Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Indians, Marcus Whitman was also a doctor and often treated the local Cayuse
people. During the mid-1840s a wagon train brought a measles epidemic to the
area, and the Cayuse, who had no resistance to the disease, began dying. Though
Whitman was able to save his own family, most of the Cayuse who contracted
the disease died from it. Legend has it that the Cayuse had a tradition of killing
medicine men who could not cure an illness, and on November 29, 1847, sev-
eral Cayuse attacked and killed the Whitmans and 11 other residents of the mis-
sion. The massacre at the Whitman mission prompted a war on the Cayuse and
a demand for territorial status for what was at that time the Oregon country. In
1848, in response to pleas brought about by the Whitman massacre, Oregon
(which at that time included present-day Washington state) became the first ter-
ritory west of the Rocky Mountains.
Today nothing remains of the mission, but a trail leads through the mission
site and the locations of buildings are outlined with concrete. An interpretive
center provides historical background on the mission and includes numerous
artifacts from the days when the Whitmans worked with the Cayuse. The site is
open daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day) until dusk;
the museum is open from 8am to 6pm in summer and from 8am to 4:30pm in
other months. Admission is $3 per person or $5 per family.
In town, you'll find the
Fort Walla Walla Museum Complex,
755 Myra Rd.
(
&
509/525-7703;
www.fortwallawallamuseum.org). The museum is a collec-
tion of pioneer-era buildings, including log cabins, a one-room schoolhouse, an
old railway station, and several other buildings. It's open April through October,
daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and stu-
dents, and $2 for children ages 6 to 12, free for children under 6. In addition to
the displays on pioneer life, there's a large collection of horse-era farming equip-
ment, including an old combine pulled by 33 life-size fiberglass mules.
WINE TOURING
Although Washington's main winery region lies to the west of the Tri-Cities area,
the Walla Walla area has seen a proliferation of wineries recently and has become
the state's hottest new wine region. The climate and soils are perfect for growing
wine grapes, and the emphasis is now on syrah grapes. In fact, because Walla
Walla is such an attractive town, this is a far more appealing wine-touring region
than the Yakima Valley. In addition to the area wineries listed below, which are
open to the public on a regular basis, there are some that are generally only open
by appointment or on a couple of weekends a year.
IN WALLA WALLA
Amavi Cellars
This is one of the newer wineries in Walla Walla and is a
sister winery to the celebrated Pepper Bridge Winery. Although Amavi doesn't
produce very many varietals, what they do make tends to be complex and deli-
cious. You'll find the tasting room, which incorporates an 1890s log cabin, next
door to Canoe Ridge Vineyard.
635 N. 13th Ave.
&
509/525-3541
. www.amavicellars.com. Tues-Sat 11am-5pm. From U.S. 12, go south on
W. Pine St. and then right on 13th Ave.
Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Taking its name from a nearby vineyard region,
this winery is in an old streetcar engine house on the outskirts of Walla Walla.
The emphasis is on cabernet sauvignon and merlot, which tend to be very tan-
nic, but for our money, the white wines are better and are also better values.
