Walla Walla: Well Worth the Drive

Vineyards south of Walla Walla

In Walla Walla, visitors can discover how a sun-bleached, arid corner of Eastern Washington developed into a world-class wine growing region, and learn the unlikely connection between measles and the establishment of the state of Oregon.

Whitman Historic Park

The town, one of the oldest in Washington, had long been on the trade route of a number of Indian tribes who gave it the name, Walla Walla, meaning “many waters.”  In 1836, Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa arrived to establish a missionary and convert the Cayuse to Christianity. While they were not entirely successful in creating farmers out of traditionally nomadic tribesmen, the mission thrived and became an important rest stop on the Oregon Trail. One of the wagon trains brought with it an epidemic of measles.  Dr. Whitman worked tirelessly to treat his patients and was successful with the white settlers, but the natives, who had no prior exposure or immunity to the disease, were decimated.  Nearly one-half the tribe died during the epidemic and the Cayuse could only assume the disease was a ploy to rid the area of the tribe and take over their land. With that in mind, a group attacked the mission killing Whitman, his wife, and twelve others. When word of the massacre reached Washington, DC, Congress acted quickly to create the Oregon Territory, the first in the West.

Seven Hills Tasting Room

Walla Walla went on to become a thriving, regional agriculture center best known for wheat, sweet onions, frozen peas, and the state penitentiary. It can boast of the West’s oldest college (Whitman College), first commercial bank in the Northwest, and oldest, continuous symphony west of the Mississippi River. With its attractive downtown, historical buildings, tree-shaded streets, and college campus, Walla Walla seemed more like a small town transplanted from New England. But, in the 1970s, things changed for this sleepy college town as it transformed itself into an important food and wine destination.

Gary Figgins was an avid home winemaker with local roots going back to 1905 when his Italian grandparents settled in the area. In 1974, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling grapes and created Leonetti Cellar. His wines were so successful that it soon became apparent to others that Walla Walla just might be the next Napa Valley. Today, there are nearly 100 wineries in the region and over 1800 acres of land planted in vineyards.

At first glance, the landscape of the Walla Walla Valley looks like an unlikely place for grapes to thrive; even a cactus would look more at home here. However, a number of combining factors make it a prime grape-growing region. The soil, deposited by the Ice Age Floods of 10,000 years ago, consists of loam, silt, loess and small rocks, providing excellent drainage for the vines.  Long sunny days and cool nights create perfect growing conditions, and the arid climate requires irrigation for controllable water management of the vines.

L'Ecole 41 Tasting Room

With so many wineries and tasting rooms to choose from, a visit can seem a bit overwhelming. The first step is to check out the comprehensive Winery Guide produced by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. It can be viewed online, picked up in local hotels and shops, or ordered at 509-526-3117.  Offering detailed maps and winery descriptions and hours, it makes planning a wine tasting route much easier. Most of the wineries are concentrated in several areas: west of town along U.S. 12, in the downtown area, near the airport, and south of town towards the Oregon border.

The burgeoning wine industry and increase in tourists have created a demand for fine restaurants with exciting menus and extensive wine lists. Several imaginative, young chefs from the Seattle area have migrated to Walla Walla and opened restaurants to fill that need. What other small town in Eastern Washington has wood-grilled octopus and wild boar lasagna on the menu?

Whitman Monument

Beyond wine and food, the town offers some pleasant shopping, art galleries, and walking tours of the downtown, college campus, and historic neighborhoods. A few miles west of town is the Whitman Mission Historic Site with a short film and museum telling the sad tale of the Whitmans. While the original buildings are long gone, a marked trail meanders through the mission site. On a small knoll, stands a monument to the Whitmans with an expansive view of the Walla Walla Valley.  One wonders what Marcus and Narcissa would have thought about the grilled octopus and $40 bottles of Syrah now available in their little mission town.

