Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

Vancouver, BC - If you’re still dreaming of going to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., here are the most recent updates on what options are available for last minute travelers.

Accommodations: Most of the larger hotels & motels in and around downtown Vancouver are booked solid during the Feb. 12-28 Winter Games, as are those nearby in suburban areas like Richmond, Surrey and even Abbostsford. The Whistler area, where alpine and cross-country skiing and other events will be held, has been sold out for months now.

Some of the smaller Vancouver hotels have some vacancies, including some downtown locations, even on the opening weekend of the Games. The reason they still have rooms available is because they usually don’t show up on sites like Travelocity, Priceline and Hotels.com. However rates start at around $600 a night and have minimum stays.

I would suggest you start out by calling some of the smaller motels and if they don’t have anything available, find out if they know of anything that might be available or other options. The people in the hotel & motel business usually know who & where there might be some rooms available…that’s their business, to accommodate guests.

You can search by date and location on the official Olympics accommodations site, http://www.2010destinationplanner.com/. Keep checking as room inventory changes frequently, and prices/minimum stays may lessen as the Games draw closer. Finding rooms in the Whistler area may prove to be very difficult with tens of thousands of athletes, officials and fans flooding the ski resort during the Olympics.

The Web site also has links to other accommodation options in Vancouver, including B&Bs, homes for rent, homeowners that are renting out rooms locally, and even beachfront sites in a city park for RV camping.

One might try looking just over the border in Whatcom County for vacancies in local motels, Bed & Breakfasts, and homes for rent in the Bellingham, Washington area for something a little more affordable. Bellingham is less than an hours drive to downtown Vancouver as long as you don’t have too long of a wait at the border. I recently checked rates at motels in the Bellingham area and they are actually charging from $250.00 and up per nite during the games. A big percentage of the motels were already sold out during the Feb 12-28 games in Whatcom County.

If you have an RV, try one of the many local RV parks in Whatcom & Skagit County. Tow a car alone with you or rent one, once your in the area and then make the short trek into Vancouver to enjoy the Olympics this way.

Bellingham Craigslist Vacation Rentals has several new ads daily for Whatcom County area homeowners that are renting homes, condos & rooms during the Olympics as well. I have had a lot of emails and phone calls over the last several weeks and month from homeowners as well that want to rent rooms, condos and homes…so I know there are lots of local accommodations out there if one looked hard enough. Here is another site that offers accommodations for the Winter Olympics with lots of different situations you might want to consider. 

However, be careful of Olympic rental scams out there…I’m sure there will be a few trying to take advantage of this big event.

Well good luck finding a place to stay and enjoy the Winter Olympics. It should be pretty exciting once they get going just over the border from here.

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham WA - Bellingham Homes For Sale

 Bellingham, WA - Chuckanut Drive is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and scenic areas in the Northwest. If given the choice to take Chuckanut Drive over I-5 freeway, on my way back to Bellingham or on the way out of town, hands down, I’d choose Scenic Chuckanut Drive on a sunny day.

For even residents of this part of Northwest Washington, very few tire of what this 20 mile stretch of Highway has to offer. Chuckanut Drive runs from just south of historic Fairhaven area of Bellingham south to the Bow area of Skagit County.  There are many opportunities along the long stretch of Chuckanut Drive to park along the road and take in the breath taking views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands. 

It goes without saying that homes for sale along Chuckanut Drive tend to be expensive, but when your address ends in Chuckanut Drive most observers in Whatcom County and Skagit County would expect Chuckanut Real Estate to be pricey.  When it comes to Location as a principle of real estate, Chuckanut has to be one of the most sought after addresses for real estate.

What is it about Chuckanut that draws over a half million travelers up and down this beautiful stretch of highway after all…the sun setting on a clear warm summer day, does it for me. There’s a spot about the half way point where you can stop, walk along a short trail, and really enjoy some fantastic views. I named this spot “Heavens Porch”, because it truly feels like your looking out upon sheer beauty of what heaven must look like.

