– Part Three –

DAY FIVE: GROUP EXCURSIONS & MYSTERIUM FINALE – July 02, 2023

The next morning, the Mysterium Convention’s festivities continued. Several of Cyan’s games were going to be completed rapidly live, followed by a presentation of the game ‘Uru’ being “de-made” into a pixelized form. I decided not to stick around for those two presentations (as interesting as they were to watch afterward), but I did get a close-up look at the amazing ‘Gehn’s Imager’ device that was brought back from Cyan.

I also grabbed a 3D-printed Squee, a creature from ‘Myst 3: Exile,’ as a souvenir that they freely offered. Since most people would be leaving Spokane tomorrow, including myself, a small group of us decided to spend most of the day exploring the area one last time.

Patrick, Brad, Joshua, Darryl, along with Adam & Colin, joined me on a walk through Riverfront Park. First, we rode on the gondola since most of them hadn’t done so. I had been eager to ride it at least one more time, and it was even more fun to do so with a group of new friends.

From there, we all took turns feeding my favorite garbage-loving goat. They were just as amused as I had been.

We then had group photos taken of us near the river, before splitting up in half to go about other activities.

My half of the group went closer to Spokane Falls, near the gondola ride, to take a few memorable shots from angles we couldn’t previously reach. Before heading back to the hotel, Brad and I were hungry and grabbed a quick bite at a nearby Chili’s.

Back in the hotel, we all gathered for Mysterium 2023’s final presentation: an exclusive first look at the upcoming ‘Myst Documentary.’ I was particularly excited to see footage of this, having been one of its Kickstarter backers. Documentary filmmaker Philip Shane and team members Randy Woods, Katie Postma, and Elana Bogdan were part of the presentation. Joshua Reinstein was also there, since he was the documentary’s editor, research assistant, social media person, and archivist! They screened about 20 minutes of the film for us, and so far, it looks fantastic! It gave us a more intimate look at Rand and Robyn Miller’s life than I had expected, making it that much more interesting. The only disappointment was that we couldn’t watch more! We are all still eagerly awaiting its premiere, but if the rest of the film resembles what we saw it will be worth it.

After the presentation had finished, there was a closing ceremony that included a prize drawing. I had donated a book for it; however, I was not one of the lucky winners. When the drawing was over, an amusing in-joke video by Brandon and Kelly Coston about “crafting with a watermelon” played, followed by a reveal of where 2024’s Mysterium would be located (Montreal, Canada). With that, the 2023 convention was officially over. Me and most of the guys who had trekked earlier then decided to take one final trip through Spokane for dinner.

We walked deeper into the city than before, passing through a couple of unsavory spots, until we reached The Old Spaghetti Factory. I’m pretty sure I had eaten at one before, but it had been a long time. The food was exceptional, and I loved the rustic lamp-lit interior of its red-bricked building. According to its website, it is “located in a former liquor warehouse that was established in 1890. […] There was [also] once a tunnel that extended from the basement of the building to Spokane’s famous Davenport Hotel.” I never expected a random chain-restaurant location to have such an interesting history!

After our dinner was consumed, we walked back to the hotel, stopping along Riverfront Park one last time together. I took my final nighttime photo of Spokane, with the daylight still peeking out at 9PM. When we reached the hotel, we were all exhausted from the long day of walking. It was time to call it a night, despite knowing the next morning would truly be the end. This was one of my favorite days of the trip, just spending time with some great people at such a wonderful place.

DAY SIX: FINAL SIGHTS & THE RETURN HOME – July 03, 2023

Early morning, before my first flight back home, I went on one last solo walk into Spokane. I realized I hadn’t bought any souvenirs for my trip, but because my United Airlines flight was scheduled to leave at 1:23PM, there was only one gift shop that was open: Atticus Coffee & Gifts.

Not only did the rustic shop have a nice and fun selection, but the woman working there just happened to have lived in Palm Springs until about a year prior! Her reasons for deciding to move to Spokane were inspiring to hear, and I could relate to a lot of them. It was also nice to finally speak to a local who was not part of the Mysterium experience and get an unfiltered opinion of the area. After buying a small selection of gifts, I went on a final walk along Spokane’s Riverfront Park and snapped some photos.

