Sunday, June 16, 2019

Mosaic Monday #32 - Rain Drop Dancing

A visit to Spokane is not complete without a walk along the Spokane River, so that is how we began Day Two of our mini-vacation (see Day One).  Throughout our visit, I was very impressed with the trail system and its landscaping.  These are pleasant, green spaces that belie the fact you are in the middle of a bustling city.
Our meandering had an objective - the Davenport Hotel for his and her massages.  And didn't I direct us to the wrong hotel?  Spokane boasts 4 hotels that bear the name Davenport, and I mistakenly thought the Davenport Grand housed the spa.  We should have been at the Historic Davenport Hotel.  Good thing we had plenty of time - even with a speed walk covering 7 blocks, we still had an opportunity to enjoy a glass of champagne before the spa service.

When we emerged from the hotel, we found rain had begun to fall, scuppering our plans for a thorough walk around downtown.  Based on my past work-related visits to town, I knew it was only a few blocks to the indoor Mall, so we set that as our new destination.  It was serendipity that we snagged a table on the "bridge" of the Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar, with a three-story high view of the street outside and the atrium of the mall.  And the dishes we chose were an unexpected delight for the taste buds.

Upper right: Buffalo Chicken with Gorgonzola Grits
Lower right: Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Left: The Festival lured us to town for this particular weekend
By the end of our meal, the rain had eased and we decided to explore river-side Huntington Park.  Again, the layout of the Park next to the Falls struck me - simple lines with gorgeous plants, sculptures and seating spaces.  It was outdone only by the Falls - if you watch the video below, you will see the Park and the Falls, deafening throughout.



For thousands of years, tribal families gathered at "Fast Water" to
fish for salmon.

My blogging buddy Kit at A Montana Life raves about several of her favorite spots in Spokane, and we took her advice and visited Boo Radleys, Atticus for cake and coffee, and then Auntie's Bookstore.  It was all I could do to resist buying a dozen cute items in Atticus, from home décor to nifty coffee mugs to cards and books.  We held ourselves to a bag of coffee - you can never have too much black gold!

At the book store, we inquired about outside seating, with an adult beverage in mind.  One recommendation was Zola, and I was sold as soon as it came into view since it had a patio and umbrellas - I like to absorb the sun, but Spousal Unit prefers the shade.  I couldn't resist jumping up to take pictures of this VW bus parked across the street.  It was then that I noticed the dark clouds gathering to the east.  We strolled the remaining blocks to our hotel, and just in time - the heavens opened!  On the news that night they reported streets flooded in close proximity to Zola.



The next morning, the rain continued, and we seized the opportunity to have a relaxing morning in the hotel.  The desk in the room looked out over the river, and the space had ample light to engage in some drawing and stitching.  Then it was off to the Flour Mill across town, which beckoned with its promise of specialty shops, and the Ethiopian restaurant we found there was a pleasant surprise.  (Not to mention some truffles from Chocolate Apothecary.)  We had time to squeeze in an afternoon movie before meeting one of my former work colleagues for a drink at the Elk.  A couple of hours later, we shared a bear hug before our Uber pulled up to the curb.  Dropped at Bridge Press Cellars, we sampled wines while listening to the Jesse Quandt band.  The gig was over before we were ready to call it a night, so we dodged the rain drops for a couple of blocks - Zola again!  The reggae beat was thumping, with an enthusiastic audience working it out on the dance floor.  But our dancing wasn't over when we left the place - the wet stuff still fell from the sky, and we found ourselves hurdling curbs, jumping puddles and giggling like little kids all the way back to the hotel.  No-one would have mistaken us for the cast of "Singin' In the Rain"!

NOTE TO ALL MOSAIC MONDAY PARTICIPANTS: My visits to some of your blogs will be delayed since I will be on a camping trip Monday and Tuesday!

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.
 
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37 comments:

  1. WOW, Spokane sure is a pretty place and that hippy bus sure is cool!

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  2. ...that VW would brighten the rainiest day!

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  3. As always, thanks for hosting and have a fun time on your camping trip. I look forward to wonderful photos. Wish we'd get a little rain here!

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  4. Dearest Angie; Just reading title of this week's post really interested me, as it is rainy season now here ;-)
    The video of the Spokane falls really is dynamic!!! We both (my husband) were truly impressed. Sure is lonely bus and the illustration is sweet, expressing your rainy day trip♪
    Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  5. This looks like it was so much fun! And your images really took us there! Thank you for hosting!

