Spring is almost here! Now is the time to start dreaming and planning for home and yard improvement projects. At the 35th annual Spokane Home and Yard Show, you can see hundreds of displays and demonstrations to inspire you. Some of Spokane’s best landscapers will be on hand to answer questions and show the latest products and services. The show will be held February 28–March 3 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. Parking is free, and adult admission is $7 for the entire weekend. Children 12 and under are free. Hours are noon–9:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Thursday only, adult admission is buy one get one free.
Once you have figured out what you want to do to your house and yard this spring, come back to the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center for Custer’s 36th annual Spring Arts and Crafts Show to pick up a hand-crafted bird house, metal sculpture, fountain, or wall hanging. You can find myriad arts and crafts items from over 300 professional artists from around the U.S., including gourmet food items, hand-painted furniture, pottery, unique jewelry and clothing pieces, nature photography, and more. With over 78,000 square feet of exhibit space, this is the largest show of its kind in the Inland Northwest. This show runs March 8–10. Hours are Friday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults for the entire weekend; children 12 and under are free. Parking is free.
If you are traveling to town for either of these shows, check out Stratford Suites’ beautiful rooms and great rates. All rooms offer fully equipped kitchens and 50” HDTVs. The convenient location is just minutes from the airport and downtown Spokane.
I’ll just get the bad news out of the way. The latest snow forecast from AccuWeather.com predicts below normal snowfall for the Northwest. So it probably will not be an epic powder season. The good news is that there are six ski resorts to choose from within three hours of Spokane, and if you don’t feel comfortable betting on a season pass for any individual resort, many offer great deals on smaller ticket packages.
Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park is less than an hour’s drive from Spokane, which has become a more important feature as gas prices have continued to rise recently. In addition to a terrain park with almost a mile of progression-oriented kickers, hits, and jibs for all skill levels and five chairlifts for 45 runs, Mt. Spokane is known for its plentiful night skiing (50 nights, 16 runs, only $20) and the Children’s Choice Tubing Hill (open on weekends, $10 per 1.5-hour session and free for kids under 42” tall). This year, you can enjoy the newly updated lodge, which now offers 100 more seats, a new deck, and four big screen TVs.
Looking for a deal? Through December 31, you can purchase a stocking stuffer package of three adult lift tickets, four college student lift tickets, or five youth lift tickets for $99. Click here for season pass prices and the special deals you receive at other area resorts with your purchase.
49 Degrees North Terrain Park. Copyright 40 Degrees North Mountain Resort.
Silver Mountain Resort is a wonderful family getaway destination only an hour from Spokane. Skiers and snowboarders will appreciate the two mountains of terrain, with a terrain park and 73 runs to choose from. The mountains average 300” of snow per year. You don’t have to drive up a long, winding road to arrive, but instead are transported from the base village up to the slopes on a scenic, 3-mile gondola ride. Silver Mountain also features a four lane snow tube park. Click here for lift ticket and tubing prices. If you stay at the resort’s Morning Star Lodge, you’ll have access to Idaho’s largest indoor waterpark, which is always a cozy 84 degrees.
49 Degrees North Mountain Resort also averages 300” inches of snow per year. This family friendly resort is about one hour and 45 minutes from Spokane. 49 Degrees North has seven lifts, 82 marked trails, a terrain park, and cross country and snowshoe trails. With a wonderfully easy bunny hill and 30% of its trails appropriate for beginners (40% intermediate, 25% advanced, 5% expert), this is a great place to learn to ski and to bring the whole family. New this season is the opening of the Angel Peak double chairlift to serve the seven runs and nearly 200 acres of glade terrain added three years ago to Angel Peak. Check out the events calendar for fun special days like women’s snowshoe day and a few night skiing sessions. Click here for season ticket prices.
Schweitzer Mountain Resort is one of the largest ski resorts in North America. It’s about two hours from Spokane, near beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. An efficient network of nine lifts service 2900 acres offering 92 trails plus open bowl skiing and three terrain parks. This is a great place for experienced skiers, with 10% beginner, 40% intermediate, 35% advanced, 15% expert terrain.
Night skiing and night tubing (great date idea!) are open Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays for pretty much the whole season. Tubing and zip line rides are also available during the day on weekends. Click here for the schedule. Zip line rides are 700 feet long and offer scenic views of Lake Pend Oreille. You can also enjoy cat skiing and guided snowmobile tours. Average snowfall is 300”. Click here for ticket prices.
