Embracing Christmas in Spokane
Free Carriage rides are available during the Christmas season.
Pictures of the Crescent building and window from the internet
Each year we would get dressed in our finest shopping clothes and
make the trek to downtown for after Thanksgiving shopping, where the
Christmas Windows would be unveiled and of course Santa's arrival. The magical
windows were different each year and certainly not to be missed.
Each year we would get dressed in our finest shopping clothes and make the trek to downtown for after Thanksgiving shopping where the windows would be unveiled and of course Santa's arrival. The magical windows were different each year and certainly not to be missed.
The Crescent Department Store is long gone, now a multi-use building with a few stores and a Starbucks with High end Condos on upper floors. The Christmas windows exist only in the memories of who made the annual trek. Through the years new traditions have replaced the old traditions so each year we try to find a new experience to celebrate the Holiday Season.
This year we made a trip to downtown Spokane on a Sunday afternoon to see Christmas in the city.
The Historic Davenport Hotel, first opened in 1914
Caroling in the lobby
The grand lobby
I was able to take a picture of a picture in the hotel of the same room where my High School Senior Ball took place. Above was as seen today, below as in the 1930's. The Historic detail was preserved in a renovation done in 2000. It is a beautiful hotel and offers a glimpse of the splendor of years past.
The flower shop as remained in near the lobby and the sweet aroma envelopes the entrance.
Two new hotels owned by the same Corporation have been built in Spokane and provide a modern experience. The Davenport Towers has an African Safari motif and was our next destination.. It is located near the original hotel though is not nearly as grand an experience as the Historic Davenport..
Near the lobby entrance.....
wild animals.
Closer to Riverfront Park and across from the convention center is the third hotel which just opened this last year so we had to take a peak.
One of the spectacular creations in the Grand Hotel is the stained glass window of the Spokane Falls with is located in the coffee shop near the main lobby.
As we walked through the very modern decorated halls we discovered the annual Gingerbread competition had just been completed. In the hours before, the ballroom was filled with children and families (and creative noise and chaos) who along with Spokane's Chefs were busy creating gingerbread houses. The children and their individual house creations were gone but the Chef's creations would remain on display throughout the holiday season. Here are a few of the creations...
The finale of our visit downtown was a walk through Riverfront Park which was now lite up with lights.
Winter Glow is a new tradition that started in 2014. It is free to the public and the lighting displays are designed by local businesses and non-profits. It is a magical place with all the twinkling lights.
While some people look back at nostalgic memories and people now gone with such fond longing that they are not able to embrace new experiences . I look back over all the memories of Christmas's past and treasure each of them. I hope I never loose the Christmas Wonder and continue to seek out new experiences and embrace them as well.
Please excuse the quality of the pics.....These were taken with my cell phone.
I hope your Christmas was full of wonderful new memories.
Everyting changes, eventually. You brought back memories of the Boston Store in Erie, PA where I grew up. It was downtown in a building very similar to the Crescent Building, and always a big deal to go and see the decorations and visit Santa Claus. It closed in '79 and has been converted to apartments.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you and Hailey created some fine new memories!
Its great to start a new tradition. I was talking with my daughter about that over the holidays.
ReplyDeleteWe,too, had a large department store called Meier & Frank in downtown Portland, Oregon. The building took up the whole block and had many windows around the first floor of the building. Every year we enjoyed looking at the Christmas displays in those windows. I remember one year's theme were scenes from the Bible, another year all the windows had the Twelve Days of Christmas with the partridge in a pear tree, et. al. You brought back good memories.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories and now you have new ones with Hailey. I love the lights.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and very Happy New Year
Karen, lost your email addy, email me and let me know how things are going. chinle
ReplyDelete