I spent the weekend in Spokane, WA and took the time to explore 21 miles of waterfalls, riverfront trails, and hot desert sun. Whatever else Spokane doesn't have going for it, it DOES have ample opportunities for outdoor recreation. Additionally for tourists it has many beautiful places to hangout at, sight see, and picknick. Having formerly lived there I can also vouch for its abundant back-country and in-resort skiing opportunities as well as several in-city rock-climbing routs. I heard the figure thrown out that Spokane boasts some 500+ established and documented climbing problems on its abundant basalt and granite formations that rim the city. Spokane even has, as I discovered on my run, a nice well-established hippy/hipster enclave in it's Peaceful Valley district. Now, back in my days when I was a self described evangelical going to Whitworth University I had only heard of Peaceful Valley as the 'ghetto' and a place you would 'avoid at all costs after da...