What's that you say? You didn't know the "city so nice they named it twice" was an LGBTQ+ friendly destination? Or that it provides one of the most affordable opportunities for fine wine tasting in America?
Well! If you love wine, winter sports, and (w)relaxing in a city big enough to have multiple daily flights from Seattle's airport but small enough to not break your cork, then look no further than this town nestled in the southeast corner of Washington which, fun fact, is the smallest city TV market in America to still get its own locally hosted news station!
Though most visitors come from nearby:
Oregon (Portland is a 3.5 hour drive, and lots of the region's wine and produce fields are across the city's border in OR)
Idaho (Boise is a 4 hour drive)
State of Washington (Seattle is a 4 hour drive and makes up most of their visitors in the summer, whereas winter guests tend to come from Spokane 2.5 hours and no mountain pass drive away)
There are also those who fly into the ALW airport--the most common being those from Los Angeles--for a much more affordable Wine Weekend than Napa or Sonoma. Or for special events like the city's annual film festival, "Movie Crush," which my own documentary "Canyon Chorus" will be playing in this coming July 11 - 13, 2025.
But, no matter where you're coming from, you deserve to maximize your time in this charming college town surrounded by a multi-colored high desert landscape and a part of Washington that gets less news coverage than other cities (Walla Walla is the tiniest news market, after all!).
So, I'm sharing with you an ideal Weekend Itinerary in Walla Walla, which you can use to make your own weekend--or longer--trip that includes businesses either owned, operated, or supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Plus! Scroll down to see which activity in Walla Walla was my favorite--spoiler alert, it had nothing to do with wine!
Walla Walla Weekend Itinerary:
Friday
Check-in to one of the city's unique hotels, ranging from historic architecture brick buildings beaming at the top of Walla Walla's skyline, to eccentric mansions turned into B&Bs with basement speakeasys!
The GG is a premier destination for travelers who appreciate a life well lived. Originally built in 1909, the property has an enchanting history. Today the home is owned and operated by Connie Blumenthal and Karrie Blumenthal Dutton, twins who were raised in the Northwest, and offers a lodging experience that is synonymous with high style and comfortable living. Designed and finished with impeccable attention to detail for those charm-seeking travelers.
The FINCH provides an open air lodging concept in the heart of downtown. With a focus on creating rooms that are modern, but comfortable, the accommodations are thoughtfully crafted with leather, metal, and wood — all from Northwest suppliers and craftsmen.
The Wesley is just one block from downtown and ideally located while still providing a private & serene environment. Walk to all the best Walla Walla restaurants, tasting rooms, bars, farmers market and shopping. The Wesley Walla Walla offers resort-class amenities for the modern, savvy traveler and features a small selection of uniquely stunning self-catered suites in a private setting.
The Marcus Whitman is a treasured landmark rising above downtown Walla Walla. It pairs its enviable historic pedigree with an unflinching commitment to modern-day luxury and exceptional service. Since opening in 1928, the Marcus Whitman has reigned as Walla Walla’s premier hotel, a hospitality hub deeply connected to the community and committed to showcasing the region’s wine country splendor.
Happy Hour: Marcus Whitman Hotel
Enjoy the historic hotel lobby, restaurants, and tucked away bar surrounded by unique decor.
Dinner: Passatempo Taverna
Food with a sense of place and history. Specializing in pasta made by hand, Passatempo Taverna provides beautiful and rustic Italian cuisine as well as historical cocktails.
Saturday
Breakfast: Clarette’s Restaurant
Clarette’s serves everything one could dream of from hearty and sweet breakfast favorites to burgers, salads, and seafood platter dinners.
Morning & Afternoon Activities: Choose Your Own Adventure combinations!
Visit Nearby Milton-Freewater, Oregon
Sweet Bee Honey - Tasting and/or Shopping
Sweet Bee Honey is a fifth-generation Walla Walla Valley producer of some of the region’s finest artisan honey. Using sustainable, future-minded practices to uphold their “for the health of the hive” motto. Located on 15 acres overlooking the Walla Walla River, Sweet Bee Honey’s hives have been producing raw, varietal honey in the Walla Walla Valley since 1860.