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  6. thank you for this fabulous tour. I loved the hippy bus and the sculpture. Happy travels and thank you again for the linkup.

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  7. ooooh a camping trip, i don't camp, it's just not my thing!! it is nice to have a blogging friend that can recommend spots to visit, i too learn a lot from blogs i visit, isn't it wonderful!!

    i LOVE that pink van!! i hope you had plenty of books to read during the storm!!

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  8. Good Morning, dear Angie! I enjoy your Post, this report about your travel. Stormy wheather we had enough, too...

    ...smile about the Hippy Bus. Happy MosaicMonday

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  9. What a fun time you had despite the rain!!

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  10. Hello, your visit to Spokane sounds wonderful, despite the rain. I would love the massage. The food, drinks and desserts all delicious. I like the painted VW bus. The garden and sculpture looks pretty. I would come home with bags of coffee. Wonderful photos and mosaics. Thanks for hosting MM. I hope you are having a fun camping trip now. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week ahead!

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  11. Dear Angie,
    I had to google where Spokane is :) That waterfall is amazing. I was raises at Imatra, in the southeast part of Finland and there is also a big waterfall producing electricity widely for the southern part of the country. You certainly had a fun time and so many delicious things to eat!

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  12. I enjoyed imagining a day there...with you! How nice to have massages and see so many marvelous things. Nice that the rain didn't dampen your enthusiasm or ruin your plans! It really sounds perfect! Happy MM!

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  13. What a wonderful trip you've described, Angie. It was good to tag along with you - virtually!

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  14. Loved your pics from Spokane! I just loved the Historic Davenport. It sounds like you really soaked in the local flavor. As you camp, I am sitting above the sea in Oregon. Today is our last full day then back home. You have a great time! Stay safe. Kit

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  15. Between the Massages and martinis, and the coffee and chocolates it sounds a great trip! I would have enjoyed a wander along the Spokane river and yes the falls are very impressive!
    Thanks for hosting today.
    Wren x

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  16. love the vw bus!!! And the statue is wonderful. Good trip!

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  17. Luv that gorgeous pink van
    Happy mosaic Monday

    Much❤🕊❤love

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  18. We've enjoyed visiting Spokane several times and staying there while attending to sports event at Washington State University. Pullman is so small it is hard to get a place to stay. The last time we took a rooters bus even though we had to dress incognito since we were rooting for USC. The bus was better because the time before I hit a deer (slightly) on the way back at night with heavy rain. - Margy

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  19. I'm taking notes on the places you visited in Spokane. Our son rode a horse in the last several Lilac Parades and we were at the last two but not the 2019 one since little Jaymison was needing extra care and our son was on paternity leave. We enjoyed a drink at the Historic Davenport in March. Hope you are having a great camping trip!

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  20. Wow! That's a lot of rushing water. Nice to see a lot of green space in a city. I've never been to Spokane but it looks lovely and sounds like you had a wonderful time. Hope your are having gorgeous weather for camping.

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  21. I love the VW mini bus, beautiful.

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  22. Ooooo … you were close to my neck of the woods in BC where some of us love the rain and painted buses. The falls video is great! And the art work of the two under an umbrella is sooooo cool and adorable!

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  23. Hi Angie. You will be delighted to know that we had a lovely sunny day today. We even out for our evening meal with a glass of plonk. First of the “summer”. So I hope your granddaughter is enjoying something similar.

    Looks like you experienced some of our rain at Spokane. Must say, I have my doubts about roasted Brussels – rather you than me.

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  24. Spokane has always been on my to-do list, so your fabulous photos are such a delight. It looks like a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing your journey and for hosting Mosaic Monday!

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  25. Wonderful place and magnificent photos ~ ^_^

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  26. Lovely pics, so colorful and the meals looks so good☺

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  27. Looks like Spokane is a nice place to explore. Pretty flowers, nice hippish VW bus and some good old rain. Rain can't spoil a holiday just makes it a bit more challenging.
    Enjoy your week!

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  28. Hope you had a great camping trip! Those painted hippie buses make me smile. That was a long time ago! That was such a wild time - everything back then had a wild design!
    Spokane - I know a famous person - John J. Lake, who had a healing ministry came from there.

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  29. What a great tour you gave us of Spokane. It looks like a beautiful city. My mother, decades ago worked as a secretary there before she got married and often talked about how she loved the city.

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  30. Beautiful flowers! I hope you enjoyed the spa when you got there. Loving that VW Campervan :)

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  31. Some beautiful flower blossoms and that VW is so colourful :)

    All the best Jan

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