In a world of uncertainty, I thought that one thing I could count on was that apples grow on trees.
Not so in this southeast corner of Washington State.
As we head toward Walla Walla on this warm, late-September day, we see thousands of rows of trellises supporting millions of ready-for-picking apples. We learn that this growing method directs energy into the fruit rather than a trunk, and it also makes for easier harvesting. No tall ladders and no fighting thick branches. Genius!
When we stop to get a closer look, a friendly farmworker drives by and invites me to pick a couple of apples. I can’t resist.
Besides apples, Walla Walla Valley is known for wheat and wine; the former provides an endless, golden, rolling vista; the latter — well, it’s wine. The birth of the wine industry occurred in 1970, and now Walla Walla Valley American Viticultural Area extends across 3,000 acres and the Oregon border and includes 135 wineries. The AVA is divided into six districts, each offering unique characteristics, growing conditions and experiences. Traveling among its wineries is relaxing, easy and crowd-free. Our visit brought us to three, which offer multiple white blends and reds:
- L’Ecole No. 41 — Westside District. Located in a beautifully restored French schoolhouse, circa 1915 when French Canadians resided here. The building serves as both tasting room and history museum.
- Saviah Cellars — Southside District. Names of its wines reflect the owners’ Montana roots. Enjoy tasting with a view to vineyards and the Blue Mountains.
- Rotie Cellars — Rocks District, Oregon. A unique industrial-style tasting room and vineyard where vines amazingly thrive among basalt cobblestones, carried to the area by erosion of the Blue Mountains.
You can travel from Walla Walla’s present to its past with a visit to the Fort Walla Walla Museum, which features an extraordinary collection of artifacts, exhibits and historic buildings on 15 acres. Visitors learn about the Lewis and Clark expedition, Native American settlements, fur trading, a gold rush, missionaries, the military fort, Buffalo Soldiers and more. The complex is a remarkable endeavor for a city of 33,000.
“Fort Walla Walla Museum is a regional history museum and (this) region has been known as the Cradle of Pacific Northwest history,” says Executive Director James Payne, who began as a volunteer 28 years ago. “For a community of this size to have a collection this large…it shows this community has placed a high value on its heritage.”
Not to miss: The astounding exhibit that replicates a full-size 33-mule team and the combine used to harvest thousands of acres of wheat on the steep slopes of Walla Walla Valley farmland.
“I don’t know of anywhere else in the world where you can see this exhibit,” Payne says.
Today, area small farms supply Walla Walla’s restaurants, creating a vibrant scene that focuses on fresh, local products, scratch cooking and creative fusions of flavors. A sampling:
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The Wesley Walla Walla, an 1878 Victorian mansion that owners David and Robert Wesley spent nearly four years renovating, showcases some of the couple’s collected artworks. Photo by E’Louise Ondash Hattaway’s on Alder — Southeastern U.S. cuisine is served up by owners/Southerners Richard and Lindsay Hattaway. Outstanding: The clams in coconut tomato broth and the duck and sausage dirty rice.
- Mama Monacelli’s Kitchen — Owner and expert baker Nancy Monacelli has created a totally gluten-free restaurant (breakfast and lunch). Outstanding: Delectable, gluten-free pastries and muffins.
- TMACS — Third-generation Walla Walla native Tom Maccarone traded corporate work for restaurant ownership. Outstanding: Lamb chop lollipops, seafood risotto and butternut squash agnolotti.
- Maple Counter Café — Just watching the platefuls of food pass by our table is almost entertainment enough, but our generous, everything-from-scratch breakfast is a feast. Plenty of gluten-free options. Prepare for leftovers.
Not far from these eateries is the Wesley Walla Walla, an 1878 Victorian mansion that has been beautifully renovated with great attention to detail by owners David and Robert Wesley. Generous space is allotted to patio seating and a garden. Suites and common areas showcase the couple’s art collection, and manager Pascal went above and beyond to make our stay perfect.
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