14 - Sunday, August 78, 1991- North Shore News

TRAVEL

Learning to survive long car trips

A GIRLFRIEND phoned me from Los Angeles yesterday.
Among other things, we discussed the dates of our next

visit to California and the topic of long car trips came up.

| declared
Cecilia.

“I’ve practically got to pack a
milkshake cup — Larry won’t
stop for anything.”

'd sooner stay home, if that
was the way we had to go. Mind
you, Brian has learned patience
over the years.

There was a day when I gave
the kids plenty of salty crackers
and hoped for the best. Now, we
stop a lot and, fortunately, not at
“key stops.’’ We potter around in
small towns and take detours to
see roadside cairns.

Our last trip was a real pleasure
— we left home about noon,
stopped for a picnic at the
wayside rest stop in Hope and
were in Vernon by six.

The Coquihalla, including the
‘connector’? is an easy drive.
Mind you, no one warned us that
the interchange between the two is
a short two-lane section and 1
looked a: the seni in front of us
with sinking heart. Before Brian
got antsy to pass we were back to
four lanes.

Back to the picnic — it’s the
only way ‘to go when’ you’re on
the road at the time of day we
chose. We had my best effort in
lunch — fresh salmon sandwiches
on dill bread with devilled eggs
and spicy pickles. The rest stop is
pleasant. It has clean washrooms
and picnic tables.

1 looked for an alternative
lunch stop and saw next to
nothing.

Maybe it’s the $10 toll charge
or perhaps the grade but the tra’
fic on a Saturday afternoon was
less than light. We saw very few
big vehicles and no traffic clogged
Brian’s favorite lane. I studiously
avoided looking at the speed.

After a fine (hot!) few days in
the interior, we headed home via
Osoyoos, Omak and Winthrop
over the North Cascades. Ex-
cellent choices except for a few
misjudgments. Both follow:

* Okanagan Falls: Spent an
hour wandering through a town
flea market and dropped into a
tiny antique shop. Got a bargain
six, unchipped, matching
Bavarian china soup bowls for

59.

eA bit further along, stopped
for lunch on the southern out-
skirts of Okanagan Falls, ‘Ye
Olde Neighborhood Inn Pub."
Overlook the grotty name — the
food was good, if plain, nicely
served and reasonably priced. The
salad was very fresh and Brian's
soup A-!.

© We made a stupid mistake but
one born of inexperience. We
stayed in Omak, WA overnight.
Asking around, we were guided to
“the best in town’’ and, if that's
so — don’t even stop for gas! The
prices were middle-of-the-road,
the hotel dreary, the food awful
and the service worse.

¢ Instead, another 30-odd mile
drive will take you to Winthrop.
Everyone { know secms to have
been there but, if (like us) you
haven't, here are two acceptable

hate them!’’

BALL
40 Days”: Can. $1, 599,
: Tneludes
Round. Trip Alr Fare
. First Class Hotels.
Sightseeing

.. Transfers, Hotel. Tax = :
"and Service Charges”

DSCOVER YOUR WORLD TRAVEL
980-4526
Departures Wed, Fri, and Sundays

Barbara
NicCreadie

TRAVELWISE

places to stay.

Reserve! That is, if you don’t
want to sleep in your car:

Trail’s End Motel (509) 996-
2302. Queen beds etc. Spacious
units. $48 plus tax (down) and $53
plus tax (up). Upstairs units are
bigger and newer.

Duck Brand Restaurant
Hotel (509) 996-2192.

® Winthrop is a tiny tourist trap
but has some nice shops and good
food. We had wonderful ribs for
lunch at the Riverside Rib Co.
They smoke them in the yard,
Starting mid-morning. By noon,
you can smell them all over town!
They import the pork from Kan-
sas and those must be some huge
hogs. Also recommended: ham-
burgers at the Duck Brand. They
have their own bakery and the
burger buns are outrageously
good.

¢ Winthrop is located in the
Methow Valley and is very popu-
lar with hikers, campers, fish-
ermen, hunters and X-country
skiers. Snowmobiling? They’ve
got hundreds of miles of groomed
trails. The countryside is rugged
but seems well monitored to keep
the idiots in line.

¢ For specific information on

and

any of the activities above, they
have a busy Chamber of Com-
merce: P.O. Box 39, Winthrop
WA 98862, (509) 996-2125.

* Unless you’re camping, don’t
count on spending the night be-
tween Winthrop and the coast. |
know there are small inns hidden
in the hills but the average un-
prepared traveller isn’t wise to
count on finding one. If you want
to spend the night en-route, be
prepared.

Call the USTTA at 669-1446
and they'll mail you a list of stops
to RESERVE. This is not the road
to be stranded on after dark.

* The drive between Winthrop
and the coast took us less than six
hours and we made many stops. |
wish | was a photographer, but
some of the best views are seen
just for an instant from the high-
way and you might not be able to
stop.

* To take the best advantage of
the area you ought to be a hiker.
The Pacific Crest Trail caught my
eye — it’s goi a big parking tot
just cast of Rainy Creek.

