Ten Exceptional Things to Do and See in Spokane, Washington

Spokane, Washington, is the largest city in Washington state east of the Cascades and is generally regarded as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest. Despite it's considerable size and population, Spokane suffers a reputation as a bland place to live, particularly among the teenage and young adult population. This perception is created mainly when Spokane is compared with the vastly more populous and diverse Seattle area. Although Spokane is not the ideal city for those who can't function without a falafel shop on every corner, the city boasts some excellent opportunities for recreation. The list of recreational activities below constitutes only a sample of the comforts enjoyed by Spokane's citizens and visitors.

1.Explore Manito Park and Botanical Gardens-

Located on Spokane's South Hill, this 90 acre park begs to be explored. Features include a large conservatory filled with exotic plants and cacti, the Nishinomiya Japanese gardens, over 1500 rose bushes, a duck pond, and vast expanses of well-kept grass reserved for tossing frisbee or sunbathing. Anyone visiting Spokane in the warmer months should make visiting this park a priority. Many native Spokanites, your humble author included, consider Manito Park the gem of the city.

2.Ride the Sky View Gondola-

Found in the heart of the city, the Sky View gondola system takes groups of up to 6 passengers on a birds-eye tour of the Spokane Falls and the surrounding area. The tour takes 15 minutes to complete, and may sound pretty boring, but when the river is moving fast I have on multiple occasions seen people getting off the gondola looking like they've just seen a ghost. You'll just have to trust me that it isn't as dull as my description suggests.

3.Go shopping downtown-