Until yesterday (March 9, 2022), I had never been to Pullman, Washington.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that. I’m 67 years old. I’m a native Washingtonian. My brother went to Washington State University, for crying out loud. My beloved Husky football team plays there every two years.
It’s just that, for me, it was never on the way to anywhere. When we went to Montana, or points beyond, we always drove through Spokane. What’s Pullman on the way to? Moscow or Lewiston, Idaho?
Heck, even George Raveling, the Cougars’ great basketball coach who worked the sidelines there from 1972-1983, once said this of Pullman:
“It’s not the end of the world. But you can see it from there.”
One season, when Raveling was preparing to bring his team to a preseason tournament in Anchorage, Alaska, he said: “When you live in Pullman, you’re just happy to go anywhere.”
And yet …. I have talked to so many devoted Cougar alums over the years who have this great, great love for their school and the town of Pullman. Former Seattle Times sportswriter Craig Smith, who covered WSU football for several years, once described this allure as “Mother Pullman,” the nurturing place this cozy campus nestled in the rolling hills of the Palouse is for its students. They study together, play together, root together – and undoubtedly drink (a lot!) together.
So Vicki and I just this past week made a quick road trip to Bozeman, Montana to attend a memorial service for Vicki’s uncle. We drove there in one day – through Spokane of course. But because of a morning commitment with her uncle’s family in Big Sky, Montana on the day of our departure, we needed to split the return trip over two days. I suggested, instead of spending the night in Spokane, we drive to out-of-the-way Pullman.
We explored “downtown Pullman” Saturday evening, ending up at “The Porchlight” for artesian pizza. What a quaint town. The backdrop of the rolling hills of the Palouse is stunningly beautiful.
The University of Idaho is eight miles to the east in Moscow. The old saying is “Pullman is a campus with a town. Moscow is a town with a campus.” Having driven through Moscow to reach Pullman, I believe that to be true.
The plan was to explore the WSU campus the next morning. What we woke up to was 4-5 inches of snow. Sort of put a damper on things. You see, this is why I never went to the Apple Cup in Pullman, which is always held in late November, and is usually played in snow or at least frigid temperatures. So here we are in Pullman in April, and the weather is very November-like.
Still, we were able to drive through this cozy, friendly campus. And yes, I got out of the car to snap the obligatory pictures of Martin Stadium. Unlike Husky Stadium, the Cougs’ stadium is carved into the campus. I like that. I can see why students embrace “Mother Pullman,” love their school and their COUGS! I can sense their “us against the world” mentality. I can even imagine why they hate the city slickers from the other side of the state. That would be the arrogant and entitled Husky fans (of course, I’m not one of them).
I’m ready to come back to “Wazzu,” but preferably under more favorable weather conditions. I’d like to spend some more time there.
Having said that, there’s nothing quite like that stadium by the lake. Purple is, after all, the color of royalty. And the Alaskan Malamute is a beautiful animal.
The Inside Scoop 