Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
area at Snoqualmie Pass make it a good base for summer hiking or winter ski-
ing. Although the town isn't really a destination per se, its proximity to Seattle
and its sunny climate make it a quick escape from the Puget Sound rains.
Most of the buildings in the town's downtown historic district, one of the
most attractive in the state, date from 1889, the year in which most of the town's
commercial buildings were destroyed in a fire on the Fourth of July. Had it not
been for this fire, the town would likely have become the state capital (due to its
central location). But with only one commercial building remaining, how could
the government set up business in Ellensburg? Instead of becoming the capital,
the town became the site of the state college that is now Central Washington
University.
While the Ellensburg Rodeo is responsible for perpetuating this town's Wild
West image, the Clymer Museum, devoted to the works of John Clymer, who
illustrated more than 80
Saturday Evening Post
magazine covers, does its share as
well. Adding one last unusual ingredient to the eclectic milieu of Ellensburg is
the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, where chimps have
been taught to use American Sign Language.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
Ellensburg is on I-90. Just east of town, I-82 leads south-
east to Yakima and the Tri-Cities area (Wash. 821 provides a scenic route south
to Yakima). U.S. 97 leads north over Blewett Pass to Leavenworth and Wenatchee.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Contact the
Ellensburg Chamber of Com-
merce,
609 N. Main St., Ellensburg, WA 98926 (
&
888/925-2204
or 509/925-
3137; www.visitellen.com or www.Ellensburg-chamber.com).
FESTIVALS
The third weekend of May each year sees the annual Western Art
Association's
Ellensburg National Art Show & Auction
(
&
509/962-2934
),
which features works by some of the nation's finest Western artists. On the last
weekend in July, the city stages its annual
Jazz in the Valley
festival (
&
888/
925-2204
or 509/925-2002), a 3-day binge of jazz and blues. The annual
Ellensburg Rodeo,
held each year on Labor Day weekend, is the town's biggest
event and is one of the top 10 rodeos in the United States. For more informa-
tion, contact the Ellensburg Rodeo and Kittitas County Fair, 609 N. Main St.
(
&
800/637-2444
or 509/962-7831; http://ellensburgrodeo.com).
EXPLORING THE TOWN
Ellensburg's most unusual attraction can be experienced at the university's
Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute,
Nicholson Boulevard
and D Street (
&
509/963-2244;
www.cwu.edu/~cwuchci), a research facility
that stages what it calls
“Chimposiums.”
At these programs, visitors learn about
the primate communication project and get to observe several chimpanzees that
have learned to use American Sign Language (ASL). Among these chimps is the
famous Washoe, which was the first chimpanzee to learn ASL. The programs,
held on Saturday and Sunday, cost $10 for adults and $7.50 for students; reser-
vations are recommended.
The Western art of Ellensburg native John Clymer is displayed at the
Clymer
Museum of Art,
416 N. Pearl St. (
&
509/962-6416;
www.clymermuseum.com).
A member of the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America, Clymer is best known
for producing more than 80
Saturday Evening Post
covers. The museum is open
Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm (until 8pm on the first Fri of each
month) and Sunday from noon to 5pm; admission by donation. In this same