To find out whats for sale currently on Chuckanut Drive visit our Bellingham WA Real Estate and search Chuckanut Drive real estate. Tour the Scenic Chuckanut Drive sometime soon, you’ll remember it forever.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham WA - Chuckanut Drive Homes For Sale

 We recently updated the Northwest Living blog to include an entire category dedicated to the State of Oregon.  Under the Oregon State category viewers will eventually be able to find posts, links, and information on Oregon cities, towns, outdoors, relocation, travel, tourism, things to do, and so much more.

We will also discuss Oregon real estate since this blog covers the northwest with a real estate flavor. Since Oregon is one of the states that make up the Northwest we were very pleased with bringing in the idea of having topics on Oregon State.  Some future topics would include information about Portland Oregon, Eugene, Salem, Medford, Hood River, Cannon Beach, and the Oregon Coast.

Our main focus of our Northwest blog is about the Northwest corner of Washington State, but we felt we could provide a service by talking about other areas of the Pacific Northwest as well. If any viewer wants to suggest a topic to discuss, please add a comment below and we’ll consider it for sure.

For anyone looking for information on Oregon you might want to start with the Official Oregon Travel and Tourism.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Northwest Living

 With the Vancouver Winter Olympics set to begin in Febuary 2010, Whatcom County could be at the forefront in assisting our Canadian neighbors the most in preparation for the Games. Whatcom County will be able to provide accommodations with our local motels, bed and breakfast locations, and even private citizens renting homes, rooms and mother-in-law suites to an expected shortage of places to stay while attending the games.

Ray LeBlond of Tourism B.C., recently noted that with all the visitors expected, there will be a need for 500,000 of what he called room nights for the Games. There are even reservations booked already at Vancouver, BC area motels two years in advance. “We do believe that people are going to be looking for reasonable accommodations elsewhere,” he said of Game attendees. “There’s Calgary, about an hour flight away, Victoria and you guys. We do believe the opportunity is there for our neighbors to the south to assist the games with housing.”

I’ve even noticed on the Northwest Living blog here that people are doing searches for “homes for rent during Vancouver 2010 Olympics” and many other combinations of similar searches.  So as the Winter Games gets closer, I’m quite certain many of those travelers will end up in Whatcom County. In fact, I’m betting there won’t be a room available for that period, in all of Whatcom County, months before the games begin.

I would actually expect that travelers to the Winter Olympics will be looking for accommodations in many of the surrounding counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan, Snohomish and even King County. The border crossings are within twenty to thirty minutes from most places in Whatcom County and within an hour of Skagit County. I think that even if someone were to stay at locations in the other counties and had to drive an hour or two…it would be worth it to see a big event like the Winter Olympics.

Whatcom County is the closest U.S. destination to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and is expected to help out by providing available rooms to the traveling public.  While in the area, visitors to the games and Whatcom County will be able to enjoy this beautiful place we call home.  After all, It’s the experience that matters to many attendees, not just the Olympic sporting events.

LeBlond noted that the 1986 Worlds Fair Exposition, and the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Alberta were both catalysts to dramatic growth in tourism in Canada, noting that in both events, tourism rose sharply and never did settle back to the old growth trends.

With over three billion television viewers world wide tuning into the Winter Olympics our area will once again be put on the spot light and center stage.  I really believe that this whole area will see a boom time sometime between 2012 and 2015 following the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.  With real estate down here in the states going through tough times, right now or fairly soon would be the perfect time to look at buying Whatcom County real estate.  Time will tell, but one thing’s for sure…this buyers market won’t last for ever and we’ll soon be back to normal.

I’m going to post an article in a couple weeks about the bed and breakfast accommodations we have available in Whatcom County and some of the surrounding counties.  I will also later post about the rest of the available accommodations that are possible up here in the Northwest area of Washington state.  I’m hoping this might help travelers that are making plans for the up coming Olympics and for tourism in general to our area.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Bellingham Real Estate

 This morning The Good Morning America  show featured the gorgeous town of Leavenworth, Washington as part of it’s segment called “Good Morning America Lights Up The Holidays“. They did a live feed to begin the Good Morning America’s show in New York.

Leavenworth with it’s Bavarian village like town is celebrating the beginning of it’s Christmas time events. They were selected as one of the top 5 spots in the US for for the Christmas celebration.

