Are you ready for the 37th annual Bloomsday race? If not, you still have time to register and to train. Bloomsday is an annual 12 K (7.46 miles) footrace open to all runners, walkers, wheelchairs, assisted wheelchairs, and strollers. It is held on the first Sunday in May (May 5 this year) on a scenic route that begins in downtown Spokane. Click here to view the course. From elite world class athletes competing for the top prizes to parents slowly pushing strollers and stopping for ice cream at Doyle’s on the way, people come from all over for this exciting event. It is more than a race; it is seven miles of live bands along the course (plus the SpoCon sci-fi masquerade!) with 48,000 or so participants making it to the finish line. Many people create fun, unofficial teams or wear costumes, so there is plenty to look at to distract yourself from the physical exertion. New this year, online registrants can sign up to have their results broadcast to Facebook, Twitter, and mobile phones as soon as they cross the finish line. Also new this year, the Fit for Bloomsday program will distribute trading cards, including Spaghetti Betty (carbo-loader extraordinaire) and Doomsday Hill-Billy (always inclined to run), at the Bloomsday tradeshow (May 3 and 4 at the Spokane Convention Center).
Young racers with SpoCon sci-fi masqueraders.
Register here through April 21. Cost is $17 plus $1.69 online processing fee. Late registration is available through April 28 and costs $35 plus a $3.49 online processing fee. You can also register in person at Sports Authority stores until April 16 or by mail (must be postmarked by April 16). Mail forms are available at Washington Trust banks, Safeway stores, Franz/Snyder’s Bakery Outlets, Holy Family and Sacred Heart hospitals, and most running stores. Free clinics hosted by Providence and Group Health to prepare for Bloomsday start this weekend. You can sign up here.
The main football season ended with the Superbowl on February 3, but football fans need not despair. Spokane Shock arena football begins soon! Sunday, March 10, get warmed up with the pre-season Orange and White scrimmage game. The first home game is April 12 against the Arizona Rattlers. Click here for a season schedule.
Head Coach Andy Olson feels confident that this year’s team can make it to the championship: “We have 17 returners . . . Everybody just knows more, where as last year everyone was so young. We can really get rolling fast,” Olson said. To improve discipline, this year’s practices will be much more competitive, structured, and efficient. New this year, a conditioning test will be required at the start of the season. If the players don’t pass, they don’t practice, and if they don’t practice, they don’t play. Olson described it as a warning for the players and a way to set a high standard that he hopes to carry throughout the whole season.
Returning players that fans will recognize include receiver Adron Tennell, who set franchise records in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and points last season; Terrance Sanders, who was named first-team AFL kick return and second-team defensive back; former Eastern Washington University quarterback Erik Meyer; and AFL vet Chris Pino.
If you aren’t familiar with arena football, it is played on an indoor field. The Spokane Shock is a member of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
Individual game tickets can be purchased beginning in March online at TicketsWest.com, by calling 1-800-325-SEAT, or in person at the Spokane Arena box office or any TicketsWest outlet. Season tickets, available now, are a great value and start at just $90.
Remember when you were a kid and used to splash through puddles and play in the mud with nary a thought of ruining your clothes or losing your dignity? Recapture that feeling at the Dirty Dash Spokane on June 16, 2012, at the Equestrian Area at Riverside State Park. According to the official website, “The Dirty Dash is a mud run obstacle course where a military boot camp meets your inner five-year-old’s fantasy and subsequently converts boy to man and then man to swine.”
Copyright 2011 The Dirty Dash
The course is about 4.5 miles and is much more than just a muddy track. You’ll slither over and under walls, climb mud hills, crawl through pipes, slide on giant slip ‘n slides, and maneuver fun obstacles. There is even a “Beer Chug Obstacle” (root beer also available) where you will chug a beer before attempting the challenge (for beer, you must present your ID and get a wrist band before the race starts).
If you want to bring the kids and have some good, dirty family fun, check out the Piglet Plunge for ages 2–12 (must be accompanied by a parent, only $5 to register), a 1-mile course with kid-friendly obstacles and features like the “Hog Wash” and the “Pig Sty.”
Prizes will be awarded all day for everything from the “Dirty ‘Stache Award” to the “Dirtiest Family Award.” Costumes are encouraged, but make sure you are family friendly!
