Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau Blog

My Spokane Coffee Survey

Mark Baker, CTA — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:06:23 -0700

I drink enough coffee to drown a moose, so I consider myself an expert consumer. For years, my favorite drink has been a dirty chai, shots of espresso poured into a chai tea latte. I have frequented many coffee shops in my search for that perfect dirty drink. I found a different flavor and experience at every stop. So last week when I walked into Brews Brothers Espresso Lounge on a friend's suggestion, I was ecstatic that I had found an epic dirty chai!
I was so excited to share my finding with the world, and frankly I was shocked at their response. I was sure everyone would like my drink of choice and would want to know where to experience it. Instead I found I was out of touch and in my own sheltered coffee world. So just for grins, I created a brief survey to expand my thinking.

What I Found

I found that virtually no one likes a dirty chai. Only 52% had even heard of a dirty chai and only 25% surveyed had tried one. Then, the most shocking of all was that 0% of my tasty test group listed the dirty chai as their favorite drink. Wow.
Aside from my personal disappointment, I did get some pretty awesome data to share. Here are some of the highlights:

97% drink coffee.
These shops rated the highest for a dirty chai:
- Atticus Coffee & Gifts
- Brews Brothers Espresso Lounge
- Thomas Hammer Coffee
- Starbucks
- Tully's
- Rocket Bakery
The most popular drinks:
- Any type of latte (the overwhelming majority)
- Americano
- Mocha
The five highest rated coffee shops in Spokane:
- Starbucks
- Atticus Coffee & Gifts
- Dutch Bros. Coffee
- Brews Brothers Espresso Lounge
- Thomas Hammer Coffee

So there you have it, a taste of how our town likes its coffee. I know that people don't drink my favorite dirty chai much, which I interpret as my taste being ahead of the curve.

If you are interested in my questions and/or you would like to take the survey, go here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L3ZYBRF

5 New Year's Eve Events For You

Mark Baker, CTA — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:13:33 -0700

This New Year's Eve, don't settle for watching the ball drop on tape delay from New York City. Come join me downtown for First Night Spokane, the biggest party around. Make sure to check out the Event Schedule and Map on the First Night website. If you enjoy music, dancing, food, art, ice skating, fireworks and comedy, grab your First Night admission button for $12 and experience 40 venues and 200 performers! If you wait, the buttons are $15 on New Year's Eve, so get one now.

If you are looking to dance in the new year, head over to the Hawaiian Dance Party at Simply Dance Studio. For $5 enjoy Salsa lessons followed by Latin dancing starting at 8:15 and continuing till1am. Simply Dance Studio is located at 820 W Sprague Ave.

For live music, a fantastic prime rib buffet and over $25,000 in prizes purchase your tickets for The Lincoln Center's Bling! In the New Year. Tickets range from $50-$100 and you must be 21 years or older only.

Start the year off right with the Spokane Symphony: New Year's Eve with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The show starts at 7:30 at the beautifully restored Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. This amazing performance was so popular last year that it sold out, so make sure to get your tickets for the whole family. Tickets are $22-$27 for adults and $16 for children.

At Northern Quest Resort and Casino, Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot! will be tearing up the stage. The show has been rocking Europe and Japan for months and has finally made it to Northern Quest for their New Year's Eve extravaganza. Tickets are $150 for the December 31st show and can be purchased from the Tickets West website or at 1-800-325-SEAT.

There you have it, five incredible events that put Spokane on your map for New Year's Eve. Come check out some of the events and feel free to tell me how I "nailed it" with 5 reasons why Spokane rocks December 31st.

