Love watching car or motorbike racing? Get in on the live action at Spokane County Raceway. Jet cars, local drags, funny cars, and bikes roar all summer and fall, including a NASCAR weekend in September.
This weekend, you can watch or participate in the Super Chevy Show, with races (Chevy-bodied or Chevy-powered only), a car show, and a swap meet to find and trade parts, racing paraphernalia, cars, or whatever. This is a great show to take Dad to or for a date with a Chevy fan. The show runs July 29–31 (but the evening of July 29 is scheduled for $4 Friday night stock car racing). See the schedule for details. Spectator tickets are $25 per day or $40 for a weekend pass. Kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult.
August 20 is the Napa Night of Fire, where you can see jet car racing at night. Click here for a video. September 2 and 3, NASCAR comes to Spokane for the K&N Pro Series West, and the WMDRA Fall Nationals will be held on September 24–25. In between, there are Wednesday and Friday night drags plus a full schedule of other racing events. Visit the website for schedules for drag, road course, and oval track racing. Generally, tickets are available at the gate, but for special events, like NASCAR, tickets may be purchased in advance.
Spokane County Raceway is located in Airway Heights (750 N. Hayford Road), just minutes from the Spokane Airport. If you are travelling to see the races, Stratford Suites, the Spokane area’s best lodging value, is located very close by and features silent air conditioning and 50” hi-def. televisions for a comfortable stay.
It finally feels like summer here in the Inland Northwest. Kids are out of school and looking for some summer fun activities, and grown-ups love summer outdoor fun, too, so it’s time for splashing, playing, and sliding through the water in the sun. Here is a list of some of the best water park and pool options in the Spokane, WA area, whether you just want to spend an hour or two at a city facility or would like to make a full day’s trip to one of the bigger parks. Most are open daily, but check the websites for specific hours. Note: Wild Waters in Coeur d’Alene, ID is closed for the season.
A brand new slide just opened today at Boulder Beach! Ricochet Rapids is a family raft ride that includes side-to-side sliding through a 20-foot diameter tube and sharp turns and drops aboard a raft with five other people. The park also offers two large wave pools, a 650-foot raft slide, tube sliding, high speed water slide towers, a slow-moving tube creek ride, and two play areas just for smaller children. Ticket price includes admission to the many attractions at Silverwood: $41.99 general admission and $21.99 youth 3–7 and seniors over 65. Keep in mind that Silverwood does not allow outside food and drink in the park. Restaurants and concessions are on site. Silverwood and Boulder Beach are located in the same large complex just north of Coeur d’Alene on Highway 95 in North Idaho.
Money-saving tips: Buy your admission tickets before you go at Costco. As of this writing, they were $34.99 for general admission. If you want to make a weekend of your trip, stay in the area (Stay in Coeur d’Alene or, if you want to stay in Spokane, Stratford Suites, near the Spokane airport with easy freeway access, offers beautiful one- or two-bedroom suites with full kitchens for families) and go to the Silverwood side of the park one day and the Boulder Beach park one day. Silverwood offers a 20% discount for two-day passes, but they must be used on consecutive days.
A long-time local favorite, Splash Down (11127 E. Mission) has been a fun place for families for 26 years. New this year is “Splashketball” basketball competition in which the loser gets soaked, new barbeques (you can bring your own picnic food and drink!), and Frisbee golf. You can also soak your friends in “Water Wars” with water balloon launchers. Several different water slides provide plenty of thrills, including the “Fast Ball,” which clocks your speed as you freefall down six stories. Splash Down also features an area just for small children with kiddie pools and small slides. Bonus: Thursday evenings, there is live music! Local reports indicate that the lines at Splash Down move quickly, so you won’t be standing around in a wet bathing suit waiting for each slide.
Admission is $13.99 for juniors 48” and under, $16.99 for those over 48”, and free for seniors 65+ and little ones 3 and under. Chaperones who just want to watch can turn in their dry admission wristbands at the end of the day for a $7 refund. Concessions are on site.
