Spokane, Washington, is one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited in the Pacific Northwest.
It’s located near the border of Washington State and Idaho and is a fairly small but growing city. Just like my hometown of Tucson, Arizona, it’s large and growing, but quite small compared with their sister cities, Phoenix, AZ, and Seattle, WA.
Spokane is one of the most tranquil places I’ve visited. I’ve been to Washington every year for the past several years because I have family who lives there, and every time I fall a little bit deeper in love with the area.
Downtown Spokane is beautiful! It has old brick buildings everywhere, lots of street artwork and murals, and a fairly upscale mall.
Right across the street from the mall is the Spokane River and Riverfront Park, one of my favorite places in Spokane.
The city has recently completed some renovations at the Riverfront Park and it’s so nice and family-friendly now! There is now an outdoor rollerskating rink (or ice skating in the winter), water fountain for kids to play in, an indoor carousel, and a lift to take you high above the roaring waterfalls from a hydro-electric dam.
The waterfalls from the dam are one of my favorite parts of the park, where you can go to the base of the falls and it throws up water into the air, making the area look misty. Gray bridges stretch from one bank to another, with cars and people traveling across.
Throughout the park, there are paved walking trails that wind you around the area. You can basically just pick a trail, and you’ll end up somewhere beautiful and surrounded by greenery. Usually, after a yummy lunch at the Spaghetti Factory, I love taking a walk around the park.
One of the trails will take you to a small little amusement park. It lives in the park, but unfortunately I’ve never been to it when it’s open and many of the rides look old and run-down. I’m sure that it’s a super fun and booming area in the summertime!
The greenery of the region is one of my favorite parts of visiting Spokane. The air is so fresh and smells of pine, or cedar, or whatever tree/plant you happen to be standing near. Springtime brings beautiful flower blossoms, summers are so mild, autumn brings bright colors, and winters are beautifully covered in snow.
The people in Washington State are so friendly, too! And they really do wear flannel, which makes me laugh sometimes.
I would say that it’s not necessarily the cheapest place to visit, depending on where you go and what you do. I’m pretty good at being budget-friendly and it’s definitely doable. There’s lot of things to do outside, especially if you go to the nearby mountains and bring a picnic lunch. There’s also lots of more upscale options, like fancy dinners or outdoor adventures. It really depends on what you want to get out of your trip.
If you haven’t gotten the chance to visit Spokane yet, I hope that I’ve convinced you!
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Thank you for reading! Have you ever explored downtown Spokane, Washington? Let me know in the comments below and like this post if you want more like it!
Xoxo’s
Emmalee
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Emmalee Mauldin 