‘Tis the season

We’re in the home stretch of summer vacation now… back-to-school season is lurking on the horizon. But — hey! — summer’s not over yet. Not even close. Late summer and fall are a great time to enjoy the Yakima Valley (and surrounding region) without the blazing temperatures we saw in July.

Just yesterday, my family drove out SR 410 to Chinook Pass to take a little walk around the Naches Peak Loop, where the abundant wildflowers failed to notice it’s no longer spring. The colors were gorgeous!

I heard from several famililes last year who enjoyed our story on the hike to Umptanum Creek Falls. And, on cooler days, Cowiche Canyon is a great place for a kid-friendly walk without much of a drive. The last guided Hikin’ Around walk of the summer will be Aug. 20. Of course, the Yakima Greenway is also close to home and great for walking, riding bikes, etc.

Looking for something wet? A friend who visited the aquatic center at Moses Lake last week had a great time with her  two boys (ages 8 and 11). They’ve been to Silverwood Theme Park in northern Idaho several times… and had just as much fun in Moses Lake. Besides being closer to home, admission to the Moses Lake aquatic center was much more reasonable ($32 for the whole family v. $40.99 for one person at Silverwood) AND they loved being able to bring a picnic instead of being forced to purchase food from overpriced theme park concessions.

Here at home, this is the last week for swimming at the Selah pool, which closes for the season on Sunday. Yakima’s Franklin Pool will be open daily through Aug. 30.