Near Nature. Near Perfect.

That is the slogan for the town where I grew up. Spokane, Washington. I always liked that slogan growing up, but I felt that my peers didn’t share these beliefs. Spokane is a diverse city on the Eastern border of Washington state and is the second largest city in Washington state. But for some reason, it gets a bad rap. Sure, Spokane has its crime, and its problems with infrastructure, and at one point, it was even named the meth capital of the world. But to me, that never really mattered. Every city has its flaws, and of course every city has its gains. For me, Spokane has so many possibilities that get lost when people come in and visit, especially when they hear all of the bad things. Spokane isn’t all that bad, and I am here to tell you why you should visit.

First of all, Spokane is a rich, diverse city with some of the best views of the mountains. They also have plenty of fun activities to do within the city limits, and when you go a little further afield, there are boundless possibilities. Not to mention, we have four seasons! Sometimes at the same time!

When I graduated high school, I just couldn’t wait to get out of Spokane. It was boring, but I think the problem was is that I am boring. I came over to Bellingham, Washington, for college and found myself yearning to get back home. Not to knock Bellingham, but it is a glorified college town packed in with a bunch of Canadian consumers with no real semblance of an image. Spokane has so much to offer the young people of the world in terms of a nightlife, fun activities and opportunity to grow in the community.

Let’s dig into the details. There is fun to be had all year-round for all groups of people. In the winter, we have plenty of slopes within two hours of each other, ice skating in Riverfront Park, and not to mention some fun sledding at Manito Park. For those in love with spring, we have the traditional Lilac Festival, Bloomsday, which is a fun run to do with friends, and not to mention the boundless parks that sprout beautiful flowers. In the summer, you have high temperatures that can be enjoyed in the nearby lakes that you can’t pronounce unless you live here (Pend Oreille and Coeur d’ Alene), Spokane Indians baseball games, and Hoopfest, the world’s largest three-on-three basketball tournament. In the autumn, you have the beautiful scenery of the leaves changing, the Chinese Lantern Festival, and not to mention the summer end cap Pig out in the Park and the fair in September. Spokane has fun for everyone!

There are also good times to be had for those who need good food and good brews, as well. If you want an amazing burger and bountiful amounts of brews on tap, head over to Waddell’s Brewpub on the south hill and Northside. Need some down-south grub? Check out Chicken-N-More downtown. Pizza fanatic like me? Go no further than David’s Pizza for some amazing pizza pies. Need a quick bite to eat? Just go to Zips and get some tartar sauce on the side; I promise you that will haunt you the rest of your life in the best way possible. Need some tasty coffee? Check out Shotzy’s in the Valley or Walnut Street Perk. We have a coffee shop on every corner so you won’t miss out. My personal recommendation is Taco Del Mar up in the Wandermere area, where you can get tasty Mexican food for super cheap, and their staff rocks!

Outdoors aren’t a weak spot here either for the experienced and beginners. Plenty of trails to explore, really cool landmarks like Steptoe Butte or the Palouse Falls, and plenty of mountains and lakes to enjoy. I personally love driving around the lakes and doing fun stuff in the summer. Solitude is not hard to find not miles away from the city.

So, come check out Spokane! We have plenty to offer everybody!