Lookout Pass Ski Area is located on the Idaho/Montana border two and a half hours from Spokane. It’s safe to say that this resort will be more insulated from the below average snowfall impact than the resorts listed above. From the Lookout Pass website: “Forest Service and NOAA records confirm that Lookout Pass is blessed with light, dry powder earlier and more often than any region in the state—an average of 400 inches a season! And because our slopes face northeast, all that great snow is protected from wind and weather. Lookout has NEVER closed due to inclement weather!” It has three terrain parks for freestyle snowboarding, including a beginner’s level park and an all-natural park in which all features are made of trees that needed to be cut down. Lookout Pass offers a free ski/snowboard school for kids 6–17 years old on Saturdays from January 12 through March 31. Four chairs serve 34 runs.
Rossland, British Columbia.
Red Mountain Resort is worth the drive to Canada. Three hours from Spokane, Red Mountain Resort is famous for champagne powder (average 300” a year) and incredible gladed tree skiing. New this year, adventurous skiers can take a snowcat ride to the new expansion area, Grey Mountain, for advanced ski experiences on un-groomed slopes and glades. On the other two mountains in the resort’s expansive boundaries, there are six lifts and 88 runs. Five different backcountry peaks are easily accessible from the resort’s boundary.
Just this year, Red Mountain Resort was ranked by POWDER magazine as the number four best resort in North America, by the SBC Resort Guide as the third best terrain in Western Canada, and by Skiing Magazine as the most underrated ski resort. Since it is a bit of a drive, you may want to get a multi-day pass and spend a few days here. The charming, friendly ski-bum town of Rossland is just a few minutes down the highway.
You can save with the Vertical Value Card, available only through December 24. For $55–$79, you get your first, fourth, and seventh days free, plus value pricing on full day tickets for another five visits. Click here for lift ticket prices.
You don’t need to spend a lot of time and money traveling to far-flung destinations to enjoy a relaxing or adventurous getaway. Coeur d’Alene in the summertime is a wonderful place to visit, and it is just 38 minutes east on I-90 from Spokane. You can either make it a day trip from Spokane or take a few days and stay in the lakeside resort town. If you are staying in Spokane, or want to go to Coeur d’Alene as part of a staycation in the Spokane area, stay at Stratford Suites, located close to the Spokane airport, and enjoy the comfort of an upscale furnished townhouse at an affordable rate. Use the money you might have spent on plane tickets or gas for more play!
You can spend a couple of days just hanging out at the waterfront of Lake Coeur d’ Alene. Play in the water at the sandy city beach, stroll the world’s longest floating boardwalk at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, and hike at Tubbs Hill, a 120-acre waterfront preserve on the downtown waterfront. Board a daily scenic lake cruise or make your own adventure with a kayak, stand-up paddle board, or jet boat/jet ski—all are available to rent.
Coeur d’Alene is situated in a playground of the great outdoors, with great fishing, camping, and hiking very close by. Check the Forest Service website for more information. For whitewater rafting, check out ROW Adventures’ trips on the Wild and Scenic St. Joe River.
The Coeur d'Alene Resort
There are numerous options for lodging, including lakefront vacation rentals, but if you want to treat yourself, the obvious choice is the luxurious Coeur d’Alene Resort. From here, you can walk to the beach and downtown. The hotel houses several fine restaurants and a spa, plus a posh golf course with the world’s only floating green. Summer rates average $199–$499. Click here for package specials that will save you money, especially for families.
If you have kids, or if you like to play like a kid, add a day or two to your trip for Silverwood Theme Park, just minutes north of Coeur d’Alene on Highway 95. This is also a popular day trip destination from Spokane. It’s the Northwest’s largest theme park, with huge roller coasters, water rides, and entertainment. There are two sides to the park—the dry and the wet. Boulder Beach Water Park offers slides, wave pools, and areas just for toddlers and kids. There is a lot to do, and you should expect to spend a full day on either side. Admission is $21.99–$42.99. If you purchase your tickets online, they are a couple of bucks cheaper, and a discount is given for multi-day passes. Costco also sometimes has discount tickets.
What’s better than a car show with beautiful classics on display? A car show that hands out awards for best retro hair-dos along with trophies for cars. This Saturday, July 21, Two Rivers Casino and Andy’s Classic Mustangs will host the Two Rivers Rod Run and Show at the Two Rivers Casino Park in Davenport, WA. All cars are welcome to enter the show, so if you have something you want to show off, bring it out! Spectators will judge the cars for people’s choice trophies.
