Home

Well, today is my last day as an intern for the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce. The last ten weeks have really flown by and I’m not entirely sure where the summer has gone! I have very much enjoyed my time at the Chamber and had the opportunities to learn more than I ever expected to learn. From exploring Wenatchee, attending meetings, driving a golf cart, getting hit by a foul baseball and taking thousands of pictures, it has been a pretty exciting ten weeks.

I have really enjoyed my time in Wenatchee and getting to know the valley better. The shops downtown remind me of walking around Ellensburg, which makes me feel at home. And of course, I love the Farmer’s Market. Growing up in Yakima, I love going to Farmer’s Markets, but the fact that Wenatchee has a one going on four days a week is amazing to me. Having fresh produce available is something that we, in Washington, often take for granted. I had talked to someone who had recently moved to the valley and she said her favorite part of living here is the excitement she gets when certain fruits are about to picked. As before, she would just go to the store and buy any fruit, any time of year. To have the opportunity to eat fruits and vegetables locally grown and freshly picked is something we are very fortunate to have. We don’t necessarily think of seasons as spring, summer, fall, but rather cherry season, peach season, and apple season.  The Wenatchee Valley is a beautiful place and only time will tell if I will one day call it home.

Anyways, I would like to thank all of you for welcoming me into the valley. And a special thanks to the Chamber for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Craig, Rebecca and Diane, thank you for letting me join your team for the summer (and thank you Rebecca for sharing your officeJ).

I will be heading back to Ellensburg now to finish my last year of college (at least for now). I officially have ten months to figure out what I am going to be when I grow up, let the countdown begin!

~Celia

Are you looking for something fun to do on the weekend? Take a drive up to Mill Bay Casino’s Deep Water Amphitheater in Manson. So far the Summer Concert Series has hosted several concerts including Dierks Bentley, this last weekend.  It was my third time see Bentley in concert, and he never lets me down. It was a full moon night, and Dierks rocked the house.

The Deep Water Amphitheater at Mill Bay Casino is a great venue for concerts, seating only about 1200 people, there isn’t really a bad seat in the house.  I sat in the middle section and was able to see and hear everything just fine. It is also covered, which is nice for the summer nights when it starts to cool down. After the concert, fans had the opportunity to go into the casino and win a Dierks Bentley autographed guitar.

The summer may be starting to come to an end, but the Deep Water Amphitheater Summer Concert Series is still going full force. The rest of the summer series includes Blake Shelton, Kenny Rogers, Temptations & Four Tops, and Peter Frampton.

Tickets prices range from $35 to $125 and is open to all ages.  Schedule and tickets are available at www.millbaycasino.com/. Pictures from the Dierks Bentley concert will be posted on our Facebook page later this week at www.facebook.com/WenatcheeValleyChamber.

~Celia~

Last week, I visited the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society and got a tour from Jen. The humane society has a ton of great things happening for them. One of the biggest things is they will soon be building a new shelter because they have outgrown their current facility.

Did you know that the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society takes care of orphaned animals in all of Douglas and Chelan Counties? They have a big area to cover and they need your help!

There are so many ways you can help the humane society. The most obvious, of course is to adopt an animal. Everyone knows that the humane society has cats and dogs. However, you may not know that they also have birds, chickens, chinchillas, pigs, and the list of animals goes on! All adopted animals will be spayed/neutered and vaccinated. If you are looking for any kind of pet to join your family, check the humane society!

If you are not currently looking for a new member of your family there are plenty of other ways you can help the humane society. Become a volunteer. There are several ways you can become a volunteer. Become a greeter, kennel helper, foster parent; help with mailings, fundraising, and grounds keeping.

You can also donate quality dog/puppy and cat/kitten food, treats, toys, blankets, towels, cat litter, office supplies, and even your shredded paper!!

As if that isn’t enough, you can also support the humane society by taking your current pets to Club Pet Grooming and Boarding Kennel. Club Pet is a newer facility owned and operated by the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. All revenues help support the orphaned pets and other programs of the humane society.

Upcoming events include Java Station’s “Give Back Wednesdays” all of August in which a portion of each drink sold will be given to the shelter. Also, Great Harvest Bread Company donates $1 for every loaf sold on Mondays for “Dog Days of Summer”. In addition, Wenatchee Ag Supply will donate $1,000 if their Facebook page gets 1,559 Likes, so go like Wenatchee Ag Supply now!

To keep updated on upcoming events, see the “Pet of the Week,” and other adoptable animals, visit www.wenatcheehumane.org or like “The Wenatchee Valley Humane Society” on Facebook.

~Celia~

Are you looking for something fun for the family to enjoy this summer? Visit the Rocky Reach Dam!

For my weekly adventure, last week I visited the Rocky Reach Dam. The first thing I noticed when pulling into the visitor parking lot was the beautifully landscaped Rocky Reach Park. The park includes a playground, picnic areas, a turbine exhibit, and of course Petunia Island. Petunia Island consists of 8,000 colorful annuals carefully planted to form a design. This year, the design is a hot air balloon.

The first thing I did was head to the fish viewing room where you can see salmon and steelhead making their way through the fish ladder. There are thousands of chinook salmon, sockeye salmon and steelhead that travel the fish ladder every year, but they are seasonal so I only saw salmon during my visit.  I was amazed on the size of some of the fish that came through! The viewing room is evidently a popular place to be, with several people surrounding the five windows.

Then, I headed across the forebay deck to see the museum in the powerhouse. It seemed to be field trip day in the museum, as kids lined up to try a few hands on activities like turning a handle to see how much human energy it takes to power a light bulb. The Museum of the Columbia walks visitors through the history of the Columbia River; including geology, first people, and recent history. There are large windows throughout the powerhouse to allow visitors to view the powerhouse floor.

Afterward, I enjoyed a hamburger from the Rocky Reach Café.

The Rocky Reach Dam is a great place for people of all ages to tour. There is something for everyone to enjoy. If you have not visited the Rocky Reach Dam, I highly suggest it. Guided tours are available.

Pictures of my visit are available on our Facebook page: Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce.

~Celia~

Last week I went for a short walk on the Apple Capital Loop Trail. The 11-mile trail along the river is a beautiful way to get out and get some fresh air. Although I did not walk the entire loop (I might have to find a bike first), I saw people of all walks of life on the Loop that day.

I was surprised on how many people I saw for a Wednesday afternoon. I saw a family of four out for a family bike ride. There were young mothers pushing their kids in a stroller. There were older couples relaxing on a bench and young kids sunbathing on the grass. People of all ages were enjoying the warm summer day on the Loop.

Yakima has a similar trail called the Greenway, but it does not compare to the Loop. The Greenway is more wooded, narrow, and has quite a few hills, which can be challenging for young kids on bikes or rollerblades. The Loop is beautiful for its blooming flowers and artwork spread out along the trail. I like how open the trail is and seems to be relatively flat, at least on the part that I walked. I heard there are also playgrounds and swimming holes along the way, which I can imagine is a popular spot during the summer.

I plan to go back to the Loop and do some more exploring (remembering to wear more comfortable shoes). Pictures of my walk are posted on the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

Have any suggestions on where in the valley I should visit next? Let me know!

~Celia~