Come along on a walking tour of downtown Spokane as I try out my new digital camera! | |
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| Start at Kardong bridge on the Centenial Trail (near the Post Office Terminal Annex). This is a former railroad bridge which has been converted for the trail. | You will find the most interesting scenery on the Centenial Trail! |
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| Near Cavenaughs Inn At The Park in downtown Spokane, WA USA. Head South across the footbridge. A photo of upper dam which makes a lot of water noise by the hotel. | A shot of the rubber tired park train heading for the Clock Tower, which is a relic of the Great Northern Railway. In years past this was a rail yard. |
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| Slightly Southeast and across another footbridge, we see the north side of the Spokane Opera House. The opening ceremony of Expo 74 was staged here on the floating stage, with dignitaries in floating barges. | Heading West past the Opera House we come to a giant red wagon... A sculpture! A Toy! Great fun for kids. |
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Under the Washington Street Bridge, looking Northwest to the Stevens Street Bridge, we see the Clock Tower again, and sculpture in the water.
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The Carousel! Saved from the former Natatorium Amusement Park (Looff 3 row
park machine circa 1909)... this classic carousel has its own building in
The Spokane Riverfront Park. Click HERE for Carousel Music! |
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| In front of the carousel, people are feeding the ducks that gather for the free food. | April in Spokane is Tulip Time! Spring Is Here! |
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| Two footbridges are suspended near the upper falls. This is a great place to wander around and feel the mist from the river on your face. | Now we are looking North across the face of the dam. The Spring run-off
water is thundering over the dam at the lower falls. This is not a healthy
place to fall in! Click HERE to hear the falls! |
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Turning to the West, we see the Monroe Street Bridge and a gondola cable car with sightseers riding through the air.
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A circular promenade near the Library and just before the Monroe Street Bridge looks out over the site that the City of Spokane proposes to build a 22 million dollar new bridge. You must walk the spiral to read it. Click HERE to read the Native American Commentary that is engraved into the marble blocks that form the spiral. How ironic that our tax dollars paid for this, but apparently our city leaders have not read it! |
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We take a few steps onto the Monroe Street Bridge, and look back to the Northeast, to view the dam and the cable cars below. There is a lot of roaring white water in the heart of Downtown Spokane! Is this the place to build a new 22 million dollar bridge so that cross-town traffic can race through the city faster? |
We climb the hill where Metropolitan Mortgage is preparing to build a new development, and look East to the falls under the bridge. We are told that the Monroe Street Bridge is crumbling and in need of major repair. Perhaps this would be a good time to demolish it completely and open the falls to a more natural view. Let's abandon rapid cross-city traffic, and build a circular belt-way around the city instead. |
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Here we have the Spokane skyline view to the Southeast. The new library building is in the center. The Federal Building with the silly overhanging brick cornices is to the right of the library. And, just to the left of the library is the construction site for the new Nordstrom store in Downtown Spokane.
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Here is a view back to the East of the old worn-out Monroe Street Bridge.
If you get under this bridge and look up, you will be in for a shock when
you see the chunks of concrete and rusted rebar hanging down! How many millions
of dollars will it take to rehabilitate this monster? We could turn it into the Bungee Jumping center of the Western United States! |
