A Grape Thanksgiving Wineries Popular During Long Weekend

Free tastings of premium wines and food samples attract thousands of tourists to Yakima Valley wineries every Thanksgiving weekend.

Open houses at wineries run Friday, Nov. 24, through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The heart of the wine country, Prosser, Wash., is a 3- to 3-1/2-hour drive from Spokane.

For information, call (509) 786-3177.

Stay tuned: The SpokesmanReview’s annual Ski Guide to the Inland Northwest will be published in next Sunday’s newspaper, featuring detailed information about more than 40 ski hills in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia.

Short takes: Bits and pieces from around the Northwest:

The historic Lake Whatcom Railway steam train offers rides near Bellingham on the first four Saturdays of December; call (360) 595-2218.

Yakima has a new kiddie museum, the Children’s Underground, focusing on regional history, culture and natural resources. For information, call the parent Yakima Valley Museum at (509) 248-0747.

Keeping the Mo: Kitsap County residents are hoping a grass-roots campaign will succeed in persuading the Navy to leave the USS Missouri in Bremerton as a naval museum.

The 887-foot battleship, best known as the “Mighty Mo,” was the site of Japan’s surrender to end World War II. Moored in Bremerton this summer for the first time in 12 years, it attracted almost a quarter of a million visitors.

Bremerton is competing with three other Navy towns to keep the Mo; for more information, contact the Save the Missouri committee at (360) 405-5446.

Bargains and discounts:

Inter-Continental hotels is offering a variety of customized “options” for business and leisure travelers at its hotels, which include the Edgewater in Seattle and the Landmark in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Options include upgrades to suites, more airline bonus miles, or credits for food and beverages. For information, call (800) 327-0200.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, near Banff and Lake Louise, offer special getaway packages through the end of May, plus a variety of special events and festivals. For information, call (403) 762-4645, or Internet address: http:/ /www.world.web.com/CRMR.

Gold rush: Tourists can follow in the footsteps of gold rush pioneers in Southeast Alaska with help from the 1996 Inside Passage Travel Planner.

The free planner includes sample itineraries, a visitor service directory, and photos. Call (800) 423-0568.

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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.