Spokane Washington Red Lion Inn Run

This was my first trip to Spokane, Washington, and I had 17.5 hours to kill at the elegant Red Lion Inn adjacent to River Front Park. I was near downtown Spokane, and on one of the better running paths I've ever tried. The path began directly behind the hotel on what was called Centennial Trail. This trail looped east toward Gonzaga University and continued east toward Montana, but after about a mile and a half, you can cross a bridge and loop back toward the park and downtown area.
Before my run, I talked to the concierge at the front desk to get the details of what options I had to run locally. I had my music (Michael Jackson, Steve Miller Band and Jack Johnson), my workout clothes, and my new CEP compression sleeves to try out. I began by heading out the back of the hotel by the pool and turning left onto the path. The path was parallel to the river and immediately started leading me to Gonzaga University. Adding a little excitement to an already new experience, I soon ran into a bunch of little beaver-like critters called Marmots on the side of the path. They were not shy at all and walked up to other people as I ran by.

Gonzaga University was nice, and I had a great view of the baseball field, the school of law, and other general classroom buildings from the path. Pictured above is the law school with soccer fields on the left. After crossing through the school, I got confused about where I was on the map the concierge had shown me, and as often happens, I got lost. I didn't realize how small the map area was, and I found my way on the portion that heads all the way out to Montana. Though I was lost, I wanted to go on a 10-mile run so I was off to find the path the hard way. 

I ran into the first dead end on Perry Street after following the trail up toward Mission Park. I side-stepped several streets of construction to get there, but decided that my lack of knowledge of where I was and no water was a bad combination to keep heading north. I backtracked, feeling like the other side of the river might give me better results. Following a dirt trail into a neighborhood led me to my second dead end. Nothing says fun like barbed wire fence and a "No Trespassing" sign.

     Thankfully, in the distance I saw a clock tower from River Front Park and began looking for a way to go west towards the park. When I found my first runner sporting tiny shorts and doing what looked like six-minute miles, I figured I was back on the path. Within about block, another view of the baseball field at Gonzaga told me I was home free.

From here on out, the run was just a joy. I didn't focus too highly on sticking to a set path, but more on exploring for next time. I ran across each bridge at least once. The World's Fair was held in Spokane in the 1970's, and there are many visually amazing sights to keep a run interesting. As I mentioned, I crossed each bridge around the park at least once. On the wider bridges, I crossed both sides of the street to get a view of the river from different perspectives.

Here is an example of the view prior to the bridge and another from on the bridge before it reaches the hydro-electric plant. The most breathtaking view was from right after the river became a waterfall near a gondola sky ride.

Peppering individual scenic views into a long run like this revitalizes you, similar to running a race and having the crowd to cheer you on. It doesn't just break up the monotony; it adds energy to your step.

The majority of the time, the trail was well maintained with grass along the side. The River Front Park held countless landmarks that were memorable, but my favorite was unquestionably the biggest Radio Flyer wagon I've ever seen.

The park has water fountains that can be used easily by planning your course to criss-cross the park. I strongly look forward to my next Spokane overnight. Even with all the wrong turns, I still loved the area and having a location with a lot of people around to add a feel of safety when running. The temperature (even in July) was low 70's with a nice breeze coming down the river. If you are staying in Spokane anytime soon, I highly recommend choosing a location near the River Front Park. If you can't make it out for a run or bike ride, then at least take a stroll.