This water park has just one big slide, but it has plenty of interactive play structures (like playgrounds for pool areas and VERY fun), plus water cannons, spray tubes, a lazy “river” with geysers and rapids, and a heated swimming pool to keep kids of all ages happy all day. In addition to having a blast playing in the water, the surrounding 8-acre Prairie View Park gives you more things to do, with a playground, a BBQ and picnic area, and a basketball court.
Admission is only $2 for kids 3–5, $4 for 6 and over, and free for 2 and under. The water park center is located at 3724 E. 61st on Spokane’s South Hill. Note: If you are looking for a water park on the north side of Spokane, check out the Northside Aquatics Center (18120 N. Hatch Road in Colbert). This water park has a smaller slide and less activities than the Southside center, but it does have fun amenities that put it head and shoulders above a standard pool.
Liberty Aquatic Center
Extra Cool Spokane City Pools Made for Play [insert picture with caption “”]
In addition to large water parks, Spokane has several great aquatic centers throughout the city that feature fast water slides, play features, and separate pools for lap swimming and recreation swimming that are great for families and kids who need a place to hang out with friends for the afternoon. Here are the locations with great play facilities:
A.M. Cannon at 1900 W. Mission
Shadle at 2005 W. Wellesley
Hillyard at 2600 E. Columbia
Comstock at 600 W. 29th
Liberty at 1300 E. 5th
Admission is $2 for youth (4–17) and seniors (65+) and $4 for adults.
Parking and driving around downtown can be a little challenging when Spokane is hosting 200,000 basketball players and fans, so you may want to consider taking the bus. On both days of Hoopfest, STA (Spokane’ bus system) is offering day passes for just $1.50, and there are two free park-and-ride lots. Check the website for more information on Hoopfest schedules—please note that the Plaza downtown will not be open to buses (to make room for Hoopfest!), so bus stops will be in alternate nearby locations.
In addition to loads of free live music and other entertainment at Hoopfest in downtown Spokane, including Hoopfest Saturday Night (DJ nightclub party) at the Lincoln Center (1316 N. Lincoln Street), here are some suggestions for making the most of your visit.
Catch a Live Show
Spokane has a thriving live music scene, with venues large and small, offering country, blues, rock, pop, and more. To pick out some good local live music, check out the Inlander’s live music calendar. There are also a couple of national acts in town on Hoopfest weekend. The infamous rock band KISS is performing at the Spokane Arena Friday night. Click here for tickets. The Judds play at Northern Quest Resort and Casino on Saturday night (see below).
Shopping with Local Flair
Riverpark Sqare in downtown Spokane is a great mall (and has a great movie theater with cushy couch-style seats), but think outside of the mall if you want a more uniquely Spokane shopping experience. If you are staying downtown or are downtown for the day during Hoopfest, walk east on Main Street to find a variety of locally owned businesses.
You’ll go by Auntie’s Bookstore, a large, wonderful, independent gem with a local gourmet café, Santé, in the same building. Closer to Division Street is Finders Keepers, a designer dress boutique, and Kizuri, a fair trade clothing and gift store, and more. Along the way, you’ll be tempted by local purveyors of food and drink.
Be sure to check out the wonderful, interactive da Vinci exhibit at the MAC Museum of Arts and Culture, which just opened this month. A big bonus is seeing the huge old houses of historic Browne’s Addition neighborhood, just west of downtown Spokane, where the MAC is located. For more information, check out our blog post on it.
Garland District
The Garland District is a quick drive or bus ride from downtown Spokane, and it is a great place to hang out and escape the crowds downtown during Hoopfest for awhile. Right away you’ll see the historic Garland Theatre at Maple and Garland, Spokane’s only independent “encore” theater, which runs second-run movies for just $3.50 all the time, so you can catch a flick in a beautiful old theatre for very little money. Stroll up and down Garland for great little locally owned shops and cafes, including the 1950s-style Ferguson’s Café and the Milk Bottle, a former ice cream parlor turned café that features a two-story milk bottle for a store-front. Other quirky local gems include the Blue Door Theatre, a family friendly improv. comedy group that performs every Friday and Saturday night, and Drop Your Drawers, a unique clothing consignment shop with everything from old sweaters to outrageous costume platform shoes. For nightlife, you can enjoy an old-fashioned drink at Bon Bon, the hippest bar on Garland, located inside the Garland Theatre building with an old-fashioned soda fountain/candy store feel and fixtures made from old movie reels.
