Olympia and Lake Chelan: Great escapes on 10 gallons or less

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Gas prices keeping you close to home this vacation season? Through Labor Day, Northwest Weekend is offering weekly ideas for close-to-Seattle getaways you can get to and back on less than 10 gallons of gas. And just to make it more "real world," our tips are fine-tuned to whether you own a big SUV or a gas-sipping hybrid electric.

The fine print: Our "demo" vehicles are a Lincoln Navigator, which can get you 90 miles away and back (180 miles round-trip) on 10 gallons, and a Toyota Prius, which can get you 255 miles away and back (510 miles round-trip) on 10 gallons.*

The Navigator getaway

Is Dad a World War II buff? Or does anybody in the family just likes things that buzz through the air at high speeds? Celebrate Father's Day at the Gathering of Warbirds staged by Olympic Flight Museum this Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, at Olympia Regional Airport (66 miles from Seattle). It has newer planes, too: You'll see a MiG fighter, a Cobra helicopter and more, with low flyovers (air shows 1:30 p.m. each day, $5). Plus, a little farther down I-5 in Rochester (83 miles from Seattle) on Saturday, June 19: Rochester Swede Day Midsommar Festival, with a parade, pole dance and meatball lunch (360-786-5595), and the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Model Search Competition at Lucky Eagle Casino (8 p.m., www.luckyeagle.com or 800-720-1788).

More information: www.visitolympia.com or 877-704-7500; Warbird event: www.olympicflightmuseum.com or 360-705-3925.

The Prius getaway

They actually do make a Yak rack to fit these cars — the hatchback-mounted MoJoe. So stick your bikes on the back and head to Lake Chelan (181 miles) for this weekend's (June 20 and 21) Chelan Mountain Bike Festival, at Echo Valley Ski Area. There's downhill, dual and cross-country racing, "Big Air" competition, plus food, music and a beer garden. (Or, June 25-27, there's the Taste of Chelan Street Fair). Plus sunshine, swimming and all that.

More information: For Lake Chelan: www.visitlakechelan.com or 877-440-7933; Mountain Bike Festival: roundandround.com/chelan/chelan.htm.

* Based on EPA highway-mileage ratings for 2004 vehicles: Prius = 51 mpg. Navigator 2WD = 18 mpg. Trips measured using MapQuest routes from Fourth Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle.