Well Spokane (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!) 9.12.24

Before we left bison country, we met a Montana elk hunter, a weathered, tanned and talkative man with a gray ponytail.  He was at the next campsite and we admired his compound bow, which I did not recognize but LCR did.  He had a fancy all-terrain vehicle from which he was target shooting in a field in back of the campground.  In talking with him, we learned that elk hunters use an elk call.  He pulled out a device made from reeds which he put in his mouth, and proceeded to demonstrate both male and female elk mating calls!  He also could do a deer call, which is more like a huffing whereas the elk sounds are sort of screeches.  This was a new one on me.  You just never know who you are going to run into on the road.

We had an appointment in Spokane, Washington, at an RV dealership, to have the grey water tank on the trailer fixed.  After dropping off the trailer, we went for breakfast to Frank’s Diner, which was recommended by one of the service dept. people.  It turned out to be a historic Pullman car which has been refurbished.  It is beautiful inside, and very narrow.  The cooks and servers zipped around almost like dancers in tiny spaces.  The food was satisfying and hearty and everyone seemed genuinely glad to be there.

We had been told there was nothing to do in Spokane, but of course that turned out not to be true.  Looking for an art museum while we awaited news of our repairs, we found that Gonzaga University, a Jesuit school in Spokane, has a small art gallery called the Jundt Art Center.  They have a number of glass pieces by Dale Chihuly.  We’ve been Chihuly fans for a long time.  There was also an exhibit by artist Ben Joyce, of large installations each of which symbolized a place, a town or area that inspired him.  The one shown here is about Rome. 

In the afternoon we drove downtown.  Riverfront Park was turned into a pedestrian space for the World’s Fair in 1974.  The park winds around the river and overlooks the falls, and is populated by large iron sculptures, teenagers on skateboards, and the homeless.  Being used to tight and expensive parking in Chicago, it was refreshing that parking in Spokane is cheap or free and easy to find.

The trailer was not finished by the end of the day, so we stayed the night at an inexpensive motel.  The following day we went to the MAC, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.  Part of the museum was under development, but we saw a rich exhibit of works by women artists from the museum’s collection.  There were paintings, sculpture and multimedia pieces.  It was clear they were squeezing many pieces into a small space temporarily while the construction was going on, but the art was still beautiful.  There was also a historical exhibit about the Native American political presence in Washington state, and an exhibit of artifacts from the World’s Fair, which was 50 years ago.

In yet another example of the kindness we sometimes experience on the road, the Clickit RV dealership not only finished our repairs at a reasonable cost, but more quickly than they originally predicted, once they found we are actually living in the trailer.  We left Spokane late in the day after repairs to the trailer were completed.  It was already afternoon, and we did not get far.  A campground on Sprague Lake, about an hour away, was tranquil except for freight trains going by across the river.  We got used to the noise quickly and it certainly did not keep us up at night.  

The town of Sprague is known for two collections of very old cars, buses and RVs, which can be seen from the road but unfortunately I did not photograph.  The photo here was downloaded from an internet article.  According to a magazine article the campground owner showed us, whether these collections are junkyards or historically significant is a subject of considerable debate. 

 

 Gas prices:

$2.94 Valley City, ND

Signage: I’ve been driving more, and it seems it is difficult to appreciate signs and drive at the same time, but still as a passenger I’ve found quite a few:

Bumper sticker:  My driving scares me too.

Sign near Spokane:  Build your money faster than the north south freeway. (Based on road construction I have experienced, I’m not sure I would trust this financial firm, depending on whether they are talking about the speed of the traffic or of the construction!)

 Businesses:

Lost Sock Laundry – Livingston, MT

Raptor Rooter & Plumbing – We make your links extinct – Spokane, WA

Take 5 Oil Change in Spokane:  An oil change is like a spa day for your car.

Tossed & Found – antique store in Spokane

 Dispensaries:

Elevated - Butte, MT (with a logo drawing of a (high) mountain)

Smokane Cannabis

Piece of Mind – Let’s be Blunt (in Spokane)