It is really happening?!

Friday….. the first day of camps. I’m not going to lie, there were some butterflies. Was this a good idea? Will it all come off without a hitch? Will the campers be entertained and engaged? Will the food be ready on time? Will they like it?

Fears quickly dissipated as early camp jitters settled in nicely to a seamless flow of learning and laughs on the Stevens Center Tennis Courts. The Gonzaga Women’s Tennis staff crushed it, as we breezed through 4 hours of instruction and fun on court. Head coach Natalie Pluskota-Hamberg pointed out the exclusivity of the day. We were the first adult camp ever in the Gonzaga tennis facility!

After a tasty lunch to go, we headed to The Kitchen Engine for an amazing journey of flavor with Chef Ricky Webster. Ricky paired plate after plate perfectly as he told us about our locally sourced ingredients and how they paired with Spokane’s own Winescape wine. Ricky’s plates spoke for themselves, amazing creativity, and tremendous flavor. Although the food and wine spoke volumes together, I did encourage Chef Ricky toot his own horn a little bit to make the campers aware we were in the presence of a cooking legend. Ricky has won countless cooking competitions on various food networks and all-star challenges. Rumor is, you may see him this fall on TV competing yet again . If there was one lesson learned on the first day of camp…. If you’re doing a cooking class with Chef Ricky, you don’t need to eat lunch! We left stuffed, with wine in hand, to relax for a minute before our last activity of a fun filled first day.

Next up: the barrel room dinner at Barrister Winery. An experience that even the local campers had never tasted! Owner and winemaker Greg Lipsker greeted us upon arrival with his latest Syrah while we toured the winery and learned about its rich history. I have done this tour with Greg a handful of times, and I feel like I learn a new tidbit each time. While taking the freight elevator down to the barrel room, Greg let us know it had been years since anyone had dined in there, and he was looking forward to having us experience this exclusive evening. Beacon Hill Catering knocked it out of the park with their preparation, service and food. As our evening came to a close in the barrel room, we headed back up the freight elevator to catch the live music still going on upstairs. Greg had saved us two tables to savor our first full day of camp, truly a day to remember.