July

Barrel Derby Days

Held in early June. Just how long does it take for a barrel to travel along the Kettle River from the Midway Bridge at Ferry, Washington to the Town Bridge of Curlew, Washington? In an annual event that's been taking place since 1950 (with a short hiatus in the 1970's), folks in Curlew, Washington challenge themselves and visitors to give it their best guess. Tradition has it that during Prohibition, bootleggers tried to slip barrels of illegal whiskey across the Canadian border and past Customs officials by floating their contraband down from Midway, British Columbia, along the Kettle River to the town of Curlew, Washington, where the barrels were reclaimed from the water. A few things have changed since then. Nowadays, a single barrel is set adrift at the Midway bridge in Ferry, Washington (just south of Midway, British Columbia) and the liquid in the barrel is just plain ol' water. But, the excitement that the crowd experiences as the barrel arrives at Curlew is as genuine now as it was then. www.FerryCounty.com/BarrelDerbyDays

August

Renaissance Faire

Ansorge Hotel Museum
Built in 1903 in Curlew, Washington (now designated a ghost town), the Ansorge Hotel still retains many of its original furnishings and all of its charm. Unlike most big-city museums, the curators of the small, but lovingly cared for museum, still allow their visitors to browse nearly every room in the hotel. Don't overlook details like the knotted rope ladders at each of the second-story windows. 509.779.4955

Antique Car & Truck Museum
Nestled alongside Hwy. 21 N., between the towns of Republic and Curlew, the Antique Car and Truck Museum provides visitors with the opportunity to view numerous antique cars, including a 1925 Howard Cooper (one of four built) and a 1926 Yellow Knight (one of three known to still exist). Also of interest, antique farm machinery and a blacksmith shop. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. No admission charge, but donations welcome. 509.779.4961

Curlew Lake

Nestled in the glacier-carved hills north of Republic, Washington, is a spring- and stream-fed lake named for the birds that once frequented the area. The serene, seven mile long lake provides visitors with wonderful opportunities for kayaking, boating, fishing, swimming, water skiing, canoeing, and sailing. The lake is home to an abundance of native trout and wide-mouthed bass, and is stocked yearly with legal-sized rainbow trout. A public boat ramp is available at the state park. Lake resorts also provide their guests with boat rentals and ramps. Fishing permits and gear can be purchased at lake resorts or in the nearby town of Republic, WA. Night fishing is also permitted on the lake. The lake is home to a wide variety of birds and animals, as well as stopover for a number of migratory birds and waterfowl. Throughout most of the summer months bald eagles, hawks, and falcons hunt from the skies overhead, while ducks and geese raise their young on the blue waters below. Because of the park's proximity to a small island lake where a pair of osprey raises their young, park visitors often have the opportunity to watch osprey fishing in the waters adjacent to the park.

Curlew Lake State Park