This summer, the sky is the limit—literally. Taking in live music with the stars above. Sip wine with friends in a gorgeous setting. Learn a new skill, take in an exhibit, attend a play, go on that  family trip you’ve been meaning to take. Spend a night trying your luck at a casino or book a spa day with friends after eating brunch. Take a drive where the bison roam, learn a new skill, or even jump out of a plane. No matter what you choose, make this the summer to remember. Our summer fun guide is packed with ideas to get you started. Plan for a fun-filled, sun-soaked season.

ROW Adventure Center

This summer, pick your adventure, whether it be whitewater rafting, kayaking, bike & hikes, or fishing. Stay close to home by exploring the Spokane River, or plan a trip further away, such as Lochsa River. rowadventurecenter.com

Spa Ssakwa’q’n

Treat yourself to true indulgence at Spa Ssakwa’q’n where they provide a relaxing and unique spa experience offering premier spa services seven days a week. The spa recently celebrated its tenth year of providing therapies which rejuvenate the spirit and extinguish stress all while calming the mind. The spa offers an oasis for its clients, with a wide array of services, including premier professional skin care lines such as BABOR, Blue Beautifly and Naturopathica. All spa technicians are skilled at guiding your experience to address your own wellness concerns. Enjoy a Harmonizing Ayurveda Massage and enhance the experience with an add-on of their CBD Chill Body oil, sure to relieve muscle and joint issues. The spa offers a variety of massages, massage techniques, facials, nails, and monthly specials. cdacasino.com

The Circling Raven Golf Club 

Circling Raven is one of the finest golf courses in the world. Golf Digest ranks it as Idaho’s best public golf course. Circling Raven offers eighteen enthralling holes nestled among 620 acres of Palouse Region terrain. Enjoy a cocktail and bite to eat at Twisted Earth before or after your game. For those planning to play Circling Raven often, the Advantage Card provides many perks such as a complimentary round this season, free entry into an Advantage Cardholder tournament, ten dollars off the lowest greens fee for each round, supervised practice on the range or clinics with Circling Raven pros, and more. Don’t miss the Circling Raven Championship presented by KXLY News 4 Now. The Symetra “Road to the LPGA Tour” event will be held August 23-29 and features some of the finest women professional golfers competing for shares of the $200,000 prize purse. cdacasino.com

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel

Your great escape awaits in less than an hour’s drive. Revel in the beauty and serenity of this premier casino resort, with a championship golf course, world-class spa, luxury accommodations, award-winning cuisine, and the hottest casino games. The perfect mini getaway begins here. Three million-dollar winners have found their luck at Coeur d’Alene Casino which offers nearly 1,200 video gaming machines and high stakes bingo. Enjoy entertainment, including live music and comedy as well as hands-on tours and experiences through the casino’s Cultural Tourism Program. The property features six distinct food and beverage venues. Chinook—Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel’s signature “upper casual” restaurant—now features a menu infused with culinary star Adam Hegsted’s signature style. The updated menu puts a focus on ingredients that are available locally and seasonally with new salads, local Columbia River steelhead, and steak dishes. The menu was completely rethought, even down to the bread starter, as fresh asiago-pepper biscuits are baked immediately before service and served with a huckleberry-honey butter. The new menu also includes an updated cocktail program, adding ten craft cocktails that can be enjoyed while listening to live music at the Chinook Lounge. cdacasino.com

Skydive West Plains 

Experience the safest skydiving with the highest altitude, best thrill, and biggest plane in the region! Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho’s only full-service skydiving center, Skydive West Plains invites you to experience something extraordinary. For over thirty years, this family-owned-and-operated business has been providing an adventure like no other and it goes far beyond jumping out of a plane. From the laidback, friendly customer service, to the silly shenanigans between coworkers, to the open invitation to hang out and watch the sunset around the bonfire after the day is done…this is more than a successful business venture with over thirty years of safety culture and thousands of skydives behind the name. Camping, observation rides in the co-pilot seat of the plane, and instruction on getting your skydiving license are just a few of the opportunities that Skydive West Plains offers. The team at Skydive West Plains will show you the ropes with a tandem skydive progressing to a solo first jump through their integrated student program. Both beginners and experienced skydivers are welcome.

