Spokane, Washington (USA)

Spokane is a city in the state of Washington, in north-western United States. It is the seat of Spokane County. It is located on the Spokane River west of the Rocky Mountain foothills in eastern Washington, 92 miles (148 kms) south of the Canadian border, approximately 20 miles (30 kms) from the Washington-Idaho border and 232 miles (373 kms) east of Seattle along Interstate highway 90. The city and wider Inland Northwest region is served by Spokane International Airport, 5 miles (8 kms) west of downtown Spokane.

The first humans to live in the area, the Spokane people (their name meaning "children of the sun" in Salishan), arrived between 13,000 and 8,000 years ago, living off plentiful game. Known as the birthplace of Father's Day, Spokane is officially nicknamed the "Lilac City".

The first American settlers in what is now Spokane were J.J. Downing and S.R. Scranton, cattle ranchers who squatted and established a claim at Spokane Falls in 1871. Together they built a small sawmill on a claim near the south bank of the falls. James N. Glover and Jasper Matheney, Oregonians passing through the region in 1873, recognized the value of the Spokane River and its falls for the purpose of water power. They realized the investment potential and bought the claims of 160 acres (0.65 km2) and the sawmill from Downing and Scranton for a total of $4,000. Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought settlers to the Spokane area and that same year it was officially incorporated as a city with the name "Spokan Falls". In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inland Northwest. The local economy depended on mining, timber, and agriculture until the 1980s.

Many of the older Romanesque Revival-style buildings in the downtown area were designed by architect Kirtland Kelsey Cutter after the Great Fire of 1889. The city also features Riverfront and Manito parks, the Smithsonian-affiliated Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, the Davenport Hotel and the Fox and Bing Crosby theatres. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokaneand the city is also the centre of the Mormon Spokane Washington Temple District. Professional and semi-professional sports teams include the Spokane Indians in Minor League Baseball, Spokane Shock in arena football and Spokane Chiefs in junior ice hockey.

Spokane has a humid continental climate; a rare climate due to its elevation and significant winter precipitation. However it is adjacent to and sometimes even classified as a cool-summer Mediterranean climate because the average temperature for the coldest month is just over 27 deg C. The area typically has a hot, arid climate during the summer months accompanied by short spring and fall seasons.

The vessels used to cruise American Rivers range from Mississippi Paddle Steamers, to small ships and to river boats. The destination and the rivers generally drive the ship type. Seasons vary by river. Lower Mississippi cruises operate year round, while cruises on the Coastal Waterway, the St Lawrence and the Columbia don't operate in the winter and their schedules may be set to enjoy Fall Colours or historical events. The weather varies according to the region, river and season. Fall cruises to view the autumn colours will be cooler while summer cruises will be warm to hot.

General Information:

Population: 210,721 (2013)
Langugage: English
Currency: American Dollar (USD)
Time Zone: UTC/GMT -7 hours
Dial Code: +1