Walla Walla Wine Country Weekend: A Natural Wine and Food Adventure with stopovers

Background of Walla Walla:

The name so nice, you say it twice! Walla Walla is a unique city that has undergone many evolutions. Rapid growth began in the late 1850s as an outpost for local mining and gold operations, making it a key stop on the Mullan Road. At one point, it was the largest settlement in the Washington Territory and was home to the first newspaper and the first bank—Baker & Boyer, which is still in operation today! After losing a key railroad stop, the town shifted toward agriculture, attracting Italian settlers who planted the area’s first grapes.

Nearly 100 years later, Walla Walla recognized the potential of these early plantings and began transitioning its agricultural efforts from predominantly grain production to a wine-producing region capable of challenging Napa Valley. This unique environment offers 17 hours of sunlight, plentiful snowmelt for water, and a diurnal temperature shift ideal for grape production. Now, 40 years into this wine evolution, tourists have caught on, and the city is beginning to explore a new identity in hop production as well.

Walla Walla is ever-changing, which makes it a one-of-a-kind destination ripe for repeat visits—and we cannot wait to return and see what else it has to offer!

Stay: Finch Walla Walla. Seriously, look no further. The FINCH started as the Howard Johnson Hotel in 1969 and was one of Walla Walla’s first hotels. After it was acquired in 2017, it was rebranded and renovated with contemporary amenities like a courtyard, covered patio, and communal workspaces. As midcentury modern lovers, we absolutely loved the new but retro vibes, and thought all of the personal touches were impeccable. Also as a true testament to their top notch hospitality, I had mentioned we were celebrating a birthday ahead of our arrival to the FINCH, and upon our arrival, we found local candies and treats as well as a balloon bouquet/banner waiting for us in our room. A very kind, and unexpected surprise for my partner for his birthday - and the treats were steadily enjoyed the entire trip, especially after wine tastings!

As a bonus, the FINCH also has an AK’s Mercado food truck right out front for easy post-adventure or post-wine tasting meals. We had fries, gyros, and other tasty treats and all of them were just what we needed.

Rooms at FINCH hotel

The FINCH hotel main lobby

Hip exterior at FINCH hotel

Maple Counter outdoor patio

Takeout from Maple Counter

Picnic in the park with takeaway breakfast

Yet another breakfast at Maple Counter

Drink: It’s all about natural wines in Walla Walla for us. Our favorites are Devium Wine (hi Keith and Shelley!), Foundry Vineyards (more specifically, Pet Project), Grosgrain, and be sure to pop by the world class bottle shop The Thief.

Devium requires a reservation for a tasting which we highly recommend. For the curious it is not only an exploration of their amazing wines, but a lesson in the art of winemaking. The tasting felt like a world class seminar on wine production and sustainable practices. They not only care about thoughtful and intentional production of their wine, but they work with only the best producers and terroir in the area.

As many wine lovers have likely observed, wine is currently moving away from conventional reds that have dominated the scene for so many years. White grape varieties are gaining massive popularity as the consumer realizes wine can offer so much more than a bold headache the morning. Balanced, aesthetically beautiful and refreshing, the next age of wine belongs to these grapes often forgot about or misunderstood. Similar with sustainable methods of production, they are bringing life back to this industry that has been snuffed out by a bad mixture of chemicals and ego curated by “consistency”. As Shelley said, “Let the fruit speak”.

As an aside, we recently read the book Amber Revolution: How the World Learned to Love Orange Wine and highly recommend for gaining a better understanding of the forces which have shaped the new revolution of minimal intervention, biodynamic, skin contact wines.

Pet Project wine tasting

Magnum Rose at Pet Project tasting

Pet Project tasting

Outdoor patio at Grosgrain

The tasting room at the lovely Devium WInes

Inside at Grosgrain

Explore: The absolute highlight of our trip was Palouse Falls, about an easy hour drive outside of Walla Walla. We had seen this place on a few blogs ahead of our trip, and knew it was a spectacular waterfall, but what we hadn’t anticipated is how incredible the entire area is. It feels like you are stepping momentarily into Iceland once you cross the bridge headed towards the state park.

The stunning Palouse Falls

Epic views at Palouse Falls

Sitting at Palouse

We also had a great afternoon checking out the south trails in Harris Park in Umatilla county, about 40 minutes south into Oregon from Walla Walla. You get to cruise through Milton-Freewater on the way, and if you’re into good chocolate, we highly recommend a stop into Petit Noirs as well for a post-hike treat. The salted caramel truffle and potato chip toffee were to die for.

