

We paid $147, plus tax, for a mid-week stay in February. Rates on this room can go as high as $309 in mid-summer (and these corner view rooms go fast).

The hotel’s popularity has prompted the construction of an annex, scheduled to be opened in late Spring 2013.  We suspect those rooms will also be luxurious, but we’ll be opting for the old building every chance we get.

What's there to do in Anacortes? Come back on the weekend when our travels will take us out and about in this charming waterfront town and nearby Guemes Island  in our WAWeekend series.

If You Go:

The Majestic Inn and Spa, 419 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, 98221, toll-free 877-370-0100, www.majesticinnandspa.com

Have a Travel Classic to recommend? Use the comment section below or if you’ve received this in your inbox, send us a quick email. Happy Travels and thanks for stopping by today!

WA Weekend: Lookin’ for Luxury? Try Langley

We weren’t exactly looking for luxury when we arrived on a late Wednesday afternoon without reservations at the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island.  

But Luxury, with a capital “L” is what we got at this popular getaway, just an hour or so north of Seattle. “L” for Lucky as well, because February’s winter weather coupled with the mid-week arrival spelled: availability.

Opened in 1989 -- and still operated -- by former Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and his wife, Pam, the Inn a Langley has garnered dozens of awards, among them being listed as one of the ‘Top 500 Hotels in the World’ by Travel and Leisure Magazine.









With inviting leather couches positioned to catch the warmth of the fireplace, the candle-scented lobby was a teaser of what was to be a top of the line experience at this Inn situated on a waterfront bank.

A Room With A View

If you love being near bodies of water as we do, then you can imagine our delight when not only did our room have a porch-sized deck but also offered 180-views of Saratoga Passage.

Had it been a wee bit warmer, we may never have left those chairs because this was our view north. . .and south was much the same.



When chilled we simply moved in to those cushioned window seats and later, wrapped in robes they provided, sat in chairs by the fireplace where we sipped a final glass of wine  before retiring for the evening.
 

 

When the time came to snuggle under that down-filled duvet. . .let me tell you, one night really wasn’t enough. 

That opaque window on the bed’s right side, slides open to reveal the bathroom’s oversized-jetted tub  that also has a water view and opens to the guestroom as well.  Large enough for two. . .

Award-winning Dining

The only drawback to our mid-week stay was that we couldn’t try the Inn’s award-winning Chef Matt Costello’s culinary talents. He’s known for using the best of locally produced and sourced products and creating out-of-this-world, multi-course meals – on weekends.  At it was, we had an excellent meal at Primo Bistro, a French-inspired Northwest bistro, an easy walk from the Inn.

Breakfast (included in the room rate) was delivered to our room by none-other than the owners, Paul and Pam Schell (another low-season perk, I suspect).  Let me take you around this tray clockwise:  orange juice, home-made granola, yogurt, fresh fruit bowl, Brie cheese and crackers, coffee, fresh pastries and hard-boiled eggs.

If You Go:

Whidbey Island can be accessed on its north end by crossing Washington’s Deception Pass.  Or from the south, the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry is a 30-minute crossing with Langley less than five miles north of Clinton.

Inn at Langley, with 28 guestrooms, cottages and master suites (and a spa at beach level) is at 400 First Street, 360-221-3033, www.innatlangley.com   We paid $175 for the room (with breakfast pictured above). In July it would be $290. 

The Inn just announced the return of the Gray Whales to Saratoga Passage (what a sight that would be from one of those decks!) 

And here’s one of their off-season deals you might want to consider:

“Sneak Away Sunday”

You get a Sunday overnight stay at the Inn and six-course dinner for two featuring Chef Costello’s Whidbey Island’s freshest seasonal fare. $325 includes dinner for two and a waterfront guestroom for one night.Offer valid March 24 through June 1, 2013 for Sunday nights only. Based on availability, does not include wine, tax or gratuity.

Thanks for stopping by today. Come back next week when we will take you to another Travel Classic, and have more tips and tales for you.  You’ll find even more on our Facebook page.

Searching for Catania Sicily’s “Pescheria”

While dozens of our fellow cruise passengers opted to head out for Taormina and Mt. Etna, we set out on foot in Catania, Sicily with one ‘must-see' destination in mind.

No, not Catania’s Cathedral, pictured below, although it was quite wonderful. We were seeking its famed “Pescheria” (Fish Market) . . .



“It is near the Cathedral,” advised both guide books and internet sites we’d studied before our trip. The Cathedral, rebuilt after a 1669 earthquake, was an easy walk of about 20 minutes from the port where we’d disembarked our ship, the Celebrity Silhouette.

