Spokane is located in eastern Washington, between the Cascade and Bitterroot Mountains, where the climate is much drier than the rain-drenched Washington coast. It's 18 miles from the Idaho border, 110 miles south of the Canadian border and less than 300 miles east of Seattle. The largest metropolitan area between Seattle and Minneapolis, its 400,000 metro residents are enough to make it a lively place, but not enough to overcrowd.
Getting to Spokane
Many airlines serve the Spokane International Airport. Drivers can reach Spokane from east or west on I-90, from the north on I-395/I-2 and from the south via I-195. Amtrak's Empire Builder route also runs through Spokane.Things to Do
Spokane is a good place for a weekend getaway from Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Calgary, northern Idaho and western Montana. It's an interesting stop to break your drive between Seattle and Yellowstone.Allow one to two days to cover your pick of Spokane's top attractions, or try one of these suggestions.
Follow the 21-mile City Drive (signposted with arrowhead emblems, outlined on most Spokane street maps). It will take you past churches, parks, museums, the arboretum, golf course, Japanese Cultural Center, historic buildings, on a side trip to Gonzaga University's Bing Crosby Memorabilia Room, and finally to Riverfront Park.
Gamblers can court Lady Luck at the area casinos, and if you're a golfer, you're definitely in luck here. Golf Digest calls Spokane a "golf mecca" for "quality, price, concentration and true, unadulterated golf" at the 19 public courses within a 45-mile drive of downtown Spokane.
Day Trips
Many Spokane visitors "bike the Hiawatha Trail in the spring and fall, and ski late November through March," says Nancy Goodspeed of the Spokane Convention and Visitors Bureau. Not a bad idea, I say. You can find seven ski areas in the Spokane area, and for bicyclists the Hiawatha Trail, follows the route of the Olympian Hiawatha passenger train through 10 tunnels and over 7 trestles, and it's downhill all the way.For a less-active tour, try a drive through Idaho's Silver Valley and a stop at historic Cataldo Mission.
