Friday, June 6, 2014

Walla Walla - Saturday Snapshots

When my husband retired earlier this year, his co-workers and employees gave him a trip to Walla Walla, Washington, as a goodbye gift. Why a trip to the southeastern corner of Washington state? They knew he was a wine lover, and the grape-growing area around Walla Walla is a great place for oenophiliacs. So several weeks ago we took our gift package (certificate for a two-night stay at the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel, plus a Visa gift card) and drove four hours southeast. Here are a few photos from our excursion. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

We took the scenic cut-off from Ellensburg to Yakima and had a
picnic alongside the Yakima River. Although the detour added a little time
to our drive, the views in the canyon were well worth it.

Here's downtown Walla Walla, a charming little town.
Former schoolhouse, now a  winery. According to the website:
"The original Frenchtown School was a log cabin built in 1870 along the shore
of the Walla Walla River. It was rebuilt in 1915 at our present location." 

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this mural
in the ladies restroom at L'Ecole

Basel Cellars is a resort as well as a winery.

The terrain in eastern Washington is strikingly different from the area
west of the Cascade Mountains. The hills are brown, except where
they've been irrigated. It's a different kind of beauty.

What else is Walla Walla famous for? Sweet onions!



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23 comments:

  1. BronaJune 6, 2014 at 11:39 PM

    I love visiting wine making regions too. Australia is full of them in all sorts of climates and regions - they always have such interesting histories and local art scenes - just like Walla Walla :-)

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 9:52 AM

      We seem to find wineries wherever we travel! Some areas produce better wines than others, of course, but it's always interesting to taste the different varieties. One of these days we'll travel to Australia, and I'm sure the wineries there will be on our itinerary.

      Delete
  2. Jackie McGuinnessJune 7, 2014 at 4:33 AM

    What a great place to visit. Love the winery name L'Ecole! And the mural.

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 9:52 AM

      We visited about half a dozen wineries, but this one was the most interesting. The wine was good too!

      Delete
  3. grammajudybJune 7, 2014 at 4:51 AM

    What a great retirement gift. Travel is one of the things I hoped to do when we retired. It has not happened yet as we are pretty tied down caring for my MIL. Someday though I hope to visit Washington again We were there once in 1994 on a motorcycle trip and just visited Spokane. Thanks for sharing your adventure.

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 9:54 AM

      I hope you're able to travel soon. We hope to take more trips around the Pacific Northwest in the coming months.

      Delete
  4. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzJune 7, 2014 at 5:29 AM

    What a great trip you had! Lovely.

    Here's my Saturday Snapshot!

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  5. Sean @ His And Her HobbiesJune 7, 2014 at 5:37 AM

    The photos look great. Its somewhere I will probably never visit but it looks nice. Wineries always look very peaceful and scenic no matter where they are.

    Sean at His and Her Hobbies

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 9:56 AM

      We've visited wineries in California (Napa Valley, Sonoma, etc.), Oregon, Washington State, and Germany (and probably some other places that I've forgotten). The majority are set in beautifully landscaped, scenic areas. So part of the fun is in enjoying the surroundings. Walla Walla is definitely off the beaten path!

      Delete
  6. Laurel-Rain SnowJune 7, 2014 at 8:21 AM

    I've definitely heard of Walla Walla, but have never seen photos. I love the schoolhouse-turned-winery...and the bathroom mural!

    Thanks for sharing...and here's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 9:57 AM

      It's not every day you see a mural in a bathroom, so I had to take a photo. My husband just shakes his head and sighs at the things I want to photograph.

      Delete
  7. HarveeJune 7, 2014 at 9:40 AM

    certainly worth a trip!

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  8. westmetromommyJune 7, 2014 at 10:29 AM

    I haven't been to Walla Walla in ages, but it is beautiful up there!

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 11:08 AM

      Actually, I expected Walla Walla to be a larger town. But I enjoyed its small-town feel. A lovely place.

      Delete
  9. Anne@HeadFullofBooksJune 7, 2014 at 11:06 AM

    Thanks for visiting my blog yesterday. I live in Washington State and it has been YEARS since I've been to Walla Walla. I know that they have really built up the wine industry around there so we really should make a visit soon. Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. Sandra NachlingerJune 7, 2014 at 11:07 AM

      This was my first trip to the eastern part of the state, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that my husband is retired, I hope we'll get to explore more of the Pacific Northwest.

      Delete
  10. Joy Weese Moll (@joyweesemoll)June 7, 2014 at 3:43 PM

    Gorgeous scenery! Walla Walla sounds like a great place to visit!

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  11. jacquieJune 8, 2014 at 1:42 AM

    Looks like beautiful country! The mural looked like great fun! LOL

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  12. Paulita June 8, 2014 at 3:29 AM

    Those wineries definitely had some interesting architecture. How was the wine? Here's Mine

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  13. Leslie (Under My Apple Tree)June 8, 2014 at 7:19 AM

    Beautiful up there! I knew Washington was wine country but didn't know about the sweet onions.

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  14. AnonymousJune 8, 2014 at 3:01 PM

    Walla Walla is such a fun name. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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