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Northwest travel Magazine March/April 2007
Articles In This Issue :

Northwest Travel Cover March/April 2007Gal-livanting Victoria - Expect the royal treatment when visiting B.C.’s enchanting capital.

Nature Takes Center Stage - Flocks of migratory birds and other creatures put on a show at western Washington’s Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

Raptor Rapture - Known as fierce predators, bald eagles can be nuturing parents too.

Goin’ With the Flow - Whether you’re craving a wet and wild adventure or a relaxing family float, a rafting trip is sure to renew your spirit.

Idaho Falls - This city of 52,000 has new development, an amazing zoo, and a thriving arts scene.

Departments:

Editors notes

Editors Notes - By Rosemary Camozzi, Editor

Destination Outdoors

Destination Outdoors - Glacier Bay by “See” Kayak - An out of the ordinary five-day sea kayaking trip to Glacier Bay National Park’s McBride Glacier.

Worth A Stop

British Columbia's Veronica's Garden - Veronica Milner was a gifted artist and horticulturist, but it was unlikely that even she could foresee the day that her extraordinary garden, built on an evergreen-covered bluff near Qualicum Beach on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, would one day be fit for a Queen.

Plugfest - Red or yellow fire hydrants can be found just about everywhere, except in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon.

Going Once, Going Twice—Sold! At Montana’s Creston Auction.

Cashmere Washington's, Pioneer Village - A walk through the Chelan County Museum and Pioneer Village at Cashmere, Washington, is like stepping back in history to the late 1800s, especially when strolling through the log cabin village.

Worth A Stop - Champoeg State Heritage Area - Champoeg’s spirit lives on as a State Heritage Area, with a calendar filled with events and activities that keep visitors busy.

The Best of Coeur d’Alene’s Bike Trails - Miles and miles of popular bicycle trails snake around Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. While they all provide a smooth ride, many long parcels parallel Interstate 90, where cyclists spin to traffic’s roaring drone. To break away from the noise corridor, start peddling in Cataldo and aim for the Chatcolet Bridge on a bucolic 35 mile segment of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

Tasteful Travel

Tasteful Travel - A Taste of the Pearl - A culinary walking tour in Portland’s flourishing Pearl District delights the palate of locals and visitors alike.

Watchable Wildlife

Watchable Wildlife- Black Oystercatcher - A striking black bird with red bill and pink feet, the black oystercatcher is a contrast in color. It is a unique bird in many ways.

EDITORS NOTES

LAST NOVEMBER , a huge storm came through Mt. Rainier National Park, dropping 18 inches of rain in 36 hours. The park’s rivers quickly exceeded flood stage, overflowing their banks and rushing through the area like giant super-powered scouring pads. The worst flood in the park’s 108-year history destroyed roads, campgrounds, and trails throughout the park.

Sunshine Point

The Nisqually Road washed out for 200 yards, and most of the Sunshine Point Campground is now riverbed. Steven’s Canyon Road and Highway 123 are impassable due to multiple washouts. The full extent of the damage on the snow-covered east side of the park remains to be seen. Park rangers on a backcountry trip discovered months later that hurricane-force winds during the storm had blown two walls and the roof off the fire lookout at Gobbler’s Knob, and also lifted the roof right off of the Mount Fremont Fire Lookout.

The park has been closed to vehicle access since the storm, but Kevin Bacher, a park ranger and public information officer, says he expects the Nisqually entrance to be open by April. Work in the Carbon River area, in the northwest section of the park, will take place only before March 15 and after October 1 so as not to disturb the endangered northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet during their nesting season. Park officials hope to be able to reopen Highway 123 sometime in October.

Northwest Travel Cover May/June 2007

But you can still visit the park. The east side is open for skiers and snowmobilers, while the Nisqually entrance is open to walkers on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Lots of people are here enjoying themselves,” Bacher says. “There’s a lot to explore.”

And if you would like to have a hand (literally) in putting things back together, here’s how you can help. The park has partnered with the Student Conservation Association (which also sent volunteers to Yellowstone after the devastating forest fires of 1988) to set up crews for rebuilding trails and campgrounds. Despite the organization’s name, crews are made up of all ages. Get information and sign up for the volunteer e-mail list on the SCA Web site: www.thesca.org. To see pictures of the devastation and read updates on the reconstruction process, visit the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/mora.

In the meantime, sit down with Northwest Travel and think about taking a nice long rafting trip this summer. Writer/ photographer Scott Staats has put together an extensive roundup of rivers and rafting that is sure to get you craving a wild ride or a lazy day on one of the Northwest’s amazing rivers. And if you’re a basketball fan, we offer a guide to March Madness in the Northwest, with plenty of alternatives for those in your family who may be somewhat less obsessed with the sport. Enjoy!

—Rosemary Camozzi
   

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