Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wander the streets of Toppenish to see the city's murals.
The
Ahtanum Mission
(17740 Ahtanum Rd., 509/966-0865), east of Yakima along Ahtanum Creek, was built in 1852 by Catholic priests.
During the Yakama Wars of the 1850s, the relationship between the priests and Yakamas led U.S. Army soldiers to the unlikely conclusion that
the missionaries were providing the Yakama warriors with arms and munitions. A group of soldiers thus torched the mission in the middle of the
night. The church was rebuilt in 1869 and is still used today. You can visit the mission and surrounding park for a small fee.
Toppenish Murals
Toppenish boasts that its chief recreation is watching paint dry. The city of murals and false-front Western buildings is a draw for lovers of outdoor
art. Topics are generally of the sagebrush, saddles, and steam train variety.
Visit the chamber of commerce (11 S. Toppenish Ave., 509/865-3262,
www.toppenish.net
,
10 A.M.-4 P.M. Mon.-Sat. Apr.-Oct.) to pick up a
map of the 80-plus wall-art pieces, or hop aboard one of the wagon rides offered by
Toppenish Mural Tours
(509/697-8995, $12 adults, $5 kids,
10 A.M.-1 P.M. Mon.-Sat.) that leave from the depot area on one-hour tours May-September.
Museums
Start your visit to Yakima at the large
Yakima Valley Museum
(2105 Tieton Dr., Yakima, 509/248-0747,
www.yakimavalleymuseum.org
, 10
A.M.-5 P.M. Mon.-Sat. and 11 A.M.-5 P.M. Sun., $5 adults, $3 students and seniors, $12 families, free for under age 5). It boasts an extraordinary
collection of Yakama Native American artifacts, Oregon Trail, and local fruit tree industry exhibits. Boxcars, shops, and tool sheds are arrayed
around the property and available for self-guided touring.
The
American Hop Museum
(22 S. B St., Toppenish, 509/865-4677,
www.americanhopmuseum.org
, 10 A.M.-4 P.M. Wed.-Sat., 11 A.M.-4
P.M. Sun. May-Sept., closed Mon.-Tues., $3 adults, $2 students, free for children under 5) is the only one of its kind, shining a bright spotlight
on the underappreciated hops, a vital bittering ingredient in the production of beer and ale and a huge local cash-crop.
The once-bustling 1911 railroad depot near Toppenish town square is home to a shrine to a force that made most of the northern half of Wash-
ington possible. No, not glaciers. The
Northern Pacific Railway Museum
(10 S. Asotin Ave., 509/865-1911, 10 A.M.-4 P.M. Tues.-Sat. and
noon-4 P.M. Sun. May-Oct., $5). Explore rail and steam artifacts and a restored telegraph office.
The impressive
Yakama Cultural Heritage Center
(100 Spiel-yi Loop, 509/865-2800,
www.yakamamuseum.com
, 8 A.M.-5 P.M. daily, $5
adults, $3 seniors and children 11-18, $1 children under 10, $12 family of four, free for enrolled Yakama members) on the Yakama Reservation
features a museum that tells the story of the Yakama Nation from its beginnings to the present, a library specializing in Native American books, a
theater that presents first-run movies and stage productions, a restaurant, and an RV park.
Fort Simcoe State Park
Head 27 miles west from Toppenish through the heart of the Yakama Reservation to peaceful Fort Simcoe State Park (509/874-2372,
www.parks.wa.gov
, 6:30 A.M.-dusk daily April-Oct., free). The drive takes you through fields of grapes and hops, past fast-growing Heritage
College, past Native American burial grounds with decorated gravesites, to the reconstructed remains of a U.S. Army fort built to guard the
frontier in 1856.
Other Parks
More than 250 species of birds live in the marshy
Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge
(five mi. south on Hwy. 97, then south a half mile on
Pump House Road, 509/865-2405). The interpretive center and nature trail will get you started.
The
Yakima Area Arboretum
(1401 Arboretum Drive, 509/248-7337,
www.ahtrees.org
,
dawn-dusk daily) is a peaceful 46-acre park with a
Japanese garden and bird sanctuary, plus over 2,000 specimens of native and exotic woody plants near I-90 and Nob Hill Boulevard.
Across the Yakima River from Union Gap, bird-watchers will want to visit the
Hazel Wolf Bird Sanctuary
at the Wenas Creek Campground
in the Wenas Valley, five miles west of Selah on Wean Road. Over 100 species of birds have been sighted in the 40-acre sanctuary.
