Vacations Blog

There’s about to be more magic in Orlando.

Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. have finally revealed the “first-ever details about the incredible scope of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”  Not the least of which is that the land will open in spring 2010.  That’s soon!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be an addition to Universal’s Islands of Adventure park, which is already AWESOME (it’s all Marvel characters though, which leads me to wonder what talks are underway between Universal and Marvel’s new owner Disney).  The Spider-Man ride alone is worth the price of admission.

And the Dr. Suess stuff.

Harry Potter’s new land is obviously based upon the stories and characters of J.K. Rowling and promises to remain “faithful to the visual landscapes of the films.” Read More »

May ushers boating season into the Northwest

Photo courtesy of Dan Hershman

April Chill Extends Ski Season

In a recent post I mentioned the schizophrenic nature of a Northwest spring.  It was snowing in Seattle on April 1st only to be sunny and 75 degrees less than a week later.  Just a couple of days ago another frigid spring storm produced a nasty hail storm at sea within the city limits.  As annoying as an April snow storm can be to Seattleites, avid alpine enthusiasts benefit from the fresh new powder accumulations in the mountains and the promise of a precious few more days added to the ever shortening ski season.

The bottom line is that although spring is upon us and the weather gets milder by the day, there are still plenty of good skiing and snowboarding opportunities to be had at Northwest ski resorts.  Add on end of the year deals on lift tickets and it makes for a great time to send winter off in style.  With that in mind, here is a quick rundown of snow levels, lodging options, and lift schedules at the few local mountain resorts that remain open. 

1. Crystal Mountain - Washington’s Largest ski area still has 128″ total Snow with an 86” base.   

Adult (age 18 – 69) All Day: $60, Half Day (12:30pm – 4pm): $55
Youth (age 11 – 17) All Day: $55, Half Day (12:30pm – 4pm): $50
Junior (age 7-10) All Day: $30, Half Day (12:30pm – 4pm): $25
Child (age 0 – 6) All Day: FREE
Senior (age 70 & over) All Day: $35
Discovery Chair Only (for beginners): $35

Ski Season ends Sunday, April 19th. Lift ticket are now Half Price. Check here for lodging options. Includes Crystal Mountain Lodging Suites.

Don't delay - ski season ends soon

2. Mt Baker - 172″ Base. Starting April 17th on Spring Schedule. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Spring Lift Tickets:
Adult (age 16-59)  $43.17
Youth ( age 7 – 15)  $32.50
Senior (age 60 – 69)  $37.61
Super Senior (age 70 & older) $20.91
Child (age 0-6 ) FREE

Click here for lodging options, including The Inn at Mt. Baker.

4. Snoqualmie Pass – 91″ Base at Summit West.  The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass is operating on a Spring Schedule – weekends only but with no set closing date.

Spring Lift Tickets:
Adult (age 13-61) $48
Youth (age 7 – 12)  $32
Senior (age 62 +) $32
Child (age 0-6 ) $11
Super Senior $11

Lodging options, including The Summit Lodge, can be found here.

Ski Lift at Mt. Baker Ski Resort

5. Stevens Pass – 111″ Base.  Ski Season ends Sunday April 19^th. 

Spring Lift Tickets:
Adult (age 13-61) $62
Youth (age 7 – 12) $38
Senior (age 62-69) $39
Child (age 0-6) $7
Super Senior $13

Look for local Stevens Pass lodging options here.

6. White Pass -  Currently open Saturday and Sunday through April 26^th.

Spring Lift Tickets:
Adult (age 13-64) $47
Youth (age 7 – 12) $29
Senior (age 65-72) $29
Child (age 0-6) Free
Super Senior Free

For lodging options, including The White Pass Village Inn, click here.

 Photos: Top from www.summit-at-snoqualmie.com remaining two from http://www.mtbaker.us/

Secret Garden at Thanksgiving Point

It’s that time of the year when a family man’s fancy turns to… gardening?

Up here in the north country, we wait patiently all winter for spring to come so we can get back into our yards to push dirt around in our neverending quest for the perfect landscape.

We took a family vacation last year to Utah, where I found inspiration for my backyard projects in an amazing place called Thanksgiving Point.