After running a dairy farm in Tillamook, Oregon for 25 years, Jeff and Andrea Adams moved to the Walla Walla Valley in 2005. While the two stayed busy, they still missed cheese culture. In 2014 they joined the Umapine Creamery, eventually branching out into the Walla Walla Cheese Company.
A stop in the heart of The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Learn about this unique American Viticultural Area (AVA) and sample a few wines from Rotie’s estate vineyard as well as the most recent vintage of their *Stonewall Rose (non-alcoholic beverages also available).
*Comes out in June, usually sold out by July, it's a limited edition wine. Making just 100 cases and donating profits to a different local LGBTQ+ non-profit each year. Usually kicks-off with a party at their tasting room in Seattle.
Lunch: Caprio Cellars
Caprio Cellars believes the sharing and appreciation of wine brings together fellowship, the senses, and discernment. The picturesque tasting room begins your tour of Walla Walla Valley’s south side, just 10 minutes from the heart of downtown. Located on the estate vineyard, the tasting room’s 360-degree picturesque view of the Walla Walla Valley, Caprio Cellars is the perfect backdrop for your tasting. Few Walla Walla wineries own estate vineyards, Caprio Cellars estate vineyards enjoy ideal sun exposure and vine-loving soil, yielding grapes of the highest quality and complexity for their estate wines.
Explore downtown Walla Walla and see businesses that are part of the Certified Creative District by ArtsWA as well as other notable local favorite shops:
- The Cotton Wool: home to Kim Nemeth’s weaving studio, the gallery features local makers rooted in traditional crafts (adjacent to the Walawála Plaza).
- Combine Art Collective: a locally-focused gallery that was founded by six art-loving Walla Walla Women. There are currently 15 local artists featured at Combine Art Collective, with periodical guest artists and special events.
- McGovern: known as the local ‘Apothecary’, a trip to McGovern is like stepping into another time & place. A world of herbs, spices, incense & candles. Moody dark Tudor-inspired interiors compliment the various old paintings and curios. McGovern, along with its house brand Parsons Herb Co, offers a variety of items to invigorate the senses and pique your interest. Whether you’re looking for a specific herb, creating your own tea blend, or in the mood for a new culinary spice – their bulk herb wall has you covered.
- Hot Poop: is Walla Walla’s only Bing-Bang Stereo-Video shop, for over 42 years. Starting with a humble inventory of popular albums, 8-tracks, and tie-dye shirts, Hot Poop has grown to over twenty times its original size.
- Bright’s Candies: has been a local family tradition since 1934. Their traditional candy-making methods and recipes have continued to be handed down through the years. Large copper kettles, metal candy molds, and an antique popcorn popper are a few of the items still used to make old-fashioned confections in their candy kitchen.
This self-guided tour includes nearly 30 pieces of outdoor artwork that are on display, and collectively comprise what is known as the Whitman Sculpture Walk.
Dinner: TMACS
Tom Maccarone, native Walla Wallan and the namesake for TMACS, creates a Washington wine country culinary experience showcasing the Valley’s agricultural bounty with fresh, farm-to-table ingredients. TMACS’ craft bar is one-of-a-kind, offering crafted extracts and mixers, smoke infusions, and rare ingredients.
Sunday - Dayton Day
Breakfast: Bacon & Eggs
More than a breakfast mainstay, run by the owners Michelle and Michelle, every dish is made from scratch in the Bacon & Eggs kitchen--a testament to the love The Michelles have of finding, making, and sharing really good food. The Farm-to-Table movement and sustainability are evident on the menu, with just about anything that can be locally grown and family-farmed.
Morning Activity: Skiing or Snowmobile Tour at Bluewood
Even if Walla Walla doesn't have snow, just an hour drive away provides an uncrowded opportunity to hit the slopes. The day I arrived, I was greeted by fresh pow but no line to get my snowmobile rental gear. I wore regular inter base layers, but all my snowmobile required gear was available for easy rent (e.g., helmets, goggles, boots, jackets, bibs, and gloves). Dress for cold weather with good base layers including winter socks and a winter hat. And a neck gaiter is recommended to wear under your helmet.
