Blue Lake Rhino in the Coulee Corridor

As you continue south on Highway 17 from Sun Lakes State Park, through the majestic Lower Grand Coulee, you will come to a small, unassuming, resort called Laurent's Sun Village Resort. You can rent rowboats at this resort and the most remarkable thing is that just across the lake there is a small cave that was actually formed by the body of a prehistoric rhinoceros that was caught up in a lava flood when all this basalt rock was laid down during late Miocene and early Pliocene times (between 17 and 6 million years ago). Be sure to bring a flashlight and be ready to crawl into the tight cave.

If spelunking in small caves isn't your cup of tea, I suggest renting the rowboat, check out the cave from the outside and then take the kids over to Seattle to the Burke Museum where they have made a full size mock up of the cave from plaster casts and have a nice educational display about it. Laurent's also has a miniature golf course, park, camping, cabins, and fishing opportunities. To learn more about the lava floods check out the USGS website.

Good Clean Fun at Soap Lake

With a mineral content similar to the famed spa at Baden-Baden, Germany, Soap Lake has long attracted health-seeking visitors from all over the world. A gathering point for the Columbia Plateau tribes before white settlers came to Washington, the Native Americans called it Smokiam, or "Healing Waters." After World War I, the victims of mustard gas attacks developed a disease called Buerger's Disease, and Soap Lake water was the only known cure. A sanitarium was built to treat the afflicted soldiers.

The water is too alkaline to support piscine life, so leave your fishing pole in the car, lest you make a spectacle of yourself. (I have friends that "go fishing" there just to be funny). Brine shrimp and a few water bugs inhabit the water. Some of the locals will attempt to intrigue you with tales of a lake monster, but they are just pulling your leg.

Soap Lake boasts several gradually sloping beaches that make it very safe for little ones to play in the lake. And, because the water is so dense, it is virtually impossible to sink. You can float around all day with your head, hands and feet sticking out of the water (try that in normal water and you sink like a stone). When you come out, the minerals from the lake will dry in white water spots on your skin. There are showers on the developed beaches where you can rinse off if you like.

Another interesting thing about Soap Lake is: when the wind blows, the wave action on the shore actually whips up suds (see photo)! Soap Lake is at the south end of the Coulee Corridor at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 28.

Grant County Historical Museum and Village

For a unique museum experience, visit the Grant County Historical Museum and Village, a collection of buildings that have been furnished with fixtures from the mid- to late-1800's, when the building was in use. Children can sit at the desks in the one-room school; there is a country church, a log cabin, a complete authentic pioneer homestead, a print shop with press, a blacksmith shop with working forge and much much more. In addition they have a very nice assortment of antique farm equipment. Sheets blow in the breeze on the "solar clothes dryer" all summer long. The Village comes to life each June during the Sage and Sun Festival, with docents on hand to demonstrate old-timey stuff and answer questions.

Call ahead for hours and admission information. The Museum is located on the North end of Ephrata on Highway 28 (towards Soap Lake), at 742 Basin Street Northwest, Ephrata, WA 98823; 509-754-3334

Above, local children take a tour of the One Room School House at the Grant County Museum.

Season Pass Sale at SplashZone!

You've got to hand it to 'em - the City of Ephrata has built a very nice waterpark. It gets really hot in Ephrata in the summertime, so a swimming hole is a good thing. If you are more comfortable with chlorine and lifeguards, then maybe SplashZone may be the place you'll want to go to chill. Call for information: 509-754-3456 Located at: 780 A ST SE, Ephrata, WA 98823. Season passes are on sale until late April.

Oh, To Be a Skater at Ephrata!

If you prefer your fun on wheels, near the waterpark in Ephrata there is also a top-notch skate park. Another really good way to burn off all that extra kid energy! Visit the website for hours, rules, and special events.