What's New in the West: January 2011
Highlights include zip lines in Napa Valley, Portland's Forktown Food Tours, an updated Lonely Planet book, and a new ferry service in Alaska.
- A Most Glorious Heritage: The Grandeur and History of California State Parks, an exhibit at the California State Capitol Museum in Sacramento, celebrates park highlights including film and TV roles. Through Sept. 1. capitolmuseum.ca.gov.
- Long flight? Slip an Android phone, iPhone, or iPod Touch into the PodFlexPro, and mount it on your stowed tray table to view movies hands free. $25. podflexpro.com.
- The world-famous Vienna Philharmonic orchestra performs in the Bay Area for the first time since 1987 at Cal Performances’ Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, Calif., Feb. 25–27. calperformances.org.
- Soar over California’s wine country with Napa Valley Ziplines’ 2½-hour Zip ’N Go tour. Or try the Zip ’N Sip, which includes a winetasting and picnic lunch. From $125. napavalleyziplines.com.
- The observation deck atop Los Angeles International Airport’s futuristic Theme Building has reopened after major renovations. lawa.org.
- McCall, Idaho’s Brundage Mountain Resort celebrates 50 years with upgraded ski and snowboard rentals and a new Children’s Terrain Garden. brundage.com.
- Join one of Forktown Food Tours’ guided walks of select Portland districts to sample smoked seafood, craft brews, and more. $65. forktown.com.
- Sample fresh-baked sweets or take a guided farm tour at Mt. Kaala Coffee Co.’s new agricultural visitor center on Oahu. mtkaalacoffee.com.
- Lonely Planet’s updated Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World has scores of pro-files and photos of spots from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. $50. barnesandnoble.com.
- Maryhill Museum of Art’s free itinerary 36 Hours in the Gorge details Columbia River Gorge eats, stays, and outings. maryhillmuseum.org.
- The Northeast Wyoming Visitor Information Center, on Interstate 90 at exit 199, has displays where kids can trace trilobites and other fossils and pose for photos. wyomingtourism.org.
- Alaska’s Marine Highway System has begun offering ferry service from Juneau to Gustavus, gateway to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. ferryalaska.com.
- Jim Poor: New Works, Exploring a Visual Vocabulary, a show at Montana’s Missoula Art Museum, features the Helena, Mont., artist’s colorful abstract paintings inspired by local landscapes. Through Feb. 27. missoulaartmuseum.org.
This article was first published in January 2011. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.
