Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cat Tales
Fifteen miles north of Spokane is a wildlife park unlike any other in the
state. Cat Tales Zoological Park, 17020 N. Newport Hwy., Mead ( & 509/
238-4126; www.cattales.org), lets visitors get up close to tigers and other
big cats from around the world. There's also a petting zoo where you
might be able to pet a baby tiger. Treat bags can also be purchased, if you
want to help feed the big cats.
Kids
Riverside State Park ( & 509/469-5064 ), which lies along the banks of
the meandering Spokane River on the west edge of the city, has 32 miles of hik-
ing trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, and access to the Spokane River Centen-
nial Trail. Despite its proximity to the city, the park has a surprisingly wild feel,
and the river, as it flows through the park, is one of the prettiest stretches of river
in the state. The Bowl and Pitcher Overlook, near the park headquarters, pro-
vides a vista of huge basalt boulders on the banks of the river. Adjacent to the
park is the Spokane House Interpretive Site, which tells the story of the early
fur trade in this area and is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thursday
through Monday from 10am to 6pm. To find the park, drive north from down-
town on Maple Street, turn left on Northwest Boulevard, left on Menach Drive,
and right on Downriver Drive. Park admission is $5.
For a great view of the region, head northwest 30 miles to Mount Spokane
State Park ( & 509/238-4258 ), where you can drive to the top of the mountain.
Hiking trails wander for miles through the forest here. Park admission is $5.
SHOPPING
Three renovated downtown buildings provide some interesting shopping oppor-
tunities in Spokane. The Flour Mill, 621 W. Mallon Ave. (just across Riverfront
Park from downtown), is housed in an old mill that was built beside Spokane
Falls and has, in addition to its many interesting shops and restaurants, displays
on the mill and Spokane history. Steam Plant Square, 159 S. Lincoln St., is the
city's most unusual recycling of a downtown industrial building. In this case, the
steam plant that once produced heat for all of downtown Spokane has been
turned into a fashionable space that preserved as much of the original workings
as possible. Old boilers and pipes when juxtaposed against the modern restau-
rant and shopping facilities here give the entire space the feel of some strange
post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting. Don't miss the smokestack room! The Bennet
Block, on the corner of Main Avenue and Stevens Street, also houses specialty
shops and restaurants.
WHERE TO STAY
The Davenport Hotel Far and away the state's finest hotel east of
Seattle, this recently restored and reopened grand dame is an absolute work of
art. Originally opened in 1914 and reopened in 2002, the Davenport has an
astonishingly ornate Spanish Renaissance lobby that is way over the top and
gives the hotel the feel of a European palace. The many ballrooms, each of which
draws on different European periods and countries for styling, continue the
palatial feel of the hotel. However, the highlight is the Hall of the Doges,
which you should be sure to sneak a peek in while you're here. Guest rooms are
as classically elegant as the lobby, with hand-carved furniture imported from
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