What I like about Spokane (Airway Heights, Hamilton: campgrounds, live, restaurants)

[coffeepotbend]

This is a list of what I like about Spokane. Since I've posted mostly negative stuff, it's time to be fair and balanced and say what I like!

1. Hunting for morel mushrooms in the spring.

2. Picking huckleberries in the mountains.

3. Scenery!!!!!!

4. The Spokane river at the bowl and pitcher.

5. The falls in riverfront park.

6. That little korean restaurant in Airway heights.

7. Fishing the Pend Orielle river.

8. Hiking on Mount Spokane.

9. Deer everywhere.

10. Boating and fishing for walleye on Lake Roosevelt (don't eat the fish though. there are warnings).

11. Trips to the coast.

12. Trips to Canada.

13. Hunting elk in Idaho.

14. Tons of beautiful snow, especially past the northern snow line (deer park).

15. Long, extended fall weather.

16. Cool summer nights because of low humidity.

17. Not very buggy.

18. Bears and mountain lions.

19. metaline falls.

20. lilacs!!!!!!! It is the lilac city!

21. Duck hunting on Potholes reservoir.

22. Banks lake........yea, and, Grand coulee dam.

24. Long lake.

25. Endless scenic drving.

26. Riding ATV's at 7 mile (ATV park).

27. 4 seasons

23. Picking apples.

24. snowshoe hiking in the winter.

25. Incredible history of the area.

26. Trips to Montana aren't to far away.

27. The city is not "to big" (yet).

28. Multiple climatic enviroments within one state. The temperate forest, the desert, the Olympic rain forest, and artic like snow covered peaks all year long.

29. Salmon and steelhead fishing in the Columbia river.

30. The columbia river at Hanford has multiple fish species, including ones with 3 eyes and dual tails, they are easy to find when night fishing because they glow a pretty bright green........(couldn't help it....Ha Ha).

Hanford- Radionuclides in the Columbia River - Hanford Health Information Network - WA State Dept. of Health

[chiaroscuro]

Quite a list. I never enjoyed the snow, but other than that your list is most of the positives. What area of the country has the least pollution and cancer, if you don't mind me asking? Is there an area that has a good compromise?

[Wilshire81182]

I liked the Onion and Tomato Street when I lived there. I lived in Spokane in 2002-2003.

[coffeepotbend]

#30 was a just a joke (made by my husband).......but I still felt the need to back it up with a link.......LOL
I'll think about your question and get back to you. Peace out!

[coffeepotbend]

I like the Onion and Tomato street too. But, I LOVED Pete's Pizza. They had one in Airway heights, but it closed. The other one was East near Gonzaga...but I forgot the street. They have the best Calzones. It's a little local joint not a chain.

added-
Pete's in on Sharp and Hamilton.....the calzone king!!!!!!!!!

[WendyK]

There's a Pete's Pizza on NW BLvd. right near TJ Meenach Blvd. I've never been there but have driven by it a million times. I think you'll find a lot of new fav restaurants when you get back here, coffeepot. We went out to dinner the other night and I got all flustered trying to make a decision on where to go -- too many great choices! We ended up at Niko's greek restaurant. Great food - service had some issues but they were very gracious in apologizing and explaining what happened. My favorite pizza is Benniditto's - there's one on Indian Trail and another on the south hill. Mmmmm....best crust around.

I liked your list of favorite things. Along with the deer everywhere, I love seeing the wild turkeys, coyotes (even though they eat cats), and so many types of song birds & water birds. I am lucky to drive along the river daily and get to see all types of wildlife. I've even been surprised by a moose or two!

[chiaroscuro]

Originally Posted by WendyK

There's a Pete's Pizza on NW BLvd. right near TJ Meenach Blvd. I've never been there but have driven by it a million times.

