Come Celebrate Independence Day!

Roslyn 4th of JulyIt’s going to be a beautiful weekend in Upper Kittitas County for the 4th of July.  Beat the heat by taking a dip in Roslyn’s nearby lakes and rivers, or by doing some hiking in the shade of the Roslyn Urban Forest (trail maps available on the Roslyn Trails Alliance website).  While in town, you won’t want to miss the Roslyn Farmer’s Market on Sunday from 10am to 2pm, and Cle Elum will be brimming with activities all weekend long in celebration of Pioneer Days.  The downtown Cle Elum activities will include the annual 4th of July parade (10am Saturday), the Cle Elum Idol Competition (immediately following the parade), and a vendor and food court open all day.  Unfortunately, due to the hot and dry weather we are experiencing this year, the aerial fireworks display has been cancelled this year in order to ensure a safe holiday is had by all.  Nearby Suncadia Resort is also hosting a series of 4th of July Celebration Events, so you’ll have no shortage of options for celebrating the fourth!

 

Cle Elum’s 4th Annual Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt

Cute Easter BunnyEaster egg hunts aren’t just for the little ones anymore.   On Saturday, April 4th, kids and adults ages 12 and up are invited to Cle Elum’s 4th Annual Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt.  The event kicks off at 6:30pm at the Cle Elum – Roslyn Middle School ball fields, and the hunt will take place just after dark.  For $15 dollars per person, participants will have the opportunity to win some great prizes.  The lengthy list of prizes includes a week’s accommodations in Mexico, a 50″ Flat Screen TV, a Samsung Galaxy 4 Tablet, a propane fire pit, Seahawk’s jerseys, gift certificates to local restaurants, and more (click here for the full list of prizes).  This Saturday, grab your flashlights and bring your friends because the hunt is on!

Marimbas in the Mountains Dinner and Concert

Come celebrate the music of Zimbabwe at the 2nd Annual Marimbas in the Mountains dinner and concert at the Cle-Elum Roslyn Elementary School.  The evening will include a filling dinner of lasagna, caesar salad and garlic bread as you enjoy  Cle Elum-Roslyn’s Pembera Youth Marimba and special guests – Yakima’s Zuva Marimba.  Doors open at 5:30pm and tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets.com.  All proceeds benefit the Marimba program at Cle Elum-Roslyn Elementary School and Pembera Youth Marimba.

Marimbas in the Mountains Concert

Marimbas in the Mountains 2011

Rails to Ales Serves Up a Tasty Evening in South Cle-Elum

On Saturday, July 9th, the 4th Annual Rails to Ales Brewfest took place at the Train Depot in South Cle Elum. In total, 18 breweries, two hard cider makers, and a winery turned out to represent. Being a fan of hoppy beers, my favorites tended to be IPAs (Georgetown Brewing’s Lucille, Diamond Knot’s IPA, and the Snoqualmie Wildcat to name a few). There were some interesting discoveries for me as well (like the Dark Cherry Stout from Horse Heaven Hills Brewery out of Prosser). Of course, the Roslyn Brewing Company was also representing their lagers (but I didn’t get a taste because I had spent the hour before having pints at the brewery!). The Best in Show designation, decided by people’s choice ballots, went to Manny’s Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewing.

Musical acts included Bump Kitchen, Jumpin’ Johnny and Mr. E Band. Additionally, Maverick’s Steakhouse and Casino sponsored a dunk tank that beckoned volunteers from the crowd to be dunkers or dunkies. Food service was provided by vendors including 2R Bar & Bistro, Glondo’s Sausages, The BBQ Schacht, Rustic Root Catering, and Suncadia. As the sun began to set, we were feeling the effects of our festive afternoon, so it was nice to roll back into Roslyn via the free shuttle service provided by the brewfest.

The Cle-Elum Telephone Museum Connects You to History

There is a very good chance that you are currently reading this article on an iPhone or similar smart phone.  From that standpoint, it’s hard to believe how much things have changed since the first phone was patented in 1876.  It has been 135 years since that patent, by Alexander Graham Bell, but the history of the phone is frozen in time at the Cle Elum Telephone Museum.

Inside the museum (located at 221 East First Street in Cle Elum) you’ll see the evolution of telecommunications told through generations of phones and back-end switchboards ranging from 1901 to 1970.  Though it’s a fairly small space, it is the oldest complete telephone Museum West of the Mississippi.  This is particularly relevant because the museum is in the space that was once the Cle Elum Manual Exchange – the home of the last operating telephone switchboard West of the Mississippi – which connected its last call on September 18, 1966.

In addition to the telephone displays, the museum also features a collection of coal mining artifacts and displays from Cle Elum’s historical bank.  The museum is operated by the Northern Kittitas County Historical Society.  While there is no cost to visit; donations are appreciated.

Cle-Elum Opens a Disc Golf Course

The front 9 holes of Cle Elum’s new disk golf course (located in the Hanson Ponds area) held a grand opening BBQ event on Saturday, June 18th, 2011.  When completed, the entire park will occupy about 14 acres along the Yakima river. Though I went out to visit the sight, I didn’t have my discs with me, so I was only able to walk the course.  Still, the course appeared to be well designed to provide some fun challenges.

For those who have never played, Disc Golf has the same objective as standard golf:  to complete the course in as few of turns as possible.  However, instead of a hole, you aim for a basket; and instead of a club and ball, you use special Frisbees of varying weights and flight characteristics.  Disc Golf is becoming  more popular because it’s a great way to get outdoors and have fun, but it typically doesn’t come with the higher costs associated with standard golf.

Cle Elum High School Course

The Cle Elum High School also has a Disc Golf Course located in the woods beyond its sports field.  The key difference is that the school course doesn’t have official baskets.  Instead, it has painted posts that have been identified as targets for each hole.  The course could use a little love, as some of the signs and posts have toppled, but the terrain is great (plenty of obstacles, but not a lot of brush to lose your disc in).