At the heart of the region called the Inland Pacific Northwest, on a river known for its urban waterfall, is Spokane, Washington, the United State’s most populous northern city.

Spokane is Washington’s second largest city and the hub of a thirty-six county area in which 1.5 million people live. Combining the stunning natural landscape of the wild northwest with the cosmopolitan atmosphere of a major city, Spokane is truly an All American City, as bestowed in 2004. The city’s name, taken from the Spokane Tribe, means, “Children of the Sun,” and Spokane enjoys over 200 clear, sunny days per year. Temperatures range from the low thirties in winter to the seventies, with a few days topping ninety in the summer.

The city was founded on the banks of the Spokane River in 1860 as the Pacific Northwest’s first non-Native American trading post. Today, covering 57 square miles, with a population of 196,000, Spokane has all the amenities expected of a major metropolitan area.

Within a couple miles of Spokane tourist activities can be found that will keep the whole family involved. Just above the Spokane Falls, 100-acre Riverfront Park, and the 39-mile Centennial Trail that runs through it, are open year-round for exercise, a day in the sun, ice-skating, a show at the IMAX theater, and the center for many seasonal festivals such as the Lilac Festival started in 1938, the 12K Bloomsday Run through town, and Hoopfest. Enjoyment of the fine arts can be found in the form of a ballet from Ballet Spokane at the Opera House, a theater performance by the Interplayer's Ensemble or a magical musical performance by the Spokane Symphony, a jazz concert at the Met Theater, or a play at the Spokane Civic Theater. Downtown also offers one of the three major malls: RiverPark Square. Northtown Mall and the Spokane Valley Mall are not far away. All three offer either an AMC Theater or Regal Cinemas to catch the latest movies. Nearby, beautiful Manito Park is available for sun-bathing or sledding, as is Riverside State Park.

The Spokane Arena hosts the Spokane Chiefs hockey games, music concerts, and conventions can often be found there or at the Convention Center. The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is located in the west central neighborhood of the city with history of the northwest and Native American culture. East of the city can be found the Spokane Raceway, horse racing at Playfair, and the Fairgrounds where the Spokane Indians baseball team plays at Avista Stadium Spokane.

Skiers can hit the slopes at many of the Inland Empire's ski terrains such as Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, Idaho, 49 Degrees North in the Colville National Forest, Silver Mountain in Kellogg, Idaho, and the Mt. Spokane Ski Area right here in Spokane.

Not only skiers can enjoy these places either--many are open year round with either snowboarding, snowmobiling, tubing, or hiking, biking, and horseback trails, gondolas, interpretive centers and other events.

 Seventy-six lakes are scattered throughout the area for boating and swimming in the warm seasons. Completing the picture, Mt. Spokane rises over the city's many activities and the county's beautiful countryside, from which can be seen three states and 2 Canadian provinces .