Spokane Off The Beaten Path

The Shop at 9th and Perry. But it's more than Just a Another Coffee House. On Saturdays, during the summer, there's the free movie in the parking lot (bring your own chair). Every month features works by a different artist. The staff is super friendly and efficient. UPDATE: Now Serving Lunch, as well as the yummy bagels for breakfast.

Spokane House was a fur trading post founded in 1810 by the British-Canadian North West Company under direction of David Thompson. The post was sited where the Spokane River and Little Spokane River meet, and it housed several fur trappers and traders for many years.

When established it was the North West Company's farthest outpost in the Columbia River region, and it is the oldest building in Washington State. The site is now within Riverside State Park. The Spokane House Interpretive Center tells the story of the Spokane Indians who lived here, and the first European people to meet them and live among them.

This is not a major museum--it's a small site that would be of interest to people who like frontier history, etc.

Open weekends in the summer:
Saturday & Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm, Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend
Admission is free, with donations accepted.

Location: On Highway 291 (Nine Mile Road), one-half mile north of Charles Road (the Nine Mile Falls Dam bridge). Watch for the entrance in the woods on the left.

Moose Meadows Alpaca Ranch offers daily tours from May through September. Small family tours are free. Call in advance to visit.

The alpaca ranch is in Athol, ID (unfortunate name for a town!) about an hour from Spokane.

Directions:
I-90 E (Crossing into IDAHO). 27.0 mi
Take the US-95 N exit, EXIT 12, toward SANDPOINT/CANADA. 0.3 mi
Turn LEFT onto US-95 N. 18.5 mi
Turn LEFT onto ID-54. 2.0 mi
Turn RIGHT onto W CLAGSTONE RD (Portions unpaved). 1.8 mi
Turn LEFT onto N SCENERY CT. 0.0 mi
32964 N SCENERY CT is on the LEFT.

The Silverwood Theme Park has over 65 rides, shows, and attractions. There are 4 roller coasters, classic carnival rides, kiddie rides, a Victorian “Main Street” and a 1915 steam train (complete with train robbers.) Boulder Beach, included in the Silverwood admission, has 10 waterslides.

Opens at 11 a.m. - Daily in the summer; weekends only in May, Sept., Oct.
Daily Admission –$41
Youth (ages 3-7) and Seniors (ages 65+) - $22

Two Day Pass (must be used on consecutive days):
General Admission - $65; Youth & Seniors - $35
One Day - After 5pm - $21
Parking Fee $4.00
(+ 6% Idaho sales tax)

Address: 27843 N. Hwy 95, Athol, ID
Directions: East on I-90 to Coeur d’Alene; then north on Hwy 95.

Cat Tales is a Zoo that specializes in big cats. They have over 40 of them, including Bengal tigers, Barbary lions, bobcats, leopards, pumas…and a couple of bears. Many of them are rescue animals. You can walk through on your own, but going with a tour guide is worth it—they have interesting stories about the individual animals. Cat Tales is also a Zookeeper Training Center, and students come from all over North America to train here.

Big Cat Adventures: For an additional fee, kids age 12 and older can go with a zookeeper and feed treats to a lion or tiger.

Hours:
From May-September - Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
From October to April – Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wheelchair accessible

ADULTS $8.00
SENIORS & STUDENTS $6.00
CHILDREN (12 & under) $5.00

Address: N. 17020 Newport Hwy - Mead, Washington
Directions: 15 mi north of downtown Spokane. Go north on Division St. to the Y (where Hwy 2 & 395 split) Take hwy 2 another 6 miles, turn Rt on Carney Rd.

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The Ninemile Hydroelectric Dam is one of 5 dams that compose the Spokane River Project. It was constructed between 1906 and 1908. The dam is 58 feet (17 m) tall and allows the water to flow over its top in a very man made looking waterfall.
The surrounding scenery, however, has made the site very appealing and the reservoir behind its face is used for recreation by many. Surrounding the Ninemile Reservoir is Riverside State Park which features hiking trails and camping as well as fishing and boating.

Directions:
From I-90 take the Maple Street exit 280 and follow about 5 miles then turn left on WA-291 (Labled W Francis Ave). After 6 miles follow right on N 9 Mile Road. 2 miles later turn left on w Charles Rd. Look to your left over bridge.

Auntie's Bookstore is a really great place to buy books, games, eat in a cafe, and also buy used books. You can buy magazines from all over the world in Auntie's as well. They have authors come and read in the store and it is a great place to spend a lot of time browsing and relaxing. They have chairs set up around the store to sit in and read. Auntie's has a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

The Arboretum is on the west side of Spokane and proved to be a delightful place to visit. It was May and many of the shrubs were in blossom. Here are several small Hawthorn trees in blossom, from a delicate pink to a deeper red.

The Arboretum covers 65 acres and was started in 1907. There are over 200 labelled trees and shrubs representing 600 species.

There is an excellent leaflet available to those making a self guided tour. There is no web site given but a phone number is shown below.