Book Full Of Columbia Gorge Gems

We admit we’re suckers for guidebooks with gorgeous photos on the cover that make us want to pack the truck and leave now for wherever the book will take us.

A new Falcon Guide, “Hiking the Columbia River Gorge” by Russ Schneider is just such a guidebook. The cover photo is of a hiker strolling along the bluff amid blooming balsam root at sunset (or it could be sunrise, but no matter).

The paperback book ($16.96) focuses on the Oregon side the Gorge, with 16 hikes in the Multnomah Falls area alone. There are a few hikes north of the river, of course. But the gem of the book could be the trails to the scenic waterfalls in the Gorge.

There are enough routes included - 47 to be exact - to keep a hiker busy all season long; but then the hiking season in the Columbia Gorge is longer than it is in the mountains.

Each hike is accompanied by all the important info such as elevation gain, distance, difficulty, map and directions to the trailhead.

It seems like yesterday

The scenic North Cascades Highway has been open 25 years and in honor of a quarter of a century of being able to travel this route, The Mountaineers Books has published “North Cascades Highway: Washington’s Popular and Scenic Pass” by JoAnn Roe ($14.95, ISBN 0-89886-517-4).

The book includes the story of the opening of this route over the Cascades, as well as 40 black-and-white photos to support the narrative.

The book concludes with a discussion of issues facing the North Cascades region, including the question of whether to keep the highway open year-round.

Bound for Europe

If you are a student and you want to travel, it might be worth your effort to get a free copy of Student Travels Magazine.

The travel planner includes information for first-time travelers such as getting a passport, rail pass options in Europe, hostel applications, packing hints and great student air fares.

For a copy, call the Council on International Educational Exchange toll-free at (888)-COUNCIL.

B&B directory

The new Border to Border Bed and Breakfast directory is available and it includes descriptive listings for more than 300 B&B inns in California, Oregon and Washington.

The focus is the coast and the listings are neither rated nor reviewed. For a free copy, call (541) 471-2700 or on the Web at www.moriah.com/inns.

Start shopping

Those with a traveler on their Christmas list might want to browse the Top 10 Holiday gifts for travelers, compiled by the members of the Society of American Travel Writers:

1. Roll-aboard luggage (compact enough for under-seat storage on an airplane)

2. Swiss Army knife

3. Good maps of the traveler’s destination of choice

4. Currency of the destination country

5. A fold-up raincoat and mini folding umbrella

6. Inflatable neck pillow

7. Pre-paid international phone card

8. Subscription to a travel magazine

9. Membership in the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers

10. Electrical converters.

Whale-watching alert

Later this month, 23,000 California gray whales begin migrating south from the Bering Sea to breeding grounds off Baja California. The migration peaks in mid- to late December, when whale watchers around Newport, Ore., can count about 30 whales an hour.

According to Kim Kaminski of the Newport Chamber of Commerce, whale watching takes a bit of practice and patience. The best places to spot whales from are coastal headlands with higher elevations that jut out into the ocean - places like Newport’s Yaquina Head. Early morning is best, before winds whip up whitecaps. Bring binoculars and windproof/waterproof clothing.

For more information, call the chamber at (800) 262-7844 or visit its Web site at newportnet.com.

, DataTimes