May, 2010

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Come to ArtFest 2010 and Celebrate Summer!

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

copyright Northwest Museum of Art and Culture

copyright Northwest Museum of Art and Culture

June 4–6, Browne’s Addition, Spokane, WA

Don’t miss the 25th annual Northwest Museum of Art & Culture ArtFest on June 4–6 in beautiful Coeur d’ Alene Park (located just west of downtown Spokane on 2nd Ave.).

Much more than your usual arts and crafts fair, this event draws 30,000 people to enjoy quality artistic works in several mediums, artisan food (plus a beer and wine garden), music, and many activities. In addition to seeing and purchasing some fine art from talented regional artists, you can see how the art is made through live artist demonstrations of soldering stained glass, pottery wheel throwing, yarn spinning, making art with recyclable materials, watercolor, and mixed media techniques. Who knows, it might inspire you to take up a new hobby! Fourteen great music acts will keep ArtFest hopping, with styles ranging from Celtic to blues to Latin.

ArtFest 2010 is a family friendly event, with marvels including magicians, stilt walkers, and “bubbillusionists” as well as the ever-popular Make It Art area (geared for ages 3+), where kids and kids-at-heart can have their faces painted and create and take home crafts such as fish windsocks, flower leis, jewelry, and fish prints. If you will be travelling to this event from out of town with children, remember that Stratford Suites Spokane Area Hotel will make your family comfortable and happy with private bedrooms, full kitchens, and 50-inch high-def. televisions with cable and DVD players.

copyright Northwest Museum of Art and Culture

copyright Northwest Museum of Art and Culture

ArtFest 2010, one of the Northwest’s most respected and dynamic art fairs, runs on Friday from noon to 8:00 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but on Friday and Saturday nights, the music will keep playing and the beer and wine garden will keep serving until 10 p.m.

Are you looking for a great hotel in Spokane? Whether you are travelling to ArtFest to display and sell your art or to experience it as a visitor, Stratford Suites offers you the best lodging value in the Spokane area and is just ten minutes from Coeur d’Alene Park. Call 509-321-1600 or 888-705-8877 for reservations.

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Posted in Art, Events, Shows, Spokane | No Responses »

Museums in Spokane, WA

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Visit Spokane’s museums to learn about the history of the region, view some excellent art, and have fun with the family. The museums listed below offer entertainment for residents and visitors alike. If you are on vacation with children, Stratford Suites Extended Stay Hotel is a convenient, comfortable choice for lodging. Two-room suites are available to provide plenty of room and privacy for families, and all of the large, beautifully appointed rooms have a full kitchen, so you can save by eating in.

Northwest Museum of Art and Culture

Northwest Museum of Art and Culture and the Campbell House

Known as the “MAC,” the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture houses an impressive array of historical and modern art exhibits. Summer 2010 exhibits include Ruben Trejo: Beyond Boundaries, Aztlán y más allá (Trejo, who recently passed away, was one of the region’s most important and respected artists); Living Legacy: The American Indian Collection; Harold Balazs (one of the region’s best-known artists); and Mestizo: Collections and Cultural Fusions.

Campbell House. Copyright Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

Right next door to the MAC, the historic turn-of-the-20th-century Campbell House is an English Tudor Revival beauty, with fully restored luxurious rooms that give you an insight into the life of the wealthy who made their fortunes in the region’s lucrative mining industry. Forty-five minute guided tours inform visitors of the life and times of the house’s original inhabitants.

Where: 2316 W. First Avenue
Cost: $7, $5 for seniors and students, children under 5 free.

Mobius Kids

copyright Mobius Kids

Got kids? Take them to Mobius Kids Museum and let their imaginations run wild as they engage in exciting activities with high educational value. Kids can learn about far-away cultures by bargaining at a Filipino rural town store, take control of city traffic signals to learn about traffic and bicycle safety, listen to guest storytellers in the Globe Theatre, create original art, and more! The museum averages over 65,000 visitors annually and is a top-tier children’s museum in Eastern Washington.

Where: 808 W. Main, River Park Square Mall, lower level
Cost: $5.75, babies under 12 months free (and yes, there is plenty of fun to occupy babies and crawlers)

Spokane Valley Heritage Museum

Visit this cultural museum to get a feel for what it was like to live in a growing Western town over 100 years ago. The Spokane Valley Heritage Museum chronicles 150 years of the city of Spokane Valley, WA, from its first settler in 1849 through today.

Irrigation Brings Life to the Valley Exhibit

Located in the last remaining township hall in the state of Washington, this museum features historic photos, inspiring exhibits, and fascinating artifacts.

Where: 12114 E. Sprague Avenue
Cost: $4–$6
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Posted in Art, Family, Spokane | 2 Responses »

Spokane Indians Baseball Kicks Off Season June 18 with Fireworks

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
copyright Brett Sports and Entertainment

copyright Brett Sports and Entertainment

Thirty-eight home games with fun for the whole family!

