Weekend Getaway: Walla Walla Spring Wine Release
At the end of April my husband and I had a weekend getaway in Walla Walla, WA. (Our first weekend away from the baby!) It was nothing short of amazing and full of great food and great wine. I’m already planning a girl’s weekend so I can go back!
Walla Walla is a rapidly growing wine region, with 140 wineries and tasting rooms. The city is on the smaller side, which means that the downtown area is pretty compact. We loved this because we walked basically everywhere all weekend!
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Walla Walla Suites Inn – Best Western, as it was an inexpensive option that was downtown. I would’ve liked to stay at the Marcus Whitman, but it was double the price!
Find a Happy Hour
When you get into town early enough on a Friday, it’s natural you’re going to head out to find a good happy hour. I didn’t do any research prior to this weekend trip (which is so unlike me), but we still managed to stumble upon some great places! Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow, you know? Public House 124 was pretty busy, but we were seated right away – the perks of being a party of two. I got the Moscow Mule – a favorite, and we ordered some truffle fries. Both were great!
Explore Downtown
We were pleasantly surprised with Walla Walla’s downtown – there were lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, and tasting rooms, but it wasn’t crowded at all. In fact, we often times had a block to ourselves!
Late Night Bite
I don’t think there’s any other late night bite better than pizza. We went to Sweet Basil Pizzeria and got some pizza slices and local brews. I was so excited to see they had an option with ricotta cheese, which reminds me so much of white pizza from Secret Pizza in Vegas!
Best Pancakes Ever
This was one of my favorite stops of the weekend – The Maple Counter Cafe. I’m a huge fan of breakfast, and this place did not disappoint. I suggest trying to get there on the earlier side, as there was a line formed already when we got there. The atmosphere and decor in here is amazing – I loved it. I got the special of the day, which was a delicious omelette showcasing local ingredients (bacon, cheese, and asparagus). But the showstopper was the pancakes. They were the BEST pancakes I’ve ever had! They were light in a way that made them not crazy filling like pancakes normally are. I’m definitely going back to Walla Walla so I can have these again.
When in Rome – Morning Wine Tasting
We had an event that took up most of our Saturday, so after breakfast we wanted to do some wine tasting. We walked around and found that many tasting rooms didn’t open until 11 am, but managed to find some that opened at 10 am. We went into Spring Valley Wines first, and had a great tasting of red wines. By the time we were done there, it was 11 and we had our pick of tasting rooms. We ended up going to Kontos Cellars on the same block. We loved it here and spent the next couple hours hanging out, drinking wine, and chatting up the guy pouring and the winemaker. The wine and the atmosphere were great!
Sandwiches to go
We spent so much time at Kontos, we were rushed to head back to our hotel to get ready for the release party we were attending that day. At the recommendation of a nice couple we met, we stopped at Olive Marketplace and Cafe to grab fresh made sandwiches to go. They were really good and necessary after all that wine – totally worth making us almost late to our party.
Knocking Point Tasting Room
We had bought tickets to the Knocking Point release party. Knocking Point is the winery that was co-created by Stephen Amell, aka the Arrow (a superhero he plays on TV). My husband loves the show, and signed us up for the wine club. The party was at the tasting room which buses shuttled us too, as it’s not downtown. The event was really fun – we played bags, unlimited wine was flowing, and we met some really cool people. (Although, I’m pretty sure I was the only one there who didn’t know who Stephen Amell was.) My favorite part was the sparkling wine – so refreshing.
Relax Sunday Morning
I’m adding this because this is what we would’ve liked to do on Sunday morning. But – our baby girl ended up getting sick and we had to rush home bright and early Sunday. (Thank goodness for a continental breakfast at our hotel, where we grabbed coffees and a bite for the road.)
Despite the abrupt departure, we had a great time in Walla Walla. I’m surprised how many people still don’t realize how much it has to offer. If the wine scene doesn’t draw you in, the food and quaint downtown shops should! I’m sure there is much more to do and explore in the area, but that will be for another weekend. Cheers!