Home » Travel » Washington State » Spokane of the Inland Northwest

Spokane of the Inland Northwest

© Jerri Brooker

When I think of Spokane, I think of sunshine. Snow in the winter, of course, accompanied by sunshine. For a gal raised in the western part of the state, this eastern Washington city with a population well over 197,000 is a respite from the dark winter skies and drizzle that hang out more in the Seattle side of the state. I'll take the brightness of snow and sunshine any day to Seattle's rain in the winter! Check out the snow!

Spokane's name, pronounced "spoh-KAN," originated from a native American Spokane chief, Illim-Spokane, "chief of the sun people," as early fur trappers knew him. The city was originally a fur-trading post. Dubbed Spokane Falls in 1878 when the plat was filed for a new city and incorporated in 1881, the name was then shortened to Spokane in 1891.

Home to the World's Fair in 1974, downtown boasts remnants of that event at Riverfront Park, home to Spokane Falls. Go to http://www.visitspokane.com and you'll see a photo of downtown Spokane and its famous 1909 Looff Carousel in the park. Click on the buttons below at that site to catch what the city's about.

I think Spokane identifies with "country" inside the city. Surrounded by pine forests, lakes and farms, it identifies itself as the "Inland Northwest." Its downtown streets are friendly, and parking really isn't a problem if you choose to wander downtown to see the sights or shop. The city has second-story covered skywalks over 15 blocks of the downtown streets so you don't have to go out in the weather in the winter. How hospitable can you get? I always appreciated that when I was in Spokane working in the winter and had time to shop.

What I like about Spokane is the casual attitude. Oh, you'll find pomp and circumstance if you look for it, but friendliness is what this city is about. Folks will say hello in passing on the street. If you go to a grocery store, restaurant or any kind of establishment you'll notice how friendly folks are. "Hey, I know where that is. You're my neighbor!"

Pretty neat for a big city.

Whether you're enjoying a great burger at the Sawtooth Grill downtown or enjoying Chinese food at the Cathay Inn on Division street, friendliness will follow, and there are lots of places to go.

Sights, such as Manito Park with its sister-city-sponsored Japanese gardens, Riverside State Park, former mining magnate mansions, the Cheney Cowles Museum with regional history and art, the John A. Finch Arboretum, Riverfront Park, the Spokane County Courthouse, to name a few, are many.