The Monroe Street Bridge spans the Spokane River in the heart of the city, above. Duncan Garden is a classical Eurpean Renaissance-style garden in Spokane’s Manito Park,
below left . (Photos courtesy of Visit Spokane)
BILL MALCOLM | Contributing Writer
BillMalcolm@gmail.com
Spokane is an amazing historic city situated in far eastern Washington that offers plenty of gorgeous natural attractions. With its very walkable downtown, the city combines an urban feel with the best of the outdoors.
The Riverfront Park, for instance, features huge, stunning waterfalls and the new 40-mile Centennial Trail, which starts in Riverside State Park and runs all the way to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
There are towering ponderosa pines that give the city a feel more of the Rocky Mountains than the Cascades. And the basalt-lined Spokane River features a lengthy bike and hike trail.
What to do
Make your first stop Riverfront Park downtown. The 1909 Looff Carrousel in Riverfront Park is nice, as is a Sky Ride gondola ride over roaring Spokane Falls. The huge waterfalls plunge along basalt-lined banks and converge as three rivers in a spectacular finish.
I’ve never seen anything like it, much less in a city downtown. It’s what makes Spokane unique.
Dinner at Sarnac Public House is great. Try the blackened salmon sandwich. Across the street you can grab a salad to go at the salad bar at the Market, 44 West Main. It’s a health foods grocery store with a broad selection of local beer and wine.
The Steam Plant Restaurant and Brew Pub at 1159 South Lincoln is also good. The restaurant is in an old steam plant built in 1916 that has been carefully repurposed. The salmon was excellent and served with a spicy sauce.
Visit Spokane’s oldest neighborhood, Browne’s Addition. It is accessible on the new Spokane City Line rapid express bus which runs every 10 minutes and makes limited stops.
The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is a must. Check out the new exhibits on fire in the Northwest and the West, Fire: Rebirth and Resilience. Check out the evolution of the Japanese Sword Exhibit along with Samurai Sunrise.
Also on now is Andrea Joyce Heimer: No Name That I Know Of. Heimer was a Washington-based artist who “reconstructs tangled memories of her upbringing in rural Montana.” Check out all the current exhibits at NorthwestMuseum.org.
Next door is the historic Campbell House which is included with the museum admission.
Built in 1898, it was designed by architect Kirtland Cutter. After your visit, walk around to check out the historic homes in this historic neighborhood.
You can enjoy Best of Broadway Productions like Hamilton at the First Interstate Center for the Arts, which is across the street from the Grand Hotel along the Riverfront Park.
Where to stay
I stayed at the Davenport Grand Hotel, one of the many Davenport brand hotels, which overlooks Riverfront Park. I had a room with a magnificent view of the river and points north. Everything was perfect including the lobby bar.
However, the amenity fee of $20 per night (which was subject to tax) and an unknown TPA fee of $5 per night (a city tourism fee) were both annoying.
The Ruby River Hotel is another option. There is also a Doubletree right along the Riverfront Park.
Nightlife
The nYne Bar, situated in an historic building at 232 W. Sprague, is fun. It has a display on the history of LGBTQ activity in Spokane. Friday nights feature a great drag show, and the food is good — especially the burgers. It’s a fun, local crowd.
The new Q Lounge next door is really fun. Local women own both. The Blind Buck/Globe Night Club at 204 N. Division is another great option.
All these bars are close by in the downtown area and walkable from the downtown hotels.
Getting there
I took Delta through its Salt Lake City hub. Delta offers great service, free WiFi and a great new terminal in SLC. From Seattle, you can take Alaska or Delta. It is a drive of just over four hours, and there is even an Amtrak option although the return hours from Spokane are bad (3 a.m.).
I took the #60 Spokane Transit bus for $2 from the airport to downtown. The line runs every 30 minutes and takes 20 minutes.
Insider tips/More information
Try the local microbrews and Washington State wines.
Salmon is on the menu everywhere in the Northwest, and Spokane is no exception.
You can find SGN in the bars along with a weekly alternative paper called The Inlander that is full of fresh local news. It is in print and online at inlander.com.
The Spokesman Review just went to a nonprofit business model but covers the local news.
VisitSpokane.com is your source for traveler information.
I really enjoyed my trip to Spokane and plan to return to explore nearby Coeur d’Alene and other attractions.
Bill Malcolm is North America’s only syndicated LGBTQ travel columnist who focuses on value travel and local experiences. He is based in Indianapolis.
