Points Of Interest
The area around the Blue Moose Cabins has a wealth of places and points of interest worthy of your attention and fun things to see and do while you are in the region. The links below will give you a brief insight into exploring the Kettle Falls and surrounding area of Northeast Washington.
Kettle Falls Grouch
Many believe there must be a somewhat strange sense of humor existing here in Kettle Falls, because as you enter town there's a sign "Kettle Falls. 1640 Friendly People & 1 Grouch." Everyone that enters Kettle Falls and sees the signs at each end of town wants to know, "WHO IS THE GROUCH?".
Rather than single out one poor individual and name him/her the most cantankerous individualthe only fair way is to hold a election each year where area residents nominate their favorite candidate, the person they feel most deserves the title. BUT holding a simple, old fashioned election just wouldn’t do, not here in Kettle Falls. Each vote costs you 25 cents, and 
you can vote as many times as you want for your favorite candidate.It has been known "that these elections can be bought." It is even suspected that on occassions family and friends conspire to elect an individual or spend their entire inheritance and life savings just to get a fellow elected. But ... that would be unfair so there is reluctance to investigate the theory or officially confirm these allegations. All proceeds go into a community event fund.
In 2009 the 'Official Kettle Falls Grouch' is Leanne Pomrankey.
For a full listing of past Town Grouch ... Click Here
Cultural & Historic
Those looking for a cultural or historic experience should visit this area. Kettle Falls and the entire region has a fascinating history starting with the Native Americans who lived near the Columbia River and fished for salmon. Explorers from Europe and the newly formed countries of Canada and the United States explored rivers and mountains and drew up maps of the area as early as 1811. The Hudson Bay Company founded the first European community in 1825 near the river at Fort Colville as its primary shipping outpost west of the Mississippi. Mineral resources attracted Americans and Asians in the 1850s and within a few years, the county was one of the Northwest’s three top producers of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc.
As part of Washington Territory in 1863, Stevens County represented an enormous area covering what are now 13 counties of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. The current boundaries of the county were established in 1911. In 1938, Grand Coulee Dam became the largestdam in the world, backing up the Columbia River across the western side of Stevens County.
It isnt surprising then that in 2008, First Lady Laura Bush, honorary chair of Preserve America, announced the designation of Stevens County as a Preserve America Community. There is great local pride, increased local participation in preserving cultural and natural heritage assets, and support forthe economic vitality of our communities.
St Paul's Mission - one of the oldest standing churches in the State of Washington and registered in the National Registry of Historic Places.
The local community newspaper - Kettle Falls Focus featured a series of historical articles
The Kettle Falls - "Shwan-ate-koo"
Lake Roosevelt - A Wet 'n' Wild History
The Demise & Rise of Kettle Falls and Marcus
Want to ride a 100-year-old horse?
Over Sherman Pass traveling the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway travellers will drop down into the town of Republic between the two highest maintained passes in Washington, you’ll find breathtaking views, cool rivers and lots of history. But here is a real opportunity to actually ride some history. At the fairgrounds in Republic you can ride on their 100 year old hand-carved carousel. From 1992 until 2002, the carousel was restored in an ongoing community project that involved families, relatives and friends from all over.
In 1958 a group of local ranchers cosigned a $2000 loan to purchase a portable Country Fair style carousel, with 24 hand-carved horses, that they’d located in Tacoma, Washington. They carried it back to Republic, Washington in the back of a wheat truck. Through the generosity of local pioneer families and families with a long history of supporting the Ferry County Fair the carousel, originally built between 1895-1900, was restored and has become one of the favorite attractions for visitorsFrom construction companies donating buildings to children baking cookies, everyone helped to save the aging ride. The end result is a beautifully restored 1900 carousel the town proudly operates to the delight of children of all ages.
... A Little Side Note Trivia ....
Between 2,000 and 3,000 carousels were produced in the U.S. during the ‘golden age’ of wooden carousels” (late 1880s - to early 1930s). Of those, the National Carousel Association’s 2000 Census lists only 208 as still operational in the United States and Canada. Yep Republic has one of them (fully restored)
China Bend Winery
One of the wine world's classic maxims is "The quality of the wine starts in the vineyard." China Bend Winery has proven to be a popular attraction because of it's approach to wine making. China Bend Vineyards approach to wine making is with the notion that wine is food. Applying the principle of the most nutritious and flavorful foods, are those produced in the most natural and simple ways. It is one of only a handful of United States wineries offering wines made from organically grown grapes and the owners of the winery are proud to be one of the few wineries in the entire world specializing in 'unsulfited' wines.
China Bend unsulfited wines made are from organically grown grapes. The word organic is now recognized as being synonymous with quality. Organically grown grapes are, for starters, free of any chemical insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers which compromise the taste as well as being hazardous to the consumer. The owners of China Bend Winery, their vineyard, garden, unique winery, and kitchen were created to maximize the natural goodness and health-giving properties of our wine and foods. This dedication to natural growing and processing also brings out the fullest flavor of our products. This attraction is well worth a visit during your stay at Blue Moose Cabins and can be reach by car or by boat (a popular day trip for guests)