Understand
Celebrating its 150th year in 2009, and located in southeastern Washington, with the charming rejuvenation of its downtown and booming wine industry, Walla Walla has become a pleasant stop for tourists and new residents alike as they flee the larger cities of the coast and California â be it for a weekend get-away or something more long-term.
Known originally for its funny name and famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions, the long-established farming community with an "Old West" history has seen a major shift in agriculture in the last decade as traditional crops have been replaced by the vineyards of the rapidly growing wine industry. Walla Walla is at the heart of wine country, boasting over one hundred wineries â including some of the area and nation's best cellars â with tasting rooms conveniently located downtown, around the airport, and throughout the scenic countryside.
But don't expect the stodginess of elitist wine areas elsewhere; the area is still an affordable and welcoming community with small town roots, and there's plenty to do besides taste the vino. Walla Walla also offers a taste of Oregon Trail history in Fort Walla Walla and the Whitman Mission, gorgeous views in the country, a charismatic Main Street, and the liveliness of a college town: hosting both the prestigious private liberal arts school Whitman College and private SDA Walla Walla University in neighboring College Place. And should the wine bars and tasting rooms get to be too much, you can always escape into a classically red-neck bar, many of which are clustered near the Washington State Penitentiary in the northeastern part of town. This town is also the seat of Walla Walla County.
The valley itself offers a diverse variety of striking landscapes: bordered by the Columbia River basin and its desert beauty as you enter from the west, rolling wheat fields and vineyards through the surrounding countryside, and the scenic Blue Mountains to the southeast. Expect the best of the four seasons with cold and snow in winter, temperamentally sunny springs, blustery winds and fog in the fall, and golden sun warmed days of a hot, dry desert summer.
