Facility features rattlesnake hotel

Rattlesnakes as entertainment may seem like an odd way to go. But on the other hand, nobody much is doing it, so maybe there’s a niche there that needs filling.

And the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center in Osoyoos, B.C., has bravely stepped into the gap.

The new, $9 million facility, owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band, opened last month – exposing the rattlesnake research program to people who want nothing more than to watch researchers capture snakes, measure them and assign each its own tiny microchip. Wahoo!

If that’s not enough deadly fun, take a voyeuristic look into the rattlesnake hotel, courtesy of live camera feeds. Or have a peek at the nesting bats. (I’m not here to judge how you like to spend your time.)

Besides icky creatures, the center’s “Lands, Legends and the People” theme includes an exploration of thousands of years of the Okanagan First Nations’ life in the desert.

The Pithouse Theatre’s multimedia presentation re-creates a traditional winter home experience, and the Chaptik Legend Theatre shows the film “Coyote Spirit,” the story of a modern girl who goes back to the reservation to learn what it means to be Okanagan.

There’s also a traditional village, storytelling, interactive exhibits, a chance for younger adventurers to dig up artifacts, and guided and self-guided hikes through the 50-acre Great Basin Desert.

Wheelchair accessible paths include interpretive signs, benches and views of Osoyoos Lake and the surrounding cliffs.

Learn more at www.nkmipdesert.com or (888) 495-8555.

Grizzly fate?

This newspaper’s fine movie critic, Dan Webster, recently encouraged me to see “Grizzly Man,” the Werner Herzog documentary about a lunatic who eventually becomes breakfast for all his cuddly bear buddies.

Um, no thanks.

But why don’t you go on a grizzly bear tour, Dan? I can set you right up.

Silvertip EcoTours, an outfitter founded in 1990, has the distinction of being the first grizzly bear viewing operator in British Columbia. They’re standing by to take you into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest along Canada’s Pacific coast.

In addition to grizzlies, you may see black bears, moose, deer, eagles, wolves, maybe even the mysterious Kermode bear. And if any of that makes you nervous, the company’s Web site is quick to assure you: “There are no platforms from which you view wildlife.”

I know I feel better.

Late summer qualifies as prime bear-viewing time, as they busy themselves stuffing their bear faces with salmon and berries in preparation for the long, sleepy winter.

You can expose yourself to this peril for a single day or several, as you prefer. Silvertip will take you out by float plane, jet boat or motor vehicle, and they’ll provide the human food, drink, safety equipment and sleeping bags. Your accommodations range from rustic cabins to a lakeside lodge.

The late summer tours are available from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, and the prices range from $249 per person for a group of four for the day to $699 per person per day in the lodge.

Visit www.grizzlytours.ca or call (250) 635-9326 for more details. Silvertip also offers photo safaris, visits to the Kitlope Heritage Conservancy Park and hot springs tours, among other adventures.

Festive atmospheres

For a more refined excursion – and one that doesn’t include the opportunity to be eaten – consider the arts.

The Sweet Pea Festival boasts an adorable name, a costume ball, music, dance, theater, “Chalk on the Walk,” a children’s run, an art show and more, all within the relatively civilized confines of downtown Bozeman.

They’ve been at it since 1978, and despite attendance that topped 19,000 last year alone, not one person has been consumed in the festival’s entire history.

The Sweet Pea Festival runs from Aug. 4 to 6. Get your questions answered at www.sweetpeafestival.org or (406) 586-4003.

Over in Anacortes, Wash., they’re no Johnny-come-latelys to honoring the arts during the first weekend in August.

The 45th annual Anacortes Arts Festival showcases art in all its forms, with textiles, ceramics, jazz, beer, demonstrations, 250 juried street artisans, a youth “discovery area” and, my favorite, the culinary arts. Two stages’ worth of entertainment carries the excitement well into the evening.

Learn all about it at www.anacortesartsfestival.com or (360) 293-6211.

Regional events

•Summer Wine Gala, July 29, Wenatchee. The Ohme Gardens hosts this showcase of Wenatchee Valley wines and restaurants. (www.columbiacascadewines.com/ 509-662-5785)

•Indian Arts Showcase, Aug. 5 and 6, Sidney, Mont. This event features Native American arts and crafts demonstrations, speakers, and drum and dance groups from the Fort Beck Indian Reservation and North Dakota’s Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. (www.visitmt.com/406-433-1916)

•A Taste of Edmonds, Aug. 11-13, Edmonds, Wash. Sample everything from the good old burger to Indian tandoori while you enjoy live music. (www.edmondswa.com/events/taste/index.html or 425-670-9112)