Spring flowers at Harris Park

Spring blooms at Harris Park

We would also be remiss if we didn’t talk about some of the places we hit to/fro Seattle on the drive out to Walla Walla. Yakima, Ellensberg and the Richmond area have some really awesome little stops - cafes, hiking, and waterfront dining. A personal favorite hike was the Twin Sisters Rock/Wallula hike where we followed dozens of trails through sandy deserty sage and wildflower-filled scenes, all whilst looking out at the Columbia River. We stopped for oysters at Budd’s Broiler in Richland before carrying on our way west. Highly recommend.

Twin Sisters Rock trail

Budd’s Broiler for oysters in Richland, WA

Twin Sisters

Highway to Twin Sisters, looking at Columbia River

Dog-friendly Twin Sisters hike

We also found the Cle Elum/Roslyn/Ronald area to be a phenomenal halfway stopover point between Eastern WA and our home back in the city, complete with fantastic bakeries AND our new favorite AirBnB to ever exist (no, really), Timber Stilts in Ronald, WA. We have a lot more exploring of hikes to do in the area when the weather is more appropriate, so will continue to update this section… but for now:

CLE ELUM/ROSLYN/RONALD:

Stay: Timber Stilts is without a doubt the most well-located, stunning property you could stay at in the area and has virtually everything you could possibly need. I tried to think up something else that they were missing and I couldn’t come up with anything. The house is stocked with a full kitchen, all cooking accessories, a full grill, a hot tub, heck… even a smores kit to make use of the original fireplace in the great room. This AirBnB is also within shooting distance of all 3 towns, so is a great midpoint with accessibility to everything, whilst still allowing you to feel cozied up in a cabin just off the beaten path.

Eat: We honestly enjoyed the full kitchen at Timber Stilts so much that we did a lot of eating in/cooking “at home” and enjoying the space itself. But there’s also a few great spots in the surrounding towns which are worthy of visiting… not to mention Roslyn itself just a 5 minute drive down the road has a lovely little downtown with some cute shops for perusing when you can pull yourself away from your gorgeous abode that is Timber Stilts.

Fish market in Cle Elum

Pub in Cle Elum

Other great options include: Stella’s, Roslyn Cafe, Basecamp Books & Bites, Cle Elum Bakery, Little Pangea Kitchen, Pioneer Coffee Roasting Co, Wild Flora Bakery, Liberty Cafe, 509 Bake House, Owen’s Meats and be sure to stop by the Gemini Fish Market which has an incredible selection of very fresh fish and takeaways for a picnic.

Drink: Mule & Elk Brewing, Coal Chute Cafe and Pub, Dru Bru, Taneum Creek Brewing, Upsidedown Wine

Downtown Roslyn

A great place to grab a beer in Roslyn

Oldest pub in WA in Roslyn

Explore: Walk around downtown Roslyn. Hike down by Salmon la Sac trailhead and out onto Cle Elum Lake. Red Top Lookout. Navaho Pass Trailhead.

Shops in Roslyn

Dog playing in Cle Elum Lake

Israel in 5 Days: The Prettiest Place I Ever Dead Sea

In the interest of keeping this trip summary / guide short and sweet, I've decided to simply write out our itinerary and tips for easy access.  At first, I thought maybe a 5 day trip around Israel would be a bit too quick - but after having done it, I believe you can get a very good taste (literally, the food is amazing) of the place in this period of time. Without further ado, here are my recommendations:

DAY ONE: JUDEAN HILLS, JERUSALEM, ARAD

Land at Ben Gurion airport as early as possible. Rent a car. Head out of Tel Aviv.

JERUSALEM:

Stuff to See:

  • Old City of Jerusalem
  • Machane Yehuda market
  • Western Wall
  • Tower of David & The Night Spectacular
  • City of David
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Places to Eat/Drink:

Honorable Mentions:

If you have extra time, stop in Negev Brewery in Kiryat Gat or go exploring the Beit Guvrin caves (make sure to call in advance to find out when they close, as you usually need to be in them before 2 or 3pm).

JUDEAN HILLS:

Stuff to See:

ARAD:

Places to Stay:

camel bedouin negev
bedouin israel hanokdim

Places to Eat/Drink:

Eat dinner at Pizza Kaparuchka. While there, sample a local Negev Brewery beer or two. Go for a night cap at Muza sports pub

 

DAY TWO: ARAD, MASADA

ARAD (CONT'D):

Stuff to See:

Buy pastries at Bethlehem Bakery. Stop at the grocery store in town for some snacks. Head out for a day full of adventure.

