An impromptu voyage turned into an adventure this weekend when my girlfriend and I took a trip to Spokane and landed us on top of the beautiful and powerful Spokane Falls. Although I have been to Spokane probably a hundred times before, I had somehow never managed to see one of the most awesome natural sights in the city.
Among the many things to do in Spokane, a large portion can cost a great deal of money. This particular activity however is practically free if you exclude the fairly affordable cost of parking at the park in downtown Spokane. After paying $4 for a two-hour parking pass at the Riverfront Park, we walked along the small split off of the river and crossed a bridge to the main park where a battle of the bands was taking place. Although the band was pretty terrible and probably had some stupid name about how much angst they had, it didn’t take away from the atmosphere of the park. Right before their set began, the massive clock tower that looks down upon the park chimed four strokes and added some novelty to the scene.
We then walked across the park to the footbridge which crossed over the raging Spokane River. Due to an unusually high volume of runoff from the mountains, the falls tore violently and powerfully under the bridge and sprayed mist over our heads. The sight provided an awe-inspiring and close-up view of what felt almost like Niagara Falls at the time. I couldn’t help the giant smile from breaking across my face with my eyes wide as I tried to take in all of the power and speed of this behemoth river under my feet.
A tip for those who wish to experience this phenomenon for themselves: Avoid the $7 per person gondola ride on the SkyRide. On a college student’s budget, (or really on any budget) you’ll get a much more intimate experience with the lower falls area by just walking down the stairs to see for it on foot. Besides the fact that you’ll see the lower falls without the hindrance of a blurry glass wall, the viewpoint at the bottom of the stairs is free!
In the end, we discovered a gem that had been right under our nose and didn’t end up spending much at all to experience a natural wonder of Eastern Washington. We got to spend time outside in the fresh air, get some exercise and do something completely out of the ordinary without going very far out of our way. It was an experience I won’t soon forget.