Zumwalt Prairie: High, Wide, and Lonesome

Zumwalt Prairie

Vast grasslands once covered much of northeastern Oregon, eastern Washington, western Idaho and on up into Canada until homesteaders plowed these under to create the great wealth of wheat, potatoes, lentils that make this region famous. However, there was a section in Oregon that was a bit too high in elevation (between 3300’ and 5000’) and a bit too remote for farming to be successful.

Young, red-tailed hawk.

The Zumwalt Prairie, located north and east of the town of Enterprise in Wallowa County, is the largest (about 200 square miles) tract of remaining bunchgrass prairie in North America. Its rolling hills run from bright green in the spring and early summer to shades of yellow and brown as the season progresses. With little sign of human habitation other than a few cattle ranches and plenty of abandoned farmsteads, the place is alive with wildlife including 3,000 elk, black bears, wolves, cougars, bighorn sheep and over 48 varieties of butterflies. The prairie is home to one of North America’s highest concentrations of breeding raptors (golden eagles, prairie falcons, northern harriers, kestrels and numerous varieties of hawks) as well as grassland songbirds.

In 2000 and 2006, The Nature Conservancy purchased 33,000 acres, or about 51 square miles, and has been working in partnership with various state agencies and local ranchers to manage invasive species, develop sustainable grazing practices, and protect animal and plant habitats.

Abandoned farm on Zumwalt Prairie

To visit the prairie, fill up your gas tank and follow Hwy. 82 east of Enterprise about three miles. Turn onto Crow Creek Rd. to Zumwalt Rd. and follow the signs to Buckhorn Overlook. The road soon becomes gravel, but is well graded and fine for most passenger cars. Be sure to stop and look back at the sweeping view of the snow-capped Wallow Mountains. There are a few trailheads off Zumwalt and Duckett Roads, and a trail map produced by The Nature Conservancy is available at the Forest Service center in the town of Joseph.

View from Buckhorn Overlook

Other than the beauty, quiet, and wildlife, the main attraction in the prairie is the Buckhorn Overlook. Located at 5200’, this abandoned fire lookout sits on the edge of the Imnaha River Canyon and offers a view that is nothing short of spectacular. The steep walls of the Cow, Horse, and Lightning Creeks lead into the Imnaha River Canyon and beyond that is Hell’s Canyon (deeper than the Grand Canyon), and beyond that the peaks of the Seven Devils in Idaho. And, the best part of savoring the view is that you will probably have it all to yourself.

Portland Markets

With the number of days until Christmas dwindling, shoppers seeking local and handmade items should take advantage of two remarkable Portland institutions: the Portland Farmers’ Market and Portland Saturday Market.

Saturday, December 17, marks the end of the season for the Farmers’ Market at the PSU Campus, and the last opportunity for snapping up locally made and grown products. Non-perishable gift ideas include jams and jellies, hazelnuts, smoked salmon, locally processed sausages and pates, vinegars, chocolates and bags of chestnuts for roasting on an open fire. There are always plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables (a great mushroom selection), plants, and flowers. The market is open from 9:00am to 2:00pm

A tram ride across town ends at the Saturday Market at Ankeny Plaza and Waterfront Park. Since 1974, this outdoor market has offered shoppers an opportunity to buy directly from local artists and craftspeople. You’ll find a wide variety of unusual, one-of-a-kind gifts from jewelry, handmade fashions, bent spoon art, duct tape wallets to a catnip filled body pillow for your favorite feline. There’s always music and entertainment, and a food court with ethnic cuisines from all over the world. While usually open on Saturday and Sundays only, The Festival of the Last Minute runs daily until Christmas Eve at 5:00pm.

Washington County Wineries

Western Washington Co. Vineyards

With the last vestiges of fall color still holding on in what has been a long and spectacular autumn in the Pacific Northwest, it's a perfect time to visit some of the wineries in Washington County. West of Portland and part of  the famed Willamette Valley Appellation, it is the closest winegrowing region to the city and has a long viticulture history, fabulous views, scenic rural roads, and offers a more intimate, laid-back, tasting room experience. If you have only visited large, high-profile California wineries, you are in for a big surprise.

