We hope you’ve packed your appetite. This month, we’re finishing our Hit the Road series with a foodie foray into Walla Walla.
Whether you’re interested in taking a tour of the town’s many excellent wineries, sampling dishes made from the valley’s famed sweet onions, or trying five-star restaurants, this driving-distance destination is every foodie’s dream.
Before you start packing your bags, here’s everything you need to know about the area + our insider recommendations.
Drive time: ~4.2 hours from downtown
Est. population: 34,526
Avg. high in August: 87°
Dunham Cellars hosts a major weekend festival every August. | Photo courtesy of Dunham Cellars
🎟️ Things to do
Curated Walla Walla | There are a lot of wine tours in this bottled-up town, but this one gives you the flexibility to customize your experience — choose from a private chef’s dinner, cheese tasting add-on + scenic bike rides.
Dunham Days | The family-run winery housed in an remodeled WWII airplane hangar hosts a big party every year from Fri., Aug 19-Sun., Aug 21. On the docket are art exhibitions, custom car displays, and a hearty Sunday brunch with bottomless riesling mimosas.
Hattaway’s take on a honey glazed pork collar has eye-catching plating. | Photo by Hattaway’s on Alder
🍲 Memorable eats
Hattaway’s on Alder | Looking for a taste of the Southeast in the NW? Here you’ll find the likes of pork collar, roasted oysters in a New Orleans-style butter + a sweet duck fat corn cake. Drool.
Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen | Refined-but-approachable Turkish, Cypriot + Spanish dishes await you at this restaurant founded by former James Beard Award semifinalist Chris Ainsworth. For true local flavor, don’t skip the gazpacho made with Walla Walla sweet onions.
🏨 Accommodations with award-winning cuisine
Cameo Heights Mansion | 1072 Oasis Rd., Touchet | If you’re a little bit country, but also like a bit of luxury, this boutique hotel located on the outskirts of town should hit the spot. It houses five-star restaurant The Vine, which is tailor-made for special occasions + romantic meals.
Eritage Resort | 1319 Bergevin Springs Rd., Walla Walla | Sunset Magazine once rated this sprawling getaway a top 20 travel destination — and for good reason. The views are gorgeous, the amenities (like the heated, saltwater pool) are top notch, and the Eritage Restaurant has culinary champion roots.
Hungry for more? Head to the link below for more mouthwatering recs. Plus, catch up on the last two months’ Hit the Road features: Olympic National Park + Bainbridge Island.
Duran Duran Appreciation Day | Wed., Aug. 10 | 7 a.m.-6 p.m. | Tilikum Place, 2701 Fifth Ave. | Free |Join other local fans of the iconic 80s band for an all-day celebration with music, sign-making + Simon Le Bon-ding.
Thursday
Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band | Thurs., Aug. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley | $36.50+ | The Grammy-award winning group will take the stage to perform an array of fiery jazz + passionate soul music. 🎷
Friday
Seattle Bike Disco | Fri., Aug. 12 | 7 p.m.- 1 a.m. | Red Square at UW | Free | Don your biggest bell-bottoms, decorate those spokes with plenty of glitter + groove through Seattle on a fun, slow ride with fellow cyclists. 🚲
“Thief” | Fri., Aug. 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Northwest Film Forum | $7+ | The 1981 classic thriller is being screened in honor of one of its stars — the late James Cann. 🎥
Saturday
Hai! Japantown | Sat., Aug. 13 | 1-5 p.m. | Various locations in Japantown | Free | The all-ages block party features live music, shopping, food + drink specials, and special tours from the nearby Wing Luke Museum.
Oiselle Warehouse Sale in Magnuson Park | Sat., Aug. 13 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | Magnuson Park Hanger 30, 6310 NE 74th St. | Price of purchase | Head to Magnuson Park to shop premium running apparel at deep discounts. 🏃*
Sunday
Capitol Hill Garage Sale | Sun., Aug. 14 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Cal Anderson Park | Free | Seattle’s longest running community garage sale has more than 75 vendors. 🔖
Othello Park International Festival | Sun., Aug. 14 | 12-6 p.m. | Othello Playground | Free | Enjoy an afternoon of live music, local food + art booths.
