Welcome! Last week I shared some of my favorite things to do and see in my hometown of San Diego, California. If you missed that post, you can check it out here. Spokane is the other city that I have gotten to call home, and I have collected a list of favorite things to do.
Because I am who I am and I cannot deny it, here’s a little history of Spokane:
Spokane has long been a place of meeting and settlement, with people gathering at the Spokane Falls to fish for salmon and hunt in the surrounding meadows and forests. The city and the falls are named for the Spokane people, who speak a Salish language. “Spokane” means “Children of the Sun” in Salish. They have lived in the area for at least 8,000 years, and the falls have been a gathering place for many other groups of people who all speak Salish, including the Coeur d’Alenes, Kalispels, Pend Oreilles, Flatheads, Kootenays, and Collvilles. At the end of the 18th century, the Spokanes suffered from a devastating smallpox epidemic stemming from early fur-trappers coming over the rocky mountains.
In 1810, David Thompson of the Northwest Company began exploring the Inland Northwest. He established the first European settlement in what is now the state of Washington, the Spokane House at the confluence of the Little Spokane and Spokane rivers. As more Americans poured into the area as missionaries, miners, fur trappers, and settlers, tensions grew between the Americans and the native people’s whose land they were on. These tensions came to a climax with the Yakima War in 1855. While the center of this conflict was with the Yakima people in the Yakima valley in southwestern Washington territory near the Columbia river, battles were fought throughout what is now Washington state. The eastern portion of this war is sometimes referred to separately as Coeur d’Alene War of 1858. Signs of these battles are found throughout the areas east of the city of Spokane, including Four Lakes, and Latah Creek which was for a while renamed Hangman Creek after the U.S. army hung many Palouse people after the battle at Four Lakes. The creek has since been renamed Latah Creek, but the memory lingers.
In June 1881, the Northern Pacific Railway reached the town of Spokane, causing a population boom. In November of that year, the city incorporated under the name Spokan Falls. (Yep, that spelling is correct!) By 1883, an ‘e’ had been added to the end. In 1891, the Falls was dropped, and the city was referred to by its current name of Spokane.
In 1889, Spokane, like so many other cities of the era, experienced a devastating fire that destroyed 32 blocks. In the wake of the fire, downtown Spokane was rebuilt, including many of the beautiful 19th century brick buildings that still stand today. The late 1890s witnessed the rise of many notable Spokanites who have given their names to buildings, roads, and parks throughout the city.
Like San Diego, the World Wars brought in the military, although all that remains today is Fairchild Airforce Base, which is primarily responsible for supporting refueling missions. Much of Spokane’s growth stagnated at this point until the World’s Fair Expo in 1974. The World’s Fair catalyzed the transformation of Riverfront Park from an industrial train depot into a beautiful park in downtown Spokane.
Today, Spokane is the second largest city in Washington State (after Seattle) with a population just over 220,000. In 1880 before the city incorporated, the population was just 350. By 1890, the population was just shy of 20,000, and the city had a population of more than 104,000 in 1910. Today, Spokane is a regional hub for the Inland Northwest. In addition to train lines, Interstate 90 passes through the city on its way from Boston to Seattle, along with several major highways. The Spokane International Airport connects the area to cities around the country and Canada. There are three 4-year Universities in Spokane; Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, and Whitworth University, in addition to a health sciences center which includes Washington State University and the University of Washington.
Finally, the part that you have been anxiously awaiting: what is there to do in Spokane? If the hashtag #spokanedoesntsuck tells you anything, it is that Spokane has an abundance of things to do and see. The following are some of my favorites, along with any relevant links!
- Manito Park. This is a must-see in Spokane. A beautiful city park that was initially established in 1904, Manito now features 5 distinct garden areas including a rose garden and a Japanese garden. The park is beautiful at all times of the year, and it set in one of the historic south-hill neighborhoods. I highly recommend taking in the architecture along with the park itself! While you are strolling through the neighborhood, I recommend stopping at Rockwood Bakery on 18th Ave for some coffee and a baked good.
- Riverfront Park. Set along the Spokane River between downtown and Gonzaga University, this park demonstrates the history of Spokane. This spot is where the Spokane Indians would gather with their neighbors to catch salmon. Later, it was home to sawmills and trading posts for Americans, and by the end of the 19th century it was a bustling rail depot. In 1974, this spot was chosen for the World’s Fair, and the entire area was redone and turned into the first rendition of Riverfront Park. Some of the World’s Fair buildings are still standing, but the city has been working over the last few years to add even more attractions and spaces to the park. Just this past Sunday I got to watch a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream in the park put on by the Spokane Shakespeare Society.
- Riverside State Park. This park is a little bit further down the river from downtown and features several beautiful trails, including the continuation of the Centennial Trail which is a 37-mile paved recreational trail from 9-Mile, Washington, to the Washington-Idaho border. Riverside State Park also features the famous Bowl and Pitcher, which are large boulders in the river that look like, well, a bowl and a pitcher.
- Dishman Hills Natural Area. This is another great place to explore nature, and it has a lot of trails to meander through. The signs do not show as many trails as there are, be warned, but it is definitely worth seeing.
- Greenbluff. A very popular agri-tourism destination, Greenbluff is the place to go to celebrate fall in Spokane. (Although there are things to do in the spring and summer as well!) Greenbluff is a loop in Mead, Washington (northeast of Spokane) that features a variety of small, locally run farms. There are several you-pick farms for a wide variety of produce and Christmas trees, as well as being home to Big Barn Brewing and Hierophant Meadery (both of which I recommend).
- Kendall Yards Night Market. A fun twist on a classic farmer’s market, the Night Market is located in the newly revamped Kendall Yard’s neighborhood, just across the river from downtown in what used to be a rail depot. The Night Market features farm stands, locally made salsas, desserts, and candles, along with art, food trucks, and live music! The market is located just behind a portion of the Centennial Trail and has one of the best views of the sunset in Spokane.
- Thrift Shops. Spokane has some of the best thrift shops, and I am a frequent shopper because of this! My personal favorites are Northwest Christian Thrift and Global Neighborhood Thrift. Chances are good that in any outfit I am wearing, at least one item came from a Spokane thrift store, not to mention about a third of the things I own, including a fabulous blue leather couch.
- Book Stores. There are many good used book stores throughout Spokane. I love getting to explore bookstores and discover the next book I will add to my bookshelf and probably not read because I live too close to the library….what a hard life I lead. Two favorites are Auntie’s bookstore, a fixture of downtown in the beautiful historic Liberty Building, and 2nd Look Books.
- Get Coffee. Spokane has dozens of local coffee shops, many of whom roast their own coffee. Depending on your mood, there is a coffee shop for you. Some personal favorites are Atticus, 1st Ave, and Revel77.
- Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (the MAC). This is Spokane’s art and history museum, and includes the Campbell house, a restored home from the turn of the century. This is a great little museum with tons of fascinating information on the region, and also a great exhibit on museum work and restoration. They also regularly put on events, and have a gallery dedicated to rotating exhibits.
- The Garland Movie Theater. This is a super fun antique movie theater that shows discounted movies, and also features a bar so you can have a fancy cocktail to match your movie.
- Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. This is a really beautiful art deco theater that is now the home of the Spokane Symphony. If you have the chance to attend any kind of event at this theater I highly recommend it because this theater is so gorgeous.
Further Reading on Spokane’s history:
- History of Spokane Wikipedia page
- City of Spokane’s history page
- “Spokane – Thumbnail History” from HistoryLink.org by Laura Arksey
Julia Explores 