The summer months are ideal for getting out and about as a family, but spending quality time together doesn't have to break the bank or involve Pentagon-level planning. Nor does it have to be a nonstop thrill ride (although that certainly doesn't hurt). As you'll see, simply reading together over the summer can help cover the cost of admission to one of the season's most popular regional events.
CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE TOGETHER
When it comes to family activities, it's hard to go wrong with professional fireworks displays, and the region's Independence Day celebrations are guaranteed to bring the spectacle. The hard part is choosing which one to attend.Riverfront Park is a reliable go-to, with a whole host of family-friendly attractions leading up to the fireworks display at 10 pm. This year's event also marks the grand finale to the 50th anniversary celebrations for Expo '74, so there will be special community performances and an artisan vendor village as well.
The Sandpoint fireworks and parade hosted by the Sandpoint Lions Club is another great option if you're looking to enjoy a range of activities prior to the fireworks. This summer, their theme is "Back to Our Roots," which celebrates the area's historic links to the timber industry. There's a kids parade that begins making its way through downtown Sandpoint at 9:30 am. The main march follows a half-hour later. Then the festivities move to the City Beach, where you'll find food, drinks, raffle ticket sales, games and free ice cream. The much-anticipated fireworks start launching at dusk.
There's even a celebration that caters to families of sports fans. At Avista Stadium, the Spokane Indians are commemorating July 4 by taking on the Tri-City Dust Devils. Following the game is an augmented fireworks show commensurate with the holiday.
Also catch Independence Day fireworks in Coeur d'Alene, and many other outlying areas.
SPEND THE DAY IN CDA
For an evergreen family outing that lends itself to spur-of-the-moment planning, spend the day in Coeur d'Alene. There are scenic cruises of Lake Coeur d'Alene that depart Independence Point every day at 12:30, 2:30 and (until Sept. 2) 4:30 pm. The double-decker sightseeing boats make a loop around the scenic lake that includes shoreline homes, natural landmarks, wildlife and even some local trivia. Best of all, children ages 5 and under sail for free. Find tickets and other details at cdacruises.comIf you happen to visit the Lake City on a Wednesday, stop by the Kootenai County Farmers Market located on Main Street in Riverstone. In addition to dozens of vendors selling in-season produce, handmade crafts and hot food, the market also hosts the Power of Produce Club (aka the PoP Club). Geared for children ages 5 to 12, the club offers a free weekly activity that rewards participants with tokens to purchase fresh fruits and veggies at the market.
When it's mealtime, Hudson's Hamburgers is a reliable favorite for all ages. This classic family-owned burger joint has such a long and storied history that they were dishing up fast food half a century before the term even existed. (Remember to bring some cash!)
SPOILED FOR CHOICE
Spanning five acres, Spokane's Wonderland Family Fun Center features a ton of activities for the family that can't agree on one or wants to try a little bit of everything. Better still, its mix of outdoor and indoor spaces makes it a viable option regardless of the weather. Wonderland is home to a go-kart track, bumper boats, batting cages, a laser tag arena, a rock wall, a two-story playhouse as well as an arcade with dozens of video games and games that dispense redemption tickets for fun prizes. There are even two mini golf courses: the outdoor 18-hole Pirate Island course and the indoor 18-hole Treasure Island black-light course. When the family works up an appetite after all that recreation, there's pizza with assorted toppings available on-site and — for the 21+ adults, at least — a selection of bottled and on-tap beer. Admission to the park itself is free, and there are frequent bundle specials on select activities. Check out wonderlandspokane.com for more.
READING HAS ITS REWARDS
Reading is a family activity that you can make time for when you're in the backyard, at the lake, at the park, camping or in the car en route to one of the many events in this Summer Guide. And our local libraries provide some extra incentive to make reading even more rewarding. For example, the Spokane Public Library's Summer Reading Club enables kids and their grown-ups to earn free prizes for reading 15 days out of each month — even if they spend only a few minutes with a book, ebook, audiobook or comic on each of those days. The prizes include free books, ice cream or admission to events like the Interstate Fair (see below). Get details at spokanelibrary.org.The Spokane County Library District is taking the reading to you this summer with its LINC mobile library. This year they're adopting a Magic School Bus theme with related games and activities. You can find LINC at festivals, markets and other public gatherings. The SCLD also hosts Storytime in the Park in various locations around Spokane Valley every month. Find more info at scld.org.
If your stomping ground is North Idaho, the Coeur d'Alene Public Library has distinct Summer Reading Challenge programs for children, teens and adults. This year's kids theme is "Under the Big Top," and participants get prizes plus an entry into a raffle drawing for every completed four-, eight-, 12- and 16-hour milestone. Teens (ages 12-19) use punch cards to read toward free prize books, and adults mark their progress by writing mini-reviews. The program runs until Aug. 31, find a complete overview at cdalibrary.org.
NOW BOARDING: FLIGHT 509
Named for its hangar-themed design and its co-owner's love of air travel, the brand-new Flight 509 offers similar amenities to Wonderland but in an indoor Spokane Valley location. Through its doors you'll find a ninja warrior course, four lanes of mini-bowling, a 50-game arcade area with Skee-Ball and other prize machines, a VR room, a multilevel ropes course, Spin Zone bumper cars, an immersive laser tag experience, a ball pit and lots more. There's also a good-sized menu with several dietary accommodations at the Hangar Cafe. Kids as young as 3 years old can take part in select activities, and many aspects of Flight 509's facility were made to exceed accessibility standards like ADA and augmentative and alternative communication. Learn more at flight509.com.
ALL'S FAIR
With hundreds of commercial and food vendors, national-level entertainment, carnival rides, petting zoos, tractor pulls and rodeo sports like bull riding and barrel racing, the Spokane County Interstate Fair (Sept. 6-15) is an annual can't-miss event for families from around the Inland Northwest and beyond. This year's theme is "The World is a Fair" and ties in with the ongoing Expo '74 50th anniversary celebrations. Music headliners include country musicians Clay Walker, Eddie Montgomery and Ian Munsick along with hip-hop artist Flo Rida. And if you're looking for some offbeat activities to do as a family, check out the regular kids pedal tractor races and the racing pigs on the North Lawn. All the details on this year's festivities are at thespokanefair.com.
ZIP TRIP
To safely indulge your family's thirst for adventure, the region has a few zipline tours on offer, including Timberline Adventures out of Coeur d'Alene and Silver Streak in Wallace. The trained staff at Mica Moon Zip Tours makes it possible for you to soar above and swing through nearly 300 acres of tree canopy. The main zipline tour consists of nine runs that move from one treetop platform to another, with the final zipline run — affectionately known as Big Mama — measuring 3,500 feet in length. On top of that, this aerial trekking park offers Tarzan-style rope swings, rope ladders, ATV rides, a skybridge and even a treetop canoe ride. The tours near Liberty Lake are designed for experienced zipliners and newbies alike, and children as young as age 6 can take part in some of the activities. Learn more at micamoon.com.
THE PARK'S THE PLACE
How about a family activity that requires almost no planning, costs nothing and is probably just a short walk or bus ride away? All across the region, there are parks large and small: city parks, nature parks, hiking parks, grand parks, neighborhood parks, postage-stamp parks. And while you can bring a picnic or a frisbee, you might not even need that much. If you're timing's right, you just might bump into Storytime in the Park (see page 16) or Spokane Shakespeare Society performing the comedy As You Like It in Spokane's Riverfront, Manito and Corbin Parks (July 18-Aug. 4). ♦