© We don’t camp, but if we did,
I'd check out the Colonial Creek
facility which is about 67 miles
east of Sedro Wooley, on or
about Diablo Lake. Lovely site.

® From my notes: Slow vehicle
turnouts plentiful after Lake
Diablo. It is iNegal for a vehicle to
hold up more than five cars so
they pull over smartly.

¢ Also from my notes: We ob-
viously did the circle from Van-
couver in reverse. The popular
route appears to be going im-
mediately south and leaving !-5 at
Sedro Wooley. There, you take
highway 20 and head for Win-
throp, Omak and north to
Osoyoos. It makes sense if you
want to bring home produce from
the Okanagan. The traffic going
our way was much lighter.

eee

On this trip we also spent a day
in La Conner, WA. For those un-
familiar with this little town, coast
side of Mount Vernon, it’s a love-
ly spot to spend a day.

My weakness is antique shops
and La Conner has lots of quality
places. I found a piece of the

SCRUISE
Eee MAOLIDAYS. ln

THE INCREDIBLY LUXURIOUS
CRYSTAL HARMONY

New York - Burmuda - St. Thomas - San Juan. Free aircare
and ail transfers. Book now and receive complimentary
ovemight in “The Big Apple”. One sailing date only

Starting at $1,599 us.

Outside Deluxe Stoteroom

Port tax not included

926-7245 NO GST

Trip includes:

2 meals per day

f © All transfrs

y:. |

ASHMORE
TRAVEL

Little Tobayo

Tony Thomlinson 921-7074
or Ashmore Travel 926-5566

COME DIVE TOBAGO

With Tony Thomlinson November 29 - December 7, 1991

© Round crip airtare Vancouver-TobagoVaneouver
© Overnight ac Blue Waters Inn Tobago

© All taxes and gratuities

©10 Escorted boatAlrift dives

© Tour leader and divemuaster services

© All equipmens and diveboae services

* Nature and bird sanctuary tours to Goat Istond and

Dive some of the most beautifid taispoded areas of the world off Northem Tohigo
This litle Island jst off the cout of South A

eval clear water co creatures great and: small!

Space w bited, 0 call new for more mformatn.

mericu has it all, from 35 donee

© Diver Rate $1867.00 Cdn.
© Nonediver Rate $1537.00 Cdn.
* (Based on double occupancy)

china I’ve been pursuing for
years. Wrong! Brian found it and
bought it for me — the magic
thing to do for a wife.

We had lunch at the Lighthouse
Inn, seated on the deck. Try the
seafood pasta — $7.95.

When we return to La Conner
we intend to book the one and
only room at the Lighthouse !nn
just because. No other reason ex-
cept J like being the only guests.
Is it nice? Damned if I know, but
you must reserve ~—- (206) 466-
3147.

If you get there before | do,

"NORTH SHORE
VENTURE TRAVEL
& CRUISES

CRUISES! |

CUNARD CRUISES
7 DAY XMAS
CARIBBEAN CRUISE

DEC. 21 to 28/91

from usp $1410

NORWEGIAN
CRUISE LINE
FALL 1991
7 DAY

CARIBBEAN CAUISES
from Cdn. 3

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
9 DAY XMAS
CARIBBEAN CRUISE
DEC. 18 to 27/91

trom Cdn.

PRINCESS CRUISES
14 DAYS
SOUTH PACIFIC CRUISE
DEC. 04 to 18/91

110 East 14th St.B
a (at Lonsdale)

oY

ee.

The Bay
* Woolco
* Sears

» friday

> sunday

Save On Foods

Safeway

lf you miss any of these

Distribution 986-1337

febvered to seletted ateas any

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>» wednesday

* Real Estate Weekly
Watch for our Real Estate Section

Shoppers Drug Mart

* Canadian Superstore

flyers call North Shore News

give me a rating!

Instead, we doubled back and
stayed overnight in (are you ready
for this?) Bellingham!

Shopped for some oddments of
groceries next morning and were
home in time to give the cats their
lunch.

BALI . 10 nights, Hong
Kong 3 nites, from $1818.
Tuesday departures.

—CRUISES—

MEDITERRANEAN
This year low prices. Sep. 21
Crown Odyssey / 12 days
Venice - Lisbon.

PANAMA .- Nov. 29.
Corwn Odyssey. 16 days
from $2766 inc. air.

MEXICAN RIVIERA -
Dec. 14. Crown Odyssey, 9
days Los Angeles. Return
from $1525 CDN. including
Air, Roseway Benefits and
Credit.

SINGAPORE-SYDNEY
- Feb 20, new Royal
Odyssey. 16 days from
$3266 CDN. + $1695 air,
stopovers available. Join
Tom & Irene and friends.

ATLANTIC/EXPO '92
Ft. Lauderdale, Spain, Rome.
Apr. 27, Roya! Viking Sun.
17 days, from $5715 inc. air,
less special Roseway credits.

Don’t miss “‘Our’’ Boats

926-4344
106-100 Park Royal South

(ground floor office tower}

* Sports Experts
Future Shop

* Super Valu
* Zellers
"YMCA.

* Pharmasave

SUNDAY + WEONESOAY - OmIDAY