Where to in Spokaloo
By: Chip Roe
It’s December in the Inland NW and this year we had a record snowfall for the month of November. That makes my favorite place to go this time of year oh, Arizona, So Cal maybe or Hawaii? Actually because of Washington’s unique geography we have a place not so far away where the temperatures generally are 25 degrees warmer in the winter just a short four and a half hour drive to the west. The Annual Comcast Battle in Seattle game was held on Dec 4th at Key arena in the shadow of Seattle’s space needle. I take my family over to watch Gonzaga Basketball every December at this event. This year was extra special because my Daughter was playing in the Gonzaga pep band at the game and I got to watch her play on the Ginormatron stadium TV. The Team didn’t win the game but the crowd was loud and supportive and of course after the game we got to spend the rest of the weekend in Seattle. Warm pacific air gets trapped by the Cascade mountains which in winter causes Eastern Washington to be drier and colder than the West side. While my house North of Spokane is already locked in winters snowy grip, we walked along the Seattle waterfront without jackets in sunny 51 degree weather. Flower gardens still had pansy’s in bloom and there was no ice or snow to be found. We went to the Woodland park Zoo, The Experience Music Project, Sci Fi museum and the Seattle arts museum and looked at the works of Pablo Picasso. Ever since I have felt my eye wanting to shift over the other side of my face? Weird huh? We also saw a large woodcarving of a whale downtown carved by an artist “Pat Mcvay” who I once defeated in a charity mud wrestling competition, even stranger! It was 1982 and we were both strapping young men and somewhat well known on Whidbey Island at the time and thus were volunteered for the event. I was volunteered another time for the same event, It may have been fear of gaining a reputation as the areas premier mud wrestler that sent me over the East side of the state. I couldn’t see mastering the art of wrestling in mud without a better understanding of who that was going to empress? So I ended up in Spokane where there surely isn’t much mud to be found at least at this time of year. We do have snow though and plenty of it. There are very good places for skiing, snowboarding and snow shoeing close by at Mount Spokane and at 49 degrees North near Chewelah North of Spokane. If charity mud wresting isn’t your thing then head up to the slopes for some awesome not muddy fun! See you next Month!