Amy Schumer | Sun., Aug. 14 | 6 p.m. | Moore Theatre | Prices vary*
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
LMNT is a healthy addition to every lifestyle. | Photo provided by LMNT
To perform at your mental + physical best every day, proper hydration is key. Unfortunately, most electrolyte drinks are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients (read: stuff you don’t want in your body).
Enter: LMNT, a drink that replacesessential electrolytes without sugar, coloring, gluten, artificial ingredients or other junk. LMNT tastes great, too — you can even use it as a cocktail mixer. (Hello, weekend hydration.)
Bonus: Seattleites get a free gift with their purchase.*
This could make a splash. Today, Des Moines debuts its new passenger-only ferry service to Seattle, which will take 40 minutes to get to and from Bell Harbor Marina. There will be four round trip servicesWednesdays through Sundays for the two-month pilot program — and the first week is free. ⛴️ (West Seattle Blog)
Closed
One Seattle fast food classic is turning off its fryers. The original Kidd Valley restaurant in the U District — which opened in 1976 — announced that it will close permanently on Sun., Aug. 14 due to financial concerns. Kidd Valley still has four other locations in the area, plus outposts at every major Seattle stadium. 🍔 (KIRO7)
Civic
This week, the City of Seattle announced $22 million in new investments for affordable housing. The funding will support the production of 267 rent- and income-restricted homes in Northgate + South Park — the latter of which will include a community health clinic as part of the project. 🏢
You have until the end of today to take part in King County’s participatory budgeting process. Million-dollar projects, services, and programs in unincorporated areas like White Center + Skyway are currently under review — and the public can vote on how the money is used. (South Seattle Emerald)
Eat
Something fishy’s up in Greenwood. Celebrated chef Eric Donnelly recently opened his new seafood + Mediterranean restaurantBar Sur Mer. The spot — right next to Eric’s popular Flint Creek Cattle Co. — is serving up dishes like wood-fired Spanish mackerel + charred octopus. 🐙
Travel
Wanna drive quality feedback? The Washington Department of Transportation is looking for input about the state’s highway safety rest areas. By filling out its survey, you can help guide the department on upgrades to its program, including everything from cleanliness to parking availability to pet amenities. 🛣️
Pets
Move over, J-Rod — this hot new rookie is pawing his way into our hearts. Meet Tucker, the Mariners’ first-ever franchise dog that the team adopted from a Cashmere, WA shelter. Tucker is a four-year-old Labrador retriever — and likes to run around the diamond during home game warmups. 🐶 (KING5)
Older Adults
Aegis Living Lake Union — billed as the “world’s greenest assisted living community” — recently opened on Eastlake Avenue It’s the first such facility to pursue certification from the Living Building Challenge + is expected to use 25% less energy than standard constructions of its size. (Puget Sound Business Journal)
Development
A major, eight-story housing development on Capitol Hill is entering early design guidance on Wed., Aug. 24. Public comments will be accepted over the next two weeks on the proposed apartment building at 112 10th Ave. E.. (The Urbanist)
Learn
Buongiorno, Seattle.Learning a new language can feel complicato (that’s Italian for “complicated”) but with Babbel, it doesn’t have to be. Their bite-size, 10-minute lessons are designed to fit your lifestyle, and right now, you can get 60% off your subscription.*
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There’s something soothing about working on a puzzle, whether you’re onbreak at work or stuck inside on vacation. We wanted to bring you some of that chill in our newsletter, so here’s a Seattle-themed picture for you to put back together. Can anyone guess the subject from the photo below?
Puzzle created with Jigsaw Explorer | Photo by SEAtoday staff
You can make this as difficult or easy as you like (from six to 1,054 pieces) and there’s even a multiplayer mode. Plus, It keeps track of your time, so send us a screenshot of your quickest finish and we might just have to shout out your puzzle prowess.
Prefer a more leisurely pace? Don’t worry — it saves your progress so you can come back later.
Editor’s pick: It’s kinda amazing that a sleepy, Eastern Washingtontown that was once only known for growing the state’s official vegetable has become such a terrific culinary destination. But with a combo of easygoing vibes, award-winning wineries + incredible food options, hope we’ve convinced you that Walla Walla can hang with the best of ’em — sorry, Napa.
For those who want the latest + greatest in that area, be sure to keep an eye on former Il Nido owner Mike Easton, who’s opening up an Italian joint in nearby Waitsburg soon.
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