Sw7

Blame the volcanoes of the Northwest that sent so much lava roaring through this valley about 16 million years ago and set the stage. Or blame the glaciers of Montana for forcing floods, about 14,000 years ago, that carried in so many tons of rich dirt. Or you could just blame David Lett. He was the 25-year-old who rolled in from California 43 years ago with a trailer full of vine cuttings and a crazy dream about something called Pinot.

Names such as Claridge's, the Savoy, the Ritz and the Dorchester have become synonymous with everything that epitomizes the ultimate in English hotel keeping. Now a few other hotels, not as well-known, are rapidly becoming favored places to stay in London, catering to a clientele that prefers intimate, exclusive, off-beat establishments. Special hotels exude character, and the Stafford is special, a little gem hidden away within the royal arena of St. James' Place.

Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes and a scientist companion recently walked across the continent of Antarctica, 1,336 miles of snow and ice, dragging all their food and gear on sleds for 95 days.

In his first two seasons at Loyola Marymount, even as the Lions endured a 19-game losing streak, routinely suffered double-digit losses and twice finished last in the West Coast Conference, Coach John Olive remained optimistic, talking of brighter days ahead. Olive, 13-41 as a head coach, is still bullish about the Lions' future, but this season he is also excited about the present. "We have a chance to be a very successful team," he said.

[To our readers: Below is a list of vacation home rental agencies that appeared in the October 1997 issue of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, published by the nonprofit Consumer's Union organization. Please note that some telephone numbers or other information may have changed.] All agencies in our list rent to the public. We also provide information on travel clubs that specialize in vacation rentals, and directory sources.