Progress continues on resort
DESPITE MY degree in the subject, the business world mystifies me. How did the meeting unfold, for instance, wherein someone at Jeld-Wen, maker of doors and windows, decided this was a good idea:
“Vis a vis our growth metrics and bias for action, delivering on the company’s long-range strategies requires us to partner with Lowe Enterprises around opportunistically fast-tracking a four-seasons resort on the Cle Elum River.”
High-fives all around on that one.
A few PowerPoint presentations later, we have Suncadia.
It’s not exactly Jeld-Wen’s first foray into what I might deem strange territory. They own several other properties including Kellogg’s Silver Mountain ski resort.
Under construction since 2003, Suncadia’s 6,300 acres near Roslyn, Wash., eventually will encompass a resort village; spa; conference facilities; three golf courses; sites for condominiums, single-family homes and cabins; and more than 40 miles of hiking and biking trails. The whole shebang should be complete by 2013.
Twelve hundred of those acres comprise the Suncadia Conservancy, part of the Kittitas Conservation Trust. In an agreement with Yakama First Nations and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the developers will leave a section of the Cle Elum River corridor natural, open and wild in perpetuity.
Staking a claim for civilization, however, the just-opened Prospector Inn overlooks Suncadia’s brand-spanking new 18-hole Prospector Golf Course, conjured up by Palmer Course Design Company. The 10th hole sits 120 feet above the fairway, affording you a good look at the Cascades above and the Cle Elum River Valley below. Call (866) 715-5050 for tee times; green fees start at $50.
Back at the inn, the Gas Lamp Grille and Canary Lounge await with post-game refreshment, exuding a mining motif which continues into 14 guest rooms named after area mines.
Four larger suites – 570 square feet each – feature vaulted ceilings, oversized bathrooms and corner views. All rooms include stone fireplaces, built-in bookcases and decks with rocking chairs.
Rates run from $245 to $325. Make reservations by calling (866) 904-6300 or visiting www.suncadia.com.
Chance of a ghost
Nowadays, if you want a decent ghost town, you just have to make it yourself.
Take-charge guy Gordon Bell and his wife, Ethel, started the town of Three Valley Gap, B.C., in 1961, collecting more than 25 historic buildings from around the area for the ghost town, constructing a 200-room hotel along the shore of Three Valley Lake and throwing in a hydroelectric dam for good measure.
Today, a visit to Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town will carry you right back to the early 1900s with a general store, barber shop, school, smithy, tobacco store, trapper’s cabin, jail and, of course, the Golden Wheel Saloon.
The Antique Auto Museum’s collection of cars from 1902 to 1929 includes a 1902 curved-dash Oldsmobile, the first automobile mass-produced in North America. And over at the Railway Roundhouse, you’ll find a 1908 business car, 1929 Caribou business car and 1922 locomotive.
Take a load off at the 300-seat Walter Moberly Theatre, where, you’re assured, shows are suitable for the entire family.
Guided tours come complete with plenty of stories, and they’re available daily through mid-December. Passes run from $5 Canadian for children ages 6 to 11 to $29 for the whole family.
Rejoin the present at Bell’s hotel, Three Valley Lake Chateau, where rates range from $95 to $150 Canadian. You can book a room at www. threevalleylakechateau.com, and there’s more information about the ghost town at www.threevalleygapheritageghosttown.com. Or call (888) 667-2109 for help with either.
Anacortes is in session
The first weekend in August, 280 street artists will cram into six blocks of downtown Anacortes bringing paintings, baskets, fiber art, jewelry, metalwork and more to the 43rd annual Anacortes Arts Festival.
In a historic waterfront warehouse, an invitational exhibit called NuArt 05: Juror’s Choice showcases 22 artists selected by a group of museum curators, gallery owners, art historians and others.
The festival casts a wide net, with a selection of culinary treats, poets reading their “literary art” and two stages’ worth of jazz, Latin, Celtic and other “musical art.”
Find out more at www.anacortesartsfestival.com or (360) 293-6211.
Regional events
“128th Commemoration of the Battle of the Big Hole, Aug. 6 and 7, Wisdom, Mont. Relive the events of 1877 with ceremonies, demonstrations, traditional Nez Perce music and more. ( www.visitmt.com, 406-689-3155)
“Evergreen Classic Horse Show, Aug. 10 through 14, Monroe, Wash. Hunters and jumpers (and their riders) do their thing to benefit Northwest Children’s Fund. ( www.evergreenclassic.com, 425-388-3200)
“Arts on the Edge – Kimberley’s Festival of the Arts, Aug. 13 and 14, Kimberley, B.C. This celebration of the visual and performing arts in the Kootenays includes art exhibits, booths, live music, dancing, children’s entertainment and food. (250-427-3224)