My friends and I have a tradition every year for Labor Day weekend. We all go up to “Paul Bunyan Days,” an annual celebration held in St. Maries, Idaho. Talk about a great time – during the day there is everything from a carnival with delicious fair food, tug-of-war contests, and logger competitions, to dirt bike and boat races and much more. Night time is when the real fun begins! They have the best firework show you will ever see and the bars are overflowing, with people and music spilling out into the streets. My favorite part is the “The Biggest Topless Bar in Idaho,” which is a beer garden with no ceiling or roof – it’s like dancing under the stars!

When we have danced until we can’t anymore, we usually head to our campground to hang out around bonfires until the sun comes up. There’s not a lot of sleep on this Labor Day weekend, but it has made some of the best memories I have with friends and family. One of the best things about going to St. Maries is that everyone is there to have a good time, which is amazing considering this town of 2,400 people has hundreds to thousands of people visiting for this one weekend. I can’t wait for the end of this week and hope to continue this tradition for years to come.

– Crystal