Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trailer Inns
(1610 N. 1st St., 509/452-9561 or 800/659-4784,
www.trailerinnsrv.com
, $22—40 depending on electricity needed) has a heated
pool and a propane concession.
The
Yakama Nation Resort RV Park
(280 Buster Rd., 509/865-2000 or 800/874-3087,
www.winesnw.com/YakNtnRVListing.htm
), next to
the Cultural Heritage Center has 125 parking spaces for RVs ($32), plus 14 very popular tepees ($30-50), a tent-camping area ($20), outdoor pool,
hot tub, two saunas, exercise room, and other facilities.
FOOD
Yakima
One of the top 10 most-visited drive-ins in the country,
Miner's Drive-In
(2415 S. 1st St., 509/457-8194, 8:30 A.M.-4 A.M. daily) is a Yakima
institution. The loyal customers line up for the flying-saucer-sized burgers and golden onion rings. Miner's also serves a book-length list of milk
shake flavors. Freshness is the key here—you'll see the phrase “Nothing is cooked until you order it!” on signs in the store.
Looking for just the cure for a wine-induced hangover? Head to the local greasy spoon,
Mel's Diner
(314 N. 1st St., 509/248-5382, open 24
hours) and get yourself a big ol' breakfast with a fresh cup or three of coffee served up by waitresses who'll call you “hon.”
Jack's Sports Bar
(432 S. 48th Ave., 509/966-4340) is a fun place with burgers, sandwiches, and a big-screen TV, open till 1:45 A.M. on the
weekends.
Nosh on the best burgers in Yakima at Miner's Drive-In.
One of Yakima's finest supper spots,
Birchfield Manor
(2018 Birchfield Rd., two mi. east of the city on Birchfield Rd., 509/452-1960 or 800/
375-3420,
www.geopics.net/birchfield
,
dinner Thurs.-Sat.) seats diners in a restored 1910 farmhouse. Formal dinners are complemented by a vast
selection of Yakima Valley wines. The innovative cuisine changes seasonally, but there is always a perfect filet mignon. Reservations are essential.
In the historic district,
The Greystone Restaurant
(5 N. Front St., 509/248-9801, entrées $30) aspires to be a fine dining establishment on par
with big city cousins over in Seattle, and it certainly does have some strong points. The towering ceilings with antique molding and the ruggedly
elegant exposed stonework certainly make for a dramatic dining room, and the food is delicious, even if the service is lacking. Your best bet is to
bring some lively companions to pass the time, sit in the lounge, and order a bottle of wine with some scrumptious light appetizers.
Then head across the street to
The Depot Restaurant and Lounge
(32 N. Front St., 509/949-4233, 11:30 A.M.-10 P.M. daily, entrées $20),
in Yakima's old 1910 Pacific Northern Railroad station, which has an equally exciting dining room and none of the pretense. The depot is beauti-
fully restored, and you'll likely spend parts of dinner looking upward, mouth agape, at the molding and scrollwork in the domed ceiling. The chef
dishes out mouthwatering plates of seafood, chops, and fresh salads at extremely reasonable prices.
Yakima far and away has the area's best Mexican restaurants, a gift from the many workers of Mexican descent that come here and make the
region's agriculture such a success.
One of the best spots in town is at
Los Hernandez
(3706 Main St., Union Gap, 509/457-6003, 11 A.M.-6 P.M. Tues.-Fri., 10 A.M.-7 P.M.
Sat., 11 A.M.-6 P.M. Sun., closed Mon.), which serves homemade tamales better than you'll get even in Southern California. You'll regularly see
folks load up coolers full of them to take home. If you go in springtime, be on the lookout for the inventive asparagus tamales. They may sound
strange, but they sure are delicious.