Highway 26, also known as the Sunset Highway, is the main road heading west from Portland to the Coast, and a good route to begin a wine tour of Washington County.  Exit 61 offers an interesting choice. To the south, Shute Road leads into the 21^st century, high-tech complex known as the Silicon Forest. To the north, Helvetia Road leads into a country side of rolling pastures and wooden barns; looking not unlike it did in the late 19^th century when Swiss immigrants settled here. They named their crossroad community Helvetia, the old Roman term for Switzerland, and turned the fertile land into farms and dairies, some still operated by families of the original homesteaders.

Helvetia Tavern

A short distance north of Highway 26, Helvetia Road dips under a railroad trestle and on the other side is the bright red and green trimmed Helvetia Tavern. Formerly a country store, it is now a popular burger and beer joint and the jumbo, plate-sized hamburgers often appear on lists of Best Burgers in the Portland area. The interior has a homey, rustic feel with wooden floors and a décor featuring baseball caps and beer signs.

Beyond the tavern, the road makes a sharp turn to the west. On the right is Bishop Road with a sign pointing to Helvetia Winery and Christmas Tree Farm. The graveled, washboard road heads uphill passing the Pacific Crest Alpaca Farm where several hundred, purebred alpacas graze, gambol, and generally enjoy their sweeping view of the Coastal Range.

Helvetia Winery

Nearby is the Helvetia Winery, probably the only one in the world that doubles as a Christmas tree farm. Jacob Yungen operated a farm and winery here in the late 1800s when the area was known as Grape Hill. A century later, John Platt and ex-Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse purchased the farm and began growing wine grapes on the southern slopes, eventually opening their winery in 1996. The tasting room is located in the old Yungen farmhouse where, on weekends, visitors can enjoy samples of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. A comfy back porch for lingering over wine, a lovely cottage garden with picnic tables, and a dozen or so dogs add to the rural charm. And, of course, Christmas trees are available for sale along with the wines.

If you purchase a tree, you must make Shafer Vineyards your next stop. Back on Highway 26, exit at Highway 6 and turn south on Gales Creek Road. Harvey and Miki Shafer began growing grapes at their pretty Gales Creek Valley farm in 1973. Like many growers who begin by selling grapes to local wineries, they took the familiar path to making their own wines and by 1981, celebrated their first crush. The 34 acres on south-facing slopes include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurtraminer; and you are likely to find a wide array of these varietals being poured at the tasting room bar. To decorate that Christmas tree, be sure to check out Miki’s Christmas shop offering a large assortment of high-end holiday ornaments and collectables. A shaded picnic area and gazebo offer a fine view of the valley and vineyards.

Vineyard views from Tualatin Estate Winery

Return north to the small town of Gales Creek and turn east on Capshaw Hill Road to Tualatin Estate Winery. At the end of a series of gravel roads, Tualatin Estate is not easy to reach, but it’s well worth the effort if only to enjoy the pastoral view of vineyards while sipping a glass of chilled, sparkling Muscat. A former tree nursery, the site was chosen by Californian Bill Fuller in 1973. Fuller had an enology degree from University of California-Davis and had worked for Louis Martini Winery in the Napa Valley for a number of years. He came to Oregon seeking good vineyard land and selected this south-sloping spot and began planting white wine grapes. In 1997, the winery was purchased by Willamette Valley Vineyards and now all the winemaking operations have moved to their facility in Turner, Oregon, near Salem. Wines include Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer, and the spectacular sparkling Muscat. There’s a lovely shaded picnic area with a great view of vineyards and distant hills.

