“Where to in Spokaloo”

Parent to Parent

by Chip Roe

Welcome to Spokane! Sometimes known as Spokaloo by area locals. Some of you are from here and some of you may have just discovered our corner of the world when you typed Gonzaga into your browser for the first time.  I have run, cycled, hiked, fished, dinned and generally been asking “what the heck is that and how did it get here” for quite some time. Although that doesn’t make me an expert at anything I did volunteer to share the spirit of adventure and  a colorful past that makes Spokane a special place to visit and Gonzaga a special place to go to college. I’ll toss in a little bit of everything as we go along so I hope you will find something interesting each month. Lets start off with the Centennial Trail.

This 60 mile paved trail follows along the beautiful Spokane river which can be accessed right from the Gonzaga campus. Named after Washington’s centennial celebration in 1989. The trail according to archaeologists actually began 11,400 years ago when the first signs of  people appeared, of course at that time anywhere you could walk was a trail and running wasn’t so much a recreational activity as it was a means for escaping hungry animals. In the 1920s Inland paper company owned much of the land along the river, and the downtown area was thick with railroads and dominated by industry. Over time Washington state parks purchased the land from Inland Paper and in 1974 Spokane held a worlds exposition. As part of the plans for Expo 74 the downtown area along the river was pretty much wiped clean and re done as it looks today. Along the river you can see otters, beaver, waterfowl, deer, wild turkeys and other wildlife. As the seasons change and water levels rise and fall each trip along the trail brings a new experience. Sections of the Spokane river along the trail offer excellent trout fishing as well. The Gonzaga campus is located somewhat near the middle of the trail so from there you can head North West through downtown Spokane and then into Riverside State Park. (my favorite section with many miles of interesting unpaved trails that are fantastic for running, hiking or mountain biking) or you can head East all the way to Idaho and lake Coeurdalene. Next time you get the chance, bring your bikes, rollerblades, running or hiking shoes and enjoy a very spectacular trail right from campus. For more information you can go to www.spokanecentennialtrail.org

Thanks for listening and see you soon with more where to in Spokaloo.