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Suggest a Feature →Spokane, Washington
The Inland Northwest. Lakes, mountains, a real city, and KC-135 tankers overhead.
Fairchild AFB sits twelve miles west of Spokane — a genuine city of 230,000 that anchors the Inland Northwest. This is one of the better Air Force assignments in the continental US: a real urban center with arts, restaurants, and professional sports an easy drive from base.
Fairchild hosts the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (KC-135s) and the Air Force's only active SERE school. The mountainous terrain of eastern Washington and northern Idaho makes this one of the most outdoor-accessible military postings in the country.
The Spokane area punches above its weight: craft beer scene, excellent restaurants, Spokane Chiefs hockey, a symphony, and the spectacular Spokane River gorge running through downtown. The mountains of Idaho and the North Cascades are two hours in different directions.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Durkin's Liquor Bar
"Best cocktail bar and serious food in Spokane."
Durkin's does bourbon-forward cocktails and elevated comfort food in a beautifully designed space downtown. The burger and the biscuits are what regulars order. Consistently named one of Spokane's best.
Italia Trattoria
"Handmade pasta and Spokane's best wine list."
A genuine Italian kitchen doing handmade pasta, wood-fired dishes, and an excellent wine program. The gnocchi and short rib are the moves. Reservation required on weekends.
No-Li Brewhouse
"Spokane's flagship craft brewery. River views, excellent beer."
No-Li has been leading Spokane's craft beer scene for years — GABF medal winners, a riverside taproom with outdoor seating, and a full kitchen. The Born & Raised IPA is the local staple.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Mt. Spokane State Park
"Ski area and summer hiking 30 miles north."
Mt. Spokane is the local ski area — modest vertical but excellent for families and convenient. In summer, the hiking trails and fire lookout views are outstanding. Military-friendly pricing.
Lake Coeur d'Alene (Idaho)
"One of the most beautiful lakes in North America. 35 miles east."
Lake Coeur d'Alene is one of the genuinely stunning lakes in the West — clear blue water, mountain backdrop, and a lakefront town with excellent restaurants and summer recreation. Hiking, boating, paddleboarding, and the Ironman course run right through it.
Silver Mountain Resort
"World's longest gondola. 70 miles east in Idaho."
Silver Mountain in Kellogg, ID has more terrain than you'd expect and hosts a gondola that climbs nearly 3,400 vertical feet from the valley floor. The water park at the base is huge in summer. Military discount on lift tickets.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Spokane Chiefs Hockey
"WHL hockey in a 10,000-seat arena. Affordable family entertainment."
The Spokane Chiefs are a Western Hockey League powerhouse playing in the Spokane Arena. Cheap tickets, fast game, and electric atmosphere — one of the best entertainment values in the city.
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
"Regional history and Indigenous culture in a spectacular building."
The MAC covers the natural and cultural history of the Inland Northwest with excellent permanent galleries on Native American art and regional history. Military discount available.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Riverfront Park
"Spokane's World's Fair park. Rides, ice rink, and the Spokane Falls."
The 1974 World's Fair site is now a beautiful urban park with an aerial gondola over Spokane Falls, a carousel, an ice ribbon (outdoor skating), and great lawn space. The Falls overlook is one of the best views in Spokane.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"Washington's most beautiful lake. Apple orchards and stunning valley."
Lake Chelan is a 55-mile glacier-carved lake in the Cascades — the ferry up to the car-free village of Stehekin is one of the most spectacular trips in Washington state. The Chelan wine region and resort town make a great weekend.
"Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Crown of the Continent."
A 3.5-hour drive east gets you to Glacier. Plan an overnight in Whitefish or West Glacier to do it properly. Book vehicle reservations in advance on recreation.gov.
"Washington's tallest waterfall. Channeled Scablands geology."
Palouse Falls drops 198 feet into a basalt canyon carved by the Missoula Floods — one of the most dramatic geological features in the Pacific Northwest and a legitimate geological wonder. Washington's state fossil (Columbian mammoth) was found nearby.
No state income tax in Washington. If you're coming from a state with income tax, you'll notice your take-home immediately.
Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Idaho Panhandle are 35 minutes east — local military families spend most summer weekends there.
Spokane has significantly lower housing costs than western Washington. BAH here is reasonable to live on.
The SERE school at Fairchild produces some of the most respected instructors in the Air Force — if you're SERE-trained, this is homecoming.
Chelan wine country is 3 hours west and one of Washington's best kept secrets. Go in harvest season (October).
Spokane gets occasional derision from west-siders who think nothing worthwhile exists east of the Cascades. Ignore this. The Inland Northwest is genuinely excellent — lakes, mountains, a real city, and outdoor access that most Air Force bases can't match. The winters can be grey and damp (though nothing like Seattle), but summer and fall are spectacular.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.