Spokane should be at the top of your list of places to visit.
Washington State’s second-largest city has something for everyone to see and do. There’s also a noticeable sense of being worlds away from Seattle, thanks to a mayor who really wants to crack down on the kinds of problems plaguing the famous city of the Pacific Northwest.
I flew into the airport, which looks like a Spokane spaceship, a classic example of 1960s architecture, picked up my rental car, and checked into the downtown Davenport Hotel.
Saved from demolition, a type of so-called urban renewal project that has destroyed historic buildings in countless downtown locations around the country, it’s flagged under Marriott’s luxury Autograph Collection brand. The Landmark Hotel with its lobby is a stark contrast to the Parkade Plaza. At first glance, it may look like any other giant concrete parking lot, but it’s actually a landmark in its own right, a major draw for midcentury modern enthusiasts. .
A hugely underrated destination, the city has really been on the map since hosting Expo ’74.
By hosting the more famous World’s Fairs of earlier times and the direct successors to the World’s Fairs, Spokane was the smallest city to host such an event. Just as the Society brought the Eiffel Tower and other iconic landmarks to Paris, Spokane has its own iconic legacy.
Occupying land once devastated by industry and railroads, the once-neglected park straddles both sides of the Spokane River and surrounds the originally unnamed Spokane Falls. Here, take a gondola ride called Numerica Skyride and enjoy the scenery for his 15 minutes over the waterfall.
The twin minarets of St. Aloysius Church (a Roman Catholic church) on the Gonzaga University campus can be seen from anywhere along the river. Churches are worth a visit, but Spokane’s most famous church is Episcopal Cathedral, minutes from downtown.
Serving as the seat of an Anglican bishop, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is one of the finest examples of Gothic ecclesiastical architecture anywhere in the United States. Constructed entirely of masonry in the same manner as true medieval Gothic, Gothic believes it to be Gothic rather than his revival (Pugin would approve). The pointed arch is not just a decorative or stylistic detail. This is pretty impressive considering the fact that traditional church architecture at the time, built between 1925 and 1961, was outdated.
No visit to Spokane is complete without an adventure on its namesake river.
Several different outfitters offer trips ranging from stand-up paddleboarding to whitewater rafting to casual floats. I participated in a 2-hour float from Wiley E. Waters, which is easy even for those with no rafting experience. For me, he was completely free from over 100 degree temperatures during our visit in mid-August.
Other must-see attractions include the 98-acre Manito Park and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.
if you go
Enjoy dinner at Gander & Ryegrass (reservations required) and Anthony’s at Spokane Falls. Anthony’s offers stunning views of the falls and the iconic pavilion (the Eiffel Tower in Spokane).
If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have rented a car. You can get almost anywhere on foot or with one of the popular rideshare services. The only things you really need a rental car for are Mount Spokane State Park and the summit of Quartz Mountain, which rises 5,129 feet.
If you’re driving, driving from the Seattle airport to Spokane is about four hours. If you’re flying, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines fly direct to Spokane from major hubs.
Dennis Lennox wrote: travel column for Christian Post.
Dennis Lennox writes about travel, politics and religious issues. He has appeared in publications such as Financial His Times, The Independent, Detroit His News, and Toronto His Sun.follow @Dennis Lennox on Twitter.
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