Mussel Fest Coupeville Hosts Annual Festival

If you’re getting tired of the cold, snowy weather around here, you could always head for the seashore and enjoy some cold, wet weather instead. Two ideas:

The 10th annual Penn Cove Mussel Festival runs Feb. 29 through March 4 at the Captain Whidbey Inn in Coupeville, Wash. There’s a mussel recipe contest, mussel cooking demonstrations and - of course - a mussel-eating contest, plus various wine tastings and other events. For information, call the inn at (800) 366-4097 or (360) 678-4097.

The Westport/Grayland Chamber of Commerce holds its annual glass ball treasure hunt in February and March.

The idea came from glass floats used by Japanese fishermen that occasionally washed up on the Pacific coast, thousands of miles away. Now, the Chamber plants hundreds of balls along beaches, dunes and jetties, each containing a note that makes the finder eligible for a prize drawing.

For information, call (800) 345-6223 or (360) 268-9422.

Bluegrass festival: The third annual Wintergrass Festival runs Feb. 22 through 25 in Tacoma. More than 20 musicians will perform, and the festival also includes workshops and classes.

A weekend pass costs $75 for adults, $65 for seniors, and $30 for children 16 and under. Single day tickets are available. For more information call (206) 922-7713.

Northwest seminars: The North Cascades Institute is offering several seminars this spring that explore the Pacific Northwest.

Topics include “Owls: Silent Hunters of the Night,” March 2-3; and “Lummi Basketry,” March 9-10.

Prices range from $60 to $145 per person. For more information call (360) 856-5700 ext. 209.

Ski stuff: The 1996 NCAA Alpine and Nordic Ski Championships will be held March 6-9 at Bridger Bowl and the Bohart Cross Country Ski Ranch near Bozeman, Mont.

For more information call Bridger Bowl at (406) 587-2111 or the ranch at (406) 586-9070.

Explore Northwest rivers: Float through the magnificent scenery of Oregon, Washington and Idaho on Special Expedition’s “In the Wake of Lewis and Clark” tours.

The trip begins in Portland, and passengers will have the opportunity to see the mouth of the Columbia and take various trips to shore.

The tour is led by historians and naturalists. Prices range from $1,990 to $2,960 based on double occupancy.

For departure dates or more information contact a travel agent or call (800) 762-0003 or (212) 765-7740.

Alaska quickie: Alaska Highway Cruises is now offering seven-night tours of Alaska in addition to its longer packages.

Prices, including air fare from Seattle, range from $2,295 to $4,295 per person based on double occupancy. Book before Feb. 23 and receive a 25 percent discount. For a brochure, call (800) 323-5757.

Learning vacations: The University of Idaho is offering several learning vacations open to the general public.

One of them involves six days of sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez near Baja California. The price of $1,164 includes round trip air fare from Spokane, food, kayak, and equipment. The trip will be offered three times this spring, all in March.

Other trips available include whale watching from Vancouver Island for six days, mountain biking through the canyons of Utah for eight days, and an archaeological expedition to Belize for nine days.

For more information, call (208) 882-2250.

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MEMO: Send information about travel opportunities around the Pacific Northwest to: Travel Editor, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.