The Original Skid Row

Although there are five free days for the Christmas break, we've still not decided on anything specific. I guess this is one time when there are not any last minute deals available. At least, I can't seem to find any three or four day get-aways selling for a song on the Internet nor in the local newspaper. On the contrary, it seems as though suckers who don't book early have to pay through the nose.

Of course, we could simply drive somewhere close. Hotels are seldom busy as business travel has ceased and many folks are staying with family even if they are travelling. I can remember going to the nearly frozen Okanagan one Christmas. On others we went to visit friends or jumped on a ferry for Victoria. It's only Wednesday, so there are still a couple of days to make a final decision.



It may even be fun just to slide down to Seattle for a few nights. Discounting the wait at the border, it's only a leisurely three hour trip. If one's willing to stay cheap, it's possible to find, because of the season, a hotel within walking distance to downtown for only $60 per night. In order to see the city where the term skid row was coined, I fired up Google Earth. I was first awed by the program in October 2005 and since then it's continued to grow and develop. It doesn't often get the press it deserves but for those of us who like geography it's truly a miracle.