Spokane

Trips to Spokane, Washington, are etched in my memory as we would visit my grandparents there every summer and occasionally at Christmastime. I always enjoyed our big family gatherings and loved many of the traditional "Spokane" things we did. This is my cousin, Kim, Rachel's older sister. She and I have always been close. She was gracious enough to house me while I visited and it was fun to catch up. She and her husband, Chad, have a cute little boy named Jack who is almost exactly one year younger than Hope. It was fun to meet him. I was treated to as many vanilla lattes as I could drink, and am now in the market for an espresso machine! I already miss her!


One of my favorite activities while visiting was always riding the carousel. It's almost 100 years old and it has a ring dispenser that you can reach out (only if you're on a prized outside horse, mind you) and grab a ring, then toss it into a clown's mouth. If you were lucky enough to grab the gold ring or make your plastic ring land in the clown's mouth - you got a free ride. I remember my grandpa buying many rides for me and watching as I rode around and around.


This is at another spot in Riverfront Park, just down the little path from the carousel. Unfortunately, Rachel's not in it as she's taking the picture.






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These are two pictures of the Spokane Falls. This was as much water as I've ever seen pouring through here. The park has a neat gondola ride that goes over this, but we didn't have time to take it. So, we just stood and admired and were sprayed by the mist.

So, that's my trip to Spokane. It holds many special memories for me and I hope I can get back there again someday!