Masada hike (best at sunrise).  Shvil Haratz is an alternative hike to the snake path up Masada. The path is 3 kilometers long, taking you around the northern side of the mountain and up the Roman Path, known in Hebrew as Shvil HaSolela.

Ein Gedi (Situated 800m up the hill from the Rte 90 turn-off to Ein Gedi Nature Reserve). 

Wadi Ze'elim hike.  The starting point, Birkat Tzfira campground is accessible by all cars from Arad-Masada road (3199). It takes around 3 hrs walk , but the idea is to spend some time stopping for tea or coffee, getting into the water or just enjoying the wild desert.  You definitely want to consider hiking it clockwise, and adding a jump to Birkat Tzfira (Tzfira Pool) at the end.

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Places to Stay:

Kfar Hanokdim is my strong recommendation.  This is one of the most unique experiences that you can have in the Middle East, essentially becoming a part of a Bedouin tribe for as long as you decide to stay.  You have the opportunity to learn about Bedouin culture from actual bedouin people ("I miss the days of moving, we can not move like we used to anymore because of Israeli law") and meet other travelers who are looking to share a similar experience.

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DAY THREE: ARAD, BEERSHEBA, SDE BOKER, MITZPE RAMON

 

Have breakfast at Kfar Hanokdim (if you stayed there, which you should). Take a morning camel ride across the Negev Desert (part of their all inclusive package). Get on the road by 10:30am. Stop at Yatir Winery for a quick tasting on the way to Beersheba.

BEERSHEBA:

Places to Eat/Drink:

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MITZPE RAMON:

The region is known for its organic farms and traditionally edible products like honey, wine, cheese, yogurt and olive oil. Follow the Wine Route and stop at wineries/farms along the way. You can also visit the kibbutz of Sde Boker and Ben Gurion’s hut. Here you’ll hear the fascinating story of Israel’s Prime Minister and his vision for the Negev. End the day in Mitzpe Ramon for dinner.

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Stuff to See:

Places to Eat/Drink:

Places to Stay:

 

DAY FOUR: MITZPE RAMON, ZUQIM

 

Wake up and visit any of the places you missed the day before, as if you did it right, Day 3 was an absolutely packed day!  But don't idle for too long because you are going to want to get to Zuqim earlier in the day rather than later to fully appreciate the beauty of Zuqim (which is considered the Arava desert and sits just on the border of Jordan).

MITZPE RAMON

Stuff to See:

  • Ein Akev hike: You'll want to fuel up with a hearty breakfast for this one, go early in the day, and be sure you have lots of water with you.   The hike is a 12km loop and took us about 4 hours (don't trust the online guides which say 6-7 hours; if you're in shape, you'll be done in 4 or 5 hours max).
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ZUQIM:

Places to Eat/Drink:

  • Ursula (German food, is very popular despite the strangeness of German cuisine in Eastern Israel)
  • Route 90 (next door to Ursula; good place for grabbing the world's best popsicles called Paletas, sandwiches, and other snacks).

Places to Stay:

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DAY FIVE: ZUQIM, TEL AVIV / JAFFA

 

Our goal was to get back to Tel Aviv as quickly as possible (it's about 3 hours from Zuqim, with slight traffic), so we skipped all of the things we had hoped to do on our way back.  But maybe you'll have an extra day than us and want to know where to stop to make the trip back more enjoyable, so here are some honorable mentions of places that can be on the way (-ish) back into the big city:

 

TEL AVIV / JAFFA

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Stuff to See:

Sarona Market is a great place to stop on the way to the airport, as it's a bit out of downtown Tel Aviv hotel district. Think of this as the place where you can get any fresh Israeli fruits, nuts, delicacies, yummy gifts that you could ever desire.  And one final Paletas ice pop to fulfill a craving (my favorite was Pistachio).

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Places to Eat/Drink:

Places to Stay:

*BONUS TIP: Do not miss breakfast at the Mendeli Street Hotel, as it was by far the best meal of the entire trip. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Much of this trip was inspired by books and Netflix documentaries on Israeli culture / cuisine, so I wanted to list a few here so you could also learn/appreciate the knowledge ahead of a future trip.

This itinerary was also put together with the help of plenty of blogs that already exist; I merely compiled what I thought to be the best of the best of them. Because I'm a big fan of giving credit where due, here are some of those blogs for reference: