Empress Offers Whale Of A Time
The famed Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, is offering a “Whale of a Package” in conjunction with the new exhibit at the nearby Royal British Columbia Museum, “Whales: The Enduring Legacy.”
The package (based on double occupancy) includes overnight accommodation with breakfast, two speed tickets to the museum (which allows guests to proceed immediately into the museum and bypass the lines), and a $10 coupon per person for a three-hour whale watching tour on Five Star Charters.
Rates, good until Oct. 13, range from $149 to $194 (U.S. funds).
For information: (800) 441-1414.
The Empress is located on the harbor in downtown Victoria.
And while we’re talking Victoria
A new guidebook to Victoria has joined others on the travel bookshelf. “Victoria: The Insider’s Guide” by journalist Robert Moyes includes what he calls the hidden gems of the City of Gardens.
Information includes restaurant reviews, historical sites, local nightspots and recommendations for shopping experiences.
The 128-page book is $5.95, available from Orca Publishers, P.O. Box 468, Custer, WA 98240, by calling (800) 210-5277, fax (250) 380-1892 or e-mail orca@pinc.com.
Music in the Cascades
The third annual Icicle Creek Music Festival will run Aug. 2-30 at Sleeping Lady mountain resort and conference center near Leavenworth, Wash.
The festival will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Franz Schubert and will include many of his chamber works. The lineup will also include jazz and bluegrass concerts.
The concerts are Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons, and tickets are $14, $12 for seniors, available by calling Sleeping Lady, (800) 574-2123.
Sleeping Lady is three miles from Highway 2 in Leavenworth on Icicle Road.
The conference center also has meal and lodging packages for those planning to attend one of the concerts.
For specific concert information, call the resort, or e-mail icicle@aol.com.
For information about lodging and dining in Leavenworth, call the Chamber of Commerce, (509) 548-5807.
Going organic
Every Wednesday from June 25 through Oct. 29 will be Organic Farmer Day at Pike Place Market in Seattle.
The produce in season will include more than 50 different vegetables and a variety of fruits including apples, apricots, peaches, pears and raspberries.
Market hours on Wednesdays will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For information: (206) 682-7453.
Setting sail
The 20th anniversary issue of “Northwest Boat Travel” is available and the 266-page book is an invaluable resource for those planning to sail off into the sunset along the coastal waters off Washington and British Columbia.
Make no mistake, the “Northwest” in this book means the coast; there are no inland waters represented. And the book is geared for sailboats, although those with fishing boats will also find it useful.
Lists include anchorages, parks, marinas, resorts and services relating to boating.
Northwest Boat Travel is available at marinas and marine supply stores or by calling (800) 354-2949, ext. 830.
For more information contact Northwest Boat Travel, P.O. Box 220, Anacortes, WA 98221-0220, or on the Web at www.boattravel.com.
, DataTimes