Pleasant surprises spice up a good year

As I wrap up my third year writing and photographing the Short Trips column, it's interesting to reflect on where I've been and where I'm headed in 2005.

The pleasant surprises during my travels seem to get better every year. My "wildlife" memories from 2004 are especially fond -- a tarantula-petting experience at the Victoria Bug Zoo, bobbing in a small boat surrounded by gray whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island, photographing bald eagles fighting over a fish carcass at Cape Disappointment State Park on the Washington coast.

Just last month I was surprised when the new Martin Scorcese film "The Aviator" -- about the remarkable life of Howard Hughes -- was released just two weeks after I wrote about Hughes' famous flying boat nicknamed the Spruce Goose and now moored at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore. I like to think the film producers figured the perfect time to release the film would be right after my column about Hughes and his flying boat. Regardless, the exhibit is well worth the trip to McMinnville, and surrounding Yamhill County is Oregon's most prolific wine-growing region, with close to 100 wineries sprinkled around.

Historic downtown McMinnville was another pleasant surprise. About as retro as a town can get, McMinnville is a great stop off the beaten path to the Oregon Coast, even if it's just for lunch or dinner. For an overnight, try McMenamins Hotel Oregon for a unique lodging experience reminiscent of what an early 20th-century hotel stay may have been like. A good time to visit might be in May, when the hotel hosts its annual UFO festival.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A black bear makes its way along the shore of Jane Bay near Eagle Nook Resort on the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C.

Astoria, Ore., too, has blossomed over the past few years into a full-fledged tourist destination with attractions such as the Columbia River Maritime Museum (one of the best on the West Coast), the historic Astoria Column, and a battery of new and remodeled hotels, as well as an eclectic mix of restaurants. The city also will be abuzz this summer with all of the Lewis and Clark events scheduled to honor the bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery's stay in the region.

My other "goose" experience last year came when I rode my son's mountain bike on portions of Victoria's Galloping Goose Trail. The remarkable route begins near Victoria's Inner Harbour and extends all the way north to Sooke on the island's west coast. The approximately 37-mile ride over a former railroad route offers some amazing urban, suburban, rural and marine vistas. Between rides, you can dash uptown to the Bug Zoo and look a giant cockroach in the face or let a green Malaysian jungle nymph about the size of your hand crawl up your arm -- under close supervision of course.

I found out that Cape Disappointment State Park near Ilwaco never disappoints. The view of the Pacific from the lantern room atop the North Head Lighthouse is, to me, the most spectacular vantage point along the southwest Washington coast. It's clear from there why that treacherous stretch of ocean near the mouth of the Columbia River is called the Graveyard of the Pacific. The lighthouse is now operated by the state and is open daily for tours.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

Miranda Heminger, 12, of Seattle gets a good look at the running gear on the historic engine No. 6 in Newhalem.

The 1,882-acre park, with easy access to sandy ocean beaches, a variety of hiking trails and more than 150 camping and RV sites, plus the new Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, is one of the busiest in the state.

My only not-so-pleasant surprise last year was when I turned on my laptop in a Portland hotel room last spring to polish up a story and a warning flashed on the monitor "no bootable device found." In lay terms that meant my laptop hard drive and everything on it was toast, including the story I was writing at the time. It took only a month to put all the pieces back together. Ah, technology.

I was in Portland to write about the emergence of the Pearl District, once a rundown warehouse area on the north side of town near the Willamette River that has been transformed over the past 10 years or so into what's now considered the trendiest part of the city, with pricey art galleries, international-style restaurants and high-end condos.

Earlier I had written about Yaletown, the former warehouse and garment district in Vancouver, B.C. Coincidentally that part of Vancouver's downtown was transformed into a hip, upscale, fast-paced neighborhood during the same time frame as the Pearl District. Yaletown even features a Mini Cooper dealership in one of the storefronts converted from an old warehouse.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

The giant Malaysian jungle nymph is displayed on the hand of Victoria Bug Zoo tour guide Melissa Pietrasik.

One of my most interesting discoveries was tiny Crawford State Park in Pend Oreille County, situated in the very northeast corner of the state, near the Canadian border. The park features a spectacular limestone cave that is open to the public, with guided tours. The accessible part of the cave stretches 494 feet from the entrance and features some striking mineral formations -- including one that looks like a silhouette of Richard Nixon.

Known as Gardner Cave, it's the second longest limestone cave in the state. Adventuresome visitors can follow a short trail through the woods from the cave entrance and actually cross the border into Canada without flashing a passport.

Another special find was the affordable BC Ferries route between Port Hardy on the north tip of Vancouver Island, up the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert on the B.C. mainland just south of southeast Alaska. The 15-hour trip is punctuated with some of the most striking scenery on the planet.

After an overnight in Prince Rupert, I drove and camped along the 340-mile Cassiar Highway to Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory, where the highway intersects with the famous Alaska Highway. I returned to Seattle via the Alaska Highway and ended up driving through a freakish, late-August snowstorm in Stone Mountain Provincial Park in northern British Columbia.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A man directs his friends back to the parking lot after exploring Rialto Beach near La Push on the Washington coast last summer.

Looking ahead

Next week I've planned a trip to Tofino/Long Beach area on the west coast of Vancouver Island in search of the perfect winter storm to write about and photograph for our special winter-in-Canada issue Jan. 20. Then I'll visit the new Personal Courage Wing at the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, which opened last summer.

I also plan to visit the Point Defiance Zoo and aquarium in Tacoma, which is undergoing a $35 million renovation that should be completed by May. The zoo just opened a new entryway facility that includes a remodeled and expanded cafe, gift shop and education center.

Farther down the road (literally), I plan to visit several small towns in the Palouse, a region of the state I accidentally ignored last year. I've also promised myself this year to hit as many as possible of the 100 or so wineries in Oregon's Yamhill County, drive the southern Oregon Coast, find out how many former American hippies who dodged the Vietnam draft in the '60s still live and work in Nelson, B.C., and figure out if Pendleton, Ore., is as big a cowboy town as it sounds.

I also hope to explore more of the Okanogan and Colville National Forest regions of the north-central part of our state -- if I can get there before the fire danger reaches critical mass this summer. The mild winter so far isn't helping matters.

JEFF LARSEN / P-I

A mature bald eagle tries to flee with the carcas of a salmon as an immature bald eagle takes exception on a beach near the north jetty at Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco.

The name escapes me right now, but late last year I discovered a dude ranch in a remote part of Central Washington that is -- from what I've heard -- anything but a throwback to the rugged early ranching days in that part of the state. Admittedly, I am horse stupid. When I've tried to ride horses in the past, they immediately sense how little I understand about their behavior. So who knows where I'll end up?

Where else I'll end up this year is anybody's guess. Where I travel depends on the weather, vacations, timing and general good luck. One thing is for certain -- I'm already looking forward to writing about how well my travels turned out in 2005.

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