This large resort near the airport has a lot more than just 46,000 square feet of gaming space. It also boasts the Inland Northwest’s only cigar room, several restaurants with casual to fine dining (if you’re vegetarian, try Fatburger’s veggie burger), a night club with entertainment seven nights a week, a sports bar with a 30’ x 10’ HD screen, and a full-service spa. The Judds are playing at Northern Quest’s new outdoor concert venue on June 25 at 7:30 p.m. Click here for ticket information.
Japanese Gardens at Manito Park. Copyright City of Spokane Parks and Recreation.
Find out Why We Say Spokane Is “Near Nature, Near Perfect”
There is no event like Spokane Hoopfest. At this hugely popular annual 3-on-3 street basketball tournament, players of all experience levels and all ages (minimum age requirement for kids is to be entering the third grade in fall of 2011) can compete for the chance to win prizes while experiencing the exhilaration of playing with new people and being a part of a famously fun weekend that includes 14,000 basketball games and over 20,000 players from all over the country. Anyone who wants to play basketball is welcome, from beginners to those who qualify for the 3BA Elite Division, which often features former CBA and European professionals. Prizes are given to winners in each bracket. Games are played on courts set up across forty downtown city blocks.
If you want to play but missed the official deadline, it’s not too late! Registration will remain open as space allows, so go to the Spokane Hoopfest website to sign up before all the spots are taken. If you are not playing, odds are good that you know someone who is. In addition to cheering on your friends and family, you can see concerts and other entertainment, shop, browse booths from local organizations and businesses, watch the Marine Air Slam Dunk Contest, play games for prizes at the kid-friendly Safeco Zone, and enjoy delicious food and drink at the Washington Dental Service Foodfest in the west meadow of Riverfront Park.
Hoopfest is able to run so smoothly because hundreds of volunteer court monitors and other volunteers make it happen. If you are interested in volunteering, submit an application to earn the right to say “I helped run Spokane Hoopfest 2011.”
Spokane Hoopfest is an enormous festival and one of the city’s largest events, so parking downtown will not be easy. A better option is to take the Spokane Transit Hoop Loop. Every ten minutes during the festival, a bus will arrive at each park-and-ride lot to transport people to and from downtown Spokane. At only $1.50 per day to use the system and free parking at the park-and-ride lots, it’s a bargain. Go to the STA website for more information about times and locations.
Coming to Hoopfest from out of town? Watch this blog in the next few weeks for tips on making the most of your stay and saving some time and money!
It may not feel like it with recent snow flurries and hail in parts of Spokane, but spring really is here. There are always plenty of beautiful, sunny days in the spring to get outside, and there are plenty of indoor great spring events for the not-so-pleasant days. Here are a few fun things to do in the Spokane area this season.
Race with 50,000 of Your Closest Friends at Bloomsday, May 1
If you want to register for the huge footrace/festival in downtown Spokane known as Bloomsday, which winds through some beautiful scenery, you can register online through April 17 ($15 plus an online processing fee of $1.49) or you can register by mail by April 12 using a Bloomsday form, available at numerous locations. If you miss those deadlines, you still have the opportunity to register late for $30 at Bloomsday check-in on Friday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 30 from 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The race is open to runners, walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, and assisted wheelchairs. If you’d rather get in on the fun without actually walking or running 7.46 miles, stake out a place to watch early in the morning, or just go walk around and hang out downtown and in Riverfront Park, soaking up the festive atmosphere and enjoying the on-site entertainment.
