SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2010 GOINGOURWAY
Stick close to Seattle, if you catch our drift
BY K.C. SUMMERS Scott Jones, a lawyer who’s
also a captain in the Marine Corps Reserve, has a business trip to Seattle in February, and he and his girlfriend would like to get in some skiing while they’re outWest, preferably inWashing- ton state or the Vancouver area. Because they’d like to keep costs down, they’re hoping to find a ski resort and mid-price lodgings that offermilitary discounts. My first inclination was to
send the couple to Whistler Blackcomb, two hours north of Vancouver. After all, how could any skiers worth their bindings go all the way to the Pacific Northwest and not visit North America’s holy grail of high-al- pine sports? With one vertical mile and 8,100 acres of skiable terrain, 12 alpine bowls and 200 trails, plus glacier skiing and heli-skiing, plus a European- style village with renowned apres-ski and night life, it’s one of the top resorts on the conti- nent. And all this just a four-to- five-hour drive from downtown Seattle. Still, Whistler is expensive.
We’re talking $1,400 for a three- night package that includes lodg- ing, lift tickets and equipment rental but not food or transpor- tation. And there are no military discounts to ease the sting. Which leads us back to Wash-
ington state, and the realization that sometimes the solution to a problem is right under your nose. When easterners think about western U.S. skiing, every- one’s so busy raving about Colo- rado, Utah and Wyoming that poor Washington gets short shrift. But the Evergreen State has a variety of places worth checking out, andmost are locat- ed in national parks or forests, with majestic views of the sur- rounding mountains and trees. And some of the best areas are within a couple of hours of Seattle. You can’t beat the proximity,
but how’s the skiing? “World class,” said Ski magazine’s Mark Lesh, citing Crystal Mountain, Mount Baker, Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie as particularly en- ticing. “They’re big mountains with real terrain and lots of history, and they get a ton of snow when it’s not raining.” Ah yes, rain: the bane of
Pacific Northwest skiing. But that applies to Whistler as well. In this neck of the woods, you buys your lift tickets and you takes your chances. So here’s the plan: Settle in
Seattle, rent a car and take day trips to sample what area moun- tains have to offer. You’ll be right in with the locals when you do. Seattle residents, says Heather Bryant of the city’s convention and visitors bureau, mostly take day trips to ski. “We don’t do the whole resort thing,” she said. “We drive up to ski, then come back to the city for dinner.” Your best ski options, all with
military discounts: l Crystal Mountain (360-
663-2265,
www.skicrystal.com). Driving time from Seattle: two hours. Located inMount Rainier National Park, it’s the largest ski area in the state, with 2,600 acres, 3,100 feet of vertical and 50 main runs. Average snowfall: 367 inches. Daily lift tickets are $65 for chairs, $73 for chair-gondola combo. Military prices: $55 and $63. l Mount Baker (360-734-
6771,
www.mtbaker.us). Driving time fromSeattle: 2.5 hours. In a rugged wilderness setting on the side of an active volcano, it gets the most snow of anywhere in the state: a whopping 650 feet. Stats: 1,000 acres, 1,500 vertical feet. Lift tickets are $43 on weekdays, $49.50 on weekends. Military prices: $38 and $44.50. l Stevens Pass (206-812-
4510,
www.stevenspass.com). Two hours from Seattle in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee national forests, it’s known for its big snow and diverse terrain. Average snow- fall: 450 feet. Stats: 1,800 vertical
FAMILY PHOTO
Who: Scott Jones, 36, and Kelly Koeninger, 26, of Charlotte Where: Seattle or Vancouver Why: Ski vacation When: February for six or seven days Budget: $1,000 per person
“We’re interested in skiing, dining, maybe a day of shopping or spa-ing. Would really prefer a ski resort with some type of military discount.”
and a few even offer military discounts. At the Inn of Twin Gables, a 1915 Arts and Crafts- style home in the eclectic Queen Anne neighborhood just north of downtown, rooms start at $100 per night on weekdays, $110 on weekends, and there’s a 10 per- centmilitary discount. The inn is furnished with period antiques and has an enclosed sun porch for morning coffee and sunset viewing (866-466-3979, www.
innoftwingables.com). Over in the leafy Capitol Hill neighbor- hood, at the Seattle Hill House, a 1903 Victorian, the deals are even better: Members of the military pay the lowest rate ($59 or $69 per night), then get bumped up to the best room available at no extra charge (866- 417-4455,
seattlehillhouse.com). Another good reason to stay in a B&B: The tax rate is 9.5 percent, compared with 16.2 percent at Seattle hotels.
Where to eat. Seattle’s a great CHASE JARVIS/GETTY IMAGES Two hours from Seattle, the Stevens Pass ski area is known for its plentiful snow and diverse terrain.
feet, 1,125 acres, 37 major runs. Daily lift tickets: $60, $55 and $40. Military discount: $12 off weekday passes, $7 off week- end rates. l The Summit at Snoqualmie
(425-434-7669,
www.summi-
tatsnoqualmie.com). Less than an hour from Seattle in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Na- tional Forest, it’s a popular spot, with three basemountains, 1,981 acres and 2,280 vertical feet. Average snowfall: 435 inches. Daily lift tickets are $58 full day, $50 afternoons, $39 night, $62 epic (9 a.m. to close). Military prices: $44 epic, $29 night. There’s also a Military Apprecia- tion Day on Feb. 5 and aMilitary Appreciation Weekend March 18-20, with discounts on tickets, rentals, lessons, tubing and more.
