My plan for my big day trip was not only to see aviation related things.  Clearly that was the main focus but I decided to add some other stops to the journey.  One of these was to be the Grand Coulee dam.  Halfway between Brewster and Grand Coulee I was surprised to come across another dam and not a small one by any standards.  The Chief Joseph Dam was right alongside the road so I figured I had to stop and take a look.  Apparently it is the third largest hydroelectric generator in the US but I had never heard of it!

You could drive right down to the water under the dam and it seemed to be a popular place for people to come fishing.  A bunch of guys were spread out along the water looking for a bite.  I was more interested in the dam itself so drove down, took some shots and then continued on my way.  I then crossed the river and headed up the hill on the other side.

Near the top, there was an overlook stop for the dam so I figured another short diversion was in order.  Getting a look at the dam from the opposite side would give a different perspective on the structure (and add some pictures for any potential blog post!).  There was a picnic area up at the overlook and a terrace for people to get their pictures.  With a large family group over there taking plenty of pictures of each other, I decided to let them have their space and found a different spot to take my shots.  Again, a quick visit and then back on to my scheduled trip.