‘There were so many places that surprised me’: Seattle writer pens ‘100 Things to Do in Washington State Before You Die,’ with special shoutouts to Spokane

If someone told you they were visiting Spokane, where would you suggest they visit? Maybe you have a favorite restaurant in mind, a shop they should browse or an experience they should try.

It’s one thing to make recommendations for a single city, but what if someone asked for suggestions for the entire state of Washington? Could you make a list that gave each region equal attention and painted a full picture of the wonders Washington has to offer while keeping that list limited to 100 entries?

It’s not an easy task, but Seattle-based writer Gina Tarnacki was up for the challenge when Reedy Press, based in St. Louis, asked her to write “100 Things to Do in Washington State Before You Die,” which brings her to Auntie’s Bookstore for a book signing event on July 12.

Born in Montana and raised in Minnesota, Tarnacki lived in San Diego for 11 years after college before moving to Washington a decade ago for her husband’s career. The pair thought they’d stay for a few years before moving back to California but plans quickly changed.

“We just fell in love with the state, and we love raising our kids here, and so I don’t think we’re ever going to leave now,” Tarnacki said.

Tarnacki’s first book with Reedy Press, “100 Things to Do in Billings Before You Die,” which she wrote with her mother Nancy Icopini, was released in fall 2022. After about a year of promotion behind that book, Reedy started releasing state-specific books rather than city-specific guides.

The Spokesman-Review published a similar book in 2018 dubbed “100 Things to Do in Spokane Before You Die.”

Seeing an opportunity to explore Washington, Tarnacki jumped at the chance to write Washington’s “100 Things” book and began exploring the state from top to bottom, from coastline to Stateline.

For about two months, Tarnacki spent weekends traveling across the mountains to Eastern Washington. Cities like Pullman and Walla Walla were new to Tarnacki, though she has visited family in the Tri-Cities and stopped in Spokane during trips to and from seeing family in Montana.

Among the many shoutouts Eastern Washington receives in “100 Things” are ordering Cougar Gold and ice cream at Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe on the Washington State University campus in Pullman, hiking to the top of Steptoe Butte for the best views of the Palouse and finding artistic treasures at Artisans at the Dahmen Barn.

Spokane-specific suggestions include eating at Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle, catching a concert at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, browsing independent bookstores, including Auntie’s, and admiring Spokane Falls while exploring Riverfront Park.

Pete and Belle’s Ice Cream Shop in Spokane Valley, Palouse Brewing Company, Roost Coffee in Pullman and Palouse Falls in LaCrosse also get shoutouts in “100 Things.”

“We thought it was hard for Billings, and that’s a small city, and then having to narrow down what should be the 100 for Washington was a lot more intense than I was expecting,” she said.

Tarnacki traveled to each region with a preplanned itinerary in mind, though she also left time to talk with locals about their suggestions, many of which ended up making the list.

Stopping by Ferdinand’s in Pullman was one such suggestion from a former Coug who was surprised Tarnacki hadn’t already been to the ice cream shop or tried Cougar Gold cheese.

Tarnacki enjoyed the Cougar Gold after she made her way to Ferdinand’s, but it was seeing the WSU students work in the school’s creamery that convinced her to include Ferdinand’s in her book.

In another instance, the docent at the Central Washington Agricultural Museum (No. 71 in the book) suggested she check out Toppenish and the American Hop Museum, which gets a shoutout in the book.

“I had my itinerary of things I had to go see, but definitely, after talking with people or once you’re there and driving around, there were so many places that surprised me and made me rework things a lot for the book, which is good,” Tarnacki said. “That’s how it should work.”

Speaking with locals and people in the know not only helped Tarnacki find places and experiences she didn’t already know about, but also gave her a feel for what it was like to live in each community.

It’s because of those communities that Tarnacki thinks even those born and raised in Washington could benefit from reading “100 Things to Do in Washington State Before You Die.” Some people can get stuck in their own region, perhaps visiting the same places over and over again or not traveling far from home when looking to try something new.

There’s also the issue that many Washington guide books, especially those centered on Western Washington, tend to focus solely on outdoor activities, Tarnacki said. While a gorgeous state to explore, “100 Things” shows how diverse Washington is as far as activities, shops and restaurants go.

There are also plenty of opportunities to learn about the history of the state through museums and other cultural institutions, especially Native museums, highlighted in the book.

“It’s good to go to a lot of these places and understand why nature and the earth are so important to certain cultures and why it should be important to all of us to preserve it and leave no trace,” she said. “I wanted to get that across in the book too, so in a way, it’s a love letter to Washington and its people, and so that’s why I think locals will like it too.”