A stop in Walla Walla: wine tasting and downtown wandering

Walla Walla

July 3, 2026

Euri and I made a stop in Walla Walla, Washington, on our way to Spokane. Who am I kidding? It was a detour. Walla Walla felt like being five hours from anywhere.

Neither of us had been there before, but we like wine, so why not?

Exploring downtown Walla Walla

It turns out Walla Walla has more to offer than wine. It also has a really cute downtown.

We spent some time wandering around and taking pictures before we ever got near a tasting room, and downtown alone would have justified the detour.

A downtown Walla Walla sidewalk with a tall street clock, brick storefronts and closed patio umbrellas

Euri smiles on a patio in downtown Walla Walla, with brick buildings and parked cars behind her

A red brick building with an arched entry in downtown Walla Walla, behind yellow and white flowers

A glass of red wine etched with Plumb Cellars on a patio table in downtown Walla Walla

Streaked clouds lit orange and gold at sunset over rooftops and power lines in Walla Walla

Jereme smiles while holding a fluffy white dog in front of a red brick wall

Wine tasting at Saviah Cellars

While we were there, we visited Saviah Cellars (opens in a new tab). The wine was excellent, especially the 2023 THE FUNK Estate Syrah (opens in a new tab).

There were grapevines and lavender growing near the tasting room, which made a great backdrop for photos. Between the Syrah and the lavender, it was an easy stop to enjoy.

Tasting glasses of red wine lined up behind a Saviah Cellars water glass on an outdoor table

Bunches of green grapes hanging on the vine at Saviah Cellars

Euri in a blue dress beside grapevines and a big lavender bush at Saviah Cellars

A dry grassy field below a row of vineyard and a farm building at Saviah Cellars

Dinner with friends

Afterward, we met up with friends for dinner downtown. Good food and more wine with people we like made a pretty convincing case for coming back.

Jereme in an orange floral shirt at a sidewalk table with two plates of pasta in downtown Walla Walla

Worth the detour

We came to Walla Walla for the wine, but downtown and dinner with friends rounded out the visit. It was a ton of fun, and we'll be back.

Next time, we can plan around Walla Walla instead of pretending it's on the way somewhere else.

For breakfast back in Tacoma, Cooks Tavern is one of our favorite spots.