New jaunts for long-timers

You've lived here all your life, as have your ancestors.

You are, thus, a native.

Or you've lived here for 16 years and finally stopped complaining about the weather.

You're a ... well, not a native, but perhaps a legitimate long-timer, given the current state of the population influx.

Regardless, as a member of either group, you must know, then, the name of the Seafair Queen (or at the very least that there is one, and the event over which she reigns); that this is the Pike Place Market's 100th anniversary; and that West Seattle has something called the Hi-Yu parade, which doesn't really mean what it sounds like.

So what do you do for fun on spring and summer weekends, given your already vast knowledge of fairs, festivals and such?

Something just a bit different, in some cases a little off the beaten track:

May 19-20: Take a ride on the "new" Mount Hood Scenic Byway — 105 miles from Troutdale, Ore., to Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge and the Hood River Valley. The network of roads actually has been in place for years, but the Oregon Transportation Commission only recently designated the route as a state scenic byway. Check www.mthoodterritory.com/byway.htm or call the Hood River Chamber of Commerce, 800-366-3530.

May 26-27: How about a three-day weekend of cheese in Skagit and Whatcom counties? Everything from peppercorn gouda to Greek olive feta is available for eating and buying, along a 35-mile corridor of Interstate 5. Check with the Dairy Farmers of Washington at www.havemilk.com, or call 425-672-0687 for more information.

June 2-3: Usually this is prime shellfish harvesting season, though you need to check with state officials to make sure that beaches are open and the shellfish are safe. We suggest going after the geoduck. It's nearly impossible to dig up, hideous to look at and delicious in stews. If you don't know what a geoduck is, good. You're not a native — read the other list. See www.wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/beachreg/faqs.htm, or call 800-562-5632.

June 9-10: Comparison shop. See how Portland does festivals and get out of town at the same time. This weekend is the Portland Rose Festival, the city's largest annual celebration. See www.rosefestival.org or call 503-227-2681, and don't tell anyone from this area that you went.

June 16-17: How about a trip to the far-off northeast corner of Washington state and the towns of Metaline and Metaline Falls? Gorgeous part of the state and little-traveled except by those in the know. You can stay at the Washington Hotel and even see nearby Boundary Dam. Check with www.co.pend-oreille.wa.us/metaline.html or www.newportoldtownchamber.org, or call 509-446-1721. About 90 miles north of Spokane and minutes from the Canadian border.

June 23-24: Nice weekend to visit a lighthouse — or two or three or more. They're everywhere, from Alki Point to Sequim. See www.experiencewashington.com and search for "lighthouses," or call 800-544-1800 for more information.

June 30-July 1: A Seattle architectural tour would work any time. But this is as good a weekend as any. This weekend features Columbia City. Next is historic skyscrapers. See www.seattlearchitecture.org/tours.cfm for dates, or call 206-667-9184.

July 7-July 8: Leave Friday at noon and drive to Astoria, Ore. — and stay put for the weekend. Make sure to stay at a hotel or lodging on the Columbia River (or close to it) so you can catch a view of the enormous ships passing by. Don't miss the maritime museum and a trolley ride along the waterfront. A relaxing, terribly historic town. See www.oldoregon.com or call 503-861-1031.

July 14-15: You have a choice here. You can either run to Husky Stadium and cheer on the many hard-bodied (and hard-body wannabe) riders who pour out of the city en route to Portland for the annual Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic. Or, should you be signed up and ready, be one of them. See www.cascade.org/EandR/stp/index.cfm or call 888-334-BIKE.

July 21-22: The wineries around the Tri-Cities beckon (a break from Walla Walla and Yakima). Bring a picnic to Terra Blanca (www.terrablanca.com) — a beautiful setting. There's also a new tasting room with a beautiful view of the vineyards at Kiona Winery (www.kionawine.com).

July 28-29: The Naval Memorial Museum of the Pacific in Bremerton (402 Pacific Ave.) is a good day trip. It's been in continuous operation since 1954. Nearby is the USS Turner Joy, a destroyer that saw duty in Vietnam after it was built in 1959. The ship was decommissioned in 1982 and now serves as a hands-on floating museum on the city's downtown waterfront. Call 360-479-7447.

Aug. 4-5: Vancouver, B.C., is another nice weekend trip, and once there, try this — a ride on the SeaBus, the official name for the Otter and its sister ship, the Beaver, two foot-ferries that transport commuters between downtown's Waterfront Station and the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. The 15-minute ride is $3 (Canadian). See www.translink.bc.ca/Transportation_Services/SeaBus or call 604-953-3333.

Aug. 11-12: The good news is that Mount St. Helens isn't as tall as it used to be — for climbers, anyway. Of course, we all know what made it so. The climb can be done in a day — lots of scrambling required. See www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/mount-st-helens or call 360-449-7800.

Aug. 18-19: If you remember Longacres, you have been here a while. If you remember when the Longacres Mile had a purse of $10,000, you really have been here a while. The 72nd running of this historic race is Sunday, Aug. 19, at Emerald Downs in Auburn. And the purse? A whopping $300,000. See www.emeralddowns.com or call 888-931-8400.

Aug. 25-26: In Tacoma on the weekend, walk through the area between Museum Row and Point Defiance Park. It's Old Town, a historic part of Commencement Bay's waterfront that includes a four-block stretch of North 30th Street south of Ruston Way. You'll find restaurants, a museum, historical buildings — and quiet.

Sept. 1-2: The bluff trail at Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, in the middle of Whidbey Island, is an amazing place with lovely vistas. Go for the day, bring food and just sit quietly. Perfect for getting away from the summer rush of events. It's Labor Day weekend. Plenty of other things to do to occupy yourself on the island, too. See www.nps.gov/ebla or call 360-678-6084.

Sept. 8-9: Harvest Eastern Washington. It's not hard to find roadside stands — so much fruit and vegetables and so little time. For starters, try the Yakima area; see www.visityakima.com/valley_attractions/index.cfm?action=do-ag or call 800-221-0751.