Greetings from the Land of Many Waters

Today finds us at our penultimate destination, one we've been eagerly anticipating notwithstanding all of our exciting adventures to date:  Walla Walla wine country!

When we were locking down our itinerary, which, in typical fashion, was roughly three weeks before our departure, K got a tip from a family friend concerning a bed and breakfast that looked too good to be true.  The Cameo Heights Mansion is situated roughly twenty miles west of Walla Walla proper, overlooking a massive apple orchard and not much else.  I'm not generally a B&B guy.  There are few homes where I feel comfortable spending a couple of nights other than my own, and those belong to my best friends and family.  Since B&B's are usually in some stranger's home, they are somewhat low on my list of preferred vacation spots.  

Our table for two, looking toward Walla Walla

Leave it to K, then, to lock in one of the plushest, most accommodating B&B's on the planet.  Want an en suite jetted tub, rain shower, in-wall flat-screen and fireplace?  You'll find one in every room.  Full pool area with hot tub, and they won't kick you out late at night (we tested this one!).  Cinema room with 100" projection TV and popcorn machine?  Done.  Last night we sampled The Vine, the Mansion's on-site chef's table dining room, and gorged ourselves silly.  I can't emphasize enough how much work and energy Alan and Deanne put into maintaining the facility.  From the homemade danish they present at your door alongside coffee or spiced cocoa first thing in the morning, to the box of housemade chocolates and handmade soap kit that comes gift-wrapped in every room, they missed no detail.  Best B&B ever!

Now THAT'S a burger!

Last night's dinner represented the tip of our gustatory iceberg.  We finished the evening by relaxing in the hot tub, sipping on a Carmenere and watching shooting stars zip through the Milky Way as coyotes howled in the distance.  This morning, we were greeted with a breakfast of hand-picked fruit salad, lemon curd French Toast draped with local peaches served alongside thick-sliced apple-smoked ham.  

We burped our way out the door, embarking on a full day of wine tasting up and down the valley.  For those not in the know, Walla Walla (aka Many Waters), renown for sweet onions, cherries and apples, has started to gain the world's attention when it comes to fermented grape juice.  Accustomed to the pomp and attitude that we often experience during our annual Thanksgiving trips to Napa, we were delighted with the friendly, down-to-earth reception we received at every single stop.  Where Napa tastings generally go for $20, you either pay $5 or not at all here.  While a few of the fancier bottles can command three-figure stickers, it's unusual to see most of the high-end stuff go for north of $50.  And let me tell you:  This juice is GOOD.  I get excited about these things, but K is generally harder to please.  I know when I see her swoon...and she swooned a lot...that we're striking gold.  

K is for...

From Woodward Canyon and K (special thanks to Rob and Aly of previous post's fame, for steering us toward these tastings and lavishing us with excellent surprise gifts!) to Dunham and Syzygy, we sipped our way through the dry, pleasant eastern Washington heat, thankful for the Breathalyzer in the truckster's glove box.  After a dynamite dinner at the Green Spoon, we retreated to our suite at the Mansion.  We are now trying to pretend we don't have to go back to the real world tomorrow and debating whether to pop some corn and watch a movie, roast S'Mores in the firepit outside, or soak in the enormous tub.  How much do you want to bet we'll do all three?  

With a nice glass of wine, of course.

Cheers!