Situated upon a cliff overlooking the Spokane River, the Royal Riblet mansion is a landmark in Spokane Valley, Washington.

The house, state-of-the-arts for its time, was designed by prominent Spokane architect George Keith and built in 1925 for Royal N. Riblet, an inventor and entrepreneur who made a small fortune constructing tramways for booming mining companies in the Inland Northwest.

The home — also referred to as the Cliff House — was originally accessed via one of Riblet’s trams, which ferried passengers to the home’s cliff perch from the other side of the Spokane River. In the late 1980s, brothers David and Harold Mielke restored the house for use as the headquarters of the Arbor Crest Winery.

Last fall, my mom and grandma visited the estate for a lovely afternoon of wine-tasting and snacks. Check out our Instagram page for all the photos of the grounds.

It is National Historic Site, with an elevation of 2,539 feet.

To see loads of photos from the estate and grounds, visit our Instagram page, @walkiesthroughhistory