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| View from our Alaska Airlines plane before the storm struck. The undulating hills of Walla Walla County. |
It took us two tries to get to Walla Walla, Washington. Samuel and I boarded a turbo prop plane in Seattle, endured a bumpy ride to the southeast corner of Washington state, only to be told by the flight crew that we'd have to turn around due to an unexpected wind storm, just minutes before we landed. But before the storm hit, we got an incredible bird's eye view of the tapestry of farm fields that make up Walla Walla County, with the Blue Mountains in the distance. (A second flight two hours later got us all the way there.)
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| A sparkly Walla Walla sweet onion scultpure guards the single luggage carousel at the Walla Walla Regional Airport. |
For years Walla Walla was known for its eponmyous sweet onion ("so sweet you can eat it like an apple"), and for Whitman College. Samuel and I were there to visit Whitman College, a small liberal arts college established in 1859. Whitman College sits on the edge of Walla Walla and "Whitties" (as the students are called), wander easily to the chic eateries and coffee shops in downtown Walla Walla.
The city is an oasis among the wheat fields and vineyards, with a robust downtown of magnificant old buildings (most erected from 1880 to 1930) that have been upscaled for the discerning oenephile. Because over the last several decades, grapes have been re-discoverd in Walla Walla County, and there are now over 100 wineries in the area and numerous tasting rooms. (I tried a local Pinot Grigio at the Walla Walla Bread Company and I really liked it.)
