Suggestions for Seattle-Yakima-Tri Cities-Walla Walla-Spokane-Seattle Driving Trip

[PS90]

Originally Posted by BellaDL

PS90,

Google map labeled I90 section from Spokane to Ritzville as 395, not until seeing your post then zoomed out the map that I see 395 is also I90.

Okay, I understand. That makes sense and technically, you are absolutely correct here, although no one actually refers to that strip of highway as 395 - it's just part of I-90.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by BellaDL

CrazyDonkey,

Yes, I did consider flying to Spokane from Seattle after revisiting the Olympic Peninsula. However, we also would like to check out the Tri Cities, Walla Walla, Clarkston and Pullman so driving makes more sense.

We are not exactly interested in Yakima but decide to check it out anyway because it is on the way out to Tri Cities along I 82. On the way back we will check out Wenatchee and Leavenworth as suggested by several folks.

Just think that Yakima and Tri-Cities aren't as likely to be attractive to 1) retirees and 2) a single daughter. Walla Walla, maybe (due to wineries). More time checking out the Spokane, Pullman, and Wenatchee areas could be worthwhile, in other words. In the general Spokane area: Springdale, Chewelah, and Kettle Falls out north on US 395, and Newport out north on US 2, for instance.

South of Pullman, you might also want to check out the Blue Mountains, between Walla Walla and La Grande, OR.

You could do a semi-circle: Seattle > Wenatchee > Spokane > Pullman > Walla Walla > La Grande > The Dalles > Portland and then fly out of PDX.

[Haakon]

If you're going to go from Tri Cities up towards Pullman you should take a little time and see Palouse Falls. It's only about 45 minutes from hwy 395 and has spectacular views.

[BellaDL]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

You could do a semi-circle: Seattle > Wenatchee > Spokane > Pullman > Walla Walla > La Grande > The Dalles > Portland and then fly out of PDX.

We were in Portland/Vancouver area last October and did checkout the Dallesport area so this trip is more to check out the eastern part of Washington.

I'm surprised to hear that the Tri Cities area may not suitable for retirees. There is only 50/50 chance that our daughter will stay with us and most likely not very long. She is a vet and likely to get a new job in medium or good size cities. We also hope that she will have better chance to find a new boyfriend/potential husband in a bigger city. She is a good looking girl so I don't expect her to be single for too long ;-)

My daughter did check out Walla Walla and liked the place. She liked Coeur d'Alene too so we could live in the border Spokane/CDA. Bottom line is that Walla Walla and Spokane are high on our list of potential relocation place.

Haakon,

Thank you for the suggestion to check out Palouse Fall. I love waterfalls and would definitely try to see it.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by BellaDL

I'm surprised to hear that the Tri Cities area may not suitable for retirees.

Depends on what you want to do. It is better than Yakima. If you like heat and lots of sunshine. Too hot for me, but then I'm a born-and-bred "wetsider"...

[Smitty211]

If you're looking to retire, and given the rest of your preferences, Walla Walla would be a great fit for you. Fantastic scenery, wineries galore, fun downtown area and above all it's a pretty safe and comfortable place. Born and raised there 20+ years, so I know of what I speak.

Population approx. 35,000. Watch out for rush hour though...late afternoons on weekdays can see traffic downtown backed up a whole city block!

And if you want to get away for a time, ALW (Walla Walla airport) has two flights to and from SeaTac daily, and of course you can go practically anywhere from there.

[BellaDL]

Smitty211

Thank you for the hearty endorsement of Walla Walla. We are looking forward to visiting the place and of course to checking out the wineries.

[BellaDL]

Our trip will start this coming Saturday. I'm keeping an eye on hurricane Joaquin's progress and path hoping that our departure from JFK will not be delayed.

Our daughter decided to stay in the OP one extra day so that she could depart directly from Seatac for a wedding in Florida. This cut back our WA eastbound trip to 4.5 days. So we decided not to check out Clarkston and just focus on Walla Walla, Spokane/ Coeur d'Alene area. In checking out rowing clubs in the Northwest, I found that there is a row and paddle club in Wenatchee so we will swing by the city on the return route from Spokane and take I90, 28 then 2 to Camano Island where we will spend our last night before flying back to NY.

