Brewster
Roger Harnack/The Chronicle
Cheryl Schweizer/The Chronicle
Brewster’s pool, above, features a waterslide. The Columbia River, left, offers a place to open up the throttle.
Brewster offers water sports and more Brewster is the perfect spot for vacationers whose dream is to play on and in the water. The city sits on the bank of the Columbia River, with the Okanogan River upstream and the Methow River downstream. The area offers boating, water skiing, fishing, jet skiing, water bird watching and a place to lie on the grass and enjoy a breeze off the river. An updated public boat launch accommodates dozens of boats, and the river is home to various species of game fish. There’s good fishing all the way from Wells Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, and still more good fishing on Rufus Woods Lake, behind Chief Joseph Dam. Rat Lake, north of town, is a good spot for winter ice fishing. The annual Budweiser Lowrance King Salmon Derby brings anglers to town the first weekend in August; participants can win both prizes and money. Columbia Cove Park sprawls along the riverbank, offering a beach for swimming and splashing, a dock for boats, gazebos for picnics and a playground. The municipal pool has a waterslide and diving boards.
Page 2 – Okanogan Country Vacationland 2011-2012
Al Camp/The Chronicle
Fort Okanogan’s site is marked by a sign and interpretive center. Columbia Cove RV Park, next to the pool, offers 23 full hookup sites and 18 overflow spots with electricity. Ospreys and eagles can be found by the river, hummingbirds and quail roam the neighborhoods, pheasants and songbirds live in the orchards and fields. The back roads are good for a drive, the hills around town offer
hiking and there are opportunities on public lands for four-wheeling, motorbikes and horseback riding. The 18-hole Alta Lake Golf Course and nine-hole Lake Woods Golf Course are within a dozen miles of town. July 4 will feature the town celebration, highlighted by a parade, activities and one of the biggest fireworks shows in North Central Washington. Brewster is in the middle of one of the biggest fruit producing regions in the world; crops include cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, pears and apples. Fruit warehouse tours can be arranged by appointment. Fort Okanogan, the first U.S. outpost in what became Washington, was established in 1811 just north of present-day Brewster. Brewster’s downtown is good for strolling. The city also offers lodging and shopping. Website: www.ci.brewster.wa.us Incorporated: 1910 Elevation: 820 feet Population: 2,200 Location: On U.S. Highway 97 near the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia rivers, about seven miles north of Pateros and 26 miles south of Okanogan
www.OkanoganVacation.com