Honestly, I don't know if there is a singular summer experience that makes or breaks the season for me. Now, that's not to say that there isn't anything fun to do, I've just never waited all year for any specific experience in the sunny months.
Growing up, each summer was different. Sure, there were some of the same elements, like sleepovers, summer camps and swimming, but otherwise the season was a wildcard. One year when my parents bought a camping trailer we camped throughout Eastern Washington on the way to our final destination of Silverwood Theme Park. Another year, the most exciting aspect was a weekly walk to the public library and the time we spent reading the books we checked out.
Once I left for college, summers became even more unpredictable as the nonstop mix of schoolwork and actual work left little time for anything besides random day trips throughout the northwestern tip of the state.
Then when I finally got my first "real" job in rural North Dakota, the only fun thing to do was either drive an hour to the state's most populous city, Fargo, or stay in town and visit Wahpper, the world's largest catfish (while he may just be a sculpture, he's real to me). And as I moved to Spokane last summer, I was still figuring out what I wanted my life to look like, leaving little room for any memory-making moments.
But as I write this, I realize I've got the opportunity to change all that. After nearly a year in Spokane, it's become very apparent that this may be the city I decide to call home for the foreseeable future, and I'll be damned if I can't find something that leaves me waiting an entire year to experience it again.
Maybe I'll have a fancy tea party in Manito Park's Duncan Garden with all my friends. Or I could take a leisurely lunch gazing at Palouse Falls as I ruminate on my place in this infinite universe. Perhaps I'll attempt the world's most glamorous selfie at Lake Coeur d'Alene only to fall in the water on purpose, so I have something interesting to use as a caption.
I'd even settle for an annual visit to some of the best air-conditioned places in the region.
Regardless of what I choose to make the most of the season, I'm entirely certain I'll find it tucked away somewhere in the Inland Northwest. ♦