It's good, I was a five minute drive from it on NW. Calzones rule, I sometimes wonder why I even order pizza anymore when I could have a calzone

[st33lcas3]

Originally Posted by coffeepotbend

I like the Onion and Tomato street too. But, I LOVED Pete's Pizza. They had one in Airway heights, but it closed. The other one was East near Gonzaga...but I forgot the street. They have the best Calzones. It's a little local joint not a chain.

added-
Pete's in on Sharp and Hamilton.....the calzone king!!!!!!!!!

Wasn't that Geno's Pizza at one time? I used to love their pizza.

[coffeepotbend]

ST33, for as long as I can remember it was Petes Pizza. The one in Airway heights was on the corner of Highway 2 and Hayford road. I looked it up and I see he has one in the valley as well as the the one Northwest BLVD that Wendyk mentioned. I do remember a Gino's too, but it was a different place.

The Korean place in Airway Heights that I love is called "House of Seoul". I lived on their Kim Bop through 2 pregnancies....LOL...The food there is sooooooooooo goooooooodddd...

Chiaroscuro- I like Spokane snow and winter, but really loathed winter in North dakota. It was so cold there. The wind just cut through you like a knife. Spokane usually had around 2 weeks of below 0 weather in January, where North Dakota had it for up to 6 weeks. If you didn't have a block heater on your car, and have your car plugged in at night....you were walking in the morning. I lost my car for 2 weeks because I didn't plug it in one night. We finally hauled it to a heated garage and let it sit for 8 hours before it would start again. When we first got there. I noted that the parking lots all had electric plug in posts like they have at campgrounds so people could plug their cars in while they were at work. Spokane winter is very mild compared to North Dakota.

Now that I am thinking pos. I have thought of a few more things that I liked.

31. Plowing snow with my riding lawn tractor.......that's fun! I use to plow all my neighbors driveways too...and they thought I was doing them a favor, HAH.....I was really just having fun!

32. Coyotes howling at night. Wendy brought back that memory. I did lose 2 cats though. The night my mare gave birth, 30 of them circled our round pen waiting for the afterbirth. As soon as I stepped out of the pen, a few ran in and dragged the afterbirth into the woods, where we heard them snarling and fighting over it!!! Coyotes can make a lot of noise. It's eery, but cool!!


Wendy- do they still belly dance at Niko's? They use to weave around the tables while you were eating, belly dancing. I never heard of Benniditto's, is that new? Is it a chain, or local?

33. Friends....OMGosh.....I have a ton of friends in Spokane. They're like family. I can't believe I forgot to put that on the list!!! It should be Number 1.


Does anyone remember the big fires in the summer of 1996, followed by that HUGE ice storm that very winter? That was a wild year. I hear you had record snow fall this winter. I'm going to try and find a picture of the snow in I think 1992 or 1994. It was outragious!! It was the previous record year! I'm trying to remember what year the fires raged near suncrest and tum tum, off of long lake. Very wild!!!! I think it was 1997?

The 1996 fires came within 1/4 mile of my house, then the ice storm hit a few months later and took half our trees, knocked down the fences and left us with no electricity for 3 weeks. Thank God for wood stoves!!!! The ice storm was followed by a huge winter storm with lots of snow and very cold weather......AHHHH....good times.....(really, I have fond memories.....LOL)

links to the stuff I mentioned.
Local Disaster History

The Spokesman-Review.com -- Feedback

Forest Fire News Release

[st33lcas3]

ST33, for as long as I can remember it was Petes Pizza. The one in Airway heights was on the corner of Highway 2 and Hayford road. I looked it up and I see he has one in the valley as well as the the one Northwest BLVD that Wendyk mentioned. I do remember a Gino's too, but it was a different place.

OK, I googled it. Geno's is on Hamilton at Sinto, just south of Mission. I used to go to Jack and Dan's tavern right there too.

I do remember those fires you mentioned. 'Fire Storm 96' is what the news was calling it. I worked outside at the time and the smoke was thick. It made for an awesome sunset though!