Memories can be made wherever you are

This summer, soaring gas prices and complicated work schedules meant our family, like many others, scrapped plans for an extended vacation and chose to stay closer to home. Instead of one extended trip we enjoyed several daylong and weekend outings. To my surprise, we found staycationing to be just as fun and more relaxing than an elaborate vacation.

Here’s how we spent our summer:

•By far, the kids’ favorite outing was lazy Sundays on the banks of the Pend Oreille River at Riley Creek or at the Mudhole on Priest River. Both campgrounds are less than a two-hour drive from our home. The great thing about day trips is there’s plenty of room for spontaneity – we could be out the door in a matter of minutes. We kept the cooler ready to fill with beverages, and a gym bag stuffed with beach towels and sunscreen. All we had to do was make a quick stop at the grocery store for fried chicken and we were off.

•The boys also enjoyed countless hours on Diamond Lake while staying at their cousins’ lake home. It’s a rare and wonderful thing to watch cousins grow up together. When these kids are adults I imagine a lot of conversations will begin, “Do you remember that summer …?”

We spent a glorious Friday rediscovering downtown Spokane and Riverfront Park. It’s challenging to find things that all four kids like to do, especially when they range in age from 8 to 18. But downtown really does have something for everyone. From taking a spin on the Carrousel to watching the “Dark Knight” at the Imax, to indulging in lunch and dinner out at our favorite eateries, we had a blast. For 8-year-old Sam the water feature at the park was “awesome,” while his teenage brothers had fun browsing at Boo Radley’s. Just after sunset we boarded the gondolas and concluded our day sailing above the Spokane River and sleepily enjoying the sparkling city lights.

•And what’s summer without a day at the amusement park that’s practically in our backyard? One Friday, we loaded the van, grabbed some cousins and set off for Silverwood. Our 16-year-old waited in line to be the first in our family to experience the new Aftershock roller coaster. However, his father and I preferred the more sedate activity of sunning and splashing at Boulder Beach with the younger kids.

•As the days of summer loomed to a close, the boys spent a weekend with their grandparents while Derek and I headed to Coeur d’Alene. We drove through my grandparents’ old neighborhood in Hayden, and past the place where Grandpa’s feed store used to be. The feed store is long gone and in its place are a fire station and a Napa Auto Parts store. Their house is gone, too. It was sad to see a coffee stand where Grandma’s grassy yard once beckoned.

I longed to see something that hadn’t changed. Tucked away in an old photo album is a black and white picture of my mom and dad roasting marshmallows over a campfire on Tubbs Hill. The photo is dated April 1951. I wanted to hike Tubbs Hill, but first there was someone I wanted to meet – the Stickman.

Stickman lives within sight of the hill, and each afternoon you can find him in front of his house whittling walking sticks. I’d read about his generosity at the S-R blog, Huckleberries Online. Sure enough, when we pulled up, he sat in the sun surrounded by sticks. In the last two years, this Vietnam veteran reckons he’s given away 3,000 walking sticks. Local elementary school teachers often bring their students to visit, and while we were there, several neighbor boys stopped by. He refuses money for his hand-carved gifts; he gives them away for the joy of it.

With our walking sticks in hand we hiked the treasure that is Tubbs Hill. Traversing the paths my parents walked when they were dating was just what I needed after our melancholy drive through Hayden. The hike followed by a burger at Hudson’s Hamburgers reassured me that some things never change.

So, we didn’t do Disneyland or even Seattle, but we discovered sometimes the best summer memories can be made without traveling far or spending a lot. All you really need for a relaxing staycation is a body or water, some sunshine and people you love. We were blessed with all three.