trips

Fellas, you’ve waited for it. And here it is. The answer to that age-old question: “What do you people want?!” When it comes to vacations, 90 percent of women want to create lasting memories. That kind of rules out the sort of alcohol-induced oblivion so popular in Cabo or Fort Lauderdale.

This stunning finding comes courtesy of a survey conducted for Meredith Corp., publishers of Ladies’ Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle and a bunch of other stuff.

Here’s another shocker: Four out of five women think vacations are a must.

And almost half booked their most recent trips all by their little selves.

That is some groundbreaking research.

Here’s the take-away for you guys: Women want to go on vacation and they like to remember it afterward. You’re on your own from here.

Let it fly

If you’ve ever complained about legroom, this is your chance to show them how it’s done.

The Future of Flight Aviation Center, which opened this weekend in Everett, will let you apply all your engineering skills to the design of your very own jet.

(They don’t say anything about building it, though.)

The $23 million project, a partnership of Boeing, the Future of Flight Foundation, Snohomish County Public Facilities District and Snohomish County Airport, aims to show you where aviation is going.

Through hands-on exhibits, videos, graphics and interactive displays, the center will take you, according to its Web site, “from the astonishing miracle of powered flight itself to the impact of commercial aviation on humanity around the globe.”

That sounds pretty ambitious, but they’ve got 73,000 square feet in which to get the job done.

The program includes a look around Boeing, the only public tour of a commercial jet assembly plant available in North America. The facility – at 427 million cubic feet, the largest building in the world by volume – turns out 747s, 767s, 777s and soon 787s.

Back at the center, you’ll start off at the Airplane Design Zone, with 12 computer stations where you can choose from various fuselages, wings, engines and other elements to create the aircraft of your dreams.

The Materials Zone shows you what they’re made of, and in the Passenger Experience Zone, a video will walk you through the last 50 years of seating and other passenger compartment irritations. The Passenger Experience Research Center includes a mock-up of the 787 Dreamliner and a three-screen multimedia extravaganza about the latest Boeing model.

If you’d like a little more action, strap yourself into the X15 Flight Simulator for a supersonic tear at treetop level.

You can learn about behind-the-scenes operations in the Flight Systems Zone, what all those dials and switches do in the Flight Deck Zone, and how engine types differ in the Propulsion/Engines Zone.

There’s also a Manufacturing Zone, Future Concepts Zone and a collection of interactive foam displays geared to younger children.

As you make your way through the zones, you can modify the design of your jet based on your growing expertise. Once you’re all finished, the Future of Flight Store will award you a color print of your creation – and perhaps a lucrative aeronautics design contract.

Michael Brown landed a job for which he was completely unqualified. Why not you?

Tickets and information are available online at www.futureofflight.org. Or call (800) 464-1476.

Christmas garden party

Victoria’s Butchart Gardens is putting on the dog for the holidays.

The 55-acre grounds, once home to a quarry, are all a-twinkle with lights. And for a pretty reasonable price, Victoria Clipper Vacations will take you there.

Hop on board the clipper at Pier 69 in Seattle for a cruise north, complete with champagne continental breakfast. You’ll arrive in Victoria with plenty of time for shopping or sightseeing before your evening visit to the gardens via bus.

The bus will deposit you at your hotel, and the next day you’ll have a chance to poke around the city some more before you set sail back to Seattle.

The package starts at $129 per person, based on double occupancy, and it’s available through Dec. 30.

Call (800) 888-2535 or visit www.victoriaclipper.com to find out more.

Regional events

“Montana PRCA Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals, Jan. 13-15, Great Falls. The 26th annual competition puts nearly 100 contestants through their paces. There’s an auction, kids rodeo, dance and the Miss Rodeo Montana coronation, to boot. (www.visitmt.com/406-727-8900)

“Corvallis Indoor Winter Market, Jan. 21, Corvallis, Ore. Get your hands on local products, mushrooms, cheeses, flowers, baked goods, candles and crafts. (www.visitcorvallis.com 541-456-2004)

“McCall Winter Carnival, Jan. 27-Feb. 5, McCall, Idaho. This annual celebration includes snow sculptures, a Mardi Gras theme parade, children’s activities, music and more. (www.visitidaho.org/800-260-5130)