Grand Coulee Dam, Washington

July 5-6, 2017

 Not all of the campgrounds we stay at are pretty...

but they are conveniently located to the things we want to see. This is Electric City!

Grand Coulee Dam 

We went on a guided tour of the dam. This was an interesting elevator; 

registering where you are by sea level instead of floor.

 The tour took us to the middle of the dam to get pictures from above.

The Columbia River below the dam

Gallon jugs from the symbolic water pouring

 Views of the dam at sunset

Grand Coulee Bridge

 View of the dam from the bridge

 Interpretive signs along the bridge walkway

View from the bridge in the other direction

Grand Coulee Visitors Center at night

Our viewing area for the lazer light show on the dam.

 They let the water out of the dam to form a water screen for the light show.

The show is held nightly at 10 pm and is a half hour long.

 Steamboat Rock is a great place to view the dam

Viewing structure at Steamboat Rock State Park

View of the dam and bridge from Steamboat Rock SP

View of the dam from Roosevelt Lake

 Roosevelt statue

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Banks Lake

 Found this "off the beaten track" place to launch our kayaks into Banks Lake.

Banks Lake is a 27-mile long reservoir in that occupies the northern portion 

of the Grand Coulee, a formerly dry coulee near the Columbia River, formed by the Missoula Floods during the Pleistocene epoch.

The water was refreshing and felt good on this 100 degree day. 

 Found a private beach to eat lunch and have a cold beverage.

 Drinking said cold beverage in the water.

Best way to spend the day!

This was a fun little side trip on our way to the Idaho Panhandle!