I soon retreated to my hotel room and finished packing. Before I left, I took a photo from my room’s big window to take in its view one last time. It wasn’t the most picturesque, since I was only four stories high, but at least I was in range of the famous clock tower. I also noticed, for the first time, that the pillows on my room’s chairs featured an interesting design, particularly in their center. Fans of ‘Riven’ would surely spot some familiarity with them.

I checked out of my room using the phone app, cementing my stay at the hotel without ever talking to any of its staff. The concept is still very strange to me, but I admit it was convenient never having to wait in line. I went down to the lobby a final time, with many of my friends and Mysterium attendees mustered about. After some last goodbyes, I finally departed to Spokane’s airport using a Lyft.

Arriving early at the airport, I had some time to buy additional souvenirs from their shops. Amusingly, they were also owned by my old company Paradies Lagardère. After grabbing a bite from the airport’s Burger King, I waited for my flight. I waited and waited… and waited. My connecting flight to San Francisco, California was delayed until about 3:15PM due to mechanical issues! During my extended delay, I unexpectedly ran into a couple of people from Mysterium who were waiting for their flights, including Joshua. These visits definitely helped pass the time. Eventually, my flight was ready to go, and so was I.

The flight to San Francisco was great once it happened. I snapped some photos from my window seat, and I’m certain I saw the famous Golden Gate Bridge for the first time. When I landed at the San Francisco airport, I had to wait several hours longer than I was supposed to. Because of my delay, I had missed the 4:27PM flight to Palm Springs and now had to take the next flight at 8:36PM!

This airport was at least big, and bustling compared to the ones I had been in before. Walking around and finding something to do would at least keep my mind off the wait. I visited several gift stores, but only window-shopped. Eventually I got hungry again, and ate at Pie Five Pizza, which I had never heard of before. It tasted good enough to help pass the time, while listening to music on my headphones.

Once I finally left for Palm Springs, the cityscapes’ nightlights blurred past my window. It was a smaller plane than before, with barely anyone on it; making the flight feel more personal like a private jet. When Palm Springs eventually came into view, I began to feel overwhelmed with emotion.

My big adventure was swiftly coming to an end on the approaching runway. When our speed decreased, and we touched down at the city’s level, my eyes remained fixed on the window’s view. My own reflection mirrored onto the city before me, and I wondered if I’d ever go on another trip like this again. I had started this experience alone, made friends along the way, and still returned alone. In a way, it reflected life itself. But it also reflected the very game that had brought me to Spokane. While it ends with the player alone, returning home just like I had, there was a sense of fulfillment. Thinking about that, I smiled. I was, most certainly, fulfilled.

At nearly 10PM, we finally departed the plane. I waited for my Lyft at the airport, until I was picked up. My journey had come to an end.

LOOKING BACK

To say that 2023’s Mysterium Convention at Spokane, Washington was amazing would be an understatement. I fell in love with the city and became connected to the people I had met. The experience truly spoke to me in a way few have. It’s only a memory now, but one that I will cherish for a lifetime. It can never be recreated, but perhaps expanded upon. Someday, I hope to make a return trip; maybe even a permanent one. Whether that happens or not, I will always have the pictures, the memories I’ve written, and the thoughts that remain inside my head.

We make our own time machines.

My various souvenirs from Spokane, Mysterium, & Cyan. Some of them are now part of my display shelf.

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If you enjoyed this article and want another fan’s Mysterium Spokane 2023 experience, I recommend watching this video by Jordan Rogers. His footage captures many of the same events I was present at, plus more! If you pay close attention, you may catch me in the background at times! I didn’t meet him while I was there, but I absolutely love his channel’s ‘Myst Retrospective Series,’ and he knocked this video out of the park! I hope to meet Jordan at another Mysterium someday!

The ‘Riven’ remake was later released on June 25th, 2024 to great acclaim. Its inspiring soundtrack was also remastered with additional tracks.