Walla Walla, WA
 The world famous Walla Walla is located in the scenic southeastern corner of Washington. Walla Walla has the same feel as the south of France - yellow and gold wheat fields, wine vineyards, mountains in the distance, great sun - "the van Gogh landscape country of the Pacific Northwest." "Walla Walla" in the Cayuse language meant "water, water" or "place of many waters." Walla Walla is an oasis with multiple creeks, natural springs, and underground aquifers, yet gets only 17 inches of rain each year compared to the 45 to 48 inches of rain in Seattle and Portland.
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You may ask--why would I want to come to Walla Walla? what's there of interest other than NWDUG? Actually, it is a beautiful destination town.
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 First of all, Whitman College is a beautiful campus, with many many trees. We boast that we have 3.5 trees for every student on campus! We have a brand new Reid Campus Center, newly remodeled and expanded Penrose Memorial Library, among all other beautiful buildings and sculptures. You will enjoy just walking around the campus. We have a block of rooms reserved at the Prentiss Hall for your stay.
During the summer months, there is a free Thursday evening concert in the downtown plaza--classical, jazz, popular, blues, ethnic rhythms (The music and dancing begin at 5 pm and continue until 7 pm.) Then there is the Annual Outdoor Summer Musical during the month of July at the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater. (We'll post information as soon as we have it.) and the Farmers Market (Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings in downtown. |
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If you are a wine enthusiast, Walla Walla Valley is a four-star wine region in the State of Washington, thanks to cool evenings and 300 sunshine filled days.  Walla Walla had five wineries back in 1993, grew to over 30 wineries in 2001, and still growing. The Sunset Magazine reported Walla Walla Valley as having "red-hot wine fever." Wines produced in the region include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Syrah and Gewurztraminer. There are several wine tasting rooms and wine bars in downtown, and we plan to schedule a wine tasting tour for those that are interested. |
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Walla Walla is for outdoor lovers.
Because of the Valley's level terrain, roadways and trails offer excellent recreational biking. Paved bike trails run throughout Walla Walla. A trail and lanes map is available from the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce. And for those interested in high-flying wheels, there is a BMX Track and Skateboard Park at Fort Walla Walla Park. Again, if there is interest, we can arrange for an early morning bike tour of Walla Walla. For those seeking more adventure, close to Walla Walla, hiking trails wind through miles of unspoiled forests. If you want action-oriented activities, you can go fishing, hunting, hiking, horseback riding, boating, windsurfing, canoeing and camping. |
| If history is your interest you can trace the footsteps of Lewis & Clark as they chronicle their journey to the Pacific. Walk along tree lined streets and experience the commercial and residential architecture that portray Walla Walla's rich heritage. Lewis & Clark trail map is available at the Fort Walla Walla Museum. |
Do you realize that in July, Walla Walla sweet onion will be available? In fact, the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Blues Festival takes place during the month of July."The story of the Walla Walla Sweet Onions began over a century ago on the Island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy. It was there, a French soldier, Peter Pieri, found an Italian sweet onion seed and brought it to the Walla Walla Valley" For the full story, click here.
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Walla Walla is two-and-a-half hours from Spokane, four hours from Portland, and five hours from Seattle. It is also a short 45 minute flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Yes--Walla Walla does have an airport, a beautiful one at that.
Then, of course, there is the town of Walla Walla itself. Walla Walla, "a town so nice they named it twice," has a main street we even call Main Street. It won one of the five 
Within the city, Walla Walla has 14 public city parks. When you take drives or long walks out in the Walla Walla Valley, scenic overlooks along quaint country backroads offer breathtaking views of the valley. A recent visitor from Datatel remarked "this is so beautiful--I feel like singing 'God Bless America'!"