I thought it was about time to take a ride down the main street in Pullman, Grand Avenue, and take some photos of what is there.
I actually took photos going down and coming back. But I have put them together into a single sequence.
I live near the north side of town, and this tour starts looking north from the bridge that takes cars over the creek (and railroad tracks) that come down from the north. To the north is the city of Spokane. Closer north is the city of Palouse.
The immediate area around the train tracks is a nature preserve with a walking/running/biking trail going through it. This trail goes downtown and then turns east towards Idaho. It follows a creek upstream all the way into Moscow, Idaho.
Grand Avenue has received a lot of civic attention recently, which has resulted in the running trail and in several mini-parks. The northern-most of these is the “SEL Wayside Garden.” I pass by it every day on my walk to work. Evidently, it was sponsored by SEL, my current employer.
Several entrances into the running trail show up along Grand Avenue. I will skip by the first for now (opposite Larry Street, where I live).
…And the second…
…which is across from the power substation (which has recently been upgraded with SEL protection devices).
Next we get to the first big cross street, which heads up into the north part of the WSU campus. Dominating this corner is Dissmore’s Market and its parking lot.
Just behind Dissmore’s is my favorite thrift store, Palouse Treasures.
And at the corner below the thrift store is another lovely little garden.
The next entrance to the running trail is at the “President’s Grove.”
…This time I will peak in for a closer look…
…To find a nice little rest area with some benches. There is also a little picnic area further up the trail.
The next improvement along Grand Avenue is the “Mayor’s Grove.”
It contains a bench, a plaque, and a lovely horse chestnut tree.
And now we arrive at the point were the train tracks turn east and west, and where the little creek running down from the north meets the bigger creek running downhill from the east.
Scouts’ Park
In this park, you can also see where another creek that runs down from the south comes out from under the sidewalk and joins up with that same creek running west.
Here we are at Main Street, downtown Pullman. The area is planted with lots trees (peppers?) which are just leafing out now and very light yellow-green. The creek running down from the south runs directly under this crosswalk.
Here is where the little creek submerges, a few blocks farther south.
Across from the Old European restaurant is Bill’s Welding, which includes a junk yard with this fence and planting in front of it.
…In back of the fence…
Also from this position can be glimpsed a vacant lot across the street full of blue-purple flowers.
Just a bit further down is a large old house in a very large yard. It is now Kimball’s Mortuary, but I’m sure it has a lot of history behind it.
Next, a more modern building, the Living Faith Fellowship church. Below it are the Post Office, a car dealer and other businesses of less notable architecture. Since I am more attracted to the flora and fauna, let’s next look at a roadside section of the little creek overgrown with willows currently full of “fuzz” from their flowers going to seed, and also filled with wild rose, dogwood, and cattails.
The wild rosebushes are in full flower right now. The cattails are from last summer.
And here we are at Bishop Boulevard, near the southern end of town and the southern end of Grand Avenue. A sign tells us that the Ford dealer up the street has sponsored the plantings in this area.
Some closeups of trees and flowers will appear in a follow-up article…
