Don’t Visit Idaho Without That State’s 1995 Travel Guide

Idaho’s 1995 Travel Guide is now available, free, from the state Department of Commerce; it’s an attractive, 120-page book packed with information about festivals, adventure opportunities, and places to stay.

For a copy, along with a free state highway map, call (800) 635-7820.

Short takes: Bits and pieces from around the Northwest:

The NCAA Final Four basketball playoff is April 1-3 in Seattle, attracting rabid fans from around the country. Watching the action in sports bars near the Kingdome can be fun … but as for tickets, forget it, unless you want to pay scalpers’ prices.

Spring wildflower displays in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area will be the focus of hikes in April and May planned by Friends of the Gorge. For information, call (503) 241-3762.

The Taste of Ashland festival in southern Oregon is March 31-April 2, with wineries from around the West invited to participate. For information, call (503) 482-7762.

Dark Times, Bright Visions, an exhibit of Native American artifacts, opens next Saturday at the Yakima Valley Museum. For information, call (509) 248-0747.

Real deals: Bargains and discounts:

Schweitzer Mountain Resort, near Sandpoint, has two good deals for skiers: From Sundays through Thursdays until April 8, a night’s stay at the Green Gables lodge, plus a day of skiing for two people, is $99.

And during spring break, April 1-9, nine-day ski passes are $35 for students and $50 for adults, with rooms at Green Gables running $59 per night. For information, call (800) 831-8810 or (208) 263-9555.

The Spirit of Washington dinner train, which departs from Renton on Tuesdays through Sundays, offers free rides for kids 12 and under, when accompanied by an adult, through March 31. The train ride includes a gourmet meal (or kid fare) and a tour of the Columbia Winery; for information, call (206) 227-7245 or (800) 876-7245.

Open house: The nonprofit Governor’s Mansion Foundation is issuing a special invitation for Washington residents to tour the mansion in Olympia this year, the 20th anniversary of the date the historic building was opened to the public.

Five U.S. presidents have been guests in the building, which also houses a collection of historic furnishings valued at more than $1 million.

Free tours are usually conducted every Wednesday. Reservations are requested; for more information, call (206) 586-8687.

Darn rite: “In the dinning area, the level of sophistication of the new breed of tourists coming here continues to sore …” - from a news release for Gail’s, a Lopez Island restaurant.

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