Last Minute Christmas Shopping at the Flour Mill

Mark Baker, CTA — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:25:00 -0700

It's not always easy being a guy. In what I'm sure is typical guy fashion, I waited until three days before Christmas to do ALL of my shopping and for some reason, it worked out for the best. With an idea in my head and a recommendation from one savvy boss, I headed to Spokane's Flour Mill to snag some eclectic gifts for my mom. Knowing what I know now, I am ashamed that I have lived in Spokane for seven years and have never considered the Flour Mill as a gift buying option. I have been there before but I tend to be somewhat aloof when I am hungry and headed for Clinkerdagger or Queen of Sheba, so this particular experience was a surprise.
I started in Chocolate Apothecary. For those of you who have not finished shopping, I suggest you drop everything and go right now for some last minute gifts. Luckily, I was in early enough to miss the crowd and decided to indulge in a "Spicy Maya" Drinking Chocolate. This is no ordinary hot cocoa. They melt fancy chocolate chips with milk, and for the Spicy Maya that means chocolate infused with cayenne and chile. It was fantastic. I also needed a couple shots of espresso, and they gladly obliged my caffeine addiction. I hand selected an assortment of truffles which took me a good fifteen minutes as there were so many to choose from. I have an awesome picture of the ones I bought, but unfortunately I can't share it with you because my mom does read my blog posts. After leaving Chocolate Apothecary,I walked next door to The Kitchen Engine. I sometimes dream about baking, so this store struck a chord. I frothed over the fancy knife wall and the comprehensive collection of ceramic baking dishes and for a moment regretted holding the chocolate I already bought. Then I remembered my Spicy Maya experience. I can get baking supplies for my mom next Christmas.
Just across the way is Wonders of the World where I immediately found about thirty awesome gift possibilities. This eclectic store has hand carved furniture, unique jewelry, art and much more. With a time constraint on my mid-day shopping I had to cruise through pretty quickly, but I had some time to snap a few pictures and to make a mental note to go back and spend some time exploring all the cool things. On my last day of Christmas shopping, I learned some valuable lessons.

Go to the Flour Mill first. I could have done all my shopping for the year in one day and made my friends and family very happy.
Leave more time for skiing next year. Who needs three days to shop, now that I know I can do it in one place!
Make sure to enjoy a cup of Drinking Chocolate from Chocolate Apothecary on a regular basis, because frankly, it just makes your day better.

Still struggling to find a few gifts in the last days before Christmas? Make a trip down to the Flour Mill. It's a quick walk from downtown through Riverfront Park, at 621 W. Mallon Ave.

Snow is Here

Valeta Sweet, CTA — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:28:40 -0700

Recently I've had an itch and not the kind of itch you can scratch this early in the season. I have been earnestly waiting for the snow to fall and finally, it did. Schweitzer opened the earliest they have in twenty five years. The other reason I have been itching is because I had to wait for the Fed-Ex guy to deliver my new skis, then wait some more for my new skis to get mounted. Finally I had assembled all my gear, and trust me there's a lot. I found that 49 Degrees North had the best early snow base and it helped to have a "ten dollar off" coupon and only an hour drive. So I packed up my skis, poles, massive backpack, camera gear, music and GPS and headed for Chewelah. (That last sentence makes me realize why I am always broke, but on the bright side, the Spokane REI is doing really well.)
I couldn't have dreamed up better conditions for early December. With less than a dozen ski bums on the slopes, it was rare to see anyone outside the lodge. Add in the perfectly clear skies and temperatures just below freezing, and it turned out to be a pretty solid day. The coverage was decent, the slopes were fast and my face hurt from smiling for ten hours. I also figured out that I should be doing some ski leg workouts, but who has time for that when you have dozens of Youtube skiing videos to catch up on?
So while most people complain about the cold weather coming and commuting in the snow, imagine me doing my nightly snow dance and remember to find some of your own inspiration from winter.

Celebrate Best of Broadway

Dana Haynes, CTA — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:29:47 -0700

Bigger isn't always better. That's why we live in Spokane, right? Big cities often mean big traffic headaches, big prices and big problems. In medium-sized Spokane we enjoy vibrant arts and entertainment at a level much more expected in a larger city. As I sat in the INB Performing Arts Center on opening night of Come Fly Away, I enjoyed the tunes of ol' blue eyes and the kind of dancing only attempted by professionals. Fabulous, toe-tapping, incredible music and dance. All 80 uninterrupted minutes of the show were exhilarating!

