Take a Walk
Location: Mercer Island.
Length: Several miles; gravel trails rim the three park sections, with dirt interior trails. A new, fine-gravel accessible trail encircles the northwest section.
Level of difficulty: Flat to moderately steep.
By Cathy McDonald | October 24, 2002
Some 40 years after its lifts first started hauling skiers up the hill, Crystal Mountain ski area has cracked a national skiing magazine's list of best resorts in North America.
Crystal was ranked 25th in Skiing magazine's November "Top 25 Spots" issue. Although Crystal and Stevens Pass have been ranked in the past in skiing magazines' regional lists, such as "Best of the West," this latest accolade might be the first time any Washington area has made a national or continental list.
By Greg Johnston | October 24, 2002
Look at all the skis and snowboards on the market today and it'll get your head spinning almost like a heel-side fall on hard-packed steeps. There are a lot of planks out there these days and, the experts say, a lot of good planks.
"The industry as a whole is putting out an astoundingly good top-to-bottom lineup, from beginner to expert skis," says Paul Hochman, head tester for Ski magazine. "There's really nothing like it in ski engineering history. The quality level to me is just mind-boggling."
By Greg Johnston | October 24, 2002
PORTLAND This town loves its newest riverfront trail, that's obvious: At 1:30 on a sunny Tuesday afternoon I'm not exactly risking my life, but I could well get knocked silly as I amble in the path of zooming skaters, kiddie-trailer-pulling bicyclists and purposeful power-walkers who pack the wide concrete of the Eastbank Esplanade.
It's a weekday, for goodness sakes, yet I've got to keep my wits about me when I stop to photograph a tour boat carving a creamy wake on the green Willamette River, close enough to dip my toes in.
By Brian J. Cantwell | October 24, 2002
PORTLAND -- When you aren't knocking around the riverfront, getting to Portland can be half the fun -- if you leave your car at home.
Amtrak is a popular no-driving way to get there from Puget Sound. But to add zip to your trip, fly. A year-old light-rail line to Portland International Airport makes getting into the city a cinch.
Do what I did: Pack a carry-on bag and hop a shuttle flight from Sea-Tac. If you're flexible and willing to watch fares, you can often nab a round-trip for under $100.
By Brian J. Cantwell | October 24, 2002
John Jenkins spent his career working in high-tech industries, but when it came time to think about what to do next, the 49-year-old retired Microsoft executive turned back the clock to a time when electricity was produced with friction machines and when radios required as much knowledge to operate as early computers.
The result is the American Museum of Radio, a Bellingham storefront that resembles a cross between a genius scientist's lab and your grandmother's basement.
By Carol Pucci | October 24, 2002
SPOKANE -- Tall, outspoken Georgia native and Spokane entrepreneur Walt Worthy said he saw an opportunity and took it. Despite having no hotel experience, he has spent more than $30 million over the past two years to renovate the historic Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane.
"The hotel was just lying around here waiting to be turned into something special," Worthy said in his finest Southern drawl, which lingers though he has lived in the Spokane area for 34 years.
By Jeff Larsen | October 24, 2002