David Hill Winery

From here, continue east on Capshaw Hill Road to Thatcher Kansas City Road and south to David Hill Road and David Hill Winery. The cheerful, lemon yellow, white-trimmed 19^th century farmhouse is the perfect setting for a tasting room in one of Oregon’s oldest wineries. In 1883, German immigrant, Ernest Reuter, homesteaded here and planted grapes on the surrounding hillsides. At one point, there were eight wineries in the area and it was known locally as Wine Hill. Most of the vineyards were pulled out during Prohibition and it wasn’t until 1965 when another pioneer, Charles Coury, was attracted to the farm’s grape growing potential. He established some of the first Pinot Noir vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley. Later, the winery experienced a number of changes of ownership, becoming Reuter’s Hill Winery, then Laurel Ridge. In 1992, Milan and Jean Stoyanov bought the property and undertook an extensive renovation of the farmhouse and winery. They chose the name David Hill to honor an early Oregon pioneer. The surrounding vineyards are planted in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurtraminer. When leaving the winery, head uphill a short distance above the tasting room for a classic view of vineyards, forests, and farmland. Return via David Hill Road to Highway 47 and head south. In the little town of Dilley, follow the blue directional signs to Montinore. At the end of the oak-lined lane is a southern-style mansion where it would not be at all strange to see Miss Scarlet in her hoop skirt standing on the columned porch sipping a chilled glass of Riesling. Built in 1905 by John Forbis, a former attorney for Anaconda Copper in Montana, the ranch was named Montinore, a contraction of Montana in Oregon.

Montinore

 With over 585 acres producing 40,000 cases, Montinore is one of the largest Oregon wineries. Owner Rudy Marchesi combines traditional wine making with biodynamic vineyard management to produce highly regarded Pinot Noirs, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Muller Thurgau. The tasting room’s large picture windows offer an expansive view of the vineyards and the friendly staff will pour your choice of five wines for $5.

While not techically in Washington County, but too close by to miss its special fall foliage view, is Elk Cove Winery. From Montinore, continue south on Hwy. 47 to the small town of Gaston and turn west onto Olson Rd. for about three miles. The tasting room at Elk Cove offers stunning vistas, some equally stunning wines, and a mounted Roosevelt Elk head over the bar.

Vineyards at Elk Cove

There are more than two dozen wineries scattered about Washington County and almost all have tasting rooms. For a good map of the region showing the little, country roads, links to wineries, a video and suggested driving tour check out this informative web site sponsored by the Washington County Visitors Association. It also features nearby restaurants, accommodations, and other area attractions.

Haunted House on the Columbia

When caretakers of the Caples House in Columbia City began noticing a ghostly female figure standing by the wood stove in the kitchen, an upstairs light bulb turning on and off, and indentations on the feather bed indicting two people sitting on the edge of the bed, they decided the time had come to contact professional ghost hunters. The team found a strange energy anomaly in parts of the house and subsequent photographs showed a shadowy vapor in the room and the face of an elderly woman visible in the mirror. A later investigation using digital recorders picked up numerous ghost voices in the house including that of an older woman.

Apparently it’s a friendly ghost, and no one should be deterred from visiting the Caples House in this month of Halloween and ghostly happenings. The property, located on the Columbia River about 30 miles northwest of Portland, is operated as a museum by the Daughters of the American Revolution. On a docent-led tour, visitors can learn the story of Dr. Charles Caples, whose family occupied the house for almost 100 years. As a young lad, Caples came to Oregon in 1844 by way of the Oregon Trail and settled with his family on a claim of 320 acres along the Columbia River. The lure of California gold drew him south in 1848, but he returned to Oregon and used his earnings to attend Tualatin Academy, now Pacific University in Forest Grove. After graduation, he filed for a land claim near his father’s and, in 1855, married Lucinda McBride of Yamhill County. Continuing his education in the field of medicine, Caples became the first doctor in the area. In 1870, he constructed the two-story, frame house that sits on the property today.

His middle daughter, Dell Caples Houghton, lived in the house until 1959, forgoing electricity and cooking on the wood-burning stove in the kitchen. An active member of the local Daughters of the American Revolution, she presented the property to them upon her death. Fortunately, the house was altered very little over the years and, after some restoration, was opened to the public as a museum in 1970.

