There is a gray ribbon of road that lies between I-82 and the city of Wapato. It is on this road that Aileen, Shelley and I find ourselves one sunny day while adventuring south from the Rattlesnake Hills to the Toppenish Ridge. As we roll into town we encounter a stoplight where the ribbon, Donald … Continued
It’s true, we take for granted the things we see everyday. Even the extraordinary can become ordinary with enough routine. Living in the Yakima Valley, for example, who hasn’t seen an apple orchard? We all know the look, familiar by its tidy rows of leafy trees, some trellised, some not, blocked out against the pale … Continued
There is nothing like the smell of a cool, clear, bright blue sky first thing in the morning. On the bump of a hillrise out west off Ahtanum, we find ourselves winding through apple trees down a dirt road leading to Gilbert Cellars Hackett Ranch. Hopping out of the car, we know it’s going … Continued
Where the Yakima River passes through the low hills that surround the city of Yakima, there is a discernible yawn in the ridgeline that locals refer to as “the gap.” Passing south through this opening, we suddenly find ourselves in the Lower Valley. If traveling on Highway 97, the first encountered stoplight brings us to … Continued
The warm days may still pack the punch of summertime, but it’s getting dark earlier and there’s a touch of brisk in the morning air. We are officially sliding downhill into the gaping maw of fall. The earth is slower to adjust to this autumnal shift, thank heavens, leaving us with a respectable bounty of … Continued
When it comes to hops, its good to be nosey. Silhouetted in the low light, high stool environment of a respectable tap room, we see a beer lover with a fresh pour of top craft brew, nose down over the pint to take in the aroma of a full glass. It’s all hop, baby. Like … Continued
I simply love September. In this agricultural valley called Yakima where I live there is no better place to see the true meaning of harvest. By now we’ve already seen asparagus, cherries, blueberries and peaches, to name a few. But oh, sweet September! If summer is the puberty of the seasons, by September the year has … Continued