Skydive West Plains is a second home and chosen family to all skydivers and observers who enjoy watching parachutes soar through the skies, landing gracefully in a green patch of grass south of I-90, just west of Spokane. You may arrive thinking skydiving is a bucket list item, but you will leave knowing you have joined a fantastic community of skydivers who have all experienced the unique and truly life changing adventure of “jumping out of a perfectly good airplane”. skydivewestplains.com

Avian Hot Air Balloon Rides

Take in a bird’s eye view of our gorgeous area by booking a hot air balloon ride. Ballooning in this traditional handcrafted wicker basket is an incredible experience you’re sure never to forget. avianballoon.com

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

Explore the natural world through the eyes of one of the greats: Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture has an exhibit celebrating John James Audubon, whose depictions of the bird species of North America are the most famous ornithological works ever created. northwestmuseum.org

Maryhill Winery

A true destination winery, Maryhill Winery is located on the shores of the Columbia River near Goldendale, Washington. Maryhill Winery made its mark with a diverse portfolio of exceptional quality and affordable wines. Guests will be captivated by the stunning landscape and welcoming villa-style outdoor terrace. Tournament-quality bocce courts are available for visiting guests, as well. To experience Maryhill Winery magic closer to home, visit its beautiful tasting room and bistro overlooking the Spokane River in Kendall Yards. maryhillwinery.com

Olympic Game Farm

The Olympic Game Farm, located near Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula, worked exclusively with Walt Disney Studios for nearly three decades, filming many of Walt’s beloved Wonderful World of Disney films onsite and at other locations with their precious animal actors.  Among so many others, this includes The Incredible Journey, The Bears & I, and the TV and movie series Grizzly Adams. 

After the passing of Walt Disney & with Disney’s permission, Olympic Game Farm was open to the public in 1972. Since that time forward, Olympic Game Farm has become a haven for retired Hollywood animals and giving “in need” captive-bred animals a new loving home. Today, it is home to llamas, elk, brown and black bear, Tibetan yak, zebra, and even a herd of friendly bison who are all visible from the comfort of your personal vehicle.  Visitors can also say hello, wave to the bears, and view exotic animals like a lion, tigers, and cougar. olygamefarm.com

Spokane Tribe Casino

Head down to Spokane Tribe Casino this summer for events like Inlander Party on the Patio, Cigar Socials, Cornhole Tournaments and so much more.  

Three Peaks Kitchen + Bar is a can’t-miss with new menu items like Sesame-Seared Ahi Tuna and regular specials such as Prime Rib Wednesdays, Aloha Fish Fridays and $2 Drafts every day. Don’t miss the ultimate brunch every Saturday and Sunday, which includes bottomless mimosas, a Bloody Mary bar and irresistible items like Lemon Curd French Toast.  

The Casino’s expansion project is underway, which will double the size of the casino floor and expand the food and beverage options. There is so much to come with Spokane Tribe Casino! See everything going on at spokanetribecasino.com/promotions

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre Conservatory Summer Camps

The Acting Conservatory at Spokane Valley Summer Theatre is for students entering grades 2-12.  The curriculum, developed by Yvonne A.K. Johnson includes (among others) adaptations of Harry Potter and Friends, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Dr. Seuss and more! Advanced performing arts students study backstory, decoding the script, and character studies. The Conservatory is staffed by professional actors and choreographers from elite performing arts universities across the country as its faculty. These play-in-a-week camps are held Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-3p.m., with supervised lunch from 12-12:30 p.m. Performances are held for friends and family on Thursday afternoon. svsummertheatre.com

