Steve and Rosalie Robertson, both in their early 70’s, are prime examples of retirees living full and meaningful lives. Hang around this couple from Spokane Valley a while and you’ll be asking, “What are they doing to stay so young and vibrant?”  They will tell you that much of their happiness and wholeness comes from giving back to the community – they volunteer.

Although Peggy Best has been painting as a professional artist for just seven years, art has always been her focus. Fortunately for her she has that interest as a business, Artful Illusions, creating murals and custom wall finishes, as well as custom painting furniture and color consulting.

The excitement surrounding First Night is palpable. With more than 30,000 people expected, it’s Spokane’s biggest party.

Opera lovers, culture hounds and even those unfamiliar with the musical genre will find a source of entertainment in the Spokane Opera’s 2008-09 season.

Irene Supica is getting ready to have a few friends over for dinner—a few thousand friends, to be exact. She and her fellow congregants at Spokane’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church have been preparing for the 73rd Annual Greek Dinner Festival since right after Easter.

Festival brings 8 days of live music by the lake. For eight days every August, the small town of Sandpoint transforms its waterfront football field into a concert venue unlike any other. At the annual Festival at Sandpoint, musicians perform under a giant tent lined with tiny lights that twinkle as the moon rises over the mountains across the lake. Concertgoers—some of whom arrive hours early to snag the best spots—spread out on the field in front of the stage, often toting coolers with elaborate feasts and fine wines. The cooler-less head off to Festival Street, a line of food and drink vendors under smaller tents that provides both samples of the fare from some of Sandpoint’s best restaurants and opportunities to buy ice cream or pizza to support local schools and other causes.

Outdoor movies prove to be popular on hot summer nights. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman crack jokes in “Galaxy Quest” as it plays on the side of the building. You relax under the stars in your favorite lawn chair surrounded by 400 fellow cinema aficionados. Yes, there’s even popcorn and cold soda. Ahhh, the warm summer evenings are back, and so is the South Perry Summer Theater.

This summer, Inland Northwest residents won’t have to buy a plane ticket to New York City for Broadway-type entertainment.

In a groundbreaking performance lineup, the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre is bringing internationally acclaimed “Les Misérables,” as well as three other hit musicals, to North Idaho.

“We’re their Broadway in their very own backyard,” says Grant Smith, managing director for the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. “It’s going to be a huge season. It’s the largest one we’ve ever had.”

Some say old-fashioned hospitality has gone the way of the covered wagon. But Scott and Pamela Brownlee say good ol’ hospitality—and the covered wagon, for that matter—still can be found at their Inland Northwest homestead. The Brownlees own and operate the Rockin’ B Ranch. Located on the Washington-Idaho border just off Interstate 90, the ranch offers family-friendly entertainment and food in the form of cowboy supper shows.

Readers and writers of all ages revel in reading, literature and the exchange of ideas.

People are reading and writing more today than they ever have before, says Ivar Nelson, director of Eastern Washington University Press.
Compared to just a few decades ago—when you had to take a class to learn to type—we have experienced an explosion of the written word through communication technology like e-mail, blogs, message boards and text messaging.