Why I fell in love with Walla Walla

Fully refreshed after a cold glass of rosé on the patio at Deux Soldats Estate Vineyard & Winery, I got back on my e-bike to continue my ride with Kickstand Tours through the Southside wine district in Walla Walla, Washington. As I pedaled through lush vineyards set against the backdrop of the Blue Mountains, I soaked in the scenery and appreciated the unique access I was getting to it.

But wait a minute. I really don’t enjoy riding a bike. Like, at all. I would rather do almost anything else. Was I so enamored of Walla Walla that I was actually finding happiness on a bike?

The answer was a resounding yes. Walla Walla had so charmed me that I could even tolerate cycling just to soak it all in. Here’s why I fell in love with this spot in the southeast corner of Washington State that’s perfect for a family vacation of any kind.

A grape escape

Known as Washington State’s wine capital, the Walla Walla Valley is home to more than 130 wineries with almost 3,000 acres of planted vineyards. It would take you way more than one trip to experience them all, but that just gives you plenty of reasons for return visits.

Red wine varietals like cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, cabernet Franc, and malbec make up 95% of the plantings in the Walla Walla Valley, but white wine lovers can also find good sips here. And you don’t need to be a wine expert to feel comfortable. (I’m definitely not.) Tasting rooms and wineries welcome newbies and keep prices approachable to appeal to both casual wine drinkers and true oenophiles.

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Echolands Winery is a true stunner of a spot, with a gorgeous tasting room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking rolling green hills and the Blue Mountains in the distance. It pours wines like its Walla Walla Grenache and Echolands Cabernet Franc for a tasting fee of $20 per person (which is waived with a two-bottle purchase).

“We’re trying to do wines that are fresh, bright, expressive, lower on alcohol, lower on oak extract, and higher on fruit and higher on earthy tones,” says Brian Rudin, Echolands’ winemaker and general manager. “We really focus on a lot of high-elevation plantings and expressions of the wine that are on the brighter, fresher, happier side.”

You can sample wines at many of the vineyards themselves and at tasting rooms sprinkled throughout Walla Walla’s walkable downtown. The stylish Dossier Wine Collective, founded in 2021 by Tim Lenihan and former NFL player Sidney Rice, is a good option downtown, offering wines like its flagship Dossier Viognier and Syrah.

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And there are plenty of wineries in the area that are family friendly, too. Dunham Cellars, Tranche, Waterbrook Winery, Patterson Cellars, and Dusted Valley are just a few of the local spots where families are welcome.

Beyond the bottle

Wine might be what first draws people to Walla Walla, but there’s so much to do here, especially if you’re traveling with kids. Old Homestead Alpacas is a must-visit spot, where you can feed the fluffy critters from a cup or by hand (a truly delightful experience) and learn how owner Elaine Vandiver uses their fiber and natural plant-based dyes to create colorful hats, scarves, and other items.

Grapes aren’t the only crops grown in the valley, and Frog Hollow Farm has been cultivating heirloom plants and produce for more than 20 years. The farm is open to the public, with a well-stocked farm store, children’s play area, and resident animals that visitors love to greet. And its produce shows up on many local restaurant menus.

“For being such a small town, the names of the farms that are consistently on the menus is reflective of the culture that these people truly do support the small farms,” says co-owner Amy Dietrich. “It’s a great community.”

Visit the U-pick fields at Blue Mountain Lavender Farm during summer blooming season, where you can also find family-friendly activities like weekly story time. Or grab a picnic lunch and head to the Whitman College Outdoor Sculpture Walk, where you can take a self-guided tour of 21 sculptures on campus. If the kids still have energy to burn, Pioneer Park includes a playground, sports fields, and a free aviary among its garden- and tree-filled acres.

The Fort Walla Walla Museum delves into the area’s past via artifacts housed in five exhibit halls and a 17-building historic pioneer settlement. Don’t miss the museum’s iconic display of a 33-mule team harvesting wheat—those mules were made by the same company that manufactured carousel horses for Disneyland.

“In order to really get immersed in a place, I think you need to know the history,” says Groover Snell, operations manager of the Fort Walla Walla Museum. “Walla Walla is called the cradle of Northwest history. It used to be the largest city in Washington territory … and it was a major hub. Most of the interesting early Washington and early Pacific Northwest history happened in Walla Walla.”

Whitman Mission National Historic Site deals with some of the challenging elements of pioneer life in the area, including its impact on indigenous peoples. And the site is located right where wagons actually traveled along a portion of the Oregon Trail.

Walla Walla is about a four-hour drive from Seattle, Portland, and Boise and has a regional airport. The Finch is a great hotel option for a family or just-the-adults trip, offering stylish guest rooms and common areas along with a location that’s easily walkable to Walla Walla’s lively downtown, where there’s lots to see and do. The luxe Marcus Whitman hotel downtown is a good choice for a grown-up getaway.

“We’re just a great little town that’s got a lot to offer—and happens to pour some world-class wine,” says Guy Glaeser, executive director of Visit Walla Walla.

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