Hill’s Resort 

This summer, make family memories that will last a lifetime at Hill’s Resort, the ultimate family-run vacation destination! Hill’s is celebrating its seventy-fifth year as a family owned and operated business. In that time, Hill’s Resort has received national recognition from multiple magazines, as well as “Best of the City” awards. Awards aside, the real honor is having generations of families return season after season to enjoy quality time along the shores of pristine Priest Lake in North Idaho. Accommodations range from lakeside and forest view cabins to condominiums and chalets. The lake offers boating, water skiing, and fishing. In addition to playgrounds for the kids, the resort has beach volleyball, tennis courts and a pickleball court. There are trails for hiking and mountain biking, and the Priest Lake Golf Course is only a few minutes away.  Huckleberry and mushroom picking begin right outside the cabin doors, or take it easy and enjoy a picnic on one of seven islands on the lake. Hill’s award-winning restaurant offers cherished family recipes such as baby back ribs of pork with homemade BBQ sauce. Take a trip to the lake and check out Hill’s Resort, you won’t regret it! Hillsresort.com

The Clay Connection

Ever dreamed of making your own creations? Take a pottery or fused glass class at The Clay Connection. Learn from experts of the craft and find new ways to express yourself. clayconnectionspokane.com

Spokane Pavilion Concerts

Throughout the summer, you can purchase tickets for live, outdoor concerts at the Pavilion at Riverfront Park. The series is drawing incredible acts such as Death Cab for Cutie and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. spokanepavilion.com

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre 2021 Outdoor Season

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre is committed to restoring live, professional performing arts in the Spokane region, and will be offering a revised season in cooperation with the City of Spokane Valley – Municipal Government and CenterPlace Event Facility on their newly designed, beautiful West Lawn Plaza. This outdoor performance space allows for live orchestras and performers with audience seating on three sides of the stage. 

The 2021 SVST Season Lineup includes SVST Under the Stars!, showcase-style performances with some of your favorite SVST performers: Andrea Olsen, Steve Mortier, Patti Mortier, Michael Muzatko, Melody Chang, Darnelle Preston, Doug Dawson, and more! Emmy award winner Susanna Baylon emcees this spectacular SVST lineup.

This summer will also include SVST Rising Stars!, which will also feature showcase-style performances, this time with rising star teen and young adult performers. Come support your next hometown Broadway bound performer.

Last, but certainly not least, SVST will perform Little House on the Prairie – The Musical, which highlights the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family life from six Little House books. The story focuses on Laura’s journey as she grows from a child into a woman who remains true to herself and embraces the future.svsummertheatre.com

Northern Quest RV Resort

Northern Quest RV Resort—only a short trip to Airway Heights—is the ultimate staycation.

Pack up your RV and you’ll find sixty-seven luxury, oversized standard and deluxe pull through sites, and even plenty of cozy cottages for rent. Included in your stay is access to the pool, dog park, fire pits, and clubhouse. Enjoy complimentary WiFi, full hookups, and access to laundry. Best of all, you’re just steps away from casino gaming, movie theaters, top-shelf entertainment, and over a dozen dining options. northernquest.com

10th annual Pepsi Outdoor Summer Concerts

Live music is back with a bang, and you must check out the star-studded lineup for Northern Quest Resort & Casino’s 10th annual Pepsi Outdoor Summer Concerts. There’s something for everyone on this list, and it all takes place at the BECU Live outdoor concert venue, complete with breathtaking sunsets and great views from any seat.

The lineup includes comedian Jeff Dunham as well as Rodney Carrington, rap artist Ice Cube, Motown legend Smokey Robinson, punk rock great Billy Idol, country star Brantley Gilbert, Collective Soul & Better than Ezra with special guest Tonic, Dierks Bentley, Foreigner, Sammy Hagar & The Circle, The Who front man and founder Roger Daltrey, Sublime with Rome/Lifehouse, Darius Rucker, and Old Dominion with Caitlyn Smith.

northernquest.com