Visit the River in Full Glory
Spokane River during the very high water spring of 2008. Posted by John Davies on ADVrider.com.
A simple pleasure for Spokane residents, the river that runs through the heart of our city never fails to impress visitors. During the spring, the Spokane River swells with runoff, and water rises to its highest point all year, creating an incredible sight of roaring, rushing water. Photographers are frequently seen with tripods at various viewing points, trying to catch the perfect Spokane River shot. Riverside State Park, especially around the Bowl and Pitcher area, is a beautiful natural environment to view the river in. Although many hiking areas are still muddy during the spring, there are plenty of great places to walk along and view the river that are paved. Riverfront Park downtown offers plenty of paved trails and walking bridges to view the falls area, and you can easily make a day out of it with an IMAX movie, a ride on the Spokane Falls Skyride, and a go–around on the historic Looff Carousel. The paved Spokane River Centennial Trail follows the river from the Idaho state line to Nine Mile Falls and also makes for a scenic spring bike ride. Or, you can pack a picnic lunch and head to one of the many Spokane parks that are right on the river. Click here for a map of the city park system.
If you like browsing antique shops, here is a show that is the equivalent of dozens of antique shops put together, with over 300 dealers from all over the U.S. to answer your questions and chat with you about the joy of collecting really old stuff. The 75,000 square feet of merchandise will be on display at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center (corner of Broadway & Havana) Friday through Sunday, April 29–May 1. Admission is $6 for the entire weekend, and parking is free. Appraisers will be on hand Saturday and Sunday to put a price on your treasures; the $5 per item fee benefits the MAC Museum.
Spring Barrel Tasting, May 6–8 On Mother’s Day weekend, all 17 of the Spokane Winery Association wineries open their doors to the public to celebrate the traditional end of one winemaking season and the beginning of another. You can sample new and current vintages, talk to the winemakers, and enjoy the company of other wine lovers at this fun and popular event. Some of the wineries will even offer samples of wine still in the wine-making process, directly from barrels or tanks. The wineries will offer snacks, and many will be featuring food and wine specials. Reasonable tasting fees may apply; tasting fees are usually credited to a wine bottle purchase. Plan your trip with a map of the wineries. Tasting hours are Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Northwest’s largest theme park, located on Highway 95 just minutes north of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, opens May 7. While the Boulder Beach Water Park does not open until June 4, spring is a great time to experience the rides and attractions of Silverwood with less crowds and less time spent waiting in line. The rainy season usually clears up in May, and there will be plenty of sunny, warm days that are perfect for screaming on roller coasters. General admission is $41.99 for adults and $21.99 for ages 3–7 and 65+, so if you pay general admission and plan on going to the park at least four times this year, you will save by purchasing a season pass for $139.99, which also gives you free parking, additional discounts, and the ability to load up your card with money and use it anywhere in the park. A tip for spring Silverwood visits: as the weather can be unpredictable, bring an extra change of clothes in the car so you have something to change into if being soaked by Thunder Canyon leaves you cold.
Gardening is a favorite spring activity for many Spokane area residents, and this is your chance to meet other gardeners, check out the newest and coolest plants, and learn tips and techniques for all kinds of gardening, including indoor gardens and organic practices. The Inland Empire Gardeners host the fair, which has over 250 booths, a lecture series, door prizes, and children’s activities. If you are new or just interested in starting to grow plants at all, don’t be intimidated, as this show focuses on “real gardens, by real people” and “down-to-earth ideas that inspire rather than intimidate.” The Spokane Garden Expo is May 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Spokane Community College Lair, 1810 N. Green St. Admission and parking are free!
It’s time for Bloomsday participants to get ready for the 35th running of the famous downtown Spokane, Washington foot race. You can register online through April 17 ($15 plus an online processing fee of $1.49) or you can register by mail by April 12 using a Bloomsday form, available at numerous locations including area Safeway stores, Washington Trust Bank branches, and Sports Authority. The race is open to runners, walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, and assisted wheelchairs. Each year, over 50,000 people, from parents pushing babies in strollers to some of the most elite runners in the world, converge on Spokane for this huge event.
