Category: Washington State

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Blooming in Walla-Walla

Posted in North America, Washington StateTagged 2 Comments

Double W doesn’t need an introduction. For the 2nd time round, I was lucky to have the chance to return to this country life in Walla Walla. A month later, I found out the difference in the season was huge!

The last time I was here this town was filled with a blanket of thick snow. It was tough, at times, to see the trees or the roads. That’s why I was quite surprised to find out that I didn’t see not even an inch of snow (except the mountains) when I arrived.

It was very bright that I could hardly open my eyes and Rudy too.
We came up this road, parked the car on the side of the road and watched a nice sunset.

My visit this time round was at a much slower paced than last time. I had a bit more time and got the chance to roam the forest. I admit, I was scared for my life because I knew this area is infested with bears and cougars (that can go up to 150 lbs). I would like to say I am adventurous and I like to hike but, cautious.

You can’t tell from this photo but, that water was gushing and moving at 80mph.
Imagine walking through that log with that water under you.

I suggest when you go hiking here, at least go with a local or someone who knows their way around (someone who understands the nature of the area inside and out). You don’t want to end up missing or come across unwanted situations.

As an adventurous person, I am quite open to new things but, being in the forest took time to adjust. The trees were big and thick (similar to the trees in Yosemite) and in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about bears or cougars hiding somewhere behind these trees. Although, I never saw even 1 animal.

No sign of snow @ Umatilla National Forest.

We finally got out of the forest and climbed up on top of a hill. We saw this nice view which, I definitely enjoyed.

Walla-Walla offers a lot from wine tastings, top notch restaurants to hiking. There’s a lot you can do in this town. I enjoyed spending both times I came to visit and I truly feel lucky to be able to have experienced it but, all good things must come to an end.

Mount Rainier

I caught an early flight the next day. This is common for traveling in and out of Walla Walla since there’s no direct flights. However, I am not complaining because this was my first time traveling on first class and it was awesome. It was exactly what I needed as it helped me recuperate from the lack of sleep. Until next time….

Winter Wonderland in Waala Waala

Posted in North America, Washington StateTagged , , , 2 Comments

Waala Waala, try saying that 5x. My first trip this year was random and on a whim. I was half excited and half asleep trying to stay awake as I made my way through a layover in Seattle. I had no idea that getting to Waala Waala would take me through 2 flights and additionally, waking up at 4am to make it to my first transport. After 3 and a half hours later, I finally made it to my destination.

Window seat view – breathtaking ain’t it?

The first few hours upon my arrival, I noticed how small the airport was and it seemed that people were more relaxed and less in a hurry compare to SNA. As a side note, Walla-Walla approximately has a population of 32,854 and is located in Washington State. It is about 3-4 hours drive from Seattle, Portland, Oregon and Spokane. They are apparently known for agriculture and wine.

Outside Walla Walla airport

As I made my way outside the airport to wait for my friend, the cool air hit my face as the door opened. Right away the wind chill snapped me back to reality. I was definitely no longer in sunny land of O.C. In front of me was a thick and a whole lot of snow! I’ve never seen so much powder whiter than my bedsheets. The scene was very pretty.

Having the chance to roam around town and drive to the nearby cities, I came to realize that people were very friendly and easy to talk to. I also noticed that like Southern California everything is spread out but, less buildings and more open fields.

I am curious as to how this place would look in the summer or spring season. To me, the snow gave it a winter wonderland feel that you won’t probably get in any other season.