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!

Moses Lake, Washington

June 30-July 4, 2017

Fourth of July Festivities

 We're staying at Grant County Fairgrounds during the holiday weekend. Lots of local festivities planned! The first event was a music fest at McCosh Park on Moses Lake. 

 Great local talent on stage! 

 Enjoyed the fireworks after the music!

Sunny skies and hot temps!

Plane & Car Show at Grant County Airport

B25 Bomber

Navy PV2

Cool Cars

This one is for sale

C17

Inside C17

 Dave found one of his squadran patches...VAQ 33 (Key West)

Seven decades of Naval Electronic Attack

Lake Lenore Caves

The caves are shallow, created during the Great Missoula flood 

as water pulled chunks of basalt from the walls of the coulee.

The "trail" to get to one of the caves

After the waters retreated and the caves had been created, 

early native people used these areas as shelters.

Nature's graffiti

Dry Falls State Park

3.5 miles of falls during the floods!

Had to stop at the Visitor's Center for a huckleberry ice cream cone

Soap Lake

The name Soap Lake came from the word Smokiam, an Indian term which translates to "Healing Waters." The tribes used the lake for healing purposes for themselves and their animals for many years before the area was settled by pioneers.

If you rub some of the dark, sulfurous mud from the shore on your skin, 

it's said to draw out toxins, and leave it feeling silky smooth. 

Dave gave it a try. 

Here's another guy who rubbed it on thick!

We brought our grill and spent the rest of the day on the lake.

Alkali Lake

 Our launch site

 Couldn't believe we had the entire lake to ourselves on the 4th of July

Wildlife on the lake

Bald eagle

 Immature bald eagle

 Immature bald eagle

Red-necked Grebe

Cows in the distance

 Cows grazing along the shore

View of the lake from the road

We were planning on staying in Moses Lake for a week, but decided to cut out early and head to Grand Coulee Dam for a couple of days.