Spokane
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As we arrived in Spokane, WA, and were instantly hit with a wall of heat with highs at over 100°F that day. We found a nice shady spot under a big tree at Manito Park for a picnic lunch with my parents. I would’ve loved to explore the gardens more (they looked beautiful), but let’s be honest... the sun said no.
Manito Park picnic spot
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After lunch, we drove around the park a bit and caught some scenery, and to my surprise, we spotted marmots just hanging out. Until now, I’d only seen them on high elevation trails in cool temps, so seeing them in the city heat was different.
We then split up, my folks headed to their hotel, and we went to our campground. Unfortunately, our site had no hookups. Some sites had electric, but they were all booked. So for the first time in four months, we ditched the campground and checked into a Hampton Inn for two nights. AC, a nice long shower, and no tank levels to monitor—luxury living.
That evening, we met up with my parents again for dinner at Frank’s Diner, a fully restored 1906 railcar turned retro restaurant. It’s one of those quirky local spots with great food and old school charm, and the perfect way to end a hot day.
The next morning, Danny ran errands while I went back downtown with my parents. My mom and I rode the historic Looff Carousel from 1909, because deep down, we’re all still kids. Then we hopped on the SkyRide gondola for some great views of Spokane Falls. And of course, we had to visit the famous trash-eating goat in Riverfront Park. You push a button, and it vacuums up trash. We didn’t have any, so we fed it a fine selection of leaves and bark.
After that, we cooled off inside the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (MAC), and it ended up being one of the highlights of Spokane. We saw an incredible exhibit by Preston Singletary, who tells the creation story of Raven through glass art, sound, and light. Singletary is Tlingit, an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast, and the exhibit was both beautiful and powerful. Another exhibit explored the Great Spokane Fire of 1889, and how fire can both destroy and give rise to resilience. There was also a gallery of bird photography themed around balance. To top it off, we toured the Campbell House, a beautifully preserved 1898 mansion next door to the museum.
Spokane gave us heat, marmots, art, and a well-timed hotel break.
We then split up, my folks headed to their hotel, and we went to our campground. Unfortunately, our site had no hookups. Some sites had electric, but they were all booked. So for the first time in four months, we ditched the campground and checked into a Hampton Inn for two nights. AC, a nice long shower, and no tank levels to monitor—luxury living.
That evening, we met up with my parents again for dinner at Frank’s Diner, a fully restored 1906 railcar turned retro restaurant. It’s one of those quirky local spots with great food and old school charm, and the perfect way to end a hot day.
The next morning, Danny ran errands while I went back downtown with my parents. My mom and I rode the historic Looff Carousel from 1909, because deep down, we’re all still kids. Then we hopped on the SkyRide gondola for some great views of Spokane Falls. And of course, we had to visit the famous trash-eating goat in Riverfront Park. You push a button, and it vacuums up trash. We didn’t have any, so we fed it a fine selection of leaves and bark.
After that, we cooled off inside the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (MAC), and it ended up being one of the highlights of Spokane. We saw an incredible exhibit by Preston Singletary, who tells the creation story of Raven through glass art, sound, and light. Singletary is Tlingit, an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast, and the exhibit was both beautiful and powerful. Another exhibit explored the Great Spokane Fire of 1889, and how fire can both destroy and give rise to resilience. There was also a gallery of bird photography themed around balance. To top it off, we toured the Campbell House, a beautifully preserved 1898 mansion next door to the museum.
Spokane gave us heat, marmots, art, and a well-timed hotel break.