Spokane, WA

Spokane, WA is in Eastern Washington and is the county seat of Spokane county.  It is located on the Spokane river.  Population 208,916 with an median income of $32,300 and a median age of 35.  Spokane is the second largest city in Washington.  Spokane was founded by David Thompson, a British-Canadian fur trader, surveyor and map-maker.  He was exploring the area and began a European settlement in 1810 and with the westward expansion he established the North West Company's Spokane House.  The trading post was the first long term European settlement in Washington and was the center of fur trade between the Rockies and Cascades for 16 years.  In the late 19th century gold and silver were discovered in the inland northwest.  The city of Spokane was settled in 1871 and incorporated in 1881.  The city's name is from the Native American word spokane which means 'Children of the Sun'.  Since it's establishment Spokane has continued to grow with each decade.  In 1810 the population was 110 and now it is over 200,000.  Spokane was always a productive mining district and the economy has been based on Spokane being the center for mining, timber and agriculture however the city's economy has diversified to include high tech and bio tech industries also.  Spokane is the birth place of 'Father's Day'.  At a YMCA in 1910 Sonora Smart Dodd had a father that was a civil war vet and he was a single father that raised her and her 5 siblings and she loved him so much.  Since there was a Mother's Day she thought there should be a Father's Day and suggested it to her pastor at the YMCA.  The rest is history.  Spokane has an unofficial name, 'Lilac City' because the flower has flourished since it's introduction to the city in the early 20th century. 
In 1974 Spokane hosted Expo '74.  This was a big accomplishment because it was the first time a smaller city hosted an Expo.  The '74 Expo was a big success for Spokane and after the Expo the fairgrounds became a 100 acre park now called Riverfront Park.  The park is located on the Spokane river just above the Spokane Falls.  The park is one of the main attractions of Spokane and one of its features is the145 ft tall metal frame and wire shell that was built as the U.S. pavilion tent during the Expo.  The park also has the Riverfront Park carousel, an IMAX theater, clock tower,a  skyride over the falls, a small amusement park for kids, a sculpture walk with over 50 pieces of sculpture and an ice rink in the winter. 
We spent the day in Spokane and most of it was spent in the park.  The park is green and full of beautiful flowers and trees.  There is a lot to do in the park and we took one of the walking trails to check out the park.  The Clock tower really stands out and so does the  Radio Flyer wagon sculpture.  It is huge and very cleaver as it doubles as a play area with the handle of the wagon that doubles as a slide.  One main feature of the park is the Spokane river which is beautiful and crystal clear.  The river leads to the Spokane Falls which are really beautiful even though the water level is a little low.  We took the Skyrider over the falls to get a better look at them.  The 15 minute ride was worth the price for the view.  After we took in all we could do at the park we walked around downtown Spokane and had lunch at Red Robin, a hamburger restaurant that serve good burgers.
Spokane, like many big cities, is spreading out as it grows.  The park serves as the center of Spokane and one more unique feature of the park is at one end is the falls and at the other end there are three Universities that surround that end of the park.  It is a well layed out town and is pretty easy to get around.  I liked Spokane and I can see why the city has continued to grow through out the years.