Thursday, November 16, 2017

ONE BLOCK, 10+ TASTING ROOMS

Second Ave, Between Rose and Main Streets

Last Saturday I took advantage of the street closures due to the Veterans' Day parade, and took pictures on both sides of this single block along Second Street in downtown Walla Walla. 

I have to confess, while I am not a wine drinker, I do appreciate the aesthetics of the wineries and the tasting rooms 
and find them interesting subjects for my photography. 














Tuesday, November 14, 2017

FALL INDOOR FARMERS' MARKET

Despite colder and wetter weather, Walla Wallans can still enjoy the bounty of local farmers every Saturday through December 16. 
Locally grown seasonal produce, cheese, eggs, honey, meat, and fruit is for sale inside Whitehouse-Crawford Restaurant.

Indeed, the tables of this popular upscale dining spot have been pushed aside to make room for a select number of vendors and their wares.  
And with the backdrop of the restaurant's bar, grill, and wine cellar, this makes a pleasant ambiance for shopping at this seasonal indoor market.











Monday, November 13, 2017

FLAGS AND BANDS AND HORSES, OH MY!

Veterans' Day Parade
A Day of Remembrance and Appreciation

On Saturday, the eleventh day of the eleventh month, cities and towns across America paid respect to their military veterans, and Walla Walla was no exception. Word is that this year's parade was one of the largest and most well-attended parade in many years. 

Enjoy these photos of just a few of the parade entries and the crowd that cheered them on.













Below: This was the first year a contingent of women veterans marched in the annual parade. Brava!
















Below: Touchet (pronounced too'-shee) is a small farming community 20 miles west of Walla Walla.


Sunday, November 5, 2017

POPULAR DONUTS

Recreating a Childhood Memory

I grew up in Michigan in a suburb of Detroit. And every fall, as the temperatures cooled and the leaves turned from green to yellow, red, and brown and then fell to the ground, a trip to the Franklin Cider Mill was de rigeur. 

There I would watch as apples became cider using a giant waterwheel to power the press. The sweet smell of crushed apples intermingled with the fragrance of hot oil used to fry cake donuts to a light brown crisp which were then served up in brown lunch bags with tell-tale oil stains on the bottom. The combination of a bite of a warm greasy cake donut washed down with a swallow of cold cider was next to none. 

And each and every fall I think of the Franklin Cider Mill experience. So this year I set out to recreate this childhood memory. First, I purchased a gallon of organic unfiltered cider, and then I stopped by Walla Walla's only donut store--Popular Donuts. 
(Please note, there is no Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme Doughnuts within 50 miles of Walla Walla.) 


I must confess that as a 30+ year resident of Walla Walla, I have never stepped foot in the store on Ninth Avenue as I rarely eat donuts. But I did know that the grocery stores don't sell plain cake donuts, so if I were to find them, this would be the only place.


And I was right: top row, second tray from the right.  I purchased six, choosing a white paper bag over a box, as that detail was important for the memory. Then I took a few photos and left.


Judging by the stack of boxes and the hours of operation on the door, it appears that Popular Donuts is, well, a very popular place.


For more information and photos of the Franklin Cider Mill in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, follow this link: