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Moving another 170 miles east and a little north this time we stopped in Spokane, WA.  We parked at Trailer Inns of Spokane.

In 1974, Spokane hosted Expo ‘74, the first environmentally themed world’s fair.  The event was held on islands located in the Spokane River in the middle of the downtown area.  The fair attracted 5.2 million visitors and helped to revitalize the blighted core of the city.  After the event closed, the exposition site became the city’s 100 acre Riverfront Park.  Within the park you get great views of the many waterfalls on the river which are used by the city for power generation.  Washington Water Power began using these falls as early as 1889 to power street lights then street cars and eventually homes.  Near the park you will find the beautiful Spokane County Courthouse.  The building’s design comes from a contest held in 1893, won by Willis A. Ritchie, a 29-year old with no formal training other than a correspondence course in architecture.  He took his inspiration from two French chateaus, the Chateau de Chambord (which we have visited) and Chateau d’Azay Le Rideau.

We took a drive over the state border to the town of Coeur d’Alene, ID.  This is a lovely town on the northern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene.  The lake is about 25 miles in length with a little over 109 miles of shoreline.  In recent years, the town has experienced substantial growth in tourism encouraged by several resorts in the area.  The lakefront area in downtown features large parks, a beach, marina and open spaces.

Next stop:  Naples, ID