The East Side

I love a road trip!

This one was I-90 from the west side to the east, crossing the Cascades and driving through acres and acres of farmland, finally ending up in beautiful Spokane.

Here's some information on some of the places featured in the photos:

The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of eastern Washington, northern Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major wheat-producing agricultural area. Situated about 160 miles north of the Oregon Trail, the region experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century, for a brief time surpassing the population of the Puget Sound region of Washington.

Riverfront Park was the host of the 1974 World's Fair. All the pavilions still exist, and the park itself is beautifully maintained. The Clock Tower anchors Riverfront Park. Built in 1902 as part of the Great Northern Railroad Station it now stands as an icon of Spokane.

Spokane Courthouse - Worth a visit. This interesting courthouse was completed in 1895 in 16th century French Renaissance style.

Gonzaga University is a private Catholic Jesuit university founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga. The campus houses 105 buildings across 131 acres of grassland along the Spokane River, in a residential setting half a mile from downtown Spokane. The university was founded by Father Joseph Cataldo, SJ, an Italian-born priest and missionary who wished to create a Catholic school in the Pacific Northwest for local Native Americans.

In 1881, Father Cataldo bought an old carpenter shop on the corner of Main and Bernard streets in Spokane, and thus, the first Catholic Church in Spokane Falls. This original shop-church was later converted into a school where boys were prepared for college, which was then being built north of the river. The first scholastic year, 1897, opened with seven pupils, the humble beginning of Gonzaga University.

Brown's Addition Neighborhood - Established in 1883, Browne’s Addition is considered one of Washington State’s oldest neighborhoods. It is listed as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

Farm sprinklers - Those giant sprinklers come in two types, center pivot and linear. The center pivot type, as its name implies, circles around a center point. The linear variety goes in a more or less straight line. Both generally are motorized. And, yes, the first time they roll through a planted field they crush some of the crop, but not a substantial amount.

Most are 1,283 feet long -- that's nearly a quarter of a mile -- and run on electricity, though some are powered by diesel or natural gas. Generally they use well water, because public systems can't provide enough water. They pump from 400 to 800 gallons every minute.

Interstate 90 (I-90) is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at 3,084.61 miles. It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate. Its western terminus is in Seattle, Washington, next to Safeco Field and Qwest Field, and its eastern terminus is in Boston, Massachusetts, near Logan International Airport. It crosses the Continental Divide over Homestake Pass just east of Butte, Montana.

Windmills or wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as electricity, using wind turbines.

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