What's New in the West: July 2010
In the spotlight: gold panning tours, a luggage id and digital scale, Snoopy license plate, Boise’s condor exhibit, and more.
- Fliers on five major airlines can now download electronic boarding passes to cell phones or other handheld devices when departing from 48 U.S. airports. www.tsa.gov.
- Get expert Oregon tips at the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Adventure Center in Springfield, off I-5 at exit 195A. You’ll find planning stations and a 3-D topo map. travellanecounty.org.
- See North America’s largest soaring bird up close in the new Condor Cliffs exhibit at the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise. peregrinefund.org.
- Relive history—and maybe get lucky—with a Goldrush Originals two-hour Gold Panning Tour of Calaveras County, Calif. Tips and tools provided. gocalaveras.com.
- Dig deep into the Bighorn Basin at the 25,000-square-foot Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland, Wyo. washakiemuseum.org.
- Weigh to Go is both a luggage ID and a digital scale. Lift your bag to show pounds or kilograms. $33. quirky.com.
- California drivers can help support the state’s museums by signing up for a Snoopy license plate ($50), graced with a drawing of the famous beagle. snoopyplate.com.
- Alaska’s new two-deck catamaran Kachemak Voyager provides fast, scenic ferry transit between Homer and Seldovia three times a day this summer. $59 round-trip. seldoviabayferry.com.
- Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Mont., presents 40 of the artist’s inventions, including a pedal-powered aircraft. Through Sept. 10. museumoftherockies.org.
- The iPhone app Portland Essentials displays illustrated info on great restaurants, attractions, and activities. $3. tinyurl.com/portland-essentials.
- Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time runs at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco through Sept. 12. calacademy.org.
- The Portland Farmers Market has gained elbow room and new vendors at Portland State University and has added satellite sites at Pioneer Courthouse Square and at NW 23rd Avenue. portlandfarmersmarket.org.
- Book the Magical History Tour at Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Ariz., for a two-night stay, a canyon tour, and a DVD. From $386 through Oct. 31. tbirdlodge.com.
This article was first published in July 2010. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.
