Review of the City of Spokane: ****1/2 (Day 38)
As I was driving down I-90, I realized I had a craving for a small- to mid-size city. Realizing that Spokane was nearby and that I hadn’t ever spent any time there, I decided to exit the freeway and check it out.
Eh. Enough with the Yelp review. I didn’t exactly see *all* of Spokane, either, just some of Riverfront Park, which seems like it would be better named “Riverstraddle Park”, but whatever. This is the area that was the site of the 1974 World’s Fair (also: Wod Fir) (the less I watch the Simpsons, the more interesting references to the show become). I kind of liked it. It was a cool blend of small-scale Central Park and ruins from 1974 that wouldn’t have seemed out of place in 1991-93-era Mittweida or Döbeln, although the people in Spokane were considerably more pleasant and there was somewhat less coal smoke in the air.
There were also some waterfalls and a gondola ride that seemed a little unnecessary. IMHO.
Bikeway/walkway through the park. The tower, I learned, was donated by Burlington-Northern.
Urban wildlife.
A loving homage to the Flintstones, which had been canceled only eight years prior to the fair…
Never quite recovered from that 1980 April Wine booking. I love ruins, especially recent ones.
Upper Spokane Falls. This is all right in the middle of downtown, btw (in case you don’t know your Spokane geography). Maybe I should’ve mentioned that.
Lower Spokane Falls and the purple gondola ride rolling on, defying critics who have labeled it “unncessary”.
Spokane kind of reminded me of Reno — IMHO, a good thing.
bkd
Nice – and interesting pictures of Spokane! Nice weather as well 🙂
You were there in ’74. Do not deny it.
April Wine played Spokane? I missed Roller played live!?!?!
The Spokane River is a pleasant river further west, too. No waterfalls, but some small lumber mills without an odor.
No odor?! Seems like a waste of a lumber mill if you ask me.
Spokane kicks ass! Class 1,2 and 3 rapids on the Spokane river! Tons of hiking and bike trails located all over the area. Mount Spokane within 45 minutes and tons of lakes! Great city with good night life in the downtown area. We have a great hockey team AFL2 football team 2009 AFL2 Champions, and the triple A baseball team for sports. Don’t forget the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
Looked like a very livable place. I was surprised by how pretty the drive was heading north out of town as well. (Although I’m pretty sure the Indians are only in the short-season A-level Northwest League.)
Would you mind if I used the first picture you posted as a reference for an ink drawing? I live in Spokane, but am housebound due to illness and can’t get down to the park to take my own pictures.