Dam good fun: Family-friendly roadtrip through Central Washington

School is letting out for the summer, which means families have a chance to spend a little more time together. Most communities have pools and summer programs, but sometimes it’s nice to venture a little farther afield. One option is to pile the kids into the car and spend a day — or a weekend — enjoying a roadtrip to a provincial, state or national park.

The Grand Coulee Dam is one of the most popular destinations in central Washington. An hour or two of driving is rewarded with a full day’s worth of free activities for the whole family. Start with the visitors center located right in front of the dam, then maybe take the free guided tour of the pump generating plant. It takes about an hour and tours start at 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 3:30 p.m.

For an extra educational boost, kids can do a printed scavenger hunt. For families who are into geocaching, there’s a three-cache challenge with a prize for anyone who finishes it, according to the Grand Coulee Dam website. Stick around until 10 p.m. (9:30 p.m. after Aug. 1) and see the laser light show telling the story of Grand Coulee Dam in spectacular color on the face of the dam.

Because of road work, there are traffic delays on SR 17 in Soap Lake on weekdays, according to the Washington Department of Transportation. Travelers from Moses Lake or Othello can bypass it by taking Pinto Ridge Road between Stratford and Coulee City.

In south central Washington, the state parks system offers several unique options at Potholes, Steamboat Rock and Sun Lakes-Dry Falls state parks, with swimming, boating, paddleboarding and other water activities, as well as some spectacular hikes and some of the best freshwater fishing in the state.

Remember that all state parks require a Discover Pass, which costs US$10 for a day or US$30 for the whole year and is good at all state parks and other state-managed recreational lands, according to the Washington State Parks website. Special discounted passes are available for seniors, the disabled and foster families.

A little more driving can bring you to Lyons Ferry State Park on the Snake River, where besides the usual park amenities the Lyons Ferry Fish Hatchery offers a visitors center where kids can learn all they ever wanted to know about the fish that populate our lakes and rivers. To the north is Palouse Falls State Park, with a spectacular waterfall that’s popular with artists and photography enthusiasts.

For folks who are feeling adventurous (and aren’t prone to carsickness), there are hosts of great places to spend a few days. Washington also has three national parks — Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic — that offer amazing views and educational opportunities. Volcanoes, glaciers, mountain streams and hiking trails are all salient features of these three parks. All of them have entry fees and some may take a little while to get into during peak times, so it’s a good idea to check a park’s website before hitting the road.

For those with pets, barbecue grills, trailers or other extras, it’s always a good idea to look to a destination ahead of time to see if there are special regulations. Nothing ruins a trip like arriving and finding out you can’t do the things you came for.

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