One of the best parts about Bloomsday is listening to all the bands who play along the route. In honor of the 35th year of Bloomsday, there will be more performers along the 7.5 mile route, an increase to 35 from 29, and prizes will be awarded to the 35th, 350th, 3,500th, and 35,000th finishers.
If you would like a little help becoming motivated and physically prepared for the race, you can attend free weekly clinics by Providence-Group Health. The clinics begin on Saturday, March 12 and take place at 8:30 a.m. on seven consecutive Saturdays, with the final one on April 23rd, a week before Bloomsday. You will meet at the Spokane Falls Community College gym, where a personal trainer will provide expert training tips and a warm-up session, followed by an at-your-own-pace training course that will be longer each week. To sign up, you can go to the Providence website to download a form or register online.
This year, you can also log your training miles and get encouragement from other runners and walkers by signing up for the Bloomsday challenge by Step Up Spokane, which will give you a schedule to follow based on how many miles you want to go each week.
Bloomsday could not exist without the help of volunteers. If you are interested in helping out this year, go to the website for information.
Tired of doing the same old thing for Valentine’s Day? This year, surprise your sweetheart with a date that is a little different and decidedly Spokane, WA. If you are single, grab a friend or just treat yourself and celebrate SAD—Singles Awareness Day, which is generally recognized as falling on either February 14 or 15. Do you have other great ideas for Valentine’s Day that you don’t see here? Please post a comment below and share with other readers!
Ice skating outdoors at the Ice Palace: Remember John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity? Ice skating on a beautiful winter night is very romantic. Take your date on a stroll through lovely Riverfront Park to one of the nation’s best outdoor ice rinks, the Ice Palace, on Saturday or Sunday before Valentine’s Day (the rink is closed on Mondays). The rink is open until 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Warm up afterward with a hot beverage at the Davenport Hotel and tour the grand, historic landmark once referred to as Spokane’s living room.
Saturday Night Salsa at Simply Dance
Dance lessons: Dress up (or not) and learn sizzling salsa moves at Simply Dance Studio on Saturday, February 12. The drop-in lesson runs from 8:15–9:15 p.m., followed by dancing until 1:00 a.m. to try out your new moves. The lesson and dance are only $5. If you like it, you can come back for more as Saturday Night Salsa happens every week.
Wine, chocolate, art, and acoustic guitar: the perfect combination for an evening all about love. Jonathan Nicholson, a Spokane native who plays “soothing and introspective guitar,” will give a romantic performance on Saturday, February 12, 6:00–9:00 p.m. at Avenue West Gallery (122 S. Monroe Ste. #103). Wine and chocolate will be served at this dress-up event, and you need an invitation from the gallery to reserve your place. Just call them at 509-838-4999 between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday to claim you spot.
Romantic symphony music with roses and chocolate: The Spokane Symphony is putting on a special Valentine’s performance of “Romantic Chopin and Schumann” with guest pianist Orion Weiss, whom the Cincinnati Enquirer has called “a talent . . . so natural, genuine and exciting you can hardly believe your ears.” Add a long-stemmed rose and a small box of Bloem chocolates to your ticket for an extra $10. Two performances are available: Saturday, February 12 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 13 at 3:00 p.m. The home of the Spokane Symphony, the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, couldn’t be more romantic, as it is a gorgeously restored art-deco theater that opened in 1931. Buy your tickets online, at the Fox box office, or by calling 509-624-1200.
Wine tasting and candy: You can’t go wrong with good wine and delectable Valentine’s sweets! The Spokane Winery Association presents ValenWine weekend on Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Download your map of the eighteen member Spokane wineries and grab your sweetheart or a fellow wine or chocolate lover and sample award winning, local wines and sweets.
Dinner and dancing at Corbin Senior Center: If you are looking for a more mature crowd to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, come enjoy an Italian buffet dinner followed by dancing at the Corbin Senior Center (827 W. Cleveland) on Sunday, February 13 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $17 per person or $30 per couple in advance or $20 per person at the door. Call 509-327-1584 for more information.
