The Beauties of the State of Washington Part 9

Happy country! happy people!

Peace prevails from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e"]

The cities of Was.h.i.+ngton are all beautiful in their natural setting, and reflect the originality, the energy and love for artistic design of the people who dwell within them. In western Was.h.i.+ngton they are usually protected by verdure covered hills, and built to overlook the Sound, the harbors, or the rivers. The smaller towns nestle close to pretty streams which supply power and water. Snow capped mountains are always visible.

The east side cities are usually near the larger streams and adorned with trees, both native and cultivated. Forests are lacking in the Columbia River Plain, and the brown hills are continually in sight. In the northern counties, however, the native trees and mountains again become more prominent.

All cities are well provided with s.p.a.cious and comfortable hotels.

Theaters, business blocks, school houses, churches, and other public buildings are of modern structure; the streets are generally paved; practically all have electric lights and pure running water. The homes are planned both for beauty and comfort, and are often surrounded by green lawns or gardens where hundreds of species of beautiful flowers reach perfection.

The following pages are devoted to brief descriptions of the larger centers, and the more important trips from each. They are arranged to represent a tour about the state and in the order in which one might visit all, or certain ones only, with the least expenditure of time. The cities given have commercial organizations prepared to give further information regarding their respective localities.

=SPOKANE:= Metropolis of the Inland Empire, and second largest city in the state. Population about 136,000. Its growth was over 500 per cent in twenty years. Situated on both sides of the Spokane River with wonderful waterfalls in heart of city. One of the leading railroad centers in the west, it has five transcontinental lines operating on their own tracks and two others over joint tracks. Its hotels, theaters, public buildings, and homes, are among the most costly in the northwest.

Its fifty-two parks, comprising 1,933 acres valued at more than $2,000,000, give the largest per capita park area of any city in the United States. Splendid boulevards within the city connect with broad highways leading to distant points in the Inland Empire. There is a boating course two miles long above the city, a munic.i.p.al bathing pool a mile from the business center, and a zoo at Manito Park. One may see large manufacturing establishments, irrigation, wheat fields, and many big development projects within a limited area. It is the home of the North Pacific Fruit Distributors, which markets 60 per cent of the apples of Was.h.i.+ngton, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

A few of the more important trips should include the following:

Mt. Spokane, 20 miles N. E., highest peak in Eastern Was.h.i.+ngton.

Indian Canyon, 2 miles west (Indian wigwams still there).

Medical Lake, 16 miles S. W., famous for medicinal qualities of water; one of state's hospitals here.

Return by way of Cheney, home of one of state normal schools.

Spokane Valley, fruit section along Apple Way to Hayden Lake.

Reardan, by Sunset Highway, 21 miles, built at cost of $194,000.

Jas. P. Grave's model farm; Country Club on Waikiki Road.

Arcadia Apple Orchard at Deer Park, largest in the world.

Colville Valley, Chewelah and Colville, a rich agricultural valley, good roads, mountains in sight, many lakes.

Pend Oreille Valley, Newport, Ione, and Metaline Falls; see Box and Grandview Canyons; river falls 400 feet in 12 miles.

Steptoe b.u.t.te for expansive view of Palouse country.

Through the Palouse to Colfax, Moscow, and State College at Pullman, one of the most remarkable rides--train, auto, or electric.

Kellogg, Idaho, to see largest lead and silver mine in the world.

Northern Idaho, through to Fourth of July Canyon.

Long Lake, 30 miles northwest, $8,000,000 dam.

See also "Spokane Country" under the "Inland Empire."

=WALLA WALLA:= (Many Waters.) The "Garden City," at one time said to "have more bicycles, more pianos, more flowers, and more pretty girls than any other city in the Northwest." Population 23,275. One of the richest farm regions in the world is adjacent. Next to Vancouver, oldest city in the state, and home of first white woman in the Northwest.

Picturesque hills, with gentle slopes, usually covered with waving grain, surround it; while many a little stream, protected by cottonwoods and birches, winds towards the larger rivers. The N. P. and O. W. R. & N. railways, and Inland Empire Highway pa.s.s through. Trees line the well paved streets and produce a particularly artistic effect. Here is located Whitman College, on the site where Stevens made his famous treaty with the Indians; the State Penitentiary; the Blalock Fruit Company's 1,600-acre fruit farm; old Fort Walla Walla, and the oldest bank in state.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE COLUMBIA RIVER, FROM WHITE SALMON

_Copyright by Kiser Photo Co., Portland, Ore._

"_Superbly flowing_ _By piny banks basaltiform, romantic_"]

Trips should include:

The Blue Mountains and Wenaha Forest Reserve for wild and rugged canyons and summer resorts.

Toll Gate Pa.s.s, 15 miles, a resort, and the only pa.s.s to the Wallowa country in Oregon; Wallowa Lake.

Bingham Hot Springs, 40 miles; Clinker Hot Springs.

The famous Whitman monument at Waiilatpui, about 6 miles west.

The Columbia and Snake rivers; Palouse Falls; the Little and Big Meadows.

Vast wheat, barley and rye farms, some of which contain 4,000 acres and more; also large stock ranches.

The Touchet Valley, where diversified farming is successful.

Waitsburg, Dayton, Pomeroy, Clarkston and Asotin, via Inland Empire Highway.

Pasco and Kennewick at mouth of Snake.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A SHADY BOULEVARD IN WALLA WALLA.]

=NORTH YAKIMA:= Metropolis of the Yakima Valley, where the largest body of irrigated land in the state lies. Population about 19,000. All points in the lower Yakima and in South Central Was.h.i.+ngton are easily reached.

Business and public buildings are of artistic design. City is symmetrically laid out with very wide streets, well shaded. It grew from a village to the metropolis in a few years, keeping pace with the rapid development evident all up and down the valley. A blossom festival is held annually in the springtime, and the State Fair in September. A sight-seeing electric car will take one forty miles through alfalfa fields and orchards where the results of irrigation are displayed. Good automobile roads extend in every direction.

Trips should include:

A climb to West Selah Heights for a comprehensive view of valley.

Up the Atanum, past Old Mission, through the narrows to Soda Springs.

Moxee Valley to see the flowing wells: on the return Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams are plainly seen.

One through Union Gap either by O.-W., gasoline motor, automobile, or the N. P. Ry. The towns of Sunnyside, Topp.e.n.i.sh, Wapato, Mabton, Granger, Zillah and Fort Simcoe, of historic interest, will be seen; also largest area of sage brush land in the state.

b.u.mping Lake; Lakes Kachees and Keechelus in the Cascades--summer resorts and storage reservoirs.