Spokane

We got delayed in Spokane because the weather was shitty towards Montana and we didn't feel like going home. The hotel we were staying at was called "The Red Lion at the park" so I asked John to look at maps and figure out if it was the awesome park with the carousel and skyride and everything and sure enough it was, and was close enough to just stroll over there.

We shelled out 10 bux which was enough for 3 rides on the carousel for each of the girls and one of us, and 2 rides for the other. The first ride, Eloise rode a tiger which didn't go up and down, but the other 2 she wanted to ride a horse. She looks a little nervous.

Fina rode a horse all 3 times. John had wandered off to ride a horse leaving me with 2 girls side by side and I snapped these pictures quick before it started moving. When it started going fast, Eloise cried and tried to climb off her horse, but I told her she had to stay on the whole ride. As soon as it stopped she said "that was fun! We go again?"

Here's my favorite picture ever, which John took while we were going and he was watching.

They had a great time and were bummed when we had to go.

That evening I mentioned to John that there was supposedly a giant "little red wagon" somewhere in the park but I had never been able to find it. He looked at a map and told me it was right by the carousel but we had gone the other way back. So the next afternoon while John and Eloise were napping, Fina asked if we could go find the wagon because she overheard me mention it.

The handle is a slide. It had been raining earlier so the slide was wet and the first time she went down it she went very slowly.

But luckily for her, a group of 4 young adult tourists came by and all went down the slide so then it was dry and it worked a bit better. She played for quite a while.

Then I suggested she pick up some leaves and garbage and go feed the garbage goat, who we had discovered the day before. There's a button on the wall behind him and he's basically like a vacuum, you hold out a piece of paper or a leaf or a bit of trash and he sucks it right down.

She did a silly pose, because she'd been watching that group of giggly tourists pose silly by the wagon. Then we walked across the street to a store I had wanted to go in the day before but didn't want to take Eloise in.

On the way back she found a giant oak leaf. She wanted to bring it home but unfortunately I "forgot" to pack it in our suitcase and it got left at the hotel.

Spending the afternoon with Fina might actually have been my very favorite part of the trip. Also I really like Spokane and would like to go back there and spend a few more days exploring.