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| Marta and Steve on a recent trip to Winthrop, WA |
Welcome to Eastern Washington Weekend! I created this blog to as a way to record and share my travels around Washington State’s lesser-known eastern half. Having spent my entire life living in Washington State, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I have little knowledge of Washington east of the Cascade Mountains. Sure, I visited my friend in Spokane every couple of years, took some band trips to Yakima and vacationed in the Okanogan as a kid, but really I have a lot to learn about what this side of the state has to offer. As it happens, I have been provided with the perfect opportunity. My husband Steve got a job in Ephrata, a town of about 6,000 people, right in the center of the state. If you have heard of Ephrata, it’s probably because you live there, or because you have seen the ads for Washington’s only online university. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, this university put its billboard in the town because of its central location and features the billboard in all its advertising. As far as we can tell, the billboard may be Ephrata’s biggest tourist attraction, so be expecting a posting about it! Don't worry - I'll be looking for other points of interest along the way!
Of course, our adventures will take us outside of Ephrata! The real purpose of this project is to spend our weekends exploring anything and everything interesting on the east side. Luckily, we are in the prime location to do so. If Google Maps serves me correctly, we are only 1.5 hours from Wenatchee, 1 hour from the Tri Cities, 2 hours from Spokane, Yakima and Walla Walla, respectively. I’ve been gathering intel from my connections who grew up or currently live in Eastern Washington, and so far I’ve got a list of attractions I can’t wait to tackle! Steve and I plan to hike in the mountains, float at least a couple of rivers, check out locals’ favorite restaurants and bars, watch a laser show at the Grand Coulee dam, pick our own pumpkins in the fall, drink lots and lots of Washington wine, and much, much more! I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures and perhaps will be inspired to have your own. I also welcome any reader suggestions, as we are going to be living here for a while! We are here to learn, so please feel free to share any of your local favorites! Thanks, and enjoy!
