There’s nothing that reminds me of summer more than that distinctive campfire smell. Every summer, my family and I would travel to the Oregon coast where we would pitch a tent and start unloading our camping chairs and camping grills. Everyone would sit around the warm fire while we cooked hamburgers and hotdogs over the fire. I’d had barbequed food from the backyard, but it always tasted so much better coming straight from the fire pit. They were just store bought, generic hotdogs, but I swear I’d never tasted anything so great in all my life.

As I grew up, I started to try and get out of these Washington camping trips. After all, I was a teenager. Who wants to be seen with their parents when they’re a teenager? But secretly I really missed those summer cookouts, and I made sure when I had children of my own to reinstate the tradition. Now that my children are starting to grow older, I hear them grumbling about having to spend time with the family in a boring tent. I don’t get mad. I only smile, because I remember saying the exact same thing when I was their age!

This past summer I wanted to take our family on a vacation to Eastern Washington. I had visited Banks Lake a few years prior and thought it would be a great location to spend some quality time with the family before the hectic schedules of the fall began. Last time I visited, I had camped out, but with three kids, a husband, and a dog in tow, I felt it would be easier to stay in a cabin.

Fortunately, the resort complex we stayed in had waterfront cabins that sleep six comfortably and are pet friendly. The amenities offered in the Eastern Washington cabins suited our needs just fine and the views from the front porch were spectacular. A heated propane grill was provided, so we spent a lot of time grilling and eating outdoors, taking in all of nature’s beauty. During the day there were all sorts of water activities and hikes to be done. All in all, it was a memorable trip.

Despite living in Western Washington for nearly my whole life, I decided to go to college in Spokane, on the eastern side of the state. Before I left for the first time, I heard horror stories about how Eastern Washington was a vast wasteland with nothing to do. Admittedly, I left for Spokane less than enthused over the prospects of entertainment.

During my four years in Spokane, I came to appreciate all of that Eastern Washington has to offer. While it may not have the urban life of the Seattle area, there are exquisite Eastern Washington camping sites and opportunities to experience the great outdoors. One of my favorite places to visit while I lived there was the majestic Banks Lake, just miles away from Grand Coulee.