WE WENT EXPLORING - PART 2

After our time at Riverfront Park we sent looking for some of the historical sights in Spokane.  First up was the Garland Theatre.  When the Garland Theatre opened in November of 1945, it was the premier movie house in the west.  According to the local newspaper, "there is noting like it on the Pacific coast, even in Los Angeles."

On opening night, the lobby was filled with baskets of flowers from studio well wishers along with congratulatory telegrams from Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers and Eddie Cantor. The large auditorium featured stadium-style seating and an original capacity near 1,000.

Next up was one of the two "milk bottle" buildings that remain of the once booming Benewah Diary Company in Spokane.  This particular one is home to Mary Lou's Milk Bottle, a cafe famous for their huckleberry and lemon custard milkshakes.  Sadly, we didn't partake in a milkshake, but I wouldn't mind going back to try one sometime soon.  Dairy owner Paul Newport hoped the uniquely shaped storefronts, built in the 1930s, would help draw customers into the retail outlets and for you trivia lovers out there, one bottle had a role in the 1993 Johnny Depp movie Benny and Joon.

The Patsy Clark Mansion was a sight to see.  It was designed by Kirtland Cutter in 1897 for mining millionaire Patsy Clark.  It is located in the city's historic Brown's Addition and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The mansion's second and third floors house law offices. and the main floor is available for private catered events including receptions, small luncheons, dinner parties, and weddings.

My favorite place of the day was Felts Field.  This was the original airport for Spokane until the 1940's, and the history is evident everywhere you look.  I especially loved the old buildings and cafe, designed in the Art Deco style of the day, but what really got my heart racing was the old vintage neon sign hidden behind a tree.

This sign, is from 1943 and features a saluting gas station attendant. The letters below originally spelled out "Chevron" instead of "Welcome".   Another sign that got my attention was the Northwest Airways Inc. posted on a hanger.  I loved the look of it and would have loved to have had a smaller version of it to hang in our home.  Maybe I can make a photo copy of the photograph I took and do something with it.

We really had a lot of fun going exploring, and will be looking forward to doing it again in the future.