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Every Thursday, Say Hello To America will be 
showcasing the voices behind official Twitter accounts of destinations all across the United States and the city they represent. This week, say hello to Peyton Scheller from @VisitSpokane. Other than two and a half years spent away at school, Peyton has lived in Spokane her entire life and doesn’t ever plan on leaving. She has worked at Visit Spokane for almost a year and a half.
1. What time of the year is best to travel to Spokane?
Spokane is awesome because we have four distinct seasons, however, if I had to pick the best time, I would say August-September. The weather is always warm and sunny without being too hot, and there are plenty of events and ways to enjoy the outdoors.
2. How would you describe the people of Spokane?
Friendly! You would be amazed by the number of times I’ve been told by visitors how nice everyone is in Spokane.
Riverfront Park | Photo Credit: Alan Bisson
3. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about Spokane?
Favorite: The culinary scene. I’ve lived in Spokane my entire life, and I still have a long list of restaurants that I want to try. It’s cliché to say, but there is truly something for every palate. Plus, a lot of restaurants locally source their ingredients, which is cool.
Least favorite: Our name is kind of tricky and is often mispronounced. (In case you were wondering, it’s Spo-can, not Spo-cane.)
4. What is Spokane’s most famous landmark or attraction?
Riverfront Park. Previously a rail yard, it was transformed into a beautiful, 100-acre park and became the headquarters of the World’s Fair when Spokane hosted the Expo in 1974. There are multiple fun and quirky attractions within the park, including the Clocktower, which was left from the rail yard, walking bridges to view the Spokane Falls, a giant Red Wagon, the historic 1909 Looff Carrousel, the Ice Palace during the winter and the Spokane Falls SkyRide, which was named one of the 15 best gondola rides in the world by Conde Nast Traveler.
5. Name one “secret” location that a traveler must visit.
The Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens. They were built in 1889, but after the house where the families had previously lived was demolished in 1940, the gardens were untended and taken over by nature until rediscovered in 1998. Fully restored to their original design in 2007, the Victorian-inspired gardens are truly delightful and, despite their enchanting history, they are not well-known in Spokane. Certainly worth a stop, especially if you’re visiting in the spring and summer.
6. What is the best/easiest mode of transportation to get around the city?
We’re definitely a driving destination. Spokane is really lucky that even though we are considered a large city, there is little to no traffic. Once downtown, however, I always like to park and walk everywhere else, as we have an extremely compact and walkable downtown.
7. Is there any festival or event in Spokane that a traveler should specifically plan a trip around?
Oh yes! Spokane Hoopfest, last weekend of June, is the world’s largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament with more than 225,000 fans, volunteers and players. Even if you don’t play basketball, it’s really fun to watch all of the games. Over 450 courts cover 42 city blocks! Bloomsday, the first Sunday in May, is a 12K race that welcomes more than 50,000 participants each year and is considered one of the largest footraces in the world.
8. What are the best family-friendly attractions that Spokane has to offer?
Our parks system is really fantastic and family friendly. Discovery Park is an especially great park to visit for families, as there are numerous playground toys that are interactive for kids of all ages. There is also Mobius Science Center which has over 65 exhibits, and Cat Tales Zoological Park, which is one of the few zoos in the country that still allows visitors to feed the animals.
Spokane Falls Skyride
9. What is Spokane’s signature food that every visitor has to try?
Hmm, it’s hard to choose one thing, but I would say anything made with huckleberries. It’s a fruit that is picked regionally, and they are awesome in lemonade, pie or my personal favorite, pancakes. Also, our brewery scene has really grown over the past few years. In fact, the Inland NW Ale Trail was just launched and includes 16 breweries. The climate and soil in our region is ideal to grow hops.
10. If I only had one day to explore Spokane, what MUST I see or do?
No one can leave Spokane without seeing the Spokane Falls (second largest urban waterfall in the country) and walking through Riverfront Park. Touring the historic Davenport Hotel is also a must, as well as exploring the Flour Mill and the Steam Plant, both which are historic buildings transformed into retail and restaurant spaces.
Connect with Visit Spokane
Website: Visit Spokane
Twitter: @VisitSpokane
Facebook: VisitSpokane
Youtube: Visit Spokane
Blog: Spokane Insiders’ Blog
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