Our ‘sources’ sent us the right direction because from that plaza in front of the Cathedral, we had an overview of the sweeping market and the crush of shoppers who filled the square below us.

We’d read that this Marcat del Pesche, Fish Market, was probably as old as the city itself.  Much of the fish sold here, we learned, comes  from Italy’s  largest fishing port, Mazara del Vallo, in southwestern Sicily.

While smaller fishing Sicilian ports also contribute to the seafood selection, for example, anchovies from Sciacca and swordfish from Favignana.

Big Fish ~ Small fish ~ Everywhere fish. We’ve never seen so many varieties and types of seafood for sale in a single place. 

And this poor guy. . .(sorry, I can’t resist) . . . really lost his head over the market.

The Fish Market has grown over the decades, with its tasty tentacles spreading out from this square along streets lined with vendors selling fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat products.

It seemed more a gallery of edible art than street market as we squeezed and turned our way through the crush of shoppers. . .

Can you tell we love European street markets? Like early morning magnets they draw us to their sights, sounds and smells.  Much like Brigadoon, they appear for a few hours and then are gone each day. 

We returned to the Pescheria in the early afternoon and this is how that once busy square looked.

If You Go:

Since the 18th Century, Catania has been the second largest city in Sicily and the 10th largest in Italy. It was destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1168 and then again in 1693. It’s also suffered from some of Mt. Etna’s eruptions.

The Pescheria is reportedly the second-largest market in Catania. The largest is found in the Piazza Carlo Alberto – which we didn’t make it to on this trip.

The Pescheria is off Piazza Duomo near the cathdral, between Via Garibaldi and Via Pacini. It extends along Via Gemelli Zappala and other surrounding streets.  It is closed afternoons and on Sundays.

That's it for this Travel Photo Thursday, so head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for more photos! And if you are looking for some luxury, come back this weekend and we'll show you one place to find it.

Tuesday Travel Classics: Ely’s Hotel Nevada

Continuing our series of Travel Classics – those still-sparkling hotel gems of yesteryear -- we make a stop in Ely, Nevada and The Historic Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall.

Back in 1929 when the six-story tall hotel opened, it was the tallest building in the State of Nevada.  (From my photo, you might still call it a ‘high-rise’ in this small town 250 miles north of Las Vegas). 

The Scout had researched the hotel prior to our Winter Road Trip, but we couldn’t fit in more than a lunch stop there on the southbound route. That little taste had us vowing to return, which is what we did on our return  from Arizona. And that time we spent the night. 

Just like those upscale casinos in Las Vegas, the hotel’s front desk is just off  – in this case – the ‘Gaming Hall’ (casino)  and the guest rooms are on the floors above it. Unlike those Vegas places, this one was small and filled with curios.



Buffalo heads, stuffed critters, the bigger-than-life bronze cowboy and antler chandeliers left no doubt you stepped back into the Ol’ West. Being December, all were decked out in bows and garlands as well. 

We can recommend the hotel restaurant for both the quality of its food and the portions.
This is my half of the French dip sandwich plate we’d ordered for lunch.






The hotel opened during a time in our country’s history when "Prohibition” was still in effect.  But thanks to the local bootlegging efforts the hotel was kept supplied with “Bath tub Gin” and “White Lightning,” the latter a grain alcohol that could reach 200 proof.

Back in its early days rooms rented for $1.50 a night and all had private toilets and nearly all had private baths as well. I suspect they might not have been as cute as the one we stayed in for only$54.95 (free wi-fi and a welcome margarita; no hotel fees, either!) Though we’d been warned that the old pipes carrying water to our shower in our en suite bath could go from cold to hot without warning, we didn’t have a problem (but we didn’t take long leisurely showers either).

Rooms are all named for and decorated with that person's musical memorabilia. 

Ours was Charlie Rich,  the Country Western singer. 

Bet you know this song of his (click the link to You Tube and go) 

“Behind Closed Doors”





If You Go:

Ely, is in White Pine County in the central part of eastern part of Nevada, sitting at the crossroads of U.S. 93 and U.S. 50. As you enter the town,you’ll find a selection of motels flanking the main drag.

But we’d recommend heading straight to The Hotel Nevada where they say, “Stay with us once and you’ll become a ‘customer for life’.”

That’s what happened to us.  We’ll be back. Hopefully, soon!

Have you stayed in a Travel Classic? Tell us about it in the comment section below or for those of you subscribers, head to TravelnWrite where you'll find the comment section.