While on vacation in Eastern Washington, I took my family to see the laser light show at the Grand Coulee Dam. From Memorial Day through the end of September, the 36 minute show runs nightly. A fireworks show is added for special occasions, like July 4th.

The show depicts the history of the Columbia Basin Project, the construction of the dam, and the Native Americans who lived along Grand Coulee’s banks. My kids were fascinated by the laser lights and probably absorbed much more of the history of the region than they did at the visitor center. When we got back to the Grand Coulee villas where we were staying the kids couldn’t stop chattering about the show. It was one of many highlights of our family vacation.

Living in the Pacific Northwest has given me a key appreciation of nature. As often as possible, I like to get out and explore the abundant natural beauty of the U.S. Right now, I’m working on visiting all 17 National Natural Landmarks in Washington State.

Thus far, I have visited Boulder Park, Davis Canyon, Drumheller Channels, and the Ginkgo Petrified Forest. Next on my list is Grand Coulee. The Grand Coulee is an ancient river bed that displays many geological events and time periods. Grand Coulee camping is supposed to be an incredible experience with ample opportunities for hiking, boating and exploring. The weather is really starting to warm up out here so I anticipate that I will make it to Grand Coulee soon.

Although the Grand Coulee Dam is a practical structure providing hydroelectric power throughout the Northwest, it is also a major attraction. It is both the largest electric power facility and biggest concrete structure in the United States. Named after FDR, the Dam was opened just months before the country entered WWII in 1942.

Today the Dam hosts tours and guided expeditions throughout the year. One of the most spectacular sights at the Dam is the acclaimed light shows that are accompanied by music: these shows run throughout the spring and summer. There are many Grand Coulee resort accommodations available for visitors, including campgrounds and RV parks.

One of my favorite things about the Pacific Northwest is the way the locals celebrate the natural beauty of summer and early fall each year. There are always a variety of festivals, farmers markets, bazaars, outdoor movie screenings and marathons scheduled to bring the people of the greater Seattle area together as one giant community.

Of all of these social, summer and fall happenings, my absolute favorite is the Rhythm and Blue Festival. Although this event is a bit outside the Seattle area, I still compare it to the rest. Such a comparison actually speaks wonders for the festival in that a rural-area festival can not only compete with, but trump a city one. Four days of toe-tapping music that sooths the soul is always my kind of time. I don’t stand alone in my admiration of this event; people from all over the great state of Washington travel to the Sunbanks Resort area to enjoy the soulful sounds of each R&B band.

While we’re well into summer, it’s still not too late to plan a vacation. It’s important to have a vacation at least once per year, after all, who can endure the monotony of everyday life without having a break now and then? One of the best spots to vacation in Washington is Banks Lake. While Western Washington will tend to have more than a few cloudy and even rainy days during summer, Eastern Washington is sunshine all the time, and Banks Lake is the place to be. There are hundreds of recreational activities to enjoy at Banks Lake and at the surrounding area. One of the attractions that tourists tend to flock to is Grand Coulee Dam. During the summer, the dam proprietors put on a laser show that narrates the westward expansion and the building of the dam. The dam is such a great attraction, that no Grand Coulee vacation is complete without at least one visit.

There are several other attractions in the area, and Eastern Washington is also a great place to partake in the local activities. There are often fairs, bazaars, and rodeos throughout the year in Eastern Washington, and these are activities that the whole family can enjoy.

Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. In the United States, it is the largest electric power producing facility and the largest concrete structure. It is the fifth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world. The dam is flanked by a popular Grand Coulee resort.

The dam was built under the auspices of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Columbia Basin Project for irrigation of desert areas of the Pacific Northwest and for the production of electricity. Central Washington’s Columbia Basin was a slightly over-ambitious candidate for a dam. The Columbia was by far the largest river anyone had ever considered damming. A Spokane group wanted a safer 134-mile gravity flow canal from the Pend Oreille River at Albeni Falls. And the original low dam design would have have been useful for regulating navigation flows, and for hydroelectic power, but it would have been too far below the top of the canyon to make it useful for irrigation of the fertile loess soil of the basin. The controversy over which project should go forward was a central issue of Washington state politics in the 1920s.

By the 1930s, after thirteen years of debate and several studies, and with the Depression in full swing, Roosevelt was eager for large public works. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the dam as a Public Works Administration project, and Congress appropriated funding for the low dam. Two years later, the authorization was changed from the low dam to the far more expensive, and technically challenging, high dam of today.

No trip to Grand Coulee would be complete without a stop at the Grand Coulee Dam. One of the summer highlights is the evening laser light show at Dam that is projected onto the dam’s wall.

The area around the dam has an abundance of camping options, including cabins, villas, resorts and setting up your own tent. Banks Lake campgrounds located around Banks Lake also offer many recreational options such as boating, fishing, kayaking as well..

This is the official launch of the Sunbanks Resort Blog. On this site, there will be informational articles, news, and more, all related to Sunbanks Resort, Banks Lake, and the surrounding area. Recently, the Sunbanks Resort launched a new website, SunbanksResort.com, that includes a new design, photo gallery, accommodations section and more. The launch of this blog coincides with the launch of the new website to give Sunbanks Resort a new and improved presence on the web.

Please check back often for more news, events, activities and more on the Sunbanks Resort Blog!