Learning from those farther along their parenting journey can inspire and encourage the less-experienced among us. Jonathan Johnson and Amy Howko, from Cheney, Wash., have appreciable insights after raising their daughter, Anya, now 17 years old. OTO: What values and attitudes about outdoor recreation and travel did you prioritize and emphasize once you became parents? […]
Raising A Kid as an Outdoor Family Read More »
I had turned off Highway 904 on the south end of Cheney and was heading through the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge when the coffee finally kicked in. Just a few more miles, I told my bladder. I have been making the pilgrimage to Amber Lake every spring for the last 13 years, and this happens every
Early Season Angling: Fly Fishing Amber Lake Read More »
As a kid growing up in Medical Lake, Washington, Shawn Graves wasn’t much different than his buddies. As a self-described “outdoors type person”, he used to love to to ski, snowmobile, hike and fish. Just about anything that would get him outside. “Now,” he says, “I can’t do anything like that alone for fear of
Can Nature Heal The Wounds Of War? Read More »
It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of a long road trip: the open highway, the sense of freedom and adventure, and the anticipation of exploring new and unfamiliar places. But there is a downside, too: the road-rage-inducing traffic on those highways, the sense of claustrophobia and numbness from hours in the cramped
Quick-Fix Car Camping: Overnighters that Won’t Burn a Bunch of Gas Read More »
The Spokane Audubon Society (SAS) advocates for birds and their habitats in the Inland Northwest and connects people with nature. But did you know the Spokane Audubon Society also collaborates with other groups and agencies to secure public lands? That work helps protect bird and other wildlife habitat from development. It also provides public access
If you Care about public lands, you care about birds Read More »
Your ultimate Inland Northwest guide for hikes, floats, bike rides, fishing spots, history and adventure Cover photo courtesy of Jon Jonckers Long days, cool waters and mountain trails—summer in the Inland Northwest is pure magic. Whether you’re chasing adrenaline or searching for serenity, you’ll find the right outdoor adventure to match your mood in this
100+ Summer Adventures Read More »
By Lisa Laughlin Cover photo courtesy of Priest Lake Watersports If this list doesn’t send you into a race-registering frenzy, I don’t know what will. Our region is packed with incredible options for running, riding, triathlon-ing, and getting outside from March through October. The only problem, my friends: you can’t be in two places at
Race, Ride, & Event Guide 2025 Read More »
In many outdoor spaces, leashes are the law, but some people still ignore it Lou and Mary Haymond were walking on a trail in the Plese Flats area at Riverside State Park when an off-leash dog charged them from more than 150 feet away. Lou moved in front of Mary as it snarled and lunged
Off-Leash Dogs on the Trail Read More »
85 things to do in the Inland Northwest Cover photo courtesy Shallan Knowles Don’t let summer pass you by: use this roundup of things to do in the mountains, lakes, rivers, trails, and small towns around our beautiful corner of the Northwest. Learn About the Places Where We Play Join one of these educational nature
Summer Bucket List Read More »
By Heidi Lasher When I moved to Spokane in 2010, I heard a lot about the ice-age floods. In fact, unsolicited information about the Pleistocene Megafloods would materialize in my life with annoying frequency: on signage along the river, tourist brochures, my kids’ elementary school classrooms. Everywhere I turned, someone seemed to be tapping my
3 Fall Hikes in the Channeled Scablands Read More »