Good Morning America host Sam Champion was live in Leavenworth.  To do the show though and have it live back in New York most of the people that wanted to be on the show had to arrive at 3am this morning and then taped it from 4am to 6am. the show was live here on the west coast at 7am this morning.

On Wednesday the Good Morning show visited Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for the first town in it’s Morning Holiday series.  From here until Christmas, the Good Morning Show will visit several other towns, but their locations are kept under tight wraps until the morning of the show. So I wonder where Sam is off to next…

Well…there goes my shot at buying a small chalet somewhere in that beautiful Leavenworth valley…(smiling). Actually in all fairness the Leavenworth WA real estate market has seen decent price appreciations over the last few years compared to the rest of Washington State.  Nearby Wenatchee had the highest home price appreciation rate in the nation, jumping 15.7 percent in the past 12 months.  But even with that said, it seems that home prices for Chelan County real estate seem to be pretty decent when compared to the average home prices in Western Washington.

Leavenworth really is a great little town to visit and with the Cascade mountains as a back drop, you really do feel like your in Bavaria.  If your planning to visit the area go to Leavenworth, WA - The Bavarian Village.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group Realtors - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Northwest Living

 San Juan Islands WA - Escaping for the weekend to the San Juan Islands after a short ferry ride from Anacortes, WA and arriving on Orcas Island to your home away from home.  Some call it their second home, but this can also be a great investment as well as a place to relax after a long work week back in the Puget Sound.

Homeowners, many of them baby boomers, who are realizing that just as a first home can be a tremendous wealth-generator, so can a second home. And equally important, it can provide something more valuable than mere money: A place to unwind with family and friends. A place to build fond memories. Whether your a current resident of Washington or planning to relocate  to Northwest WA, get out and explore the beautiful islands of the Puget Sound over a long weekend.

I can’t think of a better place to buy that second home than somewhere in the islands of Washington States San Juan County or Island County WA, to enjoy the serenity in life. When the weather is right there’s just no better place to be than on one of the islands like Orcas island, San Juan Island, Lopez Island, Whidbey Island and so many more destinations.  The San Juan Islands are a beautiful place to visit and would make a great investment for that perfect second home you might be looking for.

I have a client up in Anchorage, Alaska that has been watching the real estate market on Whidbey Island for over a year now.  When the right home and situation arises, he and his wife are going to buy a second home to enjoy for now, and once they retire, they plan to sell their Alaska property, relocate here, and enjoy their second home full time. 

The first of the baby boomers are starting to retire this year and I can see a wave of them over the next 10-15 years wanting to downsize and prepare for their retirement years.  Many of them in this area will be looking towards places like the San Juan Islands here in Washington State, or possibly relocation to islands with easier access like Whidbey Island, Camano Island, or maybe even Lummi Island, WA.

My family and I have taken several trips out to Orcas island and the surrounding islands in San Juan County, and its the magical allure that keeps us coming back. One of my favorite spots has to be on Orcas Island about 3/4 of the way up to the top of Mount Constitution.  There’s a great spot with a south west view, thats along the way to the top, where you can  stop and enjoy a view of most of the islands in this paradise.  You really feel like your in heaven sitting among the few clouds on a mostly clear day, an occasional plan flies by at eye level, a boat in the distance is in view with only its white wake to follow, and a Orcas Island resident bald eagle soars above. It’s an incredible experience that you want to bottle up and enjoy for the rest of your life. Yeah…I can see why some would want to consider the San Juan Islands for a second home or as their primary residence.

Second time home buyers are entering the real estate market more and more these days and buying up condos, small homes and yes…properties in the islands. The typical second home buyer tends to be in their 50s and 60s, more mature and financially stable, and have saved up for this option over time. Sometimes they recruit friends, thereby insuring a built-in social group in a new location.

There are many adventurous younger home buyers as well that are finding creative ways to get into that second home while still maintaining their current residence. Some great ways to make the purchase is to take out a line of credit for the down payment, find homes for sale offering seller financing, lease-option to buy, go in with a partner, or cash out other investments.

