How To Buy An American Quilt Mennonite Sale, Auction Has Hand-Crafted Items

Sun., Oct. 1, 1995

Graham Vink Travel Editor

The 18th annual Mennonite Country Auction and Relief Sale, 20 miles west of Ritzville, Wash., is next Saturday, Oct. 7. The fund-raising auction and accompanying craft sales include quilts and a variety of other hand-crafted goods.

In addition, concession stands sell a wide variety of traditional foods, including a German plate lunch, green bean soup, fritters, apple butter, smoked sausage sandwiches, tart cherry jelly, peppernuts and kuchen.

For a map or more information, call (509) 659-0926 or (509) 765-8683.

Short takes: Bits and pieces from around the Northwest:

Mazes, a nationally touring exhibit developed by the Pacific Science Center, returned to Seattle this weekend. The maze covers 3,000 square feet and also features a new horizontal climbing wall, 25 feet long and 12 feet tall. There’s also a small peek-a-boo maze for children. For information, call (206) 443-2001.

An overnight gambling trip from Spokane to the Flamingo Hilton in Laughlin, Nev., is Monday through Wednesday. The price of $199 per person, based on double occupancy, includes round trip air fare, hotel transfers and baggage handling. For information, call (800) 662-5825.

The annual Oktoberfest celebration in Helena, is Oct. 14-16, featuring professional bull riding, live music and ethnic food, plus lots to drink (40 volunteers are required just to pour beer). For information, call (800) 7-HELENA.

Bald is beautiful: From mid-October through November, nearly 1,500 eagles will pass through the Missouri River corridor near Helena, attracted by spawning salmon.

More than 15,000 bird watchers visited last year to see the show, and a variety of improvements have been made to accommodate them, including volunteer assistants at the Canyon Ferry Visitors Center on busy weekends. For information, call the Helena Chamber of Commerce at (800) 7-HELENA.

Peninsula patter: A brochure featuring dozens of discounted off-season getaways on the Kitsap Peninsula, a 30-minute ferry ride from Seattle, is now available.

The brochure mostly covers accommodations, but also has packages that include golf, kayak rentals, golf courses and restaurants. For a free copy, call (360) 479-3588.

In passing: Who says government has no sense of humor? A recent news release from the Okanogan National Forest describes Parachute Meadows, “reported to be the site of the first firefighter parachute jump in the Northwest. You can see the crater where he landed.”

The document quickly adds: “Just kidding.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

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.