Located in Lehi, Utah, about 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City, Thanksgiving Point is a sprawling complex that features a wide variety of activities for the whole family.  But the highlight of the place is the 55 acres of gardens, with 15 themed areas, such as the Monet Garden, the Butterfly Garden, and, my favorite, the Secret Garden.

Largest man-made waterfalls

Oh yes, and don’t forget the largest manmade waterfall in North America.  My kids wondered why I can’t build something like that in our backyard.

The gardens are stunning, and immense, and you could probably stroll along the 4 miles of paths all day, exploring and reveling in nature’s splendor.  But that’s not going to happen when you have kids, and it’s certainly not going to happen when you have so many other things to do at Thanksgiving Point.

Like gawking at dinosaur bones inside the Museum of Ancient Life.  You’ll find plenty to gawk at, as this museum offers up the largest display of mounted dinosaurs in the world.  If it’s not enough to look, there are hands-on displays for your kids, including real fossils and bones.  It’s rather humbling to touch something that was walking the earth 50 million years ago.  Does that make me a science geek?

Dinosaurs rule at Thanksgiving Point

The collection impressed us so much, we walked through the museum twice just to soak it all in.  After that, we sat down in the XanGo Mammoth Screen 3D Theatre (it’s like IMAX) for a fun movie about ancient sea creatures.

When you’re done with the extinct animals, walk the kids over to another part of Thanksgiving Point called Farm Country.  Yes, the place has more themed areas than Disneyland.  At Farm Country, your kids are going to get hands-on experience with farm critters.  They’ll get to milk a cow, gather eggs, groom a goat, go for a hayride, and call the pigs to dinner.  If you live in a city and your kids have never seen a farm before, this will be a chance to teach them just exactly where their food comes from.

Next, you’ll want to run your kids through the hedgerow maze in the Children’s Discovery Garden, just in case they’re not completely worn out yet.  And make sure they pay a visit to the bear cave for a little scare.

After the gardens, dinosaurs, mazes, and agriculture lessons, there’s still much to do.  There’s a complex of shops, restaurants, and movie theaters.  There’s also a beautiful golf course that was named best public course in Utah by Golf Digest Magazine.   If you’ve run out of steam, perched right on the edge of Thanksgiving Point is a Marriott Springhill Suites that has the most comfortable hotel beds I’ve ever slept on.  Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I had a more refreshing night’s sleep.

Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point

Although our ultimate destination last spring was not Thanksgiving Point, it certainly was a welcome diversion on our road trip through the state.  In the future, we’ll include a one or two-day stop there in our vacation plans.  Utah has an incredible number of National Parks.  Five in all:  Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.  Not to mention its close proximity to Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde National Parks.  At some point, no matter where you live, there’s a high probability you’ll find yourself in Utah, driving down I-15 from Salt Lake City, thinking about how far it is to Arches or Zion.  And then you’ll remember that Phil told you to make a stop at Thanksgiving Point with your kids.  You’re welcome.

The best time to visit is when the gardens are open, which is from the end of March through the end of October.  Spring is, of course, one of the more colorful seasons at Thanksgiving Point.  Their Tulip Festival runs from April 17th to May 2, when over a quarter million bulbs are in bloom.

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

Italian Gardens

Children's Discovery Garden

Museum of Ancient Life

All photos by Phil Corless, except the tulips (courtesy of Thanksgiving Point)

Antelope Valley

In Los Angeles we have the unique opportunity to stand in one place and see the ocean and snow-capped mountains at the same time.  Even with the insane population growth of our area, we are surrounded by natural beauty.  Because many of the naturally beautiful places are only accessed by short day trips out of the city, there are certain phrases you hear around here that you wouldn’t hear many other places, such as “Go to the snow” in the winter or “Go to see the flowers” in the spring.

March and April are the prime months when the desert hills surrounding Los Angeles and San Diego explode in bloom and show off their amazing array of colors.  The most famous flower of the area is the California poppy, which festoons the hillsides and valleys with its bright orange brilliance.  “The poppies are blooming!” is another exciting exclamation you might hear an Angeleno say, prompting weekend planning of a drive up to the mountains, complete with picnic gear and photography equipment.

