Something Special For Christmas
Q. We are looking for a Washington B&B that offers something special during the Christmas holidays. Do you know of any that have special programs for the holidays, besides the typical Christmas tree and decorations? - K. K. and L. K., Spokane.
A: I know of one Washington B&B that may meet your desires for a remarkable holiday. The Cooney Mansion B&B (360-533-0602) in the coastal town of Cosmopolis, Wash., celebrates a Victorian Christmas season. It has five guest rooms and serves a four-course lumber baron’s breakfast. Rates begin at $65.
The mansion’s “A Dickens Family Christmas” festival offers several events for its guests and the public. The festival runs from Dec. 1-10. Early reservations are a must for these popular festival activities:
Dinner with the Bob Cratchit Family: Your hosts and local actors dress in period costumes and play character roles. The Victorian dinner has all the traditional trimmings of Yorkshire and plum pudding. Choice of entrees are English roasted hen, crown roast of pork or beef. Wine is served. The special dinners are offered at 7 p.m. on Dec. 2-10 and cost $35 a person.
High Tea with Queen Victoria: A traditional high tea will be served daily at 3 p.m., and Queen Victoria (a character actor in regal attire) will be conversing with her guests. The five-course tea costs $15.
Santa Claus will visit the mansion on each Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. during the festival. Children can talk with Santa, while their parents attend a high tea.
Fezziwig’s Market Place is an annual crafts show held at the mansion in conjunction with the festival. Craftsmen display items for Christmas gifts each day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. except on Mondays and Tuesdays during the festival.
Q: We are looking for an off-the-beaten-path B&B in northwestern Montana where we can be cozy around a fireplace and take quiet walks in a forest setting. Can you suggest a place that is out in the country? - M. S. and G. S., Opportunity.
A: I can recommend Huckleberry Hannah’s Montana Bed & Breakfast (406-889-3381) near Eureka, Mont. It is surrounded by 50 wooded acres and borders Tetrault Lake. The naturally lighted rooms and common areas provide an inviting and relaxing atmosphere. The rooms are individually decorated and reflect your hosts’ (Jack and Deanna Doying) love of nature and handcrafted decorations.
You’ll probably be awakened in the morning by the smells of baked goodies. Deanna is the author of one of the Northwest’s best-selling cookbooks, “Huckleberry Hannah’s Country Cooking Sampler.”
Double occupancy rates range from $50 to $80, depending on your choice of bedrooms, suites or cottage. Reservations will be accepted until Dec. 31 and again starting on May 1.
Mystery Weekends are offered for groups of 8-12 on any weekend from May 1 through June 15 and Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. The “Whodunit?” package includes lodging, mystery and meals for $75 a person.
The B&B also offers seasonal hunting and fishing getaway packages. Local guides are available.
Q: We are new to the area and have heard about jet-boat mail runs that offer passenger service. Can you tell us where to call for more information? - M. F., Sandpoint.
A: “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” wrote the Greek historian Herodotus, in reference to foot messengers in the fifth century. The creed is often applied to today’s postal carriers. And for mail delivery on the Snake River in Hells Canyon, one might add: “nor whitewater rapids.”
The Historic Mail Boat Run in Hells Canyon offers a unique jet-boating adventure. Passengers get a narrated tour of the human and geologic history of the river and canyon, while making occasional stops at mailboxes nailed to posts stuck in the river banks.
The last stop upstream is at Copper Creek Ranch, where you stay overnight. The remote ranch has electric generators, plumbed indoor facilities and hot showers. The hearty meals are accompanied by big portions of Hells Canyon hospitality. The cost of the two-day/one-night excursion is $215 a person. The trip departs every Wednesday from March 1 through Oct. 31 from Clarkston, Wash.
For more details and reservations on the mail boat runs: Hells Canyon Tours, (509) 758-4800 or (800) 522-6966.
xxxx
The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, QUESTION & ANSWER - Northwest travel