TRAVEL Sunday, Septernber 1, 1991 - North Shore News - 43 Notes and news from the travel files FIRST, A note from a reader: ‘You missed the boat on Omak, WA. You should have carried on to the neighboring town of Okanagan, WA. “Try the U&l Motel. For about $35 US you get an art deco cot- tage, quiet, comfortable, two queen beds, kitchen and a back yard on the river. “For dinner, try the converted movie theatre (easy to find, ask directions). Good Mexican food and beer for two about $20."" Clearly, we missed the buat! The room we had was carly motel, cost $50 and the meal was tuke- warm, scrawny prime rib and ser- vice so slow we nearly went to sleep. The phone number for the U&I Motel is (206) 422-2920. evs Another reader faxed me a note tegarding a non-commercial Cruise Ciub that he is organizing. Ed White is hoping to do some block-booking for fare reductions and to get interested travellers together to compare notes. Wf this interests you, call him az 929-6187. eee This next is a bit peculiar for travellers but perhaps of interest to those of you who are still Brit- ish citizens. It comes from an organization called Conservatives Abroad and anno’.ices that British citizens may pply to vote in the general electi 1s during the first 20 years of th ¢ absence from iat coun- try. Forns are available at B:itish Embassies and Consulates. The letter is obviously aimed at giving John Major a political edge but it works both ways! To qualify, you must be a Brit- ish passport holder absent for less than 20 years. Forms must be completed by Oct. 10. Po made a clean sweep of my files a while back and created quite a stir ac the dump, Unfortu- nately, | tossed a few that should have been saved. A reader called wanting info on the Sept. 28 overnighter mini- cruise on the Noordam, Meanwhile, a brochure arrived in my mailbox! The postal service seems to do me the odd favor. The basic prices are the same ($199 — four sharing cabin to $299 deluxe for two) but there are some differences. Block booking (from 10 to 19) people booking as a group will pay the lower fare but be upgrad- ed to double accommodation. Also, if you can organize a group of 20+, you'll get a free cabin for two. That can be tricky! However, if there are groups interested it might be fun to organize the group and hold an impromptu taffle in which the participants have a chance to get the freebie. Or, the free cabin could be sold as is but the dollars donated to the charity of the group’s choice. Doug and the Slugs is one of the groups in conceit. Naturally, the big Las Vegas style show is part of the deal plus all sorts of other entertainers and food ‘til the gangways need bracing. Call Dave at 925-2222 or Pio- neer Travel at 682-1506. ese Another reader called to point out an error in the Aug. 18 col- umn: the phone number for the Trail’s End Motel is (509) 996- 2303. The same reader also warned me that it is unwise to book into any downtown Winthrop, WA, accommodation on either Friday or Saturday night. There is a loud band that plays until the early hours of the morn- ing. They didn’t sleep and she was miffed. Madder than hell, as a matter of fact. eee Alliance Francaise holding open house ALLIANCE FRANCAISE is holding two open houses in early September for people to learn more about its services. The goal of the worldwide organization is to promote French language and culture, according to Alliance Francaise director Bruno Nigita. The open houses will be held 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 5 and 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 7, at 202-1457 Marine Drive in West Vancouver. The public will have an oppor- tunity to meet instructors, who are all French native speakers, and have their French speaking abili- ties assessed. - Starting Sept. 16, eight-week sessions of classes are available for children 10 years and older and adults. While grammar and vocabulary jo. =| Sightseeing Transfers, Hotel Tax. “and Service Charges °-: SCOR YOUR WORLD TRAVEL, 980-4526 — { are taught, classes focus primarily on conversation. ‘““We always put emphasis on the oral expression because that’s what many people are asking for,” said Nigita. For more information, call Al- liance Francaise’s main office on Cambie Street at 327-0201. We Know Cruises Best! best. CARIBBEAN CRUISES INSIDE 1095 us OUTSIDE 1395 us 7 Days Septernber ’91 or April ‘92 Call for details 1823 Capilano Rd., Nan. 985-7447 (Ship) cruise centers ae ffyyn Chri hecitin Specaikte Barbara McCreadie TRAVEL WISE A friend went river-rafting last weckend and enjoyed it so much that he brought me brochures and rave reviews of Ryan's Rapid Raf- ting which he tried on our last hot August weekend. “[ know there are other com- panies rafting the Thompson River (counted four when he was afloat) and they probably do just as good a job. ‘But, I had such a great time that I'd like to give Ryan’s a plug.” He, with a friend, drove up to Ryan’s campsite west of Spences Bridge on Saturday afternoon, They camped for free and did the river thing the following morning. After a few wonderful hours on the iver (he went for one unscheduled dunking) they stop- ped for a pleasant funch and con- tinued to the pick-up point at Lyt- ton. Buses returned them to their cars and they drove back to North Van, tired but delighted. Ryan’s moves around, taking advantage of the best rafting. In May and June, they do the Nicola. July finds them on the Nahatlatch and the rest of the summer they do the Thompson. The cost for a day trip suck as my friend took is $85 per person (remember, the overnight camping was free). They have got group rates and full weekenders available. Call 875-9745. eee If you golf and want to try one of the most talked about courses in the interior, have you heard about Predator Ridge? It’s near Vernon and almost completed. You can play it now but it will be even better next year. We went for a ride around the perimeters and Brian was suitably impressed. He wasn’t about to fork out the multi-thousands for a membership, but we ordinary TRAVELLIN’ LIGHT: A backpacker takes a break under a tree with a paperback. This is your chance to meet with our friends from the Cook Islands. THUBS., SEPT. 12th 7-9 pm PARK ROYAL HOTEL 8 te Everyone's talking about them, Everyone wants to go. Come and discover why! folks can play, at least undl they sell out the remaining member- ships. What made Brian chuckle is that the course has 37 (right, thir- ty-seven) holes. The last is the gamblers’ hole, Ge breaker or whatever. What do I know about golf courses? Ranks right up there with my knowledge of rocket science. Call for a possible tee-off time: 1-542-3436, ese If you're a major-league baseball fan, this next bit will make you sick. Through friends we are visiting in California next month, we have a private box and all the etc.'s that go along with secing a Dodgers game. I don't want to go! My joy in sport ceases when the kids outgrow Little League. Certain friends have explained that lock- ing me up is too good for me — how could anyone not get excited about the best seats in the house? Incidentally, we are ‘‘this’’ close to buying our RV, a van. Thought I'd never find a vehicle that I'd love. Did. We'll take it to California. if anyone has a ‘‘don’t miss” en-route or on a route through Utah returning, tell me before we leave. NORTH SHORE VENTURE TRAVEL & CRUISES “PORTUGAL WINTER LONG STAYS IN THE ALGARVE B The Algarve is a region of sunshine, f almond blossoms, gold sand mm beaches and big game fishing. The Algarve is a year round resort § E destination. The average winter temperature is 17°C. 2 WEEKS from CON $1281 § 4 WEEKS from CON $1395§ 6 WEEKS from CON $1509 I 8 WEEKS from CON $1623] 40 WEEKS trom CON $1737 PER PERSON / DOUBLE Price is inclusive of return airfare @ trom Vancouver to Lisbon, 2 nights j m hotel accommodation in Lisbon (inc. breakfast), Lisbon City tour, return bus transfers from Lisbon to your hotel in the Algarve and a choice of f 7 hotels or condos in the Algarve trom 2 to 10 weeks, 110 East 4th St. = (at Lonsdale) North Vancouver