Spokane, Washington

Spokane (pronounced "sp?-CAN" {{IPA|}}) is the county seat of Spokane County in the State of Washington. It is also known as the seat of the Inland Empire. Situated at the foot of a valley, midway between the rise and mouth of the Spokane River, it is 280 miles east of Seattle and 375 miles northeast of Portland. It is the commercial center of the eastern part of Washington and of the northern part of Idaho, and the distributing point for a great agricultural, lumbering, horticultural, and stock raising region. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 195,629, and recent projections place the metropolitan population at around 560,000.

Parks and recreation

In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane parks. http://inlandtour.debut.net/south-hill/manito.html

Related Topics:
1907 - Olmsted Brothers

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• Created for Expo '74, Riverfront Park http://www.spokaneriverfrontpark.com is one hundred acres in downtown Spokane with views of Spokane Falls. A "Great Gorge Park," originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers is being proposed as an extension of Riverfront Parkhttp://www.friendsofthefalls.org.
• Manito Park http://www.thefriendsofmanito.org, on Spokane's South Hill, features a duck pond; the central conservatory named in memory of Dr. David Gaiser; Duncan Garden, a classical European Renaissance style garden and the Nishinomiya Japanese Garden designed by Nagao Sakurai in 1967.
• Riverside State Park is close to downtown and offers hiking, rafting and camping opportunities as well as scenic views.
• Spokane's Centennial Trail offers visitors the chance to run, walk, bike or roller blade over thirty-seven miles of paved trails running along the Spokane River. Informational signs and parking are provided along the trail.
• In the summer, many Spokane residents visit Lake Coeur d'Alene, Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, or one of the other nearby bodies of water.
• In the winter, Spokane residents have easy access to five ski resorts within a few hours of their city. A non-profit organization operates nearby Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park.