Spokane, Washington: Day-Trip City, 1 Hour Away
Spokane Falls, Riverfront Park, Manito Park, and Spokane International Airport (GEG), the closest major airport for guests flying in to Watson's. About an hour west on I-90.
Drive Time
Airport (GEG)
Riverfront Park
Season
The Closest Major Airport
Spokane International Airport (GEG) is the practical answer for guests flying in to Watson's. It sits about 32 miles west of Coeur d'Alene and roughly an hour west of the resort. All major U.S. carriers serve Spokane, with direct connections to Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis, and seasonal direct flights to Las Vegas, Honolulu, and others. Rental car desks are at the terminal. Drive east on I-90, exit at 40 in Cataldo, and you are at Watson's.
For a typical fly-in stay, plan the morning of arrival as a travel day, with check-in at the resort by mid-afternoon. On departure, leave Watson's about ninety minutes before your gate time and you have margin for traffic, parking, and check-in.
Riverfront Park
Spokane's 100-acre Riverfront Park was built for Expo ‘74, the first environmentally themed World's Fair, on a reclaimed downtown brownfield rail yard. The park still has the bones of that fair and has been steadily modernized since.
Spokane Falls, the largest urban waterfall in the United States, runs through the heart of the park. The Numerica SkyRide is a gondola directly over the falls, the Looff Carrousel is a hand-carved 1909 carrousel still in operation, and the Numerica Skate Ribbon is open in winter. The Pavilion, the Great Northern Clocktower, the Garbage-Eating Goat, and the Radio Flyer Red Wagon are landmarks that thread the rest of the park together.
Manito Park
Manito Park, on the South Hill, is Spokane's 90-acre botanical anchor. Five major gardens lay out across the park: Duncan Garden in a Renaissance style inspired by the Mirabell Gardens of Salzburg; the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden honoring Spokane's sister city in Japan; Rose Hill, named the number-one rose garden in the nation by AARS in 2007; Lilac Garden, with more than 100 cultivars (Spokane is the Lilac City); and Ferris Perennial Garden. The Gaiser Conservatory rounds it out for off-season interest.
Outdoors in Spokane
The Spokane Centennial Trail runs more than 37 miles of paved path along the Spokane River, connecting downtown Spokane east to the Idaho border, where it meets up with Idaho's North Idaho Centennial Trail. For cyclists used to the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes on the Idaho side, the Centennial offers a different character: more urban, more bridges, and a real connection into a downtown park system.
Riverside State Park (nine miles northwest of downtown) has the Bowl and Pitcher rock formations along the river. Mount Spokane State Park, Washington's largest state park, holds 100-plus miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and winter cross-country skiing. North of the city, Green Bluff is the orchard and farm community that Spokane heads to for u-pick fruit and seasonal events.
Arts, Food, and Culture
The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture (the MAC) is the regional museum, with rotating exhibits and a strong permanent collection on Plateau Indigenous cultures, Spokane history, and Pacific Northwest fine art. The Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox is the restored 1931 art deco theater that now houses the Spokane Symphony. The Bing Crosby Theater covers the smaller-touring-show calendar. Gonzaga University offers campus tours and is, depending on the season, the quiet hum of the city or its full-throated basketball roar.
Downtown dining ranges from coffee-shop breakfasts to upscale steakhouses. The official visitor site at visitspokane.com keeps a current event calendar and dining directory.
Spokane's arts and food calendar is denser than most travelers expect from a city this size. First Friday gallery walks downtown bring out the local visual-arts community. The Spokane Public Market in the Davenport District runs year-round with regional makers. Saturday farmers markets in summer are scattered across neighborhoods, with the South Perry Farmers Market and the Liberty Lake market among the most consistently strong. Plan a day that lets you wander rather than rush.
For a one-day Spokane trip from Watson's, plan around parking. Riverfront Park has paid garages on every side and on-street metered parking that fills early on weekends. Manito Park is free street parking but residential, so be considerate of neighbors. If you are catching an evening event downtown, the drive back to Watson's after a show is just over an hour east on I-90, generally light traffic outside of Friday night summer outflow.
Fly into GEG, Settle in at Watson's
One hour east of Spokane International on I-90. Cabins, dome, safari tent, and The Tavern Loft for groups. For arrival logistics, see our directions page.