Go skiing while supporting a good cause: Hitting the slopes together is a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and if you ski at Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park on the weekend before the holiday, you will also be sending some love to the Inland Northwest Blood Center. On February 12 and 13, $5 from every lift ticket sold will go to the INBC’s Summer Donor Awareness Program. To add to the fun, Groove Patrol, Spokane’s wonderful funk/rock/jazz band, will play in the lounge on Saturday.
Brick House Massage and Coffee Bar
Couples’ massage with truffles and candlelight: If you really want to spoil your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day, book a “Dipped in Chocolate Special” at the Brick House Massage and Coffee Bar. Two side-by-side treatments are available at a discounted price ($144.99–$244.99). Both packages include side-by-side full body massages, lattes, and truffles! Call 509-891-1999 to book your treatment ahead of time.
Dinner theatre in a Victorian setting:The Lion’s Share, a creative center located in a large Victorian house at 1627 N. Atlantic, is offering a candlelight dinner plus live performances of loves songs and a play called Frame Up, a romantic comedy, for only $35. The event runs February 11–13 at 6 p.m. Call 509-327-1113 for reservations.
Just get away for the night! One of the sweetest ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to simply get out of the house, leave the kids with a sitter, and enjoy each other’s company without the pressures of housework, family, etc. Stratford Suites, Spokane’s best lodging value, makes it easy and affordable with the Valentine Rendezvous Package. Package includes a luxury suite with full kitchen, a dozen roses, chocolate truffles, a bottle of wine or Martinelli’s, and a $25 gift certificate to the nearby Rusty Moose restaurant. This deal is perfect for finishing off your evening or for staying in and cuddling while watching a 50-inch hi-def. television. Complete package is $149 per night. Reserve by calling (888) 705-8877 or (509) 321-1600 or email frontdesk@stratfordsuites.com.
When the temperature drops, do you prefer to head indoors or bundle up and play in the snow? Whether you like to hit the slopes or limit your exposure to the cold to trips from the car to another heated location, Spokane offers plenty to do and see.
On winter afternoons and evenings, adults and children alike of all ability levels walk through Spokane’s beloved Riverfront Park to enjoy one of the best outdoor ice skating rinks in the nation. You will see kids skating around with friends, skating students practicing spins and other figure skating moves in the center of the ice, couples holding hands, and very often a few pairs of smiling young people on first dates (this is a great first date). The Riverfront Park Ice Palace is open every day except Monday through February 27. The rink is covered, housed under the big pavilion area. Skate rental is available. See the website for times and prices.
If you are on the North side of town, you can ice skate at Eagles Ice Arena, an indoor rink just off Francis at 6321 N. Addison, open year-round.
Very conveniently located, just 28 miles from downtown Spokane, plus cheap ($15 round trip) bus service from Spokane on weekends and holidays
Forty nights of skiing, more night skiing than any other local resort
The Mt. Spokane State Park, which the resort is located in, also offers gorgeous cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, so non-skiers can have fun, too
The most you will ever pay for a daily lift ticket is $45 (weekend adult)
Children’s Choice Tubing Hill offers inexpensive day and night tube sledding with a rope tow for sledders of all ages
Great deal for beginners: EZ Ski or Ride 1-2-3 packages that include three lessons, three ski or snowboard rentals, and three lift tickets for just $109
Terrain Park for all levels of skiers and riders with rails, boxes, hits, and more
Free “mountain hosts” program features guided tours by experts to show newcomers around the mountain
Scenic: from the top, you can gaze at three mountain ranges, Canada, and three states
Cat skiing and snowboarding available through terrain varying from open 20–30% slopes to steeper, old-growth forested terrain and glacier-carved open bowls
Located in British Columbia’s famed “powder triangle,” with some of the best champagne powder in the world
Voted “Best Powder, Best Steeps, Best Trees” by Ski Canada Magazine and ranked “one of North America’s top ten expert resorts” by Forbes Traveler
Easy backcountry access to five back country peaks, plus cat and heli skiing and snowboarding available
Adult lift tickets are $64; consecutive days are less
Mt. Spokane State Park. Copyright 2010 Washington State Parks
Free or Nearly Free Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe Opportunities
With this winter predicted to deliver above-normal snowfall to the Inland Northwest, you can count on great conditions for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the Spokane area. Below are some of the locals’ favorite spots. If you don’t already own snowshoes or Nordic skis, you can rent them from REI. Some locations require Sno-Park permits or a park entrance fee, so check before you go.
