Lord Huron / Spokane, May 2023

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For Memorial Day weekend we had originally planned on skiing Diamond Peak, but the warm temps made “corn farming” unlikely so we opted to spend it checking out Spokane, where home prices are still surprisingly affordable. I previously was aware of Lord Huron’s show there, but didn’t want to “waste” a weekend in Spokane. Ironically, this turned out to be the best idea!! Even more surprising was that tickets were still available just a few days before the show!! Off we went!

Spokane Pavilion, built for the Expo ’74
Spokane Pavilion is a GORGEOUS venue!!
Katt said LEDs have revolutionized stage lighting.
Can confirm!
SAY WHAT?!?

The show was fantastic!! We learned that this was Lord Huron’s FIRST headlining tour, and they chose to kick it off in Spokane! These folks have four albums over the last 12 years, and I suspect they’ll garner an even larger following after this summer.

Lord Huron setlist, Spokane Pavilion, 27 May 2023.
Lord Huron setlist, Spokane Pavilion, 27 May 2023. We didn’t get to hear the last one due to a medical emergency (the 2nd of the night!)
If you don’t know Lord Huron’s music, here’s a great place to start!

Spokane

Korean bowl at The Elk was fantastic!! (And HOT!)
Breakfast at the Crepe Cafe Sisters was excellent!

Spokane Farmers Market

Subaru fire truck! The owner has converted the tank to Kombucha kegs for their business!
Big D for scale! It’s tiny!
Riley LOVES PUPeroni Pizza! From Fetch Barkery Spokane
The historic Patsy Clark Mansion, across the street from the farmer’s market in Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition
Rambleraven Gear Trader, Spokane

Sprague, Washington

One of the things we like to do on road trips is drive through small towns off the beaten path, and read up what we can from Wikipedia and other sources. The history of these towns is interesting. Sprague is oft-overlooked as it’s not right on I-90, but turns out like many of these towns it has some redeeming value. Here we found a fantastic old city park replete with a bathroom, picnic tables, big trees, and playground equipment. Since it is so close to the Sprague rest area on I-90, we decided it would be our go-to for future stops!

Sprague City Park at 2nd and D streets: This is the playground of my youth!

Note the cement circle and the stump. That’s likely where a “merry-go-round” was located, as well as a nearby tree that helpless kids likely flew into. Then there’s the “racer” slide that’s over 10 feet tall, as well as the “jungle gym” in the background. Despite putting “soft” areas under them, they do little to prevent injury. There’s a history of million-dollar lawsuits that resulted in the removal and banning of this type of equipment in major metro areas, so finding a park with this equipment is like going back in time, which is consistent with the rest of Sprague – a town mostly forgotten by history. Read up on some other dangerous playground equipment here.

We couldn’t count the number of old cars and signs in this town; they were everywhere!
A drool-worthy Chevy precursor to the Suburban

The road home

Vinyl found at a rats-nest of a thrift (*junk*) store in Moses Lake. My second Charley Pride LP in a week! To think I hated country music growing up, turns out I don’t like “pop” country but the OG greats were, well, great!! Credit to Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary film for solidifying my love for the old stuff.
There’s STACKS of LPs buried behind the lamps. Next time we’ll have a couple hours to treasure hunt!
A hoarders dream store!
Fantastic finds that same week. Fun fact, Charley Pride played baseball for the Missoula Timberjacks and the Helena Smelterites before he was discovered! His manager paid him to sing before games!
The Palouse is a gorgeous, desolate place. What a great trip! See ya later, Spokane!

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