Mount Rainier Camping Fees Rise
It will cost more to camp at Mount Rainier National Park this summer.
The nightly fee at Ohanapecosh campground, one of the most popular, was increased last month from $10 to $12. Other campgrounds in the park will be $10, up from $6 or $8 per night. (The only campground open in winter is Sunshine Point where the new fee already is being charged.)
Private vehicles are now charged $10 at Olympic and Mount Rainier; a yearly pass for each park is $20; bicycle, motorcyclists and walk-in visitors pay $5.
An annual pass for national parks and discount passes for seniors also are available.
For more information on Mount Rainier National Park, phone (360) 569-2211. For Olympic, phone (360) 452-4501.
Alaska wants you: Alaska State Parks is looking for volunteers to work in dozens of parks this summer.
Many of the positions are for campground hosts, but ranger assistants and other workers also are needed. Applicants must be 18 years or older, be U.S. citizens and apply by April 1. The positions are unpaid, although some have an expense allowance or provide food (and sometimes accommodations in basic cabins).
For a catalogue and an application form contact: Volunteer Coordinator, Alaska State Parks, 3601 C. St., Suite 1200, Anchorage, AK 99503. Phone (907) 269-8708. Computer users can get information from the Web site at http:/ /www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks
For something completely different: Many visitors to Seattle are delighted to discover a marvelously kitschy store in Pioneer Square called Ruby Montana’s Pinto Pony - a store stocking such items as lava lamps, ant farms, Spam boxer shorts, and puppets of punching nuns. But how did the store get its name?
The story began in El Reno, Okla., in 1953, when a little girl named Ruby was dressed in full cowgirl regalia and placed on a pony to have her picture taken. She wanted that little horse more than anything, but of course couldn’t have it. So she made a promise to herself: If she ever again wanted anything as much as that pinto pony, she would name it just that.
She fulfilled that vow when she opened Ruby Montana’s Pinto Pony in 1980.
Be ‘barn again’: They may be disappearing from the countryside, but barns remain an inveterate symbol of America at its best. “Barn Again: Celebrating an American Icon” takes a look at barns and their place in history in a special traveling exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian.
The show, featuring models, photographs and advertisements, will open this month in four locations, including Grants Pass, Ore. It will then travel to 32 other locations throughout the country through 1998. Information: 202-357-2700, or on the Internet, http://www.si.edu/sites.
France most visited: Its debatable reputation for less-than-friendly behavior toward tourists notwithstanding, France was the most visited destination in the world last year, according to figures released by the World Tourism Organization, a nonprofit group based in Madrid. Nearly 62 million people visited France last year.
The United States came in second at nearly 43 million but was the top earner in international tourism, taking in more than $64 billion.
The fastest-growing region was the Middle East, with tourist arrivals rising by more than 10 percent.
Fascinating facts: Hawaii is endlessly fascinating - and not only for its scenery. Consider:
The Hana Highway on the Hawaiian island of Maui has 56 bridges and 600 curves.
Hawaii comprises 132 islands.
Hawaiians greet tourists by saying “Aloha!” But Hawaiians often greet each other by saying “Howzit!”
In our 50th state, a goat is sometimes referred to as a “Hawaiian lawn mower.”
The island of Kauai has seven distinctive climates, ranging from desert to rain forest.
(For more information on visiting this special state, call 800-GO-HAWAII).
When in Leghorn … Rome anyone can figure out. But Leghorn?
Here are 10 Italian cities where the English name isn’t the same as the Italian. (The Italian name is shown in parentheses):
Florence (Firenze)
Genoa (Genova)
Leghorn (Livorno)
Milan (Milano)
Naples (Napoli)
Padua (Padova)
Rome (Roma)
Syracuse (Siracusa)
Turin (Torino)
Venice (Venezia)