1. This idea, to go on a monthly outing to Spokane, that Christy, Carol, and I agreed to, is working beautifully for me. Every trip we've made to Spokane has opened my eyes to a new and stimulating aspect of Spokane and added to the exploring I've done by myself.
Christy was in charge of today's outing and decided that we would explore Monroe Street, both north and south.
After Christy bought us all coffee drinks at Wake Up Call Coffee in CdA, we headed to the City Hall area of Post Street, immediately found a superb parking spot, and made our way down toward the Spokane River and Huntington Park, all in the shadow of the Monroe Street Bridge.
The river is running powerfully right now and so to get close to the swelling water and the boiling whitewater at the bottom of the raging Spokane Falls excited us. We also marveled at the blooming Serviceberry trees and other spring blossoms emerging and read signs telling us about the history of this vital part of the Spokane River in the city's history.
2. We piled back into Christy's Sube and headed north on Monroe and parked in front of a fun store called Vintage Print and Neon.
The store specializes in Spokane and Pacific Northwest nostalgia.
Most of the store's items are not relics from the past, but are nostalgic creations by the store's owner like Olympia and Rainier Beer T-shirts and coasters or replicas of Chapter 11 menus. The owner has landed some relics, though, mostly neon signs: Reddy Kilowatt, the sign for the Italian Kitchen on N. Bernard, and others.
We left Vintage Print and Neon (at the northwest corner of NW Blvd and Monroe) with Spokane memories dancing in our heads and, after turning back the clock, we then entered 2026 Spokane and ate lunch at the Kindred Public House, recently voted by Inlander readers as the best new restaurant in Spokane.
3. We left Kindred nourished and satisfied and bolted up the south Monroe hill and indulged in a little more nostalgia.
The three of us went on our first sibling outing back at the end of March, 2007. We had coffee at Doma when it was located in downtown CdA. We ate lunch at Jack and Dan's in Spokane. We did other things, including a trip to Huckleberry's Natural Market and today, nineteen years later, we returned for a run through, a purchase or two, and just to see how the store was holding up after thirty years in business -- very well, in fact.
We ended our outing to Spokane in Spokane Valley on N. Argonne Road at Pete and Belle's Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop for delicious scoops of ice cream. I had a scoop of loaded and chocolate-y/caramel-y Halley's Comet and a scoop of refreshing Strawberry Cheesecake.
What a day! The powerful Spokane River awed us. Spokane nostalgia warmed us. We ate satisfying food. We indulged in delicious ice cream.
I'm in charge for May and, stay tuned. I have a fun outing already planned!
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