Riverside Bowl and Pitcher Park

We left Arco, Idaho early and couldn’t leave Idaho without having some potatoes, so we stopped at the Boise Fry Company in Boise. Not too long after entering Oregon we started up and down some enormous climbs with long steep grades and noticed many more trees than we’d see among the sage brush of Idaho. A couple of our stops in Oregon included Baker City and La Grande. Both were very cool small cities with active old downtowns, although most everything was closed due to Covid-19, but we were able to satisfy our claim to have visited Oregon with Shana.

From Oregon we cut back northeast toward Spokane. Shortly after entering Washington we were winding through golden hilltop fields of wheat, then the Snake River canyon. Once we broke free from the twists and turns we were on the open road sidelined by apple and cherry orchards. A stop to get gas was next to an honor-system cherry stand where we picked up a couple pounds of fresh local cherries.

We made it Spokane around dusk, which was after 9pm. To get to Bowl and Pitcher campground we had to drive through downtown, then out along Spokane River several miles. Some campsites at Bowl and Pitcher have electricity, but we weren’t able to get one. The campground has a community bathhouse with coin-operated showers, and there is one water spigot near the entrance (all the many others do not work).

Before heading out to one of our favorite local stores, Costco, to get a set of tires, we hiked across the swinging bridge to the river shore. The water is loaded with rapids flowing with teal blue water. While playing by the shore we noticed a duckling battling the rapids. A pregnant woman tried her best to catch the duckling to relocate to safety, but almost fell in the river in the process. As we hiked back we realized the mother duck and 7 other ducklings were slowly riding the rapids down to meet the stranded one. Hopefully they reunited and found calmer waters to grow up!

Costco did not have tires in our size, so after checking a few other locations we’d pass on our trip we decided to get a set from Discount Tire. While we waited on our afternoon appointment we visited Manito Park and Botanical Gardens where we had a Costco pizza and 7-eleven Big Gulp picnic birthday party for our new 3 year-old Cannon. Back at the campsite we attempted some fishing the cold, clear water of the Spokane river as river rafts floated by.

After an hour of playing on the lawn of Discount Tire we went downtown. Spokane was a pleasant surprise of a big and nice city. We had another picnic at a downtown park looking up to the enormous arch bridge of Monroe Street with a gondola ski lift that travels under the bridge and over the park that is beside a massive waterfall flowing next to an old hydroelectric mill. After our picnic we celebrated Cannon with a proper birthday candle atop chocolate cupcakes.

Up from the park is a wonderland of riverfront walkways around a ice skating rink (although it is in the form of a lazy river not an oval field), indoor 1909 Looff carrousel, gigantic Radio Flyer wagon with slide, Great Northern Clocktower and a suspended light show over an amphitheatre lawn known as the US Pavillion. All of this is intertwined among bridged roads, river rapids and sculpted art installations. It was a very enjoyable and memorable experience or exploration then relaxation to take in a fiery red to deep purple sunset.

With temperatures ranging from 59℉-88℉ for 2 nights between Thursday, June 25, 2020 and Saturday, June 27, 2020, Bennett Burgess, Cannon Burgess, Kimber Burgess, Matt Burgess, Ruby Burgess, Teagan Burgess cozied up to campsite #23 in Shana, a retro red canned ham travel trailer. The 1958 Shasta Airflyte Deluxe traveled 608 miles through 3 states to camp at Riverfront Park near Spokane, Washingtonand received 7 compliments . Plan your RV camping trip to Riverfront Park in Washington by reviewing more info at https://parks.state.wa.us/573/Riverside.
craters of the moon idaho to spokane washington
craters of the moon idaho to spokane washington