Sunny skies, expansive landscapes, big rivers, and huge ice-capped mountains make up a trip to Washington State. My favorite time to go is in June or September on either side of the busy summer season. On this last trip my wife and I flew to Seattle and spent the night near the airport. Then we blasted out of town at dawn in a rental car bound for Walla Walla. Wine was on our minds, as was fresh-picked cherries. My wife hadn’t been to Walla Walla and I wanted a second look after a travel writer’s meeting there two years ago.
We had a wine tour scheduled for 10:30 that morning and drove through mountains, farms, and fields to get there on time. Washington State is becoming famous for quality wines and we couldn’t wait to taste some new ones. Our wine-tour driver took us through Pioneer Park on the way to the Walla Walla Airport area.
Kurt at Pioneer Park Walla Walla
Let There Be Wine
Near the airport was an incubator program helping winemakers afford a facility to call their own for up to 5 years. We toured and tasted Palencia Wines reds and whites, thinking all were good, especially the Albarino.
Palencia wines
After a wine tour of four wineries, we were taken to the downtown area to sample one more winery and walk around a bit. I love some of the public art on the streets in Walla Walla like this dog sculpture.
Dog sculpture in downtown Walla Walla.
Food highlights were Andrae’s in the gas station, Walla Walla Bread company, and down south in Milton-Freewater, Oregon a chocolate shop Petite Noir.
Andrae’s in Walla Walla gas station corn salad and chicken shawarma.
I Love Good Bakery!
Cheddar biscuit Walla Walla Bread Co.
Petite Noir Oregon chocolate sardines.
I enjoyed chatting with Walla Walla Bread Co. head baker and owner Michael Kline. He told me the Bread Co. was opened in July 2009 and he wanted to have a bakery with great food and drink. From what I saw and tasted he has accomplished that mission.
Michael Kline owner of Walla Walla Bread Co.
From Walla Walla, we headed back for 3 days in Seattle. With a short stop in Prosser to check out the farmer’s market we found first-or-the-season Washington State cherries! Next up was a stop in Roslyn Washington famous for its portrayal of Cicely Alaska on the sitcom Northern Exposure. This cute little mining town holds onto its past well and attracts a crowd in the summer.
Roslyn Cafe. WA
On To Seattle
We drove on down Snoqualmie Pass into Seattle on a bright-blue day with plenty of sunshine. Checking into the Hotel Monaco was a delight, especially ditching the car, where we were treated to a superb jr. suite at a reasonable cost.
We tried their new restaurant Outlier and had one of the best meals ever in all my years dining in Seattle! The sous chef Michael Broughton outdid himself and personally delivered a couple of our menu items. The sauteed mushroom plate was phenomenal as was the dessert.
Outlier at Hotel Monaco sautéed wild mushrooms.
To get the most out of our stay in the Puget Sound we hopped the Bainbridge Island Ferry for a quickie over to Winslow. With the sun shining brightly riders of this popular ferry flocked to the outdoor decks to enjoy fresh air and sharp views of Mt Rainier.
Seattle ferry and Mt Rainier view.
Take Time To Smell the Flowers
We also explored the Bellvue Botanical Gardens, an excellent free activity, best enjoyed on a sunny day. Lots of families were seen with babies, toddlers, and older kids sniffing flowers, hiking the trails, and lounging about on the lawn.
Bellvue Botanic Gardens.
Back in Seattle, we had dinner at Dahlia with specialties like gnocchi with wild morels, seafood, and the triple cream coconut pie. After dinner, we headed for the Pike Place Market to watch the sunset.
Sunset watch on the deck of the Pike Place Market.
On a walk down the market stairs we were sad to see the once magnificent orca carved from a huge piece of driftwood had rotted and broken.
Orca in ruins at the market stairs.
Ah, but all good things come to an end and so did our trip. With some luck we’ll be back in Washington State next year to visit old and new sites and report back our findings. See you then.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Kurt Jacobson
Leave a Reply