Spokane is celebrating 25 years of Best of Broadway. Crazy to think for two and a half decades, Broadway shows have been coming to Spokane. The numbers tally more than two million people who have experienced a show at the INB. Next, Young Frankenstein takes the stage December 15-18. Beauty and the Beast takes over the INB January 26-29 and the Tony Award winning Best Musical In the Heights, April 12-15. Several other shows hit the stage too and the season ends with Mary Poppins June 12-17. Wow! Do you know how many other cities our size would love to have that kind of line-up? Sure, we have the facilities to host these shows, but more important, we have a great local company called West Coast Entertainment that's the vision behind the magic of Broadway in Spokane.

Many would say we're lucky to have such big-city entertainment right here in medium-ville. I don't think its luck, its love. Many people have worked tirelessly over the last two decades bringing Broadway to Spokane. We are a marvelous city boasting a sophisticated arts and entertainment tradition. Best of Broadway proves it!

Spokane Rocks

Valeta Sweet, CTA — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:58:49 -0700

An osprey just landed on top of the flagpole at the historic Davenport Hotel. And the fact that I can look out my downtown Spokane office window and see that seems pretty damned cool right at the moment. It's the first of November and admittedly, I've been feeling a little blue about any number of things including the fact that my garden has gone fallow, my dahlia tubers need wrapping, I just heard the first forecast with snow in it (arriving Thursday), I haven't gotten to ride my bike much lately and now I'm doomed to slog along in the snow with my much heavier studded mountain bike tires. Alright... I was hurtling, headlong into a little self pity party... until that bird perched on that flagpole outside my window.

That osprey (which is actually a super amazing indigenous fish-hawk with two sets of eye lids!) reminded me all over again of just how cool it is to live and work in Spokane. More days than not, the sky is brilliant blue. (Like today.) Deer and moose, eagles and osprey, and even the occasional cougar and bear sneak into the city's parks and neighborhoods. Class III+ whitewater is three (no kidding, three!) minutes from my parking space. The Centennial Trail, some 37 miles of it, is two blocks away and the Trek cruisers we use for quick commuting are right outside my office door. The cool new Cougar Crest Tasting room, plus a couple of hip new restaurants, Fraiche and Rex's Burgers & Brews, just opened across the street. We have Nordstrom and the infamous "Half Yearly Sale" is only a week away!
My list could keep going like a bad direct response TV ad ("but wait... there's more!!"). But today I'll settle for saying Spokane rocks. And it just took a little poke in the shoulder (or virtual peck in the eye) to remember it.

Go! Fight! Win!

Teresa Ide, CTA — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:02:09 -0700

Well folks, there's no denying it - it's officially football season! I've dug through my closet to find the jerseys of my favorite teams, have my Fantasy Football league all squared away and there's plenty of ice cold beer in the fridge. I am ready! And because of my love of football, I'm a lucky girl to live in Spokane and be so close to some great universities. That allows me to watch lots of live game day action. I mean really, what's better than College Football Saturday?!

First up, my Alma Mater - Washington State University! Born and raised a diehard fan of the Cougs, I make a point to take the hour and fifteen minute drive to Pullman, Washington (directly south of Spokane) on game days and watch my team play in Martin Stadium. There's always great tailgating in the Hollingbery Fieldhouse just steps away from the stadium and in all the RV Parking Lots around campus. Or stake your claim on a few bar stools at The Coug and hang out with all the students prepping for game time. The games are always a total blast so get your tickets early and support the #1 ranked offence in the nation (AKA the Washington State Cougars!)

Next on the list is WSU's neighbor to the east - the University of Idaho! The Vandals are a great football team and all home games are held in a sweet enclosed stadium called the Kibbie Dome. There's tons of game day action going on with their active Greek system, U of I's Alumni Association events and as always, lots of RV parking and tailgating! Be sure to get to campus early, stock up on some silver and gold gear and show your Vandal pride. Cheer on this WAC team by heading to their next home game in Moscow, Idaho on September 24!

Then we have last year's big-time champs - the Eastern Washington Eagles! You might be surprised to know that this Cheney, Washington team went out National Champions last year and pose a threat to opposing teams this year, too. Students have made it a tradition to stop by Eagle's Pub (formerly known as Showies!) for a snack and a pint of Eagle's Pub Brew before kickoff. There are just four home games at Roos Field this year on their bright red turf so make sure you get your tickets soon!

