The cities of Washington 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 Washington 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 spacious 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.

[THE COLUMBIA RIVER, FROM WHITE SALMON]
Copyright by Kiser Photo Co., Portland, Ore.

"Superbly flowing
By piny banks basaltiform, romantic"

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 municipal 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 Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

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