Grand Coulee Dam

Well, it was bitter sweet - my fourth and final 4th grade field trip to Grand Coulee Dam. McKenna and I had a long but fun-filled day yesterday along with 80 4th grade students from East Farms Elementary and about 30 chaperones. The weather was perfect and even though they call most of the middle of our "evergreen" state the Scablands, there is some beauty to behold there.

McKenna & her friend Shayla

At 8:00am we departed the school on two comfy charter buses (do you think I'd go if they were school buses?) and headed for Dry Falls. We took the long route through Davenport, Creston, Odessa, Stratford, etc. and the kids had to look for certain landmarks or landscapes along the way. Did you know that Harrington is located on a loess-covered island? Well, not the kind of island I was thinking of (tropical, wind-kissed, white sand oasis in the middle of the scablands would've been nice :)) but anyway...apparently rich soil instead of rock so great for farming. And those small, small towns...my friend and I determined that we could not live in such a small town!!! What if you needed a hospital? or how far do you have to drive for a loaf of bread? chocolate? Not to mention shopping?! Kudos to those that do. Dry Falls is always amazing - once the largest falls in the world (not sure how they know that because it was hundreds of thousands of years ago). But it had to be impressive. They said it would make Niagara Falls look very insignificant.

Dry Falls

Dry Falls


Steamboat Rock

Then it was on to the great Grand Coulee Dam. The kids were very disappointed that the glass elevator that takes tourists down to the innards of the dam was not working. It really is a cool tour but we were able to walk on top of the dam and learn many interesting facts from our tour guide and see the very large crane they use to work on it. We also explored the visitor's center and watched a short film on how the dam provided irrigation for the whole center of our state to become one of the top agricultural meccas of the Northwest. It truly is an amazing sight to behold if you haven't seen Grand Coulee Dam. Now, I would just like to catch the laser light show they hold there in the summer!

Elevator track going down inside the dam - steep!

Large crane used to lift flood gates and heavy equipment

On the way back we got to watch none other than "Ice Age 2" on the bus. After stopping for Italian sodas at Grinders, we pulled into the school at 6:00pm, just in time for me to rush home, get Aleah and head to the middle school for her band concert. Whew, all in a day's work!