Walla Walla Travel Information
At the foot of the Blue Mountains and nestled between rolling green hills, Walla Walla is best known nationally for onions. But modern Walla Walla is about more than agriculture. A five hour drive from Seattle and four hours from Portland, Walla Walla has begun to build a reputation as the 'Napa Valley' of Washington. With close to sixty boutique wineries, the city is fast becoming a destination on wine selection alone. The newly refurbished downtown area is rich in history and character. Whitman College, a few blocks out of downtown proper, blends seamlessly with the aged walnut-trees and turn-of the century homes that gracefully line the streets of old Walla Walla. Missionaries, led by the Whitman family, first settled the area early nineteenth century. Cayuse killed the Whitmans in 1847; now only the outlines of the mission buildings can be seen at the Whitman Mission, just west of Walla Walla. Stop in at the Fort Walla Walla Museum Complex for more pioneer history, or tour the historic Kirkman house. Walla Walla is punctuated liberally with pleasant parks, bustling with students during the spring. Rooks Park is a popular spot on weekends. A paved hiker/biker path is a regular thoroughfare when the weather is good. Gravel roads branch out from the main trail and there is a small lake stocked with fish if you thought to bring along your pole. For some solitude, rent a bike in town and follow one of the country roads out into the hills or go mountain biking in the Blue Mountains once the winter snows have melted. In winter, locals head to Ski Bluewood in the Umatilla National Forest for some time on the slopes. If you're done with downhill, take off cross-country on some of the forestry roads, or strap on a pair of snowshoes and make your own trail.
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