As summer approaches, Spokane baseball fans are getting excited for a fantastic season of cheering for the home team. The season opens on June 18 with a home game against the Tri-City Dust Devils, which will be followed by a fireworks show. The Spokane Indians, the Short-Season Class “A” affiliate of the Texas Rangers, thrill audiences every year with their combination of baseball and showmanship. Home games are played at Avista Stadium, which is considered the best stadium in the Northwest. As always, there will be audience participation games, contests, giveaways, $1 family feast nights, and, my favorite, fireworks nights throughout the season. As co-owner Bobby Brett said, “On a fireworks night, we will have 4,000 baseball fans and 3,000 fireworks fans.”

copyright Brett Sports and Entertainment

copyright Brett Sports and Entertainment

Whether you are in Spokane on business or pleasure don’t miss the opportunity to catch a talented, award-winning team that still maintains the fun atmosphere of small-town baseball that began with the first professional baseball game played in Spokane on May 3, 1890. Originally named only by the city, the team became the Spokane Indians in 1903 and has been entertaining baseball fans ever since, save for a few periods when the team was shut down due to national events. Indians stars from the past include Hall of Famers Stan Coveleski, George Kelly, Duke Snyder, Hoyt Wilhelm, Don Sutton, and manager Tommy Lasorda.

One of the best features of Spokane Indians baseball is affordability. Individual tickets are only $5–$10, or even less if you purchase a seven- to twenty-one-game package. To purchase ticket packages, go to the Spokane Indians website. To purchase single game tickets, go to TicketsWest.

If you can’t be there in person, the next best thing is to listen live online or on the radio at 1510 KGA Sports Radio or www.spokaneindiansbaseball.com.

If you are staying in the Spokane area for business, or traveling through do take in an Indians baseball game and check out Stratford Suites Hotel. It is clearly the best lodging value in Spokane! All rooms feature full kitchens, 50” hi-def. televisions, high speed wireless internet, and pillow-top mattresses and room to spare.

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Posted in Events, Recreation, Spokane, Sports | No Responses »

Trails in Spokane, WA

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Spokane’s motto is “Near nature. Near perfect,” and it is a fitting description. With seventy-five parks in the city limits and seventy-six lakes in a 50-mile radius, the Spokane area offers abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. The sunny, warm spring and summer months invite hikers, campers, fishers, boaters, kayakers, canoeists, cyclists, and bird-watchers out to play. There are trails for walkers, hikers, and bicyclists of all abilities. Whether you are just visiting for business and want to take an evening stroll through a beautiful rose garden or have time for a challenging day hike adventure, you will discover many options. Below are a just a few excellent, scenic trails.

Spokane River Centennial Trail, mile 29

Spokane River Centennial Trail: This completely paved trail, which is part of the 37-mile Centennial Trail that extends into North Idaho, generally follows the contours of the Spokane River, beginning at the Idaho state line and ending at Nine Mile Falls, WA. There are numerous parking areas along the trail, and it is ADA accessible and open to walkers, joggers, skaters, and bicyclists. Among its many highlights, the trail winds through 100-acre Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane and through Riverside State Park (see description below).

Riverside State Park: This 7,655-acre natural area offers visitors an in-the-woods experience without driving to a national forest. It is a wildlife watchers haven, with a diverse population of birds as well as moose, deer, bobcats, and cougars. In addition to the Centennial Trail, there are dozens of hiking, bicycling, equestrian, and off-road vehicle trails to explore, from easy to strenuous. Be sure to check out ancient Indian rock pictographs in the Little Spokane Natural Area, which is located about 6 miles northwest of downtown Spokane at the head of a pretty, easy trail along the lazy, meandering Little Spokane River. A moderate difficulty hike can be accessed across the road from the Indian Painted Rocks parking area. Another popular attraction is the Bowl and Pitcher, which features a 1930s-era swinging suspension footbridge over the Spokane River and spectacular views of the surrounding geologic wonders, located about 5 miles northeast of downtown Spokane. There is an easy seven-mile hike from here.

View from Mt. Spokane State Park

View from Mt .Spokane State Park

Mt. Spokane State Park (13,919 acres) is a favorite amongst local hikers, mountain bikers, and huckleberry pickers. The view from the top of the 5,883-foot elevation includes surrounding states and Canada. The forested park features stands of old-growth timber and granite rock outcroppings. Twenty-five miles northeast of Spokane, the park is beautiful and primitive and boasts 100 miles of hiking trails, 90 miles of bike trails, and 100 miles of horse trails. Trails tend to be challenging, with big pay-offs in gorgeous views of the surrounding areas.

Duncan Gardens at Manito Park

Manito Park is a 90-acre botanical paradise located in Spokane’s South Hill neighborhood. Here you can enjoy five 1800s style gardens, a greenhouse conservatory, and a large duck pond. Arguably Spokane’s most beautiful manicured park, Manito Park offers walkers, joggers, and bicyclists fragrant roses and lilacs, topiary shrubs, a picturesque stone bridge, lush lawns, and the peaceful Japanese Garden.

The Spokane, WA area offers a wide variety of urban, forested, and rural trails. For more information, go to these websites:

Inland Northwest Trails Coalition

2009 Spokane Regional Bicycle Map

Experience Spokane

Washington State Parks

When you are travelling to Spokane for business or pleasure, consider the affordable, luxury at Stratford Suites Extended Stay Hotel, guaranteed the best lodging value in Spokane. This Spokane hotel is located just minutes from downtown Spokane and the Spokane airport. All one or two bedrooms suites have full kitchens, pillow-top mattresses, high-speed wireless Internet, granite-top appointments, and all-leather furniture.

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Posted in Recreation, Spokane, Sports, Travel | 5 Responses »