4-16-18

I believe we have just about exhausted the possibilities in the Walla Walla area.  Above is a statue dedicated to Italian farmers who settled here.  It is in the downtown area.

Yesterday we went exploring in the Airport District.  This used to be an Air Force Base but now the former barracks are mainly wine tasting rooms.   An interesting use of the space.

We were attracted by the golden dome of Walla Walla Community College's sports complex.  It was situated right by the Mill Creek Recreational Trail.  The waterway was built to support the dam and the anti-flooding efforts of the area.  It was very pretty.

Then we went downtown again to have lunch at the Maple Counter Cafe, which was especially good.  They served sauteed eggs, which were basted in clarified butter instead of fried and served with thick bacon.  A unique thing about this restaurant was that they took your cell number when you were put on the waiting list for a table and texted when the table was ready.  This gave us a chance to walk around and go into some nearby stores.

Last night we had some pretty significant thunderstorms and today is wet and windy, so we are staying in.  Tomorrow we will head for home.

4-14-18


Today was a lazy day in Walla Walla.  We slept a little later than usual, had breakfast a little later and didn't leave the TrailBayser until about 11:30.

We visited the Museum of Un-Natural History in downtown Walla Walla above the local drugstore.  It advertises itself as Opinionated, Satiric, Iconoclastic and in Questionable Taste.  The artist who created all of the exhibits is Gerald Matthews and he is quite a character.  The museum is only open on Saturdays from 10-2.  The collage above was my favorite.  It is entitled That's All, Folks.

The art is of the Dada style of the early 1900s.  It was very political and I was surprised not to see more from today's political scene as he had quite a lot to say about the years of W.  If you want to learn more go to www.wallawalladada.com.

There is so much to see and take in that is not possible to do it.

This has a small Statue of Liberty inside.

This one is called Surrounded by Red States.

Blinged out hand grenades.

One of my favorite Thai dishes is Pumpkin Curry but it is not always easy to find.  Tonight I tried Butternut Squash Curry with chicken and it was every bit as good.  The Bangkok 103 Restaurant was in the nearby town of College Place which is home to Walla Walla University, a Seventh-Day Adventist school.  It is a tiny town but has one of the most beautiful and modern combination high school and middle schools I have ever seen.  You never know what surprises are right around the corner.

4-13-18

Walla Walla, WA is a big, little town.  We passed these two chickens loose on the road on our way to downtown, but the town has everything it needs.  It is big enough to have several Starbucks (Yay!!), a Safeway and other grocery stores, Macy's but still maintains a cozy, small feeling.

We read about Melody Mufflers and had to go see it for ourselves.  It is a working muffler shop but the proprietor welds figures from old parts and displays them at his shop and around town.  Many have been sold locally and around the country.

There was also a sign we appreciated at Melody Mufflers.

Another sign we liked was in front of a local church.  It said, "Come as you are, you can change inside.".

We ate lunch at a restaurant recommended by Joli and Phil called Bacon and Eggs.  It was in the old school downtown area.  Parking was a problem so the downtown must be doing well.  Here is a sculpture we saw down there.  We also saw this table and chair set displayed.

In the late afternoon we drove to Milton-Freewater, OR.  These were once two towns that combined in a very controversial vote.  We visited a creamery where we tried many good cheeses and bought a few, then we went to a local chocolate shop.  They specialized in dark chocolate so Gary was happy.

It is hard to see but the window in tonight's restaurant had a leaded pattern that looked like a spider web.

On a more serious note, Walla Walla has a small community of yurts where homeless people sleep. There are probably thirty yurts behind a sturdy fence.  It is locked during the day but there is a list of places posted on the fence where people can get food, medical attention and other services.  I haven't seen anything like it in Portland but it looked like a good idea.

For those of you who didn't see it on Facebook, I shared a quote that really spoke to me.  See what you think.

4-12-18

On Tuesday we left soggy Lake Oswego for Walla Walla, WA.  We were chasing better weather because our originally planned trip to Redding, CA looked even rainier than home.  The drive took about five and a half hours but was on good roads and smooth sailing.

We arrived at Blue Valley RV Park, a lovely little park in a not-so-lovely neighborhood, but with pretty good security.  It was and is mostly deserted at this time of year but situated right next to a reasonable golf course, which Gary has played once already. 

We settled in and rested, then went to Mrs. Crab's Boiling Pot Seafood Restaurant, which had good reviews.  Gary had a whole pound of peel and eat shrimp served in a tin bucket and it was very good considering that Walla Walla is landlocked and mainly known for onions and wheat.

In season, this area is visited for the many wineries and tasting rooms.  They are everywhere.  Unfortunately, I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and sulfites give Gary migraines,   so no tasting for us.

Walla Walla is big enough to have its own Macy's and a downtown several blocks long.  Not so for the little town we explored today, Waitsburg.

This is a sculpture in front of Waitsburg's Public Library.  These were the only people we saw while walking the tiny downtown looking for lunch.  The signs on the street say "Waitsburg awaits you." but we did not find out where they were waiting.  After taking a few pictures we left for a larger town.

Next we tried Dayton, WA.  We found lunch at Moose Creek Cafe and Bakery across from the County Courthouse and not much else.  Oh, well.  It was an adventure.

We were so hungry that anything we had for lunch would have tasted good.  We also bought a big can of Cougar Gold cheddar cheese, something we had never heard of.  Washington State University makes its own award-winning cheese and sells it to support student employees.  We'll try it when we get home.  You can Google its history.

The ride to Dayton and back to Walla Walla was beautiful.  The closest hills were bright green with new grasses and the Blue Mountains still had lots of snow.

Tonight we had dinner at WhoopemUp, a Cajun restaurant in Walla Walla.  We had southern Mac n Cheese and brought home enough for another meal.  More about Walla Walla tomorrow.