8 | Play Peacefully in Pemberton
The tiny town of Pemberton, BC, is ground zero for outdoor enthusiasts who forgo the noisy nightlife and fur-lined fashion of neighboring Whistler in favor of a lower price point. Had you mentioned Coldplay to locals before last summer’s Pemberton Music Festival (pembertonfestival.com) they would have assumed you meant ice climbing the gullies of Mount Joffre with the Canada West Mountain School (888-892-2266; themountainschool.com) or snowmobiling the Pemberton Ice Cap with Totally Awesome Adventures (604-894-5565; totallyawesomeadventures.com). Though the concert brought Pemberton worldwide attention, it’s still relatively easy to book a room at lodgy B & Bs like the Pemberton Valley Vineyard and Inn (604-894-5857).
Drive time 4 hours, 51 minutes
When to go When you want the wilderness playground without the Whistler scene
9 | Be Able to Say You Knew Vancouver When
Our rival city across the border’s a year away from becoming the white-hot center of the universe. By the time the Olympic torch glides into the city on February 12, 2010, Vancouver will be on everyone’s lips. You won’t be able to score a room at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (604-684-3131; fairmont.com) come next winter, so make it a weekend home now. The hotel’s a perfect HQ from which to plan expeditions in the city. Hit Robson Street (robsonstreet.ca) for high-end fashion or drag your offspring to Granville Island’s Kids Only Market (granvilleisland.com) for all manner of toys, games, and half-pint sartorial accoutrements. Then, because you won’t be able to get the host to look at you during the Olympic Games, put your feed bag on for seafood at C Restaurant (604-681-1164; crestaurant.com).
Drive time 2 hours, 40 minutes
When to go Next weekend
10 | Join a Hoedown in Weiser
Weiser, Idaho, was little more than a speck in the Snake River Valley region until its prestigious National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival (208-414-0255; fiddlecontest.com) put it on the map. The country’s premier fiddle fest has preserved the former Wild West boomtown, whose population increases sixfold during the weeklong event. Cheer on locals in nonmusical contests such as pie throwing and watch small-fry and senior fiddlers compete for cash prizes and national recognition—Seattle-born sensation Mark O’Connor achieved fiddle fame after winning the championship. Stay close to the action at the bucolic Galloway House bed-and-breakfast (208-549-1719; gallowayhouseinn.com), which is a 20-minute walk from the main contest venue, and skip the kettle corn and carnival cuisine in favor of fresh sandwiches and handmade chocolates from Weiser Classic Candy. (208-414-2850).
Drive time 7 hours
When to go National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival, June 22–27
11 | Play Cowboy
The Pendleton Roundup (pendletonroundup.com) in Pendleton, Oregon, is rodeo done in a huge way, with parades, a cowboy breakfast, music, art, and a pageant of Native American arts and culture. The rodeo itself draws the top cowboys in the land. The stately Pendleton House (541-276-8581; pendletonhousebnb.com) on Main Street serves full breakfasts and has an English garden and a wide front porch. Elaborate tunnels under the city once housed Pendleton’s seamy side, and Pendleton Underground Tours (800-226-6398; pendletonundergroundtours.org) offers narrated tours year-round, with period-dressed mannequins lending an eerie realism to the former brothels and card rooms. Need a woolly Pendleton blanket to keep your cowboy warm? Tours of the Pendleton Woolen Mill (pendleton-usa.com) are held on weekdays.
Drive time 4 hours, 27 minutes
When to go Second week of September
12 | Fall Close to Home
One of the most relaxing weekend excursions is also the closest. You can motor up I-90 to Snoqualmie Falls in just half the time it takes to burn through an episode of Twin Peaks, the groundbreaking TV show that made this destination famous. The Snoqualmie River crashes off a 270-foot precipice right next to the Salish Lodge (425-888-2556; salishlodge.com), an all-purpose weekend retreat with a spa (we recommend the Salish Massage and a dip in the soaking pool) and restaurant (we haven’t stopped thinking about the glazed quail since our last visit). When you’ve had enough pampering, hit the Rattlesnake Mountain Trail (don’t feel obligated to complete all 12 miles) for eyeshots of Mount Si and the Snoqualmie River Valley.
Drive time 30 minutes
When to go June through October
13 | Go See the Priest
Priest Lake is a secluded off-the-beaten-path gem deep in the Idaho wilderness, with more than 400 miles of carefully groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, scenic hiking areas that practically start at the doorstep, and shaded coves teeming with kokanee and Mackinaw. Round up a posse of pals for the road trip and establish a base camp at Mountain Mill Resort (888-877-4378; mntmillresort.com) million-dollar mountain chalets stocked with snowmobiles, boats, and golfing passes—where lodging can be had for the price of a room at a Seattle luxury hotel. Hunt for huckleberries with maps from the USFS Priest Lake Ranger Station (208-443-2512; fs.fed.us). Pack a picnic lunch and spend the day exploring Beaver Creek Recreation Site (877-444-6777; publiclands.org) on Upper Priest Lake, the main jumping-off point for hiking, mountain biking, and canoeing. Grab a booth and a Sundance pork sandwich at Millie’s (208-443-2365), an area institution where friendly conversations yield tips on secret fishing spots and picturesque viewpoints to visit the following day.
Drive time 5 hours, 40 minutes
When to go May through September
Published: January 2009