And finally, Whitworth University! As Spokane's only school within city limits with a football team, the Pirates are a great group to watch. This Northwest Conference team plays on the Whitworth University campus in the Pine Bowl under the direction of Coach John Tully (and named NWC Coach of the Year in 2001, 2006 and 2007.) Join the students and cheer on Whitworth for their next two home games on September 24 and October 8. Go Pirates!

So when you come to visit Spokane this fall, make sure you have time for a local college football game. Or if you'd rather watch your favorite team from a local watering hole, check out this blog about some of the great sports bars in the region!

Hunter Orange and Hiking Boots

Teresa Ide, CTA — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:14:00 -0700

Believe it or not, it's almost September. Doesn't that just blow your mind?! It seems like it was only yesterday I was planning all my lazy days at the lake and enjoying lunches on the grass in Riverfront Park. And even though we still have a few weeks of warm weather, I can't help but get excited to dig up my bird hunting vest, clean my shotgun and set out on a pheasant hunt!

Now, let's clarify a couple things just to make sure we're on the same page here. Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I own my own shotgun (a Remington Pump Action 12 Gauge, to be more specific). And you got it - I like to hunt. But in addition to all that, I also love shopping, sipping on wine and a good pedicure now and then (I mean really, who doesn't enjoy a good pedicure?!) Anyway, what I'm trying to get at here is that the Spokane region is ripe with experiences for all kinds of people with all kinds of interests. And let me tell you, we've got some incredible places to go hunting! (And some great spots for pedicures, too!)

I think one of my favorite spots to go upland bird hunting is at Miller Ranch just an hour southwest of Spokane. They're a pheasant preserve which means you don't need to have a hunting license to go! We always call a week or so ahead and reserve our spot. They have their land divided into large stretches and when you get there, they ask you how many birds you want them to release on your reserved area. After all the birds are released, it's time to slap on my bird hunting vest (covered with hunter orange, of course!), lace up my hiking boots, grab my trusty shotgun and we're off! Our black lab, Carlos, comes along to sniff out the birds for us and we have a great time throwing some lead in the air. It's always a total blast (no pun intended)!

P.S. If you've never seen a pheasant up close, they have such beautiful feathers! Check out this photo.

The College Student's Guide to Spokane

Teresa Ide, CTA — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:20:01 -0700

There's no denying it, the time has come and I'm going to be... (gulp) a senior in college. Where the heck did the years go?! But I'm ready to tackle my fourth and final year at Gonzaga University and go out with a bang! After living in Spokane for three school years (and one awesome summer!), I've learned a thing or two about living it up in the Spokane region.

Freshman Year: I was without a car. Bummer, right? Nope - not in Spokane! My friends and I (with the help of a sweet pair of walking shoes) set out to explore our new whereabouts. Many afternoons were spent exploring running paths, the Centennial Trail and downtown Spokane where I solemnly vowed to try a new eatery each month. Luigi's gnocchi became a slight addiction... yum! And movies at River Park Square afterwards became a ritual.

Sophomore Year: Feeling a little more comfortable with my new surroundings, it was time to branch out and be adventurous. First up, Green Bluff for Apple Festival! And nothing fuels my donut obsession like fresh, pumpkin donuts. So delicious! Another great weekend adventure was Scarywood at Silverwood Theme Park just 45 minutes out of downtown in North Idaho. It was chock full of Halloween glory. What better way to release mid-term stress than riding the creepy coasters and dodging attacking zombies!

Junior Year: Outdoor shenanigans were the name of the game. Mini camping trips and floating the Spokane River became routine, but I must admit - I never thought I'd go snowshoeing and snow caving at Mt. Spokane... and needless to say, I absolutely loved it!

So with it being my senior year, my roomies and I kicked it off by experiencing our first night out on the town before classes began. We danced the night away and had a great evening at MarQuee Lounge! Since we all love to run, discovering the Flying Irish Running Club was the perfect fit and it's safe to say my weekends will now begin with Thursday evening jogs and post-run celebrations with a pint at O'Doherty's (and maybe one of their righteous salmon sandwiches!) Who's with me?

