Quincy Lake, Quincy, Washington

Your computer has probably been to Quincy, Washington even though you probably have not been there.  The vegetable farms around Quincy are still there, but new farms, called "server farms" built by companies like Microsoft and others have started in the area due to cheap electricity and favorable climate.

For those not familiar with Washington state, much of it is desert.  Now you can see why we so enjoyed Montezuma's Well outside of Sedona.

When my daughter was four we were coming back from Oregon when she read the welcome sign to Washington.  She only had one question "why do they call Washington the Evergreen State when it is always brown?"  It isn't always brown.

Wildflower season is now bringing the desert abloom with the yellow of balsam root, pink and white phlox and green grasses.  Shortly, in less than two months it will be brown.

There is a small portion of the state west of the Cascade Mountains that stays green due to the relentless rain.  We will visit there in late July and early August when the rain abates for a month or so over there.

Fishing and camping is the draw in the Quincy Lake area.  Camping is free with a state Fishing License or you can buy the parking permit for just $14.  The non-resident fishing license is only $48 and includes the camping and parking permit.  Non-resident fishing licenses don't came cheaper than this.

You can find a rock to fish from.

Take your rowboat and best friend fishing with you.

Or buy a bad, cheap cigar and take your float tube to paddle around the lakes.

The fishing is good in the area.  There is one lake with Tiger Muskies named Evergreen.  I suppose it really should have been named Everbrown, but whatever.  One lake ,named Stan Coffin, offers catch and release for bass.  Other lakes with bass and warmwater fish are also available.  Quincy and Burke Lakes have rainbow trout; while Dusty Lake is a selective fishery (no bait, single barbless hook for trout).  There are also other bass and trout lakes that require a short hike.

Here are the coordinates for Google Earth.  Just copy and paste in Google Earth.

47 08 27.44 N, 119 55 33.32 W

This is your waterfront boondock.  There are other waterfront campsites in the area and big rigs will fit in all of them.  It is very busy in March when fishing season opens and then use and camping declines after this.  In April, you might be the only camper in the area.  This site is only ten miles north of I-90, four miles from Quincy, and thirty miles from the metro area of Wenatchee.

In the spring, there are ticks, rattlesnakes and wind.  The wildflowers and fishing make up for those minor issues.

Until this year there were few rules or regulations.

Well, here they are for 2010: http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/wildlife_areas/public_conduct.html

and here is the link for the camping and parking permit: http://wdfw.wa.gov/lands/vup/faqs.html#1

Now the deserts of southern California and Arizona have their charms and attractions.  The desert areas of Washington have all that plus WATER.  Thanks to Grand Coulee Dam we have fishing, hiking, boating, camping and just plain fun in eastern Washington.  Come and explore the Washington nobody but locals know!

Wine Update......Just south of Quincy is Royal City.  Remember way back in our Napa Valley posts we were surprised to see a Royal City Winery have the second best wine according to Wine Enthusiast magazine.  We were worried about Royal City becoming another snooty wine place.

Our fears are unfounded.  Here is a brief sketch of the winemaker in Seattle magazine.  Oh, he won winemaker of the year for Washington state.   Royal City is in safe, sane hands. 

Particularly, since Royal City wines are made in Walla Walla.  As we said you should visit the Napa Valley since it is the Walla Walla of California.  However, if you live anywhere close to south-east Washington a trip to the real thing is in order.  We will cover that in a future blog.

Winemaker of the Year
Charles Smith
A powerhouse in the Washington wine world, Charles Smith (509.526.5230; charlessmithwines.com), K Vintners’ owner/winemaker, has been admired and vilified for his no-nonsense approach to wine—“It’s just booze, drink it!”—and his ability to create a buzz around whatever he touches. His Modernist Project is a collection of wines that show “varietal typicity” (i.e., Merlot that tastes like Merlot), as well as being affordable and approachable while young. The names of his wines are irreverent—Old Bones Syrah, Kung Fu Girl, The Velvet Devil Merlot, Boom! Boom! Syrah—and the wines themselves are just as in your face, or rather, in your mouth, with full-flavored fruit and an earthy and oaky intensity that have become synonymous with the dynamic changes constantly in play in Washington wine.