Mortgage interest rates have been coming down recently, hovering in the 6 percent range, and historically that is still considered low. Factor in the appreciation we’ve seen in real estate here in the Northwest, it’s very easy to take some equity out of the primary residence and use it as the down payment.

The real key to all of this is to take your time doing a lot of home work and researching the real estate market in the location your thinking of buying. When you find the location that works, find a real estate agent that knows that market and is willing to be patient, yet thorough in providing you the necessary details.  You’ll know when the right property comes along and everything usually falls in place. 

With real estate currently in a buyers market, It’s actually a great time to be looking in the San Juan Islands for a second home. Try searching for San Juan County homes for sale at San Juan County WA real estate. The San Juan County property search link site allows you to search all the islands within the San Juans and to save your favorites to private account.

For the high end buyers looking for a premium property in the San Juan Islands visit Street of Dream.  The site offers premier properties for the four counties in Northwest Washington. Check out San Juan Islands Luxury homes and Whidbey Island Luxury real estate.

Jerry Campbell | Muljat Group | Bellingham, WA | San Juan Islands Real Estate

Washington state’s wine industry has exploded in the past two decades, from fewer than 20 wineries in 1981 to more than 360 today. Washington is home to more than 30,000 acres of wine grapes, and the industry is worth close to $3 billion to the state’s economy.

Pockets of the state have thrived on the growing industry, with fine restaurants, inns and brick-lined streets accompanying dozens of wineries. Many wineries have summer concert series or wine festivals to draw both music and wine lovers to their region.

Evening Magazine lists several great Washington wineries in its Back Roads page. 

The following is a list of more Washington State Winery:

• Washington Wine Country
• Wines Northwest - Gateway to the Pacific Northwest Wine country wines and wineries of OR, WA, Id and BC.
• Wine Yakima Valley - Washington’s premium wine region.
• Washington wines quick facts
• Washington Wine Commission
• Go Taste Washington Wines

If your looking for wineries for the Northwest corner of Washington State you’ll find the information below very useful for your wine tours.

Up here in Whatcom County we have a few local wineries producing some nice quality wine as well.  Try these for starters: Dakota Creek Winery, Samson Estate Wineries, and Mt. Baker Vineyards.  Goto this link with Taste of Whatcom for more Whatcom County Wineries.

Skagit County features Pasek Cellars, Carpenter Creek Winery, Challenger Ridge Vineyards, Eagle Haven Winery, Tulip Valley Vineyards, Glacier Peak Winery, Compass Wines, and Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co.  A great place to stay while touring the wineries of Skagit County would be to stay in beautiful LaConner, WA and then tour from there.  One of my favorite places in LaConner is a bed & breakfast called The Heron’s Nest.

When visiting Island County, WA here are some wineries Whidbey Island Winery, Blooms Winery, and Greenbank Farms on Whidbey Island.  While touring Whidbey Island look up The Country Cottage of Langley for a nice bed & breakfast stay on beautiful Whidbey Island.  That gorgeous photo to the right was featured on the Country Cottage web site. While your on their web site check out the list of 20 things to do on Whidbey Island and an additional 20 great links called Whidbey Island attractions.

Don’t forget that Camano Island, as well as Whidbey Island make up the county of Island County.  Good place to start touring these islands would be with Whidbey and Camano Island Tourism site for all the links you’ll ever imagine.  For all your Whidbey Island real estate needs contact Jerry Campbell for local expertise.  He’s a great resource for information in the South Whidbey Island area, especially in the Freeland, Coupeville and Langley, WA areas.

This list of wineries would not be complete without naming some vineyards located in the beautiful areas of San Juan County.  San Juan Vineyards is the only commercial vineyard and winery on San Juan island. Started in 1996, had first harvest October 2000. They also have a great gift shop. Located on Roche Harbor Road.  Lopez Island features Lopez Island Vineyards, with their grapes grown organically on the estate vineyards.

Well enjoy your tours of the wine country and be safe in your travels here in the beautiful Northwest.  Here’s the advertisement part: Remember to visit our real estate site for all your Whatom County real estate needs here in the fourth corner of Washington state by visiting Bellingham homes for sale.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham Real Estate

 Fall has finally arrived here in the Northwest, one of my favorite times of the year.  There are so many things to do here in Whatcom County even as our warm weather slowly slips away. 