It's still a mystery as to what new adventures I'll find myself in this year, but since Spokane always
has tons of fun stuff to do, I'm sure I'll be busy making lots of new memories!

Singing Songs and Sipping Syrah

Teresa Ide, CTA — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:03:12 -0700

Last Sunday, I was in serious denial of my weekend coming to a close. In need of one final hurrah, I rounded up my roomies to enjoy a night of good music, wine and dancing. And Arbor Crest Wine Cellars was the place to be! For only five bucks, we enjoyed their Sunday Summer Concert Series and it was a steal of a deal! Local bands come out and play everyone's favorite tunes ‘til the sun goes down - from rock n' roll and country to swing, jazz and blues. Plus, there's a new band every week!

Parking in the shade of the cherry trees, we grabbed a handful of fruit and trekked on up to the concert area. And the place was packed! Happy picnickers surrounded us enjoying their spread of wine, cheese and crackers. Yum! We snagged a shady spot, laid out our picnic and bought ourselves a bottle of Arbor Crest's Cliff House White. Super refreshing on such a warm evening!

Not only does Arbor Crest offer yummy wines, but since it's perched up on a rock, we coul really enjoy the view. I could see all of Spokane Valley! The High Street Band rocked the winery with their funky attitude, neon suits and the dancing never stopped - Conga line anyone? We had such a great time. What a perfect way to end the weekend!

So, if you like wine and good times, round up your friends and family and come on out (but remember - no one under 21). These Sunday evening concerts only run through September so be sure to see one before the summer is over. Cheers!

Cowgirl Boots and a Country Concert

Teresa Ide, CTA — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:57:34 -0700

Billy Currington came to Spokane's Knitting Factory Concert House last week. It was a dream come true if you ask me! And if you don't know who this country singer is, you're really missing out (unless you don't like country music or nice looking men.) Anyway, my sweetie and I slipped on our cowboy boots, grabbed our tickets and got to Mixx Nine One Sixx (the bar attached to the Knitting Factory) early to fill our bellies with food and drinks before the show. Their menu is full of tasty dishes and the bar has tons of good brews on tap (along with a nice selection yummy mixed drinks.)

An hour before show time, the doors opened and we flooded into the concert house. After propping ourselves on the upper deck by the railing, we were promptly greeted by an amazing server who was ready to take our order. The cool thing about this music venue is that it's so intimate, you always feel super close to the bands! When Uncle Kracker came on, the crowd went wild! Not only did he play some great tunes but he was really funny, too! Soon, it was Billy Currington's turn and boy, he sure sang his heart out! He even played my very favorite song, Good Directions. We had so much fun!

So, if you're ever in Spokane and get the itch for live music, definitely go to a concert at the Knitting Factory Concert House - you'll have a great time!

(Oh and check out his tweet about Spokane!)

Discovering da Vinci!

Teresa Ide, CTA — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:47:26 -0700

I used to think that museums were buildings with dark rooms filled with boring stuff from people who died like 400 years ago. But the Leonardo da Vinci: Man - Inventor - Genius exhibit at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (also known as ‘the MAC') totally proved me wrong. I had heard so many awesome things about the exhibit, so I grabbed our intern (she totally rocks) and we set off to see it for ourselves!

T. Time: We started our museum experience doing what girls do best - shopping! The museum has a great shop and it was filled with lots of funky da Vinci t-shirts, tons of books, toys, cards and lots more. We got our green exhibit entry stickers, slapped them on our shirts and headed down the stairs to start our journey through the exhibit!

krazykels: And so it began! Off we went and with the help of the funky, Vitruvian Man direction signs (how clever!), we reached our first stop - the timeline room. A short and sweet introduction video was playing, so T. Time and I grabbed a seat and launched into the world of Leonardo. The room was filled with stunning art reproductions and you could've fooled me - they looked like the real deal! After learning about the life of Leonardo, we were ready for the first exhibit... military machines!