California Poppy

By mid-April the poppies give way, however, to their supporting cast, and the once brilliantly-blooming valleys direct your attention higher in the hills, where viewing nature’s spectacle is as easy as pulling over to the side of the road.  From Los Angeles, take I-5 North and head east on Highway 138.  The most recent wildflower reports – yes, these do exist, creating another local phrase – list brilliantly blooming bands of “sunflower, lupine, poppy, phacelia, fiddleneck, red maid and goldfield.”

More than poppies

Owl's Clover

Guided tours of the area are available at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve if staff is available, and a system of easy access trails is in place which might be easier for families with young children.  But Mother Nature is not one to be confined by the boundaries of a state reserve, so the wildflowers are on display all around the drive up to the park itself.

Roadside viewing

Typical nature warnings apply if you head to the area:  take only photographs, leave only footprints.  However, try not to trample the wildflowers themselves, because it takes years for them to regenerate.  Also, up the high Mojave desert, the wind can come swooping down on you with great force, so check weather conditions before making the trip, and bring lots of water.  If the desert makes you thirsty and your cooler is empty, urban sprawl has got you covered.  Lancaster and Palmdale are pretty close by, and word has it there are tasty margaritas to be found which you can enjoy while you review the amazing pictures you took.

Author was arrested by Wildflower Police shortly thereafter

Let’s say for the sake of this post that it is spring and that you are a young man* and that you have thoughts turning that are pretty fancy.

If those fancy thoughts are of scenic places then you may already be a winner.

UpTake is having a photo contest to replace our current home page photo.  The penguins have had their moment.

You can win $250.  You can have your picture featured on UpTake’s home page for 4 months.  The possibilities are limitless (within limits).

There are rules, of course.  There are always rules.  Read them.  Live them.  Love them.

Submit your photo(s) and be somebody.

*Contest also open to women and old people.

From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom

I’m about to make myself very unpopular with the fitness-conscious, hard-bodied L.A. crowd, but I have a confession to make: I think walking is boring. I’d really love to make use of the track that winds around our local park or make walking my kids to school a healthy habit, but to be perfectly honest, until they line the entire route with Cirque du Soleil performers or end-to-end plasma screens showing Sex and the City reruns, I’ll continue to drive my car, damnit.

The one exception is when I’m mesmerized by a good garden. I’m not talking about the neighbor’s zero-scaped front yard, but a spectacularly crafted, bigger than life garden extravaganza that takes my mind off the doldrums of walking. Luckily, Los Angeles has quite a few of those and spring is the perfect time to visit them. Here are a few that actually get me out of my car and putting foot to gravel (or dirt.) I might just have to drop some cash on a pair of new walking shoes.

My favorite are the Gardens at the Getty Center. From the top of the garden, where you have a magnificent view of the grounds, to the winding path that leads down to the maze-like center, the entire environment is absolutely enchanting and at the same time Zen-like and peaceful. And no article of mine would be complete without a reference to food – the cafeteria-style Café at the Getty Center is one of my favorite places to eat in the city. Sometimes I meet friends there for lunch, and we get so distracted by our excellent meals and strong coffee that we forget to head over to the exhibits. Don’t tell anybody.

Slightly east of Los Angeles in the city of La Cañada Flintridge are the charming Descanso Gardens. You’ll find a beautiful, low key setting here, perfect for young children to explore. I went there last fall on a field trip with my daughter’s class and we had a very personal, thorough walking tour through the grounds that ended in a nice surprise – a small pumpkin patch.

A fifteen minute drive heading southeast will get you to the beautiful Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. This is one of the best-kept secrets in Los Angeles – a magnificent, lush garden with strolling peacocks and unusually small crowds. This holds special significance for me – it was one of the last places we took my husband’s 101-year old grandmother. Her eyesight was failing, but she was able to identify many of the plants and flowers just by their smell and feel.

Conveniently, from the Arboretum you can get to the famous Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino in just ten short minutes. You may have heard of the Huntington Art Gallery, home to such celebrated works of art as Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy and Thomas Lawrence’s Pinkie. The gardens are truly spectacular – my favorite is the Ikebana House, where you can see exquisite examples of the traditional art of Japanese flower arranging.

Bottom line? It amazes even me, but when surrounded by floral, fauna and a cool spring breeze at my back, I truly feel like I could walk forever.

Are you a walker? A gardener? A walker in a garden, like me? What are your favorite springtime destinations?