In writing this post I was thinking of putting together a to do list of things my family and I enjoy doing during the fall and see if we could work some of them into our schedule.  Then I realized that if someone were to travel to our beautiful area of the country during this time, maybe they would like to know what locals enjoy doing as well.  So here is a list of just some of the things one could also do while visiting our Northwest corner of Washington state:

1. Harvest time is a great way to visit one of our local farms and buy some fresh apples, pears, pumkins, squash, sweet corn, and many more vegetables fresh off the farm. Try this link for a list of local farms that sell their fruit, vegetables, jams and nuts at their farm stands - Whatcom County harvest time.  Another great source for local fruits and vegetables would be for one to visit the Bellingham Farmers Market located downtown. Lynden, WA has their annual Lynden Harvest Festival October 18 & 19, 2007.
2. Visit Mt. Baker and the beautiful drive along Mt. Baker Highway.  During the month of October one can enjoy all the autumn colors that fills the trees. The road travels along the Nooksack River at several points and on many occassions in September, thru November you might be able to see schools of salmon make their way up the river to spawn. Check the weather reports for Mt. Baker snow reports if you plan to travel farther up the mountain.  However, if your planning to go skiing or boarding, enjoy Mt. Baker Skiing because its one of the best ski areas in the Northwest.
3. Tour Western Washington University campus. The fall brings the arrival of  12,000 WWU students and the campus comes to life in activity. Once you find some parking, tour some of the architecture and art that covers this gorgeous campus and find out why its rated as one of the best universities on the west coast.
4. Take in live theatre at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. The fall is usually when things start to get busy at the Guild, so go check out their web site and take a show in. Mount Baker Theatre would be well worth checking out as well. Before the show try dinner downtown or nearby on the water front at one of the fine restraunts.  The Downtown Bellingham web site can help you on dining and shopping.
5. Visit Historic Fairhaven and all that it has to offer. So much has happened over the last ten years that if you had visited then and now, there would be a noticeable difference. The skyline has changed thats for sure, with a lot of buildiing going on in the District.
6. Walk around Lake Padden or hike one of the several trails that line Bellingham including the interurban trail, Whatcom Falls trail system, and more at Bellingham walking trails. Fall time is a great time to hike and take in all the wonderful colors of the fall in this beautiful area we call home.
7. Lynden Craft and Antique Show is held every fall during the month of October.  The event is held at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden, Washington and will be going on from October 18, 19, & 20, 2007.
8. Whatcom Artist Studio Tour will be held from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14, 2007.  52 artists participate in the 13th annual Whatcom Artist Studio Tour. They open their studios to the public for two weekends. The tour is a perfect venue to shop for fine art and craft, and see artists at work.
9. Try the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra which is celebrating 32 years of harmony with Whatcom county.
10. Lighted Christmas Parade and Sinterklaas, the patron saint of the Dutch, welcomes in the holidays each year as he enters Lynden at 1 pm atop his white horse, accompanied by his helper, Zwarte Piet, and Lynden’s Youth Klompen Dancers. Children of all ages are delighted by Sinterklaas’ visit the first Saturday of each December. The highlight of the day is the annual Lighted Christmas Parade at 6 pm.
11. Jingle Bell Run - 20th Annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk in Downtown Bellingham on the corner of Cornwall & York. Two-mile Walk; four-mile Run, held Dec. 8, 2007.
12. Enjoy some fresh sea food at one our local restaurants. Fall is a great time to enjoy fresh salmon, halibut, tuna and of course Northwest clam chowder.  There’s so many restruants to recommend and I really don’t want to leave any out. So, try the following: Anthony’s at Squalicum Harbor, Cliff House, D’Anna’s Café Italiano, Harborside Restaurant, The Oyster Bar, and The Keg Restaurant. Here are some links to other Restraunts in the Whatcom County area: Bellingham WA Restaurants, Taste of Whatcom, and Bellingham Restaurants.
13. For even more things to do this fall in Whatcom County visit Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.
14. Nearby you might want to attend the Leavenworth Octoberfest, the Skagit Valley Farm Tour, and just over the border in British Columbia one could easily put together another list with 50 more things to do. Instead of putting it here, just go to Vancouver, British Columbia Tourism and have fun.