Early Afternoon Beverage: Hotel Hardware
Stop into the new Hotel Hardware in Dayton and enjoy an afternoon pick-me-up at the coffee bar on the main floor of the historic building. Featuring Spokane-based and award-winning roaster Indaba Coffee and serving single-origin varietals paired with waffles and pastries, the specialty coffee shop is the perfect fuel stop for guests enjoying a ski weekend at Bluewood. Right behind the hotel sits the Dayton Historic Depot, the oldest train depot in Washington State, which now serves as a museum to preserve and educate the public on Dayton’s history.
Afternoon Activity and Early Dinner: American 35 (pizza-making class) *My favorite event of the whole weekend*
The American 35 Pizzeria, formerly American Legion Post 35, draws its name from its historical roots. Tom and Judy Bennett, known for their Fiasco Pizza food truck, have expanded to a permanent location in Waitsburg, specializing in traditional Neapolitan wood-fi red pizzas. Any pizza can be made gluten-free upon request. During your pizza-making class you will learn to use their very own dough formula to measure, mix, and create doughballs. You'll get a lesson in throwing and forming crust, making a pie, and sharing that pie with your friends as a group.
*Ask ahead/request that your class be led by owner Tom Bennett - He radiates positive energy from a demure, seemingly calm exterior. But inside, he's bubbling with fun anecdotes and pithy jokes that made this experience my favorite of the weekend! His travels to study pizza are extensive, and the flavors of his stories and his pizzas are worth the trip to Dayton alone!
**NOTE, if you visit after May 1, 2025, they're relocating to downtown Walla Walla and rebranding at Fiasco Pizza. So attend one of their publicly advertised group pizza classes or request your own (just $50 per person!) before they close this historic location to move to the bigger city, Walla Walla.
Happy Hour (optional Waitsburg Hotel): Royal Block Hotel
The Royal Block opened in the fall of 2022 and owners Tiina Jaatinen, originally from Finland, and her American husband, Joe Roberts, describe the hotel as having western bones and Nordic skin. An oasis for the curious, the community, and travelers seeking a refreshing sojourn, the Royal Block’s bar serves Walla Walla Valley wines and ales amid a backdrop of art, poetry, and live music.
Dinner (and a movie): Marcus Whitman Hotel
Return to your opening night happy hour spot and round out your weekend with a late dinner in their charming, tall-boothed restaurant, surrounded by wonderful wine and ambiance as you sip and savor your weekend in Walla Walla!
*If there's a movie or show playing, walk a few blocks from the Marcus Whitman to the historic Gesa Power House Theatre, home to the annual Movie Crush Film Festival where you can catch my film Canyon Chorus if you make it YOUR Best Walla Walla LGBTQ+ LGBTQ+ Weekend Weekend July 11 - 13, 2025!
Monday - 3-Day Weekend - Pre-Depature Food
Breakfast: Colville Street Patisserie
In addition to excellent espresso drinks, Colville Patisserie is known for its buttery pastries, delicious desserts and great gelato.
Lunch: The Mill
Walla Walla’s first grab-and-go gourmet food truck, The Mill is now operating from a brick-and-mortar location downtown. They feature locally produced, ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, and other light fare (including cold brew coffee and yogurt parfaits) and specialty food products.
BONUS - Activities, Events, and a Luxury Twist
For a truly luxury experience, arrange to have True North Wine Tours handle all your shuttling around the area in their plush Lincoln Navigator SUV.
Each of the True North owners left large cities behind, opting instead for the spirit and tranquility of this amazing town of Walla Walla. Their shared passion of wine and new adventures, combined with their collective decades of running successful businesses, make True North uniquely qualified to deliver a first class wine tour experience.
For free, no visit is complete without touring the city on foot. So whether you like to walk, bike, or run like me, check out one of their city trails or venture through the vineyards for outdoor recreation that adds to the wine ambiance of the city.
And if you're REALLY adventurous, take part in the annual Jasper Mountain Trail Fest (happening in 2025 on June 20 - 22), led by a gay couple who open up their private Jasper Mountain Reserve to the public for a weekend of trail running and cool weather, high desert summer camping.
This is me from attending in 2024!
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