It took a while to search but I managed to find some nice Airbnb and a B&B places (with water, lake, mountain views) to stay during the trip. Our itinerary is: Seatac->Edmonds->Kingston->Bremerton (1st night)->Quinault (where we stay for our OP hiking trip)->Seatac (to drop off daughter)->Walla walla (hoping to stop in the Tri Cities area to meet M3 Mitch for lunch).

From Walla walla we will head to Spokane through Palouse Falls. We will stay in Rathdrum to explore both Spokane and CDA. I plan to check out both the rowing clubs in Spokane and CDA. Heading back to Seattle, we will check out Wenatchee as mentioned earlier. For whatever reason, there aren't any airbnb listings in Wenatchee and almost all hotel rooms in the area were booked for the weekend. The only few remaining rooms were from budget hotels like Super8 with the price jacked up 3x more than the regular rates. I lucked out in finding a B&B, Apple Country Inn with rooms at good prices and excellent reviews (especially for the breakfast - we love to eat a hearty breakfast in our trip, this is a habit acquired from our 5 weeks stay at many B&Bs in New Zealand where fabulous breakfasts appeared to be the standard).

For our last night/day in Washington, we decided to stay at an airbnb with water view on Camano Island. We took a day trip to the island 5 years ago during our TWTT (two weeks to taxi) plane building 'adventure' with Glasair Aviation in Arlington. It was such a tranquil and beautiful place which we would like to see again.

When we planned for the trip two months ago, I had no ideas that I would be retired shortly. As mentioned in a thread which I started at the retirement forum, few weeks ago, I received a surprise VSI (voluntary separation incentive) announcement at work. I was given less than a week to apply for the package. It was not an easy decision but I took the plunge to enter the retirement world earlier than planned.

The vacation was meant to be just another scouting trip. It was not even as serious as the last two WA trips when we spent considerable amounts of time checking out real estates. This time we had planned just drive through several areas to have a feel for the place, to check out the local airports (being near a small airport to indulge in our flying hobby is one of the key criteria), rowing clubs or lake/river for rowing/canoing/kayaking (another must do activities in retirement).

Since we did not schedule to see any houses in this trip, it's not likely that we will come across an incredible property which could finalize our relocation decision like in our last trip to the Olympic Peninsula. However, one will never know. We may find a place where everything looks just right, where the vibes, the flora, fauna, forest, lake, river or mountain views tug our souls, take hold of our feet to stay, to start a great chapter of life called retirement.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by Haakon

If you're going to go from Tri Cities up towards Pullman you should take a little time and see Palouse Falls. It's only about 45 minutes from hwy 395 and has spectacular views.

This. One of the signature scenic spots in eastern Washington. If someone hadn't said something, I would have, so well done.

OP, you will be going very close to Wallula Gap as you turn west south of Burbank, toward Wally. If you overshoot your turn by a mile or two (you can double back), you'll pass through the place where the entire Ice Age Floods backed up. They were about 500 cubic miles of water, so that's cataclysmic. It's a lovely location. You know you're close to it when you can smell the paper mill at Wallula. PU.

You will also come to Vantage on your way back, I believe. This is worth planning to stop and take pics. On I-90 as you cross the upper Columbia, the scene is gorgeous. Take the first exit after crossing the river so you can turn around and see the whole thing from the heights.

Prosser is a nice town, probably the nicest in the Valley. Mitch has been on here a long time and has good area knowledge (better than mine, and I lived in Kennewick sixteen years). He'll know a good place, I have faith.

[elkotronics]

Wife, kid and I were taking a vacation from Everett Boeing back in the 90's and we were coming back to Washington on the SE corner of the state. Probably Clarkston. We visited Palouse Falls. We loved it! Very beautiful site. As we were peering down a couple of fighter jets blasted by us just over our heads by about 200 feet! Whoa. I don't know if they were from Fairchild AFB in Spokane or what but talk about fast and loud. I can not forget that event!

Another thing I remember is looking at the bottom of the falls - just north of the falls a tad - a cow was lying there, dead no doubt from falling off the ledge above. That ledge top must be 200 feet above the bottom of the falls, whoa. Can't forget that sight either.