Let Your Spirits Soar At Walla Walla Balloon Fest

Sun., May 7, 1995

Graham Vink Travel Editor

Feeling earthbound? The Walla Walla Balloon Stampede, featuring 50 balloonists and up to 40,000 spectators, is coming up May 12-14.

Besides balloons, the annual festival at Howard-Tietan Park also features sky divers, ethnic food, arts and crafts sales, music and dancing, plus many activities for children.

For information, call the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce at (509) 525-0850.

Clear as glass: Friends of the Museum of Art at Washington State University are organizing a trip this month to the Pilchuck Glass School, north of Seattle.

The three-day trip to LaConner is May 18-20 and costs $225 for members, $270 for non-members, based on double occupancy. The price includes bus transportation, admission, deluxe accommodations and some meals.

The Pilchuck Glass School, founded in 1971, attracts artists and students from around the world. Its works will be on display at the WSU Museum of Art from Sept. 5 through Oct. 15. For more information on the trip, call (509) 334-4707 or (509) 334-3824.

Open doors: The Mount St. Helens Forest Learning Center opens May 18, on the 15th anniversary of the volcano’s devastating eruption.

The facility along the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway features 10,000 square feet of exhibits explaining how the eruption affected forests. Since all the exhibits were provided by Weyerhaeuser, it also covers prologging topics like “how forest management today provides for wildlife habitat, resource protection and timber production for wood and paper products.” For information, call (360) 414-3439.

Places to stay:

All Seasons River Inn Bed and Breakfast in Leavenworth, Wash. offers spring specials through June 30. Pre-season deals include half off the second night of a two-night stay beginning on a Sunday or Wednesday, meal discounts for two at Edel Haus or the Leavenworth Brewery, and discounts on whitewater rafting and horseback riding. Call (800) 254-0555 or (509) 548-1425.

Seattle’s Hotel Vintage Park offers a package deal, Uniquely Seattle. For $299, the one-night package includes a welcome basket of Washington state products, choice of a walking or harbor tour, $75 dinner certificate for the Space Needle and a hosted wine-tasting evening, and free parking. Call (800) 624-4433 or (206) 624-8000.

Cruising: A luxury cruise features six days of island-hopping through the San Juans on a classic teak sailing yacht, the Cutty Sark, plus six nights of quaint Northwest inns and regional fine dining.

The expedition, offered by Aeolian Ventures, costs $2,195 per person, based on double occupancy.

The six-passenger Cutty Sark also offer two- to three-hour jaunts, day cruises and the opportunity to plan your own itinerary. Call (800) 366-4097 or (360) 678-4097.

Whale watching: The Ocean Pointe Resort in Victoria and a whale-watching company, Seacoast Expeditions, have teamed up to offer a two-night viewing/voyage package during the peak killer whale watching period from May 15 to June 30.

The package costs about $149 (U.S.) per person, based on double occupancy. Call (800) 667-4677.

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.

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