Travel in 2020 is really something else.

We are all going a little stir crazy and coming up with Covid-safe destinations can be a real challenge. And that’s how we ended up here.

Walla Walla. Say that ten times fast. This magical small town, just above the Oregon border is full of personality. Downtown is bursting with all American charm surrounded by rolling hills of wheat, lavender, and vineyards right out of an Anthropologie catalogue.

Roadside Americana

Google Maps claims the drive from Seattle is just over 4 hours, but not when I’m at the helm. It took us 5 1/2 because it would be remiss of me to skip over some of the unique discoveries along the way.

In Toppenish, “Where The West Still Lives,” 75 hand painted outdoor murals illustrate the region’s history. They cover daily life, frontier days, Native American history, and notable local figures like Pow Wow rodeo booster Lou Shattuck. The mural project began in 1989 in honor of the state’s centennial celebration and amazingly, has been maintained by private funding. The murals are exquisite as well as historically accurate. Walking through town reading the plaques accompanying each mural is an edu-taining way to spend an afternoon.

There’s more than meets the eye just down the road in Zillah at the Teapot Dome Service Station. Yes, it’s an adorable former gas station shaped like a teapot. It’s also a tongue-in-cheek homage to the Teapot Dome bribery scandal in the 1920s when oil land owned by the federal government was leased to private companies. It is kept in pristine condition and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Social Distancing At Its Finest

Walla Walla was proclaimed by USA Today as the “Friendliest Small Town in America” but during a global pandemic, you don’t exactly want people to be friendly. The Eritage Resort has just 20 spacious suites on 300 acres. Only an 8 minute drive from downtown, yet incredibly secluded — Plenty of space to ride bikes, play a good old fashioned game of croquet, kayak on private Lake Sienna, and soak in views of the vineyards and the Blue Mountains.

History & Murder

Maybe it’s because I majored in history, maybe it’s because I’m a former teacher but I planned a day reminiscent of a 4th grade field trip, beginning with the Whitman Historical Site.

In 1836, Marcus and Narcissi Whitman arrived in Walla Walla to establish the Whitman Mission. Their perilous, xenophobic plan was to convert the local Cayuse tribe to Christianity. Eleven years later things took a turn for the worse. Cultural differences caused tension to rise and it all came to a head with a measles outbreak. As the Cayuse people dropped like flies, the white folk, who had more resistance to the disease, did not suffer the same fate. As a result, the Cayuse suspected they were being poisoned. They retaliated by killing the Whitmans along with eleven others; forty-seven were taken hostage and eventually released. The Whitman Memorial was erected 50 years after the killings.

The mission was also a significant station on the Oregon Trail. You can still see original wagon tracks in the ground.

The Frenchtown Historic Site is just a few minutes from the Whitman Site. This was the site of the Battle of WallaWalla. It was a battle between the Walla Walla, Cayuse, Palouse, and Yakima tribes in 1855. Wooden grave markers burned down years ago so the exact location of individuals is unknown. It appears to be bare land, but with a history buff on your side you’ll now know it was a battlefield and still stands as a cemetery. A cabin circa 1837 that it is said to be the oldest one of its kind in the state still stands just down the way.

And that concludes my crash course on the Walla Walla valley.

Gas Station Gourmet

Insiders know to hit up Andrae’s Kitchen for the Tuesdays-only tacos al pastor. Don’t be put off by the fact that this restaurant is inside of a gas station. Chef Andrae Bopp is an alumni of the French Culinary Institute in New York City and has an impressive resume under his belt. Upon walking into the Cenex station, you have Funonions and Slim Jims to the right, but to the left are some of the best tacos north of the border. Before leaving town, we came back for their legendary breakfast burritos. #YOLO

The Journey Home

Union Gap is a small town. But don’t let the population of just over 6k let you believe there are no secrets or treasures here. In 2018 a modest local tamale shop was awarded the prestigious James Beard Award. I actually bought a brand new ice chest for the occasion and, after Danny and I shared a couple of fresh tamales, took home a 1/2 dozen frozen of each, pork, chicken, and jalapeño and pepper jack. If you were wondering, jalapeno pepper jack was my favorite, and the ones I will hide away from Danny in the back of the freezer. If you find yourself in the area or have the bumper sticker “My other car is a tamale,” Los Hernandez Tamales will be your new hangout.

When we’re on the road, I always seek out the good vinyl shops. Walking into Somewhere In Time That 70s Shop is like stepping out of a time machine and right into 1974. Marie Condo would hate this place -- Books, magazines, toys, art, clothing, advertisements, furniture are piled high of the bygone era; A time when disco ruled the airwaves, platforms were the footwear of choice, and when a certain redhead donned crushed velvet and a bass guitar every Friday night on ABC. I bought some Bowie and George Harrison vinyl, respectively, and a lamp that doubles as a globe.

Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing Bang

Wine is often what comes to mind when one thinks of Walla Walla. Wineries are a major part of tourism as Walla² is home to over 100 of them and 2800 acres of grapes. I’m allergic to wine and Danny is… have you seen Breaking Bonaduce? As glamorous as daily wine tastings sound, I don’t feel like we missed out. We clocked six hundred miles on the odometer, took in the rich history, legendary sunsets, roadside combo fruit stand/antique shops with the best peaches, and some of the most interesting gas stations out there.

Social Distancing in Walla Walla, Washington