Washington Redux: Snowy Spokane

I visit family in eastern Washington a few times a year. Sometimes the weather is beautiful and my days are spent gardening and picnicking and then there are the other times. Spokane has received a record amount of snow in the last two years. In January 2008 my car was snowed in on the street for much of my stay so I decided to delay my winter visit to March to avoid a similar situation. Smart, very smart. The Spokane Spokesman Review reported “ The winter of 2008-’09 saw about twice the normal seasonal snowfall, which fell in a matter of about three to four weeks. Even if we don’t see any additional snow for the rest of the season, the winters of 2007-’08 and 2008-’09 will be the snowiest combined back-to-back winters in recorded history.” Though there was still significant snow on the ground and snowflakes fell during my visit, spring is lurking around the corner, they deserve it! My 95 year old grandmother takes it all in stride.

In September 2008 my Spokane visit brought me to Green Bluff. Things are rather slow up there in March with all farm stands boarded up for winter. When I called Walter’s Apple Ranch I was saddened to learn that they suffered severe snow damage and were working on rebuilding a collapsed porch to be ready and open in May.

A happy discovery was McGlade’s, formerly a rather rickety stand with out of this world pies which has been rebuilt and is now comfortable restaurant and winebar. We had a burger near the fireplace on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed.

A Spokane tradition for me is catching a movie with my cousin, Mike. Over the years we have seen cinematic fodder as diverse as Shrek and Bottle Shock. This time we plunked down the $9.25 each for The International. Not bad, but not that great either, at least Clive Owen was no chore to watch for 2 hours. The not so far fetched concept of a corrupt bank conspiring to rule the world gave us something to dissect, which really was the goal.

I usually stay in the basement guest room at my grandmothers. It’s comfortable and convenient but the place to stay in Spokane is the Davenport Hotel. This elegant grand dame was opened in 1914 but fell into great disrepair towards the end of the century. “A demolition crew determined the entire block could be dropped in 20 seconds but the nightmare of airborne asbestos saved it from implosion. Dismantling and salvage was determined to be too expensive so the hotel remained closed for 15 years.” Dodging the demolition bullet the property was remodeled and reopened in 2004 in all its former glory. It’s my favorite place to visit and use their wifi connection in the lobby. There are many comfortable places to sit and you can enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of wine and frequently listen to a piano player. Their spa tempts me every time. Maybe someday…

Melanie Jones of the Columbia Spectator listed Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, “a portrait of life on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington, as either a novel or a short story collection. The twenty-two vignettes are at once independent stories and one affecting narrative”. I’ve requested it from the library and am looking forward to adding this selection to my 50 States for 08 book list.

Interesting tidbits from State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America : Washington ranks first in population claiming no religion (25% ). They also have the top breastfeeding rate (88% shared with neighboring Montana and Oregon).

Hopefully the apricot tree will be looking a little better by my next visit.