The Caples House Museum consists of five buildings and occupies an entire city block overlooking the Columbia River and Mt. St. Helens. The house itself includes a small kitchen and pantry, doctor’s office, parlor on the first floor and three bedrooms on the second floor. It is decorated with period pieces some original to the Caples’ family such as the square-cut Curtiss piano that traveled to Oregon via Cape Horn. Also on display are collections of local Native American artifacts and early, scary medical and dental equipment used by the doctor.

Behind the house, a Tool Shed features a variety of old tools and farm equipment, and the Carriage House has been converted to a doll and toy museum. Of special interest is a collection of First Lady dolls wearing their inaugural gowns. A Country Store sells hand-crafted items, Oregon history memorabilia, and assorted collectibles and antiques; and a new Social Center serves as a venue for receptions, meetings, and weddings. In the back of the property is a 130 year-old apple and pear orchard that recently received official recognition from the Oregon Heritage Tree Program. The house and its outbuildings are open weekends and holidays between March and October from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. The price of admission is $3.00.

Join the Inn Crowd

Wolf Creek Inn

There is no sign claiming “George Washington slept here!” at the Wolf Creek Inn in Southern Oregon. Unfortunately our first president was born a bit too early for an overnight stay, but another president, Rutherford B. Hayes, did spend the night here as well as many other famous folks.

The Wolf Creek Inn, located about 20 miles north of Grants Pass near Exit 76 on Interstate 5, has been receiving guests longer than any other hotel in the Pacific Northwest. It was built in 1883 for local merchant Henry Smith, and, for its time, was exceptionally well-crafted and constructed. For many years, the inn and tavern served as a welcome rest stop for travelers on the long, arduous stagecoach trip from San Francisco to Portland. It earned a reputation for clean rooms and hearty meals.

During the early days of the movie industry, the inn served as a popular hangout for celebrities seeking a quiet retreat from Hollywood; and the likes of Mary Pickford, Orson Wells, Fredric March, and Carole Lombard have all signed the guest register. Clark Gable was a friend of the owner in the 1930s and often stayed at the inn while on fishing trips to the nearby Rogue River. Author Jack London wrote a short story and finished his novel, “Valley of the Moon” while a guest at the inn. It is rumored that he may still be residing here as his ghost has been spotted wandering around the second floor near his old room.  

In 1975, the property was acquired by the State of Oregon as part of its mission to “protect outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic and recreational sites for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.” Historians from the state’s Historical Preservation office, carpenters, and local craftsmen spent four years completing major structural work and restoring the inn to its 1920s look and feel. Today, nine rooms offer guests an opportunity to enjoy a glimpse of the past with period furniture and décor. In keeping with the spirit of the times, there are no mini-bars, televisions or telephones in the room, but guests may spend the evening in the parlor reading books and playing checkers. However, as a concession to the 21^st century, free WiFi is available in the rooms for those who cannot be parted from their computers and iphones.

Prices are relatively reasonable from $85 for a single to $125 for the Clark Gable Suite which includes a hot breakfast. The on premise restaurant serves three meals daily featuring local ingredients and home-baked breads and desserts.  It is especially famous for its fried chicken and prime rib dinners. At Thanksgiving, the restaurant will be offering a full, holiday meal with all the trimmings.

Even if you are not an overnight guest, you are welcome to dine here or tour the inn. It is a part of the Oregon State Park system and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Be sure to wander around the grounds as well to view the heritage roses and 125 year-old fruit trees.

Autumn vineyards, Umpqua Valley

While the summer months tempt visitors with a variety of nearby outdoor recreation options such as fishing, rafting or jet boating on the Rogue River, the autumn and winter months offer a selection of things to do as well. The inn serves as a good home base for day trips to many Southern Oregon attractions including the historic, gold rush town of Jacksonville, Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon Vortex, Wildlife Safari, and the Applegate Trail Interpretive Center. Wine tasting, always a popular year-round activity, can be enjoyed at any number of wineries scattered through the Umpqua, Rogue, Applegate, or Illinois Valleys. And, in February, the season kicks-off at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland.

