The days are getting longer – have you noticed? It’s not quite February and already I am planning summer hiking trips. How about you?
Here’s what’s happening in local travel.
1. Vacations are for Volunteers. Mark your calendars, because on February 6 at 10am, Washington Trails Association will open up their 2012 Volunteer Vacations for registration. Some trips fill right away, so have a look at the trip list and see if something catches your eye. Now, these vacations do involve some work–you might find yourself taking out downed logs that block the Chelan Lakeshore Trail, sprucing up trails to the beach at Kalaloch. But they also give you an enormous dose of good karma. Oh, and the food is pretty darn good, too.
2. Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory and greenhouse could close next year, according to this article in the Seattle Times. Upon hearing this horrible news, my first thought was the realization that I’ve not visited this urban oasis in years. For 100 years, the Volunteer Park Conservatory has offered Seattle residents and visitors a peaceful oasis in its greenhouse where rare plants thrive. Go, visit now, and make a donation if you can.
3. Do you like to clean, scrub, wash and banish germs from the face of the earth? Well, there’s a museum for you–the Museum of Clean, recently opened in Pocatello, Idaho. Gawk at pre-electric vacuum cleaners and marvel at a bronze toothpick that is over 16 centuries old. Just make sure you sanitize before you go in. Read a whole bunch more about this unique new museum at the Oregonian.
4. See a slideshow of stunning winners of Northwest Exposure, the outdoors photo contest from Washington Trails Association. All photos hail from the backcountry of Washington state, and the collection of winners include a few macro shots that will surely impress.
5. George Nelson is at the Bellevue Art Museum. Well, his legacy is, anyway. This exhibit has been running for awhile, but if you’ve procrastinated as I have you’ll want to know that there are just two short weeks left to check out this George Nelson retrospective. It features 220 objects, including furniture, lamps, clocks, graphic works, architectural models, films, prints and a full-scale partial reconstruction of the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow. This retrospective renders a comprehensive portrait of Nelson and his many activities, acknowledging his prominent position in the world of design over nearly four decades. Info on the George Nelson exhibit here. It ends February 12th.
