Spokane, Washington Offers Visitors An Exciting Palette Of Activities

Downtown Attractions

Every urban center offers special shops that appeal to the avid browser and Spokane is no exception. Here are three shops worth your perusal: Finders Keepers, offering an enormous selection of quality, vintage and modern jewelry and clothing; and Lillian Conn, purveyor of seriously beautiful antiques, interiors and fine art and a must-visit for that perfect house décor you’ve been seeking. Auntie's Bookstore is a main staple for residents and visitors alike, who desire a massive selection and want a large offering of quality games as well.

The Museum of Arts & Culture features the main contemporary museum and the adjacent historic Campbell House. The MAC features six galleries of exhibits, a 300-seat outdoor amphitheater and fascinating permanent and traveling art exhibits, such as the current and popular John Buck Iconography exhibit. The museum also proffers large collections of American Indian exhibits and historical artifacts from the northwest. Their newest American Indian Exhibit is the Living Legacy Gallery. The new gallery displays beautiful original tribal clothing and artifacts from daily life enclosed in clear Plexiglas cubicles. The transparent display cases are so flawlessly constructed, it seems as if you could reach out and touch the soft leather pants of an Indian chief.

The gorgeous and opulent Campbell house designed by Kirtland Cutter, located next door to the main museum, makes for an intriguing tour. Experience how Spokane's upper crust lived and decorated in the Victorian era. Make sure to check with the museum for tour times. For additional information, events and special programs on the MAC or Campbell House, visit Northwest Museum

Downtown Spokane for the Perfect Girlfriend's Getaway

In a quest to carve out time for relaxation and girlfriend socialization, gal pals across the country are setting a new trend with spa dates and glamour sessions. Downtown Spokane is among the leading chic metropolises proffering establishments dedicated to this vogue.

Two fabulous salons that cater to girlfriend ensembles are the Spa Paradiso and The Make-Up Studio. Both venues create an incomparable duo for rejuvenation and beauty accentuation with an ideal soirée environment.

Spa Paradiso, located in the gorgeous, European-style Davenport Hotel, is a beautiful and tranquil milieu with a soft-hued décor featuring full spa and hair salon facilities. Paradiso recommends several excellent services for women friends to experience together and individually. The session begins with a relaxing and sublime Tranquility Massage with aromatic oils and soft ethereal background music. After the massage, take a stroll to the private Serenity Room for a leisurely chat with your girlfriends, while indulging in a glass of champagne (or your favorite beverage) and light fare. Refreshed and rejuvenated, it's a perfect moment for a soothing, Warm Buttered Pedicure. Paradiso's pedicure is an immersion into pure physical delight with lovely fragrances and warmed booties for added coziness.

Tension from mind and body released, your blissful troupe is ready for a Wash and Blow-Out Style. This important session removes any remaining massage oil from your tresses, and ensures a fresh style without the need for a redo.

Photo by Patrice Raplee The Make-Up Studio, located on North Bernard, is your next destination. Julie Farley, a renowned make-up artist for famous Hollywood film and TV stars, as well as a former European model, owns and operates this unique studio. Farley and her team have created a marvelous Beauty Night Clinic to educate women on accentuating their own exquisite beauty. This incredible catered affair of wine, cuisine and make-up session (fantastically inexpensive for groups of 8 to 12) teaches women how to buy cosmetics, apply them, what to look for, and what colors best emphasize their appearance.

Farley's make-up lessons are no department store makeover by a teen or 20-something. The professionally taught sessions deal with all age demographics and are often a life-changing experience for many women. In fact, the studio's innovative Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments offer amazing anti-aging results.

You and your girlfriends are relaxed, radiant and ready for a sumptuous evening. The soft lighting, tinkling cocktails and atmosphere of Spokane's Wild Sage restaurant add to an exquisite day that is simply perfect!

Food and Lodging
Spokane’s restaurants and lounges are among the best in the Pacific Northwest and the wide selection of cuisine and cocktails is fantastic. Listed are a few of the top tried-and-tested establishments. The Wild Sage American Bistro, excellent Northwest-inspired cuisine with artistry; Chaps, the number one hearty breakfast spot in the city for fresh ingredients and recipes made from scratch; try the special oatmeal! (509-624-4182); Latah Bistro, superb continental cuisine and European bistro flare; live music on Wednesdays; Bitter Sweet Bakery and Bistro, amazing desserts; try the feather light lemon cake (509-455-8658).
Best Lounges: Bistango: this place is martini heaven. Bluefish makes great cocktails and delicious sushi. Scratch is hip and chic with excellent martinis.
Normally, a hotel would not make it into a downtown attractions section; however, the magnificent Davenport Hotel is the heart of Spokane. It is a living legacy of history, and consistently garners top global hotel accolades. Plus, it offers everything from fabulous spas, a florist, a gourmet confectionary shop, a stained-glass lounge, superb restaurants, a stylish gift shop where home décor is to be envied, and is in itself a walkable art museum. Read more about the Davenport Hotel.

Read previous page Outdoor Activities

Patrice Raplee is an experienced travel photojournalist and editor of Travel Excursion and Seattle Spotlight for Positively Entertainment magazine. She is a member of North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) and the Recording Academy. Her photographs and articles have appeared in numerous international publications, as well as NW newspapers such as the Seattle Times, the Stranger, Seattle Weekly and the Oregonian. As a freelance photojournalist, she has also worked with acclaimed musical entertainers, such as Santana, Billy Joel and Steven Tyler. Patrice has written several children’s short stories and is currently working on an adult fiction novel for publication.

Photos courtesy of Patrice Raplee.

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