Plenty to do in ‘06, so let’s get busy

We’re well on our way now. And my resolution for the still-fresh-and-new 2006 is not to bore you with best-of lists or prescriptions for how you should better yourself in the year ahead.

After all, you seem fine the way you are.

But I’ve stayed the course for seven long days, and I can’t stand it anymore.

So let me say this: There are wonderful places to visit around these parts – Glacier National Park, the Methow Valley and the Olympic Peninsula are a few of my favorites – and you might think about having a look for yourself.

Not-so-early birds

Has this happened to you?

You’re lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. And you think to yourself, “What I’d really like to do is throw back the covers, grab the binoculars and see what the birds are up to.”

Ah, but you can’t. Unlike you, they are dozing peacefully. Not to mention, it’s dark out.

Except … in Alaska.

Insomniac bird lovers, your time has come.

The tour and excursion company Xtremely Alaska presents “Evening Bird Watching Adventures,” a visit to three key birding spots near Anchorage, where the day lasts well into the night.

This discombobulates our flying friends, and you’re likely to find flocks of them still awake for “The O.C.” or “Nanny 911.”

Here’s just a sampling of what you might see in the south-coastal area, one of Alaska’s six biogeographic regions: red-throated loons, tundra swans, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, black-bellied plover, pectoral sandpipers, tufted puffins, boreal owls, olive-sided flycatchers, violet-green swallows, American dippers, red-winged blackbirds, song sparrows and snow buntings.

Or if you’re a hard-core birder fixated on one particular species you need to check off your life list, an Xtremely Alaska guide will focus your outing on that target.

The $95 per person fee for “Evening Bird Watching Adventures” covers transportation to and from the hike sites (once you get yourself to Anchorage), bottled water and a light snack for up to five people. Group rates for a six-to-12-person contingent are also available.

The 2006 season runs from May 1 to mid-July.

Those of you who aren’t into the whole bird-watching thing can still get out into the day-night with “The Midnight Sun,” an evening hike in search of wildlife and spectacular views for $86 per person. The easy, approximately 4-mile walk takes two and a half or three hours, and it starts June 5.

Another of Xtremely Alaska’s offbeat offerings, “The Alaskan Brush,” can be scheduled any time from June 6 to Sept. 15.

The hiking and watercolor painting adventure takes you on a short hike paired with art instruction from Linda Infante Lyons, whose work, according to the Anchorage Daily News, suggests “mysterious narrative tensions by combining clean-edged and soft images in a dance of improbable landscapes, vegetation and wildlife.”

I’m not sure what that means. But it sounds good.

Your finished painting, the supplies that helped create it, transportation within the Anchorage area, bottled water and lunch are yours for $139.

Xtremely Alaska also offers the expected Alaska menu of mountain biking, kayaking, rafting, fishing, ice climbing and dog sledding. But they like to let you pick through the buffet yourself.

“We’re not about putting 25 people on the bus,” says Rebecca McKee, the company’s owner. “Every one of our trips is completely customizable. You tell us the number of days, when you want to start, and what you want to do. We really have focused on making the vacation the guest’s vacation.”

Learn more at www.xtremelyalaska.com. Or call (877) 914-2735.

Super-saving time

The Emerald City’s in the bargain basement again.

Seattle Super Saver Value Season goes on until March 31, guaranteeing you “the best available rates over those of third-party booking agents, plus a unique package of benefits and services not offered by others.”

At least that’s what their news release says. And who uses third-party booking agents to go to Seattle anyway? It’s right over there. You can practically see it from here.

Nevertheless, once you check into your Super Saver hotel room, you’ll get a free value guide with offers and more than 70 discounts from retailers, restaurants, performing arts organizations and others.

To wit: Niketown will provide unto you a Nike gift. With the purchase of a hamburger with fries and a drink, Johnny Rockets will knock 20 percent off your bill. The Museum of Flight will throw one free admission in with a paid admission. Pay with your American Express card, and The Seattle Symphony will take 15 percent off single tickets.

And Macy’s will give you an 11 percent discount on any single purchase.

Eleven percent? Who comes up with this stuff?

There’s oodles more in the same vein. Book your room at www.seattlesupersaver.com or (800) 535-7071 to get in on the action.

Regional events

•Eleventh Annual Wilderness Classic Sled Dog Derby and Winter in the Wilderness, Jan. 20-22, Elkford, B.C. See who rides away with the $12,000 purse, check out the snowshoe biathlon, visit the art gallery and art auction, dance, and enjoy the tea boiling and bannock making. (www.tourismelkford.ca; 877-355-9453)

•Micro Brew Review and Cool Dog Ball, Jan. 27, Helena. Montana’s Race to the Sky, a 350-mile sled dog race in early February, kicks off with 30 beers that are yours for the tasting. (www.visitmt.com; 406-447-1535)

•Montana Senior Olympic Winter Games/Nordic Event, Jan. 28, Bozeman. Apparently, “senior” means 45 and older. So if you qualify, sign on up for 5K, 10K classic and freestyle events. (www.visitmt.com; 406-586-5543)