T. Time: Ah yes, this room was full of all kinds of crazy contraptions! Leonardo had a huge interest in anatomy and he even modeled some of his war machines after animals. He designed a tank that operated like a turtle shell! We saw this again after going into the next room full of da Vinci's flight inventions. He studied the way that birds flew and took their wing structure to develop lots of flying devices for humans. He sure was one smart cookie!

krazykels: That he was... and so are the teens that work inside the exhibit! Those kiddos knew lots of fun trivia about Leonardo. Did you know he wrote everything backwards? It's still a mystery why... but a handy dandy factoid, nonetheless! He also broke away from the standard egg tempura paint that everyone else used and tried basic oil paint instead. This let him blend colors together and create his magnificent masterpieces (even though he only actually finished 16 paintings!) We even received at-home recipes for the paints. T. Time, I hope you're feeling crafty!

T. Time: Craftiness is not my strong suit, but I'll give it a try! The last room of the exhibit held all the hands-on mechanical models which meant one thing - play time! I think we pushed, cranked, turned and pulled on just about everything in there! It was a great way to end the exhibit. I walked away from the museum thinking about how Leonardo da Vinci was way more than the guy who painted the Mona Lisa. He was a smarty pants who invented lots of things that we still use today. Who knew!?

krazykels: I agree! The Leonardo exhibit definitely impressed me and all that hands-on interaction made my experience tons of fun. I even learned a few things! Not only is the exhibit truly outstanding, but the MAC is an awesome venue in a great location (smack dab in the middle of Spokane's beautiful Browne's Addition.) I love that area! I can't wait to see what other exhibits the MAC will bring... I know I'll be there!

If you want to see the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit in Spokane, you'd better get a move on! The exhibit will wave goodbye to Spokane on Labor Day. You can get your tickets at the door and be sure to check their website for hours and more info!

Chaps Has Seriously Good Eats

Teresa Ide, CTA — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:17:23 -0700

It's funny to me that I've lived in Spokane for pretty much my whole life (minus those three years I spent at Washington State University - Go Cougs!) and still haven't eaten at some of the yummiest restaurants in the area. Go figure!

About a month or two back, my parents asked if I wanted to have dinner with them at Chaps. I had heard of the restaurant before, but never had a chance to go. It's sort of tucked away on the far end of a grocery store along Highway 195 (or the Pullman Highway, as locals call it) just south of downtown Spokane. When we went, it was a Friday evening and we walked in to find an amazing local band playing some Eric Clapton (one of my faves!) The place was pretty busy, but they got us seated right away.

The walls of Chaps are painted a bright periwinkle color (no kidding!) and decorated with all kinds of old lamps, vintage picture frames, wooden doors and funky knickknacks. And no two tables or chairs are alike. It's super colorful and eclectic - I loved it!

The waiter brought us some water (in mason jars!) and we ordered. I had the Breadcrumb Crusted Chicken and it was super juicy and flavorful. Definitely some of the best chicken I've had in awhile! My dad had the Seared Salmon that was topped with an orange zest cranberry sauce. It looked awesome and he said the fish was cooked perfectly. Yum!

Then it was time for dessert. The owners of Chaps have a passion for baking so we couldn't pass up the sweets this time! Between the giant cookies and the huckleberry cobbler, I was in heaven!

I've been back to Chaps twice since then and I always have an incredible time. I would definitely put this on your must-go restaurant list next time you're in Spokane!

Peaceful Floating

Teresa Ide, CTA — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:03:00 -0700

This year marks my first "official" summer in Spokane. And let me say, I've been anxiously awaiting this since the cold days of March! I still consider myself "new" to the Spokane region. (During the year I'm cooped up on campus at Gonzaga.) I've been stoked about finally having a Spokane summer. Exploring the region, trying new foods and tackling any and every experience that comes my way makes up my summer game plan. (Hoopfest was a good warm-up!) Yesterday, my summer kicked off as an unexpected Happy Hour Rafting trip concluded my first real day of work. Sounds like a pretty awesome first day, yes?