There are Dirty Dash events held all over the West. All events benefit charities—the Dirty Dash Spokane benefits the local YMCA, Peak 7, and other local charities. Regular registration for the Dirty Dash Spokane is $45.00 through April 4. Late registration is $50 and is open until June 12. There are thousands of participants, but don’t worry, you sign up for a particular wave start time, so everyone is not crowded together. You can sign up by yourself or as a team racing together. Click here to register for the main dash or the Piglet Plunge. Your friends and family are encouraged to come cheer you on—they can watch for free and buy water balloons to pelt you with as you slosh through the muck. Parking is free and will be at a nearby TBA location with free shuttles running all day.
It’s finally snowing here in Spokane, so now is the time to hit the slopes while the powder is fresh. Our closest resort, Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, is offering cheap night skiing Wednesday–Saturday through March 10 (always call first, as dates and times are condition dependent). For just $19, you can ski under the lights from 4:00 to 9:30 p.m. Day lift tickets purchased Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday include the night session when available, so you can ski all day and night for the price of one day lift ticket! Day lift tickets are $18–$47; click here for a list of prices.
It’s getting cold outside, but that’s no reason to stay indoors. We have one of the best outdoor skating rinks in the country right here in downtown Spokane, and it is open through February 26, so grab your hat and gloves and get out there! The Ice Palace is located under the pavilion in Riverfront Park. It’s a perfect activity for kids, dates, and anyone who wants to exercise and have fun. This year, there are improvements in indoor seating and the food café menu as well as more new skates for rental.
If you don’t know how to ice skate and would prefer proper lessons to the rather embarrassing, yet popular, learning method of clinging to the wall, you can sign up here for lessons at the Ice Palace (search under Riverfront Park in the Complex drop-down menu). There are classes for kids, adults, and parents with tots.
The Ice Palace is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $3.50 for youth, seniors, and military, and $4.50 for everyone else. Skate rental is $3.50. Season passes are available. Check the website for deals and hours, for example, Thursday nights are Inlander appreciation nights, when you can skate for $1.00.
The NOAA National Weather Service says La Niña is back, with above-average precipitation predicted for the Pacific Northwest this late fall/winter. La Niña often brings colder winters to our area. In other words, snow is on the way, and over 6,000 skiers and snowboarders are expected to attend the Pacific Northwest’s largest equipment swap, the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol Ski Swap, to sell their old gear and/or find some great deals on new and used gear for the coming season at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center. Items for sale include skis, bindings, boots, poles, snowboards, gloves, clothing, and accessories. This year’s SWAP, a season kick-off tradition, will be larger and better: “We have expanded into Bay 1 this year, giving us more room for more equipment and more people!” said Dan Edwards, Director of the 2011 MSSP SWAP. “The new space has allowed us to reconfigure the floorplan, which will improve traffic flow through the various departments and create a more efficient check-out system.”
There are several advantages to shopping the SWAP instead of the stores. First, you will get the best selection (over 22,000 items) and deals. Second, you can sell your old equipment for the very reasonable rate of 50 cents per item for registration plus 20% of the selling price to a huge, eager pool of buyers. Third, over 130 experienced members of the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol will be on hand to help you find the best equipment for your skill level and price range, in addition to the participating retail shop representatives, so beginners need not fear they will be doomed to wander alone and confused amongst endless rows of seemingly similar items. Fourth, all proceeds go to offset costs for operation of the non-profit Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol, including facilities overhead, first aid and medical supplies, training costs, and administrative functions. (These are the nice people who check on you when you wipe out and lay sprawled on the hill, skis and poles scattered, which always seems to happen right under the chair lift–oh wait, maybe that’s just me.) Fifth, it’s fun to shop and mingle with other ski/snowboard enthusiasts!
There is a $5 admission fee for the show (12 years and under free). Hours are Saturday, October 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, October 30, 9 a.m. to noon. If you have gear to sell, drop it off Friday, October 28, from 3–8 p.m., and pick up your check/unsold gear on Sunday from 2–4 p.m. Plenty of free parking is available onsite. Cash, checks, and debit/credit cards are all accepted. There is just one central check-out area, although the gear comes from over 20 retail shops plus individuals. This year, wait times should be shorter due to improvements to the scanning and point-of-sale technology. Sunday, select items will be 25% off, but if you are looking for kids’ gear and clothing, don’t wait and get in line early on Saturday because it goes fast.
Hockey season has arrived here in Spokane, WA! It’s time to come out and make some noise for our great local team. In the home opener this weekend, the Spokane Chiefs will have another chance to best the Tri-Cities Americans after losing to them at last weekend’s season opener. There are still some tickets available through TicketsWest for Saturday’s game (start time 7:05 p.m.). In conjunction with the season home opener, the newest option for food and drink at the Spokane Arena will open at 6 p.m.—Limerick Pub, named in honor of Spokane’s sister city in Ireland. The pub is open to all ages and will offer popular Irish beers including Guinness, Smithwick’s, Harp, and Jameson plus the usual assortment of pub food.
