Live Like a Local for a Weekend in Spokane, Washington

When travelers think of Washington, destinations like sophisticated Seattle and hip mountain towns come to mind. But in the eastern stretches of the state, close to the Idaho border, is Spokane, a revitalized city with a big past and a promising future.

Urban-renewal efforts have resulted in funky neighborhoods that buzz with vintage shopping and chic coffeehouses. And in downtown Spokane there’s the thrilling Riverside Park, the site of the largest urban waterfall in the country.

Want to see it all? Try this three-day itinerary — and be prepared to hit the ground running.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Friday: Explore the City’s Past

There’s no better way to experience Spokane’s early mining and timber prosperity than with a stroll through Browne’s Addition, the city’s historic district.

Start with its star, the Grace Campbell Memorial House, residence of local mining tycoon Amasa B. Campbell. The museum is open for guided tours and gives an opulent picture of yesteryear. Walking the neighborhood offers a peep at the Reid, John A. Finch and James Clark mansions.

Your ticket to the Grace Campbell Memorial House gives you free entry to the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, with a collection that boasts the largest number of Plateau Indian art and artifacts in the world, as well as rotating collections of modern works.

For a spot of midday refreshment, pop into the Italia Trattoria, a cherished neighborhood institution that has the distinction of the nation’s best pappardelle with lamb ragù, per the Food Network. If all the walking and pasta has you a little slow on your feet, do like the Washington locals and pop into a café.

The Bijou is a local fave and transforms at nightfall from coffee shop to a bar notorious for its craft cocktails.

The city’s glory isn’t all in the distant past. Spokane was also the birthplace of Bing Crosby, and those with a hunger for the chic of the daddy-o generation can avail themselves of a hopping antiques and vintage shopping district.

Head over to North Monroe, where you’ll find duds and knickknacks to suit any taste. Standout locations include Kingsley & Scout for men’s clothing and handcrafted goods, Atomic Threads Boutique and the 1889 Salvage Company.

You don’t need to go far to end the night with a bang. The nearby Prohibition Gastropub has the verve and nerve of a speakeasy, with meals served up by founding chef John Leonetti, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu. Try the famed candy-coated jalapeño poppers or the “ombibulous” mac and cheese. For a final nightcap, you can’t go wrong with an ale at the Bellwether Brewing Company.

Saturday: Spend a Day at the Thundering Heart of the Action

You can’t miss the waterfall. It’s huge, thundering and cascading through the center of town. The city made it the centerpiece of a renovation effort for the 1974 World’s Fair, and soon after the area became known as Riverfront Park, which National Geographic named one of America’s most beautiful urban parks.

The best way to get an up-close look at the falls themselves is the Numerica SkyRide. The 15-minute jaunt takes you past the art deco City Hall, then down 200 feet to see the raging water. If you want to experience it in its full glory, March through June is the prime time to go.

Riverfront Park is much more than its waterfall. In the summer you can rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards to get on the water, and in the winter, be sure to skate the 715-foot Numerica Skate Ribbon and its adjoining ice pond.

Also, don’t forget to feed the garbage goat. This interactive iron sculpture, a local landmark since 1974, is just what it sounds like — a life-size replica with a vacuum fitted to its mouth so you can “feed” it small pieces of trash. It’s a wildly popular stop for the kids, as is a 27-foot sculpture of a red wagon and the Looff Carrousel, a handcarved merry-go-round with its original circa-1900 organ.

And you don’t have to have (or be) a kid to visit the Mobius Discovery Center, which blends the best of a former children’s museum and a science museum under one roof. After all, there is no maximum age for enjoying bottle rockets, reptiles and a fun-sized gravel pit (complete with excavator).

It’s hard to go wrong when checking out your options for downtown dining. One suggestion: the 20-hour sous vide tri tip carne asada tacos from Cochinito Taqueria, complete with one of their fantastico craft cocktails.

Next up: shopping. For a traditional mall (but with locally owned stores alongside the national chains) head to River Park Square. Alternatively, bookworms will feel the pull of Auntie’s Bookstore, two beloved floors of new and used books that often play host to local authors and literary events.

For the evening hours, start at Perry Street Brewing, serving the best in local beers, along with a small menu of elevated pub food (until 8 p.m.). Then catch a set at the Spokane Comedy Club or watch an indie band at the Spokane outpost of New York City’s Knitting Factory.

Sunday: Encounter the Future in the Inland Northwest

To start your Sunday jaunt in Kendall Yards, a modern and arty neighborhood, you’ll need to make a choice: Yards Bruncheon or the Bruncheonette, both gentle starts to the day, with brunch seven days a week. For the former try the pork belly cubano, and for the latter, the blueberry-cardamom muffin French toast.

Then do some more shopping, maybe at French Toast, an upscale toy shop for that sophisticated tot. If you’d prefer to pamper your pooch, make a stop at Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile, a natural and holistic all-things-animal store.

The neighborhood is also a great choice for strolling, thanks to its community gardens and public art spaces. One of the standout local institutions is Marmot Art Space, a gallery that works with artists of local and national renown.

Winding up the weekend will go down easy in Kendall Yards, since some of the local wineries have chosen the area as their urban outpost. Maryhill offers a 5,000-square-foot tasting room with 180-degree views of downtown and the Spokane River. Or if windows aren’t your thing, try the Craftsman Cellars, which features tastings of locally handcrafted, unfiltered, old-world wine.