September 11 – 15 Jerry & Odette toured wineries in Walla Walla:
On the first day we drove from Seattle to Benton City, had lunch at Tagaris, biked to Smasne, and finished with tastings at Tagaris and Bernard Griffin. We ate at the Public House that evening and stayed at Walla Faces Inn at the Vineyard. (here’s a link to a map of the Walla Walla wineries.)
On the second day we biked from Walla Walla to Waitsburg and back. It was hot, there was one short steep section, and a lot of wheat stubble. Odette saw a camel. Afterwards we drove to Reininger and then walked to Sweet Valley, Mansion Creek, Plumb, Otis Kenyon and Walla Faces. We ate at Saffron.
On the third day we biked from Walla Walla to KoosKooskie and then took the cottonwood loop back to town. Mill Creek was cool and green. We drove to aMaurice, Slight of Hand, Pepper Bridge, Amavi and Dusted Valley. We ate at Waterhouse-Crawford.
On the fourth day we biked to Harris Park outside of Milton-Freewater and stoped at Balboa, Beresan, and Saviah on the way back. We met David Hancock at the farmer’s market and bought kim chee, then drove to Glencorie, Waterbrook, Woodward Canyon, Bunchgrass, Gramercy, Foundry, Corvus and Syzygy. We ate at South Fork grill.
On the last day we drove back to Yakima and biked from sportsman park to Konnowac pass and then to the Zillah wineries where we tasted at Wineglass and Tanjuli. This ride was hotter and longer and more work than Odette had in mind (here’s a map of the Zillah wineries.) We drove home (with unexplained heavy traffic over Snoqualmie) and ate at 72nd street ale house.
It had been 50 years since I had been to Walla Walla and it certainly has aged well.