You can bring your whole family to this event and feast on barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers for $1 and drink bottled Coke for 10 cents served out of the back of an old Mercury truck. There will also be a wine and beer garden. Dress in your best 1940s–1970s attire and watch for fun hair styles and outfits, as there are contests for best retro hairstyles, best dressed man, and best pin-up girl. In the evening, you can stick around and watch free music in the park (The Fat Tones) at 7 p.m. or play in the casino.
Registration for cars is from 10 a.m. to noon at the gate for $25. Spectators and parking are free (grass parking). Trophies will be awarded at 3 p.m. The show will be held at the Two Rivers Casino Park in Davenport, WA, located less than an hour from Spokane. Click here for directions. Camping is available at the Two Rivers Resort on Lake Roosevelt ($20 for tents, $35 for RVs).
Red Mountain Resort gets 300 inches of snow a year.
Did you know that one of the top ski resorts in the world is just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Spokane? Red Mountain Resort is situated in the beautiful triangle of British Columbia known as “B.C.’s powder bowl” near Rossland, recently voted Canada’s #1 outdoor town by Explore magazine. Right now, you can experience Red Mountain’s prime conditions at a great discount with the spring 4-pack deal—buy a pack of four lift tickets at 25% off. The tickets are fully transferable.
Skiing at Red Mountain
Red has been called one of the Top Ten Resorts of North America by Forbes Magazine. The average snowfall is around 300 inches, and the area is known and loved for its champagne powder. You can explore 88 runs with six lifts that have short lines. There are plenty of runs for beginners and intermediate skiers, and Red also has some of the most challenging terrain found anywhere and world-renowned tree skiing.
If you stay at Red Mountain Resort Lodge, your kids 12 and under ski free with an adult lift ticket purchase. Also, from March 19–April 19, if you want to take a spring skiing vacation, you’ll get two free nights and two free days of lift tickets when you book three nights of lodging and three days of lift tickets. Room rates start at $213, and some have private hot tubs. Check the deals page for packages that include cat skiing for the more adventurous skiers.
Rossland, British Columbia
Rossland is a friendly, fun town and the hub of the surrounding vast outdoor recreation opportunities. There are four excellent cross country ski trail networks within an hour’s drive of the town and gorgeous backcountry snow shoeing opportunities. You can hang out between excursions for boutique shopping, great local coffee shops, pubs, and restaurants (Gypsy at Red and Rock Cut Pub are my personal favorites). The historic, charming downtown area makes for a pleasant, exploratory stroll.
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.
This Saturday, November 12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., local shops in seven different Spokane business districts will offer games, prizes, and great discounts in honor of Girl’s Day Out, a shopping event aimed at introducing women to their neighborhood business centers. Businesses in the Garland, Hillyard, International District, Monroe, Perry, N. Division/Ruby, and SoDo areas are rolling out the “pink carpet” to entice ladies to come in. Each district has a headquarters, where the first 100 shoppers will receive a “swag bag” of goodies, and you can pick up your Girl’s Day Out map. Check out the facebook page for an inside look at what some of the business owners are doing to make this year’s event the best ever.
Many shops will be offering treats and beverages, and every business will have something special to offer. You can start your holiday shopping or shop for yourself—you can find antiques, jewelry, clothing, makeup, skin care, art, new and used furniture, books, and much more. Some of the city’s best coffee houses and restaurants will also be offering great specials for the day. Door prizes and drawings for gift certificates will be part of the fun. You can see all the participating businesses and scope out all the deals before you go in this week’s Exchange, available at free newsstands all over the city.
District headquarters, where you will want to stop first to get your map and swag bag:
Monroe: Cruz ‘n Back in Time, 3107 N. Monroe
South Perry: Skin Care by Yisel, 1016 S. Perry
Hillyard: Corner Cottage, 5210 N. Market
Garland: Glamarita, 901 W. Garland
SoDo: Ronan’s Door, 301 W. 2nd Ave.
North Division/Ruby St.: Retired Treasures, 2824 N. Ruby
East Sprague/International: Northwest Seed and Pet, 2422 E. Sprague
Posted on the Girl’s Day Out facebook wall by Cruz ‘n Back in Time Collectibles
Although it is an event for women, men are welcome to come enjoy the fun as well. Shopping local is good for the economy, good for the community, and good for the environment, just in case you needed an excuse to spend a day shopping!
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.
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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