Additionally, the inn has special events scheduled throughout the year including live music and winemaker dinners. Reservations are highly recommended.

Footloose in the Palouse

Palouse wheatfield from Steptoe Butte

“Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain….”  While Katherine Bates penned those famous lines in Colorado, she could very well have been standing on the top of Steptoe Butte in southeastern Washington. As far as the eye can see, it’s a rolling landscape of undulating knolls covered with wheat, barley, and lentils. It looks unlike any farmland in this country, yet it is some of the most fertile land in the world.

How did it get this way?  During the Ice Age, colossal dust storms deposited layers of glacial silt in an area from present day Spokane to Walla Walla, along the Washington-Idaho border. The soil is called loess, from the German word for loose, and consists of microscopic, colloidal particles that are held together by tiny electrical charges. It is wonderfully fertile and has a unique ability to retain moisture. By holding the winter and spring water through the dry summer months, there is no need for irrigation and the region has never experienced a crop failure. The Palouse is the world leader in the production of soft, white winter wheat, and Whitman County has been the top wheat producing county in the U.S. since 1978.

To appreciate the beauty of this farm country, a visitor needs to find some elevation for a bird’s eye view. The highest point in the area is Steptoe Butte near Colfax where the road spirals around several times to reach the summit at 3,600-feet. From this vantage point, especially in the early morning and late afternoon when shadows are more pronounced, the unusual lumpiness of the landscape can be appreciated. Another good viewpoint is Kamiak Butte County Park near the town of Palouse. There’s an expansive panorama from the shady picnic area and an even better vista from the summit, reached by a forested hiking trail.

There are two “best” times to visit the Palouse area. One is in late May when the newly planted crops create a palate of vivid greens and bright yellows. By mid-August, the palate shifts to the soft, golden hues of maturing wheat.  This is harvest time and the hills are alive with gigantic combines and other farm equipment costing more than the average house. It’s fascinating to watch these behemoths climb up and around the hillsides without tipping over.  August is also the time of the National Lentil Festival in Pullman, Wash.

Pullman is the largest town in the area and home of Washington State University. The campus is worth visiting for its museums of anthropology and art, but more importantly, the WSU Creamery. Here, milk from local cows is transformed into scrumptious ice cream as well as Cougar Gold cheese, both available at Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe in the Food Quality Building.

Dahmen Barn, Uniontown

While the Palouse doesn’t have much to offer in terms of major tourist attractions, it is a wonderful place for driving around and enjoying rural, small town America. The Palouse Scenic Byway covers more than 200 miles through the rolling farmland and connects a series of prosperous, small farm communities. Uniontown, in the southern part of the tour, is home to the much-photographed Dahmen Barn. This rustic dairy barn has been converted to an art center and more than a dozen local artists maintain studios in what had been cow stalls and haylofts. There is a gallery and shop where locally-crafted pottery, paintings, jewelry, and fiber arts are available for sale. What makes the barn so popular with photographers is the surrounding fence comprised of 1000 wheels off everything imaginable from baby buggies to threshing machines.

The town is also home to St. Boniface Catholic Church, Washington’s oldest consecrated church. Built in 1904, the church features a striking interior with five altars and stained glass windows; its large size is impressive for a town of 350 people. Another over-sized structure worth checking out is the three-story, wooden J.C. Barron Flour Mill in the town of Oakesdale. It’s empty and looks rather forlorn now, standing as a relic of a thriving milling industry long since gone.

The town of Dayton sits on the southern edge of the Palouse and serves as the county seat for Columbia County. It includes a grand old courthouse, many historical homes, and the Dayton Depot, the oldest existing railroad depot in the state. Beautifully restored, it houses a museum of old railroad memorabilia.