Speaking of beer, on October 22, the Chiefs will hold the first annual Hocktoberfest and will give away a trip for two to Leavenworth, WA, courtesy of Leinenkugel’s. Click here to sign up for your chance to win through October 12. Five finalists will be selected and notified on October 17. These lucky people will each receive four complimentary tickets to the October 22 game. One more finalist will be selected from entries at the night’s game, and the winner will be determined through a series of promotions, including an on-ice competition during intermission. You have to play in the night’s promotions to win.
For the full Chiefs season schedule, click here. There is no substitute for live, local hockey, but there will be live TV broadcasts of ten Tri-Cities vs. Chiefs games on SWX via Comcast on channel 115 and over-the-air at digital channel 6.2. Click here for the TV schedule.
Spokane boasts a number of scenic golf courses with prices that are lower than in other cities. There are a variety of options—public, private, and municipal—to choose from. This is not a comprehensive list and only includes 18-hole public courses in the immediate Spokane area. For a more comprehensive list, try GolfLink.
Spokane Parks and Recreationoperates four golf courses: Downriver, Esmeralda, Indian Canyon, and Qualchan. Standard fees are $27–$29, $20 for Mon.–Thur. 9-hole, and $12–$22 for juniors (but see the $15 deal below!). If you plan on going several times, discount cards are available. By comparison, Seattle Parks and Recreation golf courses are $32 to $37 for standard rates.
Money-Saving Tip: Take advantage of the $15 August deal (golf cart rental $22) at the four Spokane Parks and Recreation Golf courses. The special is good at Esmeralda Mondays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Downriver Sundays 2 p.m. to dusk and Mondays 1 p.m. to dusk, Indian Canyon Sundays and Mondays 1 p.m. to dusk, and Qualchan Sundays and Mondays 2 p.m. to dusk. Call pro-shop for tee times.
Built in 1916, this heavily treed 18-hole course lies along the Spokane River and is bordered by Riverside State Park, a natural area with great hiking, fishing, and bicycling opportunities. To schedule a tee time, call 509-327-5269.
Excellent for seniors and beginners, this northeast Spokane course offers open space and flat fairways lined with over 2,000 trees. Call 509-487-6291 for tee times.
This place, designed in 1930, has been selected by Golf Digest as one of the top 25 public courses in the U.S. You can enjoy a view of the city among towering pines from the west entrance of Spokane while enjoying a diverse playing environment that hosts many major tournaments, including the Rosauers Open. Call 509-747-5353 for tee times.
Spokane’s newest golf course, Qualchan sits in a natural setting that is a sanctuary to many protected birds and wildlife species. A creek meanders through the course, and there are five ponds, wooded and hilly areas, and beautiful open areas. Call 509-448-9317 for tee times.
Hangman Valley(Spokane County operated) is a public municipal golf course along Spokane’s lovely Latah Creek. The same low standard fees as at the Spokane Parks and Recreation golf courses (see above) apply here; discount cards are available, and through the end of August, tee times after 3 p.m. are 20% off.
Wandermere opened in 1929 and is located in the peaceful Little Spokane River Valley just north of Spokane off Highway 395. This scenic course offers some of the most challenging golf in the area. Standard fees are $25–$29 or $19 for 9-hole on weekdays. Punch cards are available for a slightly discounted price. Call 509-466-8023 for tee times.
Sun Dance is a challenging and rewarding course in Nine Mile Falls, just twelve miles from the center of Spokane. Standard fee is $24. Call 509-466-4040 for tee times.
The Fairways is located ten minutes west of downtown Spokane just off of I-90. Here you can play through natural wetlands and native grasses, with panoramic views of the surrounding hill country, making it an excellent place to be around sunset. Standard rates are $17–$27. Call 509-747-8418 for tee times, or reserve online.
With beautiful Spokane weather and numerous great choices for affordable golfing, you may just want to take a golf mini-vacation and get away from home for a couple of days. If you do, be sure to check out Stratford Suites’ beautiful rooms with full kitchens, leather furniture, pillow top mattresses, and 52” hi-def. televisions. Located minutes from downtown Spokane, close to the airport with easy freeway access, Stratford Suites Hotel is perfect for your getaway.
Travel Spokane is a website built to inform Spokane visitors about the latest news, events, and opportunities in Spokane. The information is provided free courtesy of Stratford Suites. If you are looking for a Spokane Hotel be sure to check out our website at www.stratfordsuites.com
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