Getting there. At press time,
round-trip airfares from Char- lotte to Seattle were running from $218 for connecting flights (United, one stop) to $427 (US Airways, nonstop). Washington
prices were a little higher: $239 (Continental fromBWIMarshall, one stop) to $369 (Continental and United from Washington Dulles, Alaska from Reagan Na- tional, all nonstop). Since you have some time before you need to book, watch for sales and sign up for e-mail alerts from Airfare Watchdog, Bing, FareCompare, Kayak or similar sites.
Where to stay. Most major
hotel chains, including Marriott, Hilton, Choice, BestWestern and InterContinental, offer discounts to military personnel, but do the math before you book. For exam- ple, when I priced a room at the Best Western Pioneer Square — an awesome location, by theway, and the rates include free Inter- net — the military rate on the hotel’s Web site for a double room was $159 a night. The best-available rate, however — open to anyone — was $140. Meanwhile, over on Priceline, the same room was going for $
119.Moral: Shop around. Your real dealswill be at B&Bs,
dining town: Think urban, fresh fish, water views. Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema is partial to the legendary Elliott’s Oyster House on Pier 56, with its weekday happy hour starting at 3 p.m. A fewother top-rated places to try: Andaluca (tapas), Crush (newAmerican),Nishino (sushi), Elemental@Gasworks (seasonal and organic) and Ray’s Boat- house (seafood).And don’t forget the famous Pike Place Market, where Matt’s in the Market is known for its fresh seafood and casual fine dining.
Cost. To stay within your bud-
get, you’ll have to take connect- ing
flights.Round-trip air for two from Charlotte to Seattle, with one stop, will run about $436. Lodging at a B&B for six nights with a military discount will start at about $400. Car rental for six days: about $200 for a mid-price vehicle on Price-
line.com. Lift tickets average $100 a day for two. If you ski for four days, you’ll be up to about $1,425. That leaves about $575 for food, gas, attractions and incidentals. It’s doable, but I’d budget a little extra to do the city’s restaurants justice.
Interested in having us help plan your trip? Go to
washingtonpost.com/goingourway.
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COMING&GOING
Cyber Monday deals, ISO opinions, happy hours, newties
Cyber travel If all you want for Christmas
is a cheap flight to Vegas or a discounted hotel room in Orlando, then prepare your credit cards for the e-shopping day of the year. Established five years ago,
CyberMonday marks the start of the online gift-buying season, the virtual version of Black Friday. Traditionally, the tied-to- your-computer day featured retailers of goods that fit snugly under the tree, such as clothes, toys and electronics. But travel companies have recently been joining the frenzy, too. “The travel industry has been
leveraging CyberMonday as well,” said Ellen Davis, aNational Retail Federation spokeswoman. “It makes sense, because travel is a high portion of online spending.” Davis said that last year, she
started noticing hotels and airlines throwing their deals into the mix. The deep discounts typically last one day, though not always. To find bargains, Jaymes
Duke, founder of Creative Concierge 110, says to check the Web sites of major airlines and hotel chains. “They want to make a big impact, like the department stores,” he said. Smaller properties on tighter budgets, he said, typically opt out of Cyber Monday. As an example, Duke pointed
to Southwest’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals, which discount vacation packages to Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles/Anaheim and select ski locales. The promotion stretches its definition of Cyber Monday, with bookings accepted through Dec. 2. For hundreds of deals under
one URL, peruse
CRUISE.COM
703-359-8888
OmegaTravel.com
The Internet’s Largest Cruise Specialist 877-535-2225
Open 7Days
Bahamas Cruise Celebrity Mercury • 9 nights
$449 p/p
Dec 11, 2010 • R/T from Baltimore Incl. port charges, cruise only. Govt taxes $64
CyberMonday.com, which is owned by
Shop.org, the online division of the NRF. At press time, the site already listed a handful of travel-related deals, such as up to 20 percent off Holiday Inn properties. Davis reminds shoppers to be
smart and savvy and to do their research. Just because a flight or hotel room is listed on Cyber Monday does not mean it’s the deal of a lifetime; it could just be the deal of the minute.
A place to vent Got an opinion on the
Transportation Security Administration’s newairport screening procedures? The U.S. Travel Association
wants to hear it. After getting nearly 1,000 unsolicited comments from travelers, the association created a newWeb site,
www.yourtravelvoice.org, to solicit even more. “We need to hear ideas and
experiences from travelers to better inform our discussions with policymakers and build a screening process that maxi- mizes security while minimizing the burden on travelers,” said Roger Dow, president and chief executive ofU.S. Travel. The association will consider
the comments when it announces the final recommendations of its “Blue Ribbon Panel for Frictionless Aviation Security” on Feb. 1.
Drink and fly Through December, American
Airlines will toast its passengers with in-flight happy hour. The 5@5 special runs from 5
to 5:59 p.m. on select flights (United States, Canada,Mexico, Caribbean) on American, American Eagle and American Connection. Cocktails cost $5 each, with a savings of $1 on beer and $2 on wine and spirits.
New alliances JetBlue Airways and Israel’s
El Al have joined forces. Customers will now be able to buy a single ticket and check luggage all the way through to Israel when connecting between JetBlue and El Al flights. Speaking of partnerships,
American Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines, India’s leading carrier, will enter into a codeshare and frequent-flier relationship in 2011, subject to regulatory approvals.
Reporting: Andrea Sachs, Nancy Trejos.
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