My new colleagues and I greeted our fearless river guides at ROW Adventures, and after being suited up with some really attractive splash gear, our adventure began! A short bus ride later, we arrived at the put-in point, ready to rumble and slightly nervous after learning the command ‘High side left/right!' (Aka jump into the lap of the person beside you in case of collision, yikes!)

We paddled through the serene waters of the Spokane River and enjoyed some pretty awesome scenery, while continually flashing the ‘peace sign' to avoid sneaky splashes from our friends in the other raft. Taylor, our handy river guide, constantly entertained us with his countless, fun-filled trivia facts. Did you know that ospreys actually have two eyelids?! One normal eyelid and one clear for when they dive under water to snatch fish!

I saw even more new sights as we floated right alongside Riverside State Park while people watching the hikers, bikers and Frisbee golfers!

Now comes the serious part...the whitewater. We swiftly approached our first, class III rapid of the day, Bowl and Pitcher. Zooming down the river, Taylor shouting "Paddle, paddle!!" the gushing waters crashed into our raft, unforgivingly soaking us. But we made it! Phew. Next up, Devil's Toenail. After a quick pep talk, we started paddling like crazy, dodging rocks and eventually came out sopping wet and smiling. Clearly, a raft cheer and a paddle high-five was in order! Was it time for happy hour yet?

Well it was! Finally, it was time to relax on the sandy bank while cracking open the cooler filled with nothing but our favorite mixed beverages. And after conquering both Bowl and Pitcher AND Devil's Toenail, we deserved it! As I mingled with my fellow paddlers, yet another surprise awaited us in the water. Bright, neon frisbees! Frisbee on the beach? Don't mind if I do!

The float finished up at a relaxing pace and I soaked up all the fresh air I could get. A perfect break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Heading home relaxed and happy, I chuckled as one of our guides, Chris, left us with "What is the difference between a river guide and a savings bond?" Eventually one matures!

Wow on the West Plains

Teresa Ide, CTA — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:29:23 -0700

From hand woven tule mats and century old baby boards to camas root, water baskets and more, I made my way through an interesting journey of Kalispel tribal living history last week. It wasn't at a museum or an exhibit at city hall. In fact, my journey landed at the front desk of the region's newest four diamond resort and casino, Northern Quest. This shiny tribute to the astute business acumen of the Kalispels sits just west of downtown Spokane near the Spokane International Airport. My sweetie and I decided to have a date night getaway there last week.

It's pretty hard not to be wowed when you get to Northern Quest. First, it's HUGE! Walking through the enclosed promenade to the hotel, the first thing we noticed was the gorgeous new outdoor amphitheater and the posters for upcoming concerts featuring musical greats like The Judds, Reba McEntire, Carlos Santana and Willie Nelson. Wow!

Next wow? The hotel lobby. Cool floating fireplace. Gorgeous, gigantic hand-blown glass cattails and tule grasses. This place feels luxe! And then, there was our room. Not just a room, mind you, but a suite! The living room had a HUGE flatscreen TV, wet bar and ultra cool furniture (not to mention a Keurig coffee maker!) The bedroom was fantastic and our bed actually had a little staircase to get in it! The bathroom had a jetted tub plus the kind of walk-in shower that you only see in those TV commercials for expensive bathroom faucets and fixtures. Really, I could go on and on about this bathroom. I mean the shower even had a digital temperature gauge so I could easily turn it to lobster hot! Yeah. Did I mention this was one of TWO bathrooms in our suite? And I'm not even kidding.

Then we explored the rest of the place. It was like a one stop club hop! Sports bar? The Q! Hip dance club? Impulse! Sultry cigar bar? Legends of Fire! Plus the swank Masselow's restaurant with its innovative menu and killer wine list. I didn't even get to test out the legendary French fries at Fat Burger... stir fry at Fai's Noodle House... well, you get the picture.

And what was especially cool about the casino was their "Smoke Free" gaming area. In fact, there's really not a speck of space at Northern Quest that ISN'T pretty much great. The only downside? One night was definitely not enough. And we had to head out early for the da Vinci Exhibit at the MAC. But we'll be coming back for one of those concerts, a massage at Current Spa, dinner at Masselow's, blackjack, craps, roulette and maybe a good cigar. I can hardly wait!