Even though this article is written in the Fall of 2007, any of these ideas can be done in years that follow or at any time of the year for that matter although the festivals will vary. Most of the event items are at or about the same time every fall. What ever you choose to do while visiting our home here in Whatcom County, enjoy yourself and be safe. And although this area is just one little corner of the world it has a wealth of beauty and depth which changes with each season. So enjoy and have a wonderful adventure this autumn!

We also have some nice links to more local information including area towns, Bellingham neighborhoods, shopping, restaurants and much more at the Bellingham WA Homes web site.

Greenbank WA - Music, food, wine tasting, arts and crafts fair and fun are all part of the annual Loganberry Festival July 29 and 30 at the Whidbey Island Greenbank Farm. Located in the middle of Whidbey Island, the free summer celebration is held every year towards the end of July on both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conductor of Fun Jim Freeman has lined up a schedule of fabulous music co-sponsored by Whidbey Island Bank and Whidbey Telecom. There will be a break every two hours for a children’s pie-eating contest: loganberry pie, of course. The contest is open to children age 12 and under.

There is always some form of musical entertainment that begins on Saturday morning with some local vocalists and instrument artists as well. This year there will be the piano and harmonica rhythms of Natalie Schmidt.

The Washington Poets Association present poetry performances and an open mic on the stage by the Jim Davis House both Saturday and Sunday at the festival beginning at noon. The association presented the popular Burning Word Poetry Festival at the Greenbank Farm last April.

There will also be an opportunity for others to read some of their own poetry. The stage is co-sponsored by Porter Whidbey Insurance and Wallgren’s Les Schwab Tires. The stage is by the Jim Davis House.

The Whidbey Evangelical Free Church of Greenbank will again provide lots of special activities for children on the farm grounds both days. Tickets are a few cents to each carnival-like activity.Winemakers from Whidbey and the greater Puget Sound area will be assembled under tent to talk about their wines. Wines will be available to taste and to purchase by the bottle or by the glass to enjoy with lunch. The Greenbank Farm’s favorite loganberry wine and its sister loganberry dessert wine will be poured by local volunteers. All proceeds from the wine tasting go to support Greenbank Farm.

 Boise, Idaho - When tourist think of Idaho, usually their first thought is about the famous potatoes that are grown there.  The state’s tourism agency would like to shift that thought and let the rest of us know about their mountains, ski resorts, lakes, and rivers as well. Instead of the question where is Idaho? and what do people do there? The tourism industry of Idaho would like to get the message out, that Idaho is a great place to visit. 

Idaho draws about a third of its tourists from within the state, and the single largest out-of-state source for Idaho visitors is Spokane, Wash.  Another 12 percent of Idaho’s visitors come from outside the country, half of those from Canada. The remaining international visitors are mostly from Western Europe.

Tourism in Idaho is growing at 6 percent or more per year, and travelers in the state spent an estimated $3.82 billion in 2005, according to a study commissioned by the state Department of Commerce and released earlier this year.

Idaho Tourism officials believe the potential is unlimited, if they can get the word out, because currently not enough people know about it.  There hope is for steady and sustainable growth in their tourism.  Their also hoping that the coming up Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics will help Idaho’s ski resorts like Sun Valley, Schweitzer, and Tamarack Resort.

Idaho has been growing about 6 to 8 percent a year, which is not a bad growth pattern at all. Idaho’s tourism center would just like to get steady growth and get the word out about the great things to do in this state.

Idaho draws visitors looking for niches within the travel market, like great snow skiing, whitewater rafting, a bunch of high-quality golf courses, camping, food and wine tours, and lots of outdoor things to do.

Back in December of 2006 we wrote an article about the securest places to live  in America. The Boise, Idaho area topped that list by being the most secure large metropolitan area (population 500,000 or more) in the Country. St. George, Utah was the most secure small town in the survey (population of less than 150,000).

Potatoes grow where there’s high elevation, clear days, and cool nights. The things that make for great potatoes are the things that make for a great vacation.