Spokane Trip

When did we go….

• Jun 21 – 23, 2019

 

Why did we go…

• to visit a former colleague, and his wife, who operate a venue ranch just west of Spokane

 

How did we get there…

• drove 6 hours from Kelowna
• we took Highway 97 south thru Pentiction and crossed the border at Osoyoos/Oroville, then west at Omak and down thru the Grand Coulee Dam where we headed east to our destination
• one of local state troopers was kind enough to stop to inform me that I was doing 72 mph in a 60 mph area, but somehow was generous enough to let me go with a warning
• on the return drive, we headed north out of Spokane, crossed the border at Midway, and then headed up thru Highway 33 into the east end of Kelowna

 

Where did we stay…

• our friend’s ranch which they named the Fox and Goat (www.foxandgoatranch.com). Brandi is the fox and Zack is the goat.
• the main house has seven sleeping areas on three floors and is beautifully adorned with country style amenities
• the property has several buildings including a garage, old small storage barn, 100+-year-old barn for chickens and pheasants, Zack’s man cave structure, huge event hall, and a storage shed
• the barn houses 15 chickens named mostly after U.S. presidents, and they also raise 30+ pheasants each year that they release into the wild
• they have done a phenomenal job making it into a first class venue and ranch

 

Where did we eat…

• ate at the ranch the first night (great smoker cooked meats) and for both breakfasts
• dined at Wild Sage in downtown Spokane (upscale modern  joint with good chow)

 

What did we do…

• viewed the Grand Coulee Dam on the trip down (quite the massive site)
• stopped in for a brew at Community Pint on the east end of downtown where our host’s son, Michael, was serving the liquid barley
• cruised around the revitalized Kendall Yards area on the west end of downtown and viewed the beautiful falls in the Spokane River
• stopped in at Craftsman Cellars to taste some local red grape vino offerings
• hung out on our friend’s porch, along with their dog Nev, watching the sunset over the prairie hills

 

 

Interesting facts:

• the ranch property was built in the late 1800s
• Spokane, known as the Lilac City, has a greater Metropolitan population of 600k people
• the city is named after the Spokane tribe that settled in the area somewhere between 8000 and 13000 years ago
• it was home to the World’s Fair in 1974, the first environmentally themed fair of it’s kind, and this area is undergoing a revitalization project
• the city has maintained it’s historical architectural charm while starting to meld in some newer developments

 

What did we not do that is on the agenda for next time:

• explore the Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint areas
• visit Green Bluff winery and the orchards in that area
• check out the scenic beauty of Priest Lake and Palouse Falls
• take in Hoopfest which is the largest 3 on 3 outdoor basketball tournament in the world (draws 6000 teams and 225,000 fans)
• Skyfest air show at the Fairchild Air Force Base (cars were lined up for miles when we drove into Spokane)

 

Final thoughts:

• it’s great to see people’s dream come alive and what a fabulous job our friends have done to create an amazing ranch venue facility