Mt. Spokane State Park is a cross country skier’s paradise, with 300 inches of snow per year on average and 25 kilometers of groomed trails. There are also plenty of trails that are excellent for challenging, deep powder snowshoeing.
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge is beloved by snowshoers and cross country skiers of all abilities. It is mostly flat and open, a landscape of channeled scablands, wetlands, and small lakes. There are plenty of trails to follow, or you can just make your own way.
Columbia Plateau Trail: Easily accessible from Cheney, WA, Columbia Plateau Trail State Park is a 130-mile-long rail-bed trail that traces the 1908 original path of the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle Railroad. The level, mostly flat trail is currently open from Cheney to Lincoln County. It is not as scenic as the parks mentioned above, but it is easy and perfect for families. Strong snowshoers might be bored by this one as there are no good hills or opportunities for exploring off trail.
Centennial Trail: The Spokane Centennial Trail is connected to the North Idaho Centennial Trail for 60 miles of paved cross country skiing and snowshoeing possibilities. There are access points all along the trail; just pick the kind of scenery you want to enjoy! One great place to snowshoe if you are in town and want a quick getaway to nature is the section of trail behind Spokane Falls Community College. You can park at the Military Cemetery trailhead located just off Government Way to access this portion of trail in Riverside State Park.
Eagle Watching at Lake Coeur d’Alene
In December and January, you can seize a rare opportunity to watch bald eagles just off shore in lovely Wolf Lodge Bay, in Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. This is due to the kokanee salmon of the lake spawning and dying starting in November, providing a plentiful source of food for the eagles. Thousands of people brave the bitter cold for this regional tradition of viewing the majestic raptors feeding and just generally looking impressive while sitting on a branch or pole. It doesn’t cost a thing; just bring warm clothes, a thermos of hot cocoa, and your binoculars. Click here for a brief article with tips on viewing. To get there, take US-90 east from Coeur d’Alene for eight miles to Wolf Lodge Bay (exit 22), then south on Highway 97 for three miles.
During Coeur d’Alene Eagle Watch Week, from December 26 through January 1, 2011, the Bureau of Land Management will be on hand at the Mineral Ridge Boat Launch and Mineral Ridge Trailhead, located in Wolf Lodge Bay, to teach about and assist you in observing the bald eagles. Educational displays and telescopes will be set up for the public to enjoy.
If you prefer to watch the eagles from the water, you can go to the Coeur d’Alene Resort to board a cruise ship. The ships go to isolated quiet bays where you can observe our national symbol in its natural habitat. Reservations are required, and tickets are $19.75 for adults, $17.75 for senior citizens, $11.75 for children ages 6–12, and free for children 5 and under. Go to the Coeur d’Alene Resort website or call 800-688-5253 or 208-765-2300 ext. 21 for more information and to register. If you are hungry when you come back, try one of the resort’s excellent restaurants.
Travel Spokane is a website built to inform Spokane visitors about the latest news, events, and opportunities in Spokane. This information is provided free courtesy of Stratford Suites. If you are looking for Spokane hotels be sure to check out our website at www.stratfordsuites.com
Love watching car or motorbike racing? Get in on the live action at Spokane County Raceway. Jet cars, local drags, funny cars, and bikes roar all summer and fall, including a NASCAR weekend in September.![[del.icio.us]](http://www.travel-spokane.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
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