‘Staycation’ offers whale of a time
I don’t get it. The only way this qualifies as a “staycation” – at least as I understand it – is this:
The San Juan Islands are right across the street from your house. You keep orca whales in your swimming pool. You get around town in a clipper ship.
Since we neither live in Puget Sound nor in the midst of a whale pod, this seems like a stretch. But the bandwagon jumpers at Clipper Vacations would have you believe otherwise.
They bid you enjoy a San Juan Whale Watching day-trip or overnight “Staycation.” Say they, “Nothing is more Northwest than Orca Whales in the San Juan Islands.”
Ummm, what about outdoor recreational posturing? Or Seattle envy disguised as traffic contempt?
Your low-impact stationary clipper holiday begins at Seattle’s Pier 69, where you’ll board the Victoria Clipper III and tuck into breakfast as you wend your scenic way through Deception Pass and on to Friday Harbor.
Organizers promise whales and fun.
All I can say is good luck. Regular readers are well acquainted with my vain attempts to see a whale and my resulting antipathy for the gentle giants of the sea.
You suit yourself.
Your two-and-a-half-hour Whale and Sealife Search comes with schooling from the on-board naturalist about the wildlife you see along the way. A separate unit covers the lives, loves and habits of the Orca.
A visit to their natural habitat, outdoor viewing areas and binoculars for rent would seem to improve your odds of success, but there’s food and drink aboard to console you in defeat.
That’s certainly gotten me through. Therapy helps, too.
The trip also includes another two and a half hours in Friday Harbor, home of a whale museum. If you choose the overnight package, they’ll throw in American Camp, the Lavender Farm, the museum and maybe even a kayaking excursion.
It’s like you never left home at all.
Staying put runs $65 per adult for day trips booked online. Each grown-up gets one kid under 12 for free and maybe one carry-on bag. (No peanuts for you!)
Overnight inertia comes to $199 per person, based on double occupancy.
The tour operators say you’ll find “various ‘staycations’ ” on their Web site, www.clippervacations.com. You can book a reservation there as well, or call them up at (800) 888-2535.
Falls guy
Martin’s Hike and Bike guided tour service is breaking out with waterfall tours in the Columbia River Gorge.
The eponymous Martin Hecht calls them “eco-friendly family, individual or group tours.” He packs history, ecology, folklore and biology into the outings.
For a mere $30 he’ll take you on about a three-hour tour to one of a number of waterfalls in the Gorge. The price tag includes transportation, water, snacks, trailhead fees and more so you can “focus on the flora, fauna and majestic beauty.”
This has got to be the deal of the century.
Tours run Mondays through Saturdays, with a different route each day. Participants can be picked up at various locations in the Gorge.
The two-mile hike to Latourell Falls ranks as “moderate,” while the two miles to Punchbowl Falls earns the “challenging-cliff” designation. When you get there, you’ll see 25-foot spills into a blue-green pool set in a large grotto.
Four other hikes qualify as “easy:” Wahclella, Horsetail and Ponytail, Elowah and Bridal Veil Falls.
Hecht’s Web site calls Wahclella “one of the more spectacular waterfalls in the gorge – a 120-foot, two-tiered plunge, with the final 60-foot section dropping into an enormous splash pool.”
Elowah drops 289 feet over basalt, and the adorably named Horsetail and Ponytail lets you walk behind the waterfall and “taste the mist.”
The overlook trail to Bridal Veil offers what the site describes as “some of the most amazing vantage points in the west end of the Gorge.”
Hecht’s bike tours are on the drawing board for the fall; spring wildflower and wine tours join the waterfall excursions to round out the current menu.
Get on the schedule at www.martinshikeandbike.com or (877) 290-8687.
Regional events
•Sweet Pea Festival, Aug. 1-3, Bozeman. Could this sound cuter? The festival of the arts features a costume ball, entertainment in Lindley Park including music, dance, theater and children’s activities, and more. ( www.visitmt.com/ 406-586-4003)
•Washington Renaissance Faire, August 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17. They’re offering great war horses, clashing steel, the tranquility of a 16th century village, and armored knights jousting for king, queen or the hand of a fair maiden. ( www.visitkitsap.com/ 800-359-5948)