Apple Blossom Time In Fresno Coming Up

Since January and travel in the Inland Northwest is practically an oxymoron, now’s the time to consider off-season, low-cost air flights - with fingers crossed that the weather cooperates for takeoffs and landings. You know how that pesky fog delays such things.

Think apple blossoms

Fly south to California for the Fresno County Blossom Trail, “slated to explode in a kaleidoscope of color from late February through mid-March,” said Brian Ziegler, spokesman for the Fresno City & County Convention Visitors Bureau.

The Blossom Trail is a 62-mile self-guided driving tour (which means you’d have to rent a car if you fly down) that winds through eastern Fresno County.

Along the trail in full bloom will be (should be) peach, plum, nectarine and almond trees. Nothing like a pallet of color to brighten up winter doldrums.

The trail is expected to be spectacular with red, pink and white petals - a photography enthusiast’s dream. Imagine taking pictures of peach blossoms with snow-capped mountains in the background.

The trail also covers groves of commercial crops grown in the San Joaquin Valley, including apples, kiwi, apricots, olives and avocados.

A free brochure of the Fresno County Blossom Trail is available by contacting the visitors bureau at (800) 788-0836.

While in California…

The newly released guide “Best of California” is filled with useful and fun facts and figures about our southern neighbor, one state removed.

The 36-page guide is produced by Tessera wines and includes information on getaways, the great outdoors, food and wine, inventions, recipes for a couple classic California dishes and tips for understanding the basics of wine.

Write to Tessera’s Best of California, 1200 Jefferson Street, Napa, CA 94559; or visit the Web site at www.tesserawines.com.

Europe’s beckoning

British Airways offers its lowest fare to Europe now through March. And since much of a visitor’s time often is spent indoors looking at art and antiquities, winter and early spring are great (read affordable) times to visit.

BA offers a special round-trip World Traveler airfare and a choice of three to six nights’ hotel accommodations with daily continental breakfast in London, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Vienna….

Just thinking of the names of those European cities makes suitcases scream, “Pack me, pack me!”

Prices for a three-night stay, based on double occupancy and mid-week travel, from Seattle to London, Rome and Paris is $599; Madrid costs $629; Vienna, $649.

For more information, call your travel agent, or British Airways Holidays at (800) 359-8722.

Great Britain’s Thistle Hotels is offering visitors its “Pound for Dollar” promotion, which equates to about a 40 percent discount, said Kate Spencer, hotel spokeswoman.

No exchange rate to worry about! You pay what the Brits pay.

Rates are for executive accommodation for single or double occupancy, and includes taxes and service charges. There’s a two-night minimum stay and bookings, prepaid in dollars, must be made before arrival.

The hotel chain has 25 hotels in London and 35 more throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

For information call that travel agent or (800) 847-4358.

Rick Steves, that great European traveler from Edmonds, Wash., who makes a living giving tips on how Americans can travel on a realistic budget, has a free booklet for the asking.

“Rick Steves’ 1999 Guide to European Railpasses” is written to help Europe-bound travelers sift through the confusing array of railpasses available this year.

It includes:

1999 prices and features for all Eurail, Euro, Rail & Drive and country passes, plus money-saving passes that Americans can buy only in Europe.

Common-sense analysis and maps explaining which passes are the best value for different trips.

Comparison of railpass, train tickets-as-you-go, bus and car rental values, and evaluations of seven typical European trip itineraries.

New tips on taking advantage of the many resources available at European train stations.

I found Steves’ guide book to Scandinavian countries invaluable when planning a trip there a few years back.

“Travels in Europe with Rick Steves” on PBS always provides a fascinating vicarious junket for me. It airs at noon Saturdays on KSPS-TV, Channel 7.

To order Steves’ free European Railpasses guide: write to Europe Through the Back Door, Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020; call (425) 771-8303; fax (425) 771-0833; or visit his Web site at www.ricksteves.com. (Bet there are some great pictures there.)

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is hosting a new travel series called “Great Escapes” at its Valley store on the first Wednesday of every month. The Feb. 3 “escape” at 7 p.m. will feature Hawaiian vacations.