Get ‘Innside’ Story On Innkeeping

Sun., March 9, 1997

By Susan English susane@spokesman.com

Are you one of the hundreds of travelers who have considered opening a bed and breakfast or an inn? Those wanting to take a more serious look at the possibilities can attend the Aspiring Innkeepers Workshop, presented by the Spokane Bed & Breakfast Association, next Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Angelica’s Mansion, 1321 W. Ninth.

Cost is $50 ($75 per couple) and it’s bring-your-own-lunch. The seminar will cover the legal aspects of being an innkeeper as well as marketing and getting started.

For information, contact Jackie Johnson, 838-1891.

Feel the need for speed?

The Mahre brothers - Phil and Steve - of Olympic skiing fame, will heli-ski the North Cascades near Mazama all day next Saturday and you can join them. All it takes is $600 and some heavy-duty skiing expertise (this won’t be on groomed runs, folks).

After a day of matching the Mahres’ pace coming off the mountain ridges, skiers will dine with the champs at Freestone Inn.

The outing is sponsored by the Methow Institute Foundation, Freestone Inn and North Cascades Heli-skiing. For information: (800) 494-HELI.

Tour the wine country

A free map of the inns of the Sonoma wine country in California is now available from the Wine Country Bed & Breakfast Inns of Sonoma County, PO Box 51, Geyserville, CA 95441; (800) 354-4743. The map includes descriptions of the country inns. The same information is available at the group’s web site: www.winecountryinns.com.

Getting there fast

A new passenger jet boat, the Desert Aire, is taking cruisers from Richland to the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River. Along the way, passengers might see great white pelicans, osprey, great blue heron and mule deer. The trip includes narration on the sights and history of the region. Tours will run May through October and fares are $34, $17 for kids ages 4-11. For information, call Columbia River Journeys: (509) 943-0231.

Turn over the wheel

Let someone else do the driving while you do the looking on a loop tour through the scenic Northwest Washington countryside.

Eastside Excursions will customize a tour that might include the towns of Carnation, Duvall and Redmond, old dairy barns, gardens, antique shops, art festivals or an Indian wood carving center. Prices start at $25 for a three-hour tour (senior and student discounts are available). For information, call (360) 753-4470.

Flowers bloom in the East, too

The famed Longwood Gardens as well as the du Pont estates are just a few of the gardens that are part of a tour of the Brandywine Valley in the northeastern U.S. in late April and May.

The Homes and Gardens of the Brandywine Valley tour ($798) is April 30-May 4; the Estates of the Hudson River Valley ($1,115) is June 17-22, both run by Expo Garden Tours. For information: (800) 448-2685.

, DataTimes

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.