Excellent question. Even though your palette detests the taste of a Bordeaux or Malbec, you can have an enjoyable time in wine country.
For starters, wine is so much more than a nice beverage to sip on. It's about the lifestyle, the people and the experience.
Here are few things you can enjoy while visiting wine country that don't involve tasting it:
1. Take in the stunning views at each winery.
2. Meet the winemakers and their staff and learn about the process of growing wine grapes and making the wine. It's quite interesting.
3. Enjoy live music at the winery. Many wineries in the Tri-Cities offer live performances during the evening.
4. Have a meal or a snack. Multiple wineries in our area serve appetizers and even have full restaurants. There is nothing wrong with taking in the view while having a snack and enjoying an ice water or other beverage.
5. Meet winery dogs. These unique animals are full of personality and have been appointed as the social directors of their wineries. They greet and interact with guests as they visit.
6. Eat chocolate. This one is easy. A lot of wineries pair red wines with chocolate, but who says you have to drink the wine too?
Before we get into all the fun activities going on in the Tri-Cities this coming Father's Day weekend, I wanted to share some funny one liners. You know, the ones that only Dad makes.
Me: "Dad, can I have 50 bucks?"
Dad: "Forty dollars? What do you need thirty dollars for?"
If you are anywhere with stuffed and mounted animal heads. Dad: "It must have been going pretty fast when it hit that wall!"
When rubbing your eye
Dad: "What's up?"
Me: "There's something in my eye"
Dad: "Yeah, it's your finger"
All joking aside, you and Dad can have a great time this Father's Day Weekend in the Tri-Cities. Here are a few ideas of things to do:
1. Take Dad to a professional baseball game. The Tri-City Dust Devils open up the season with games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night at 7:15 P.M.
2. Have a golf outing. Whether it's playing 18 holes, a par 3, or just putting, grab the sticks and head out to the course.
3. Hike to the top of Badger Mountain with Dad. You can race him to the top or take your time and enjoy the view of the Tri-Cities.
4. Terra Blanca Winery and Estate Vineyard is having a special BBQ for Dads on Sunday.
5. Grab locally hand-crafter brew at Ice Harbor Brewery and listen to live music. Franco Paletta and The Stingers, a blues band from Portland, will be performing at 7:30 Saturday night.
6. Check out vintage cars at Howard Amon Park in Richland and as they will be on display during the Red, White, and Blue Car and Motorcycle Show from 9 A.M. - 4 P.M. Saturday.
7. If all else fails, take Dad out to a nice dinner at one of the Tri-Cities restaurants right on the banks of the Columbia River.
For more information on the events listed above, click here.
Happy Father's Day!
Any Dad one liners you can share?
The Tri-Cities enjoys a desert climate, dry and warm. However, we have almost all the same activities as a waterfront destination with the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers in our own backyard. The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest and the 4th largest in the U.S. by volume.
Keep in mind, when we talk about the Columbia and Snake Rivers, we aren't talking about class five rapids or kayakers dodging jagged rocks as they forcefully navigate themselves down the river. The river current through the Tri-Cities is very peaceful and hardly noticeable.
Activities include kayaking, tubing, water skiing, wake boarding, swimming, boating, kite surfing, paddle boarding, and wading. Not to mention, you can now literally sleep on the river.
Imagine a floating hotel room equipped with beds, a full kitchen, a barbeque, a flat screen TV, and a water slide. You and a group of your friends and family can make this a reality with River Ranch Houseboats.
The houseboats can sleep up to 12 people in beds, but additional boaters can sleep on the top deck under the stars. Anyone who is 25 and older can rent a houseboat and there is no special license required. The boats travel up to 10mph and are meant to be anchored or beached at specific areas on the rivers.
For more information on the houseboats head to www.riverranchboats.com.
The Columbia River flows directly through the Tri-Cities. The river offers endless recreation to Tri-Cities locals and visitors. Everything from kayaking, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, fishing, sailing, wake boarding, inner tubing, wind surfing, parasailing, feet soaking, and now cruising.
Join the Portland Spirit as they bring the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler to the Tri-Cities area for a week of cruises starting Friday, April 15th - Sunday, April 24th. Riverboat dining experiences aboard the Portland Spirit vessels includes fresh Northwest cuisine prepared in their on board galleys, superb service, beautiful views of the Tri-Cities and live entertainment and narration. A lunch cruise, brunch cruise, dinner cruise, or a Snake River Locks cruise on their vessels is perfect for entertaining out-of-town guests or for celebrating your special occasions.
For more information and to schedule your cruise head to http://www.portlandspirit.com/ or call 800-224-3901.
Many of the Tri-Citie's attractions starts with the letter 'W'. In cases where it doesn't, there is a way to incorporate ‘W' somehow.
Water - With the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers running through the Tri-Cities, there are many recreational opportunities. These include: swimming, kayaking, power and pleasure boating, wakeboarding, waterskiing, wind surfing, and watching the hydroplane races in the summer.
Weather - The Tri-Cities enjoys some of the best weather in the Northwest with 300 days of sunshine a year. We have a mild climate with less than seven inches of precipitation annually. Summer temperatures average a pleasant 88 degrees, with river breezes contributing to cool evenings and balmy days.
Wine - We welcome you to the Heart of Washington Wine County®. The Tri-Cities is within a one-hour drive of 160 wineries and is complete with hotels, restaurants, and cultural amenities. During the warm summer months, the Tri-Cities has more than 17 hours of sunshine each day, two more hours than Napa and Sonoma. These long mild days in September and October are perfect for ripening wine grapes.
Wildlife - The Tri-Cities is home to eight National Wildlife Refuges and Reserves which include nature trails and shoreline viewpoints. In April and May, native wildflowers begin their grand display. In June see flocks of American White Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Mule Deer, Coyotes, and Beavers. In late summer and early fall, watch the salmon run up the Columbia River.
Wedge - This will be your golf club of choice if you are within a few feet of a green at one of the Tri-Cities' ten beautiful golf courses. Beginner, intermediate and scratch golfers have their choice of gorgeous 18 hole, putting, and par 3 courses.
Walk - Enjoy this activity and others on 23-miles of contiguous riverfront trail. Weaving between the Tri-Cities, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail offers a view of nature's scenic beauty along the Columbia River.
Welcome Circle - One of the seven basalt story circles you will find at the Confluence Project at Sacajawea State Park. The story circles, created by famed artist Maya Lin, are just one of seven interpretations that make up the project. All seven projects are located at the confluence of rivers throughout the region and each of the seven locations was a stopping point for Lewis and Clark on their journey more than 200 years ago.
Watermelon - An amazing treat among other freshly picked produce and homemade goodies you will find at one of many farmers' markets throughout the Tri-Cities.
What kind of ‘W's can you use to describe the Tri-Cities?
Unless you are travelling at the speed of sound, the chances of you making it to the Tri-Cities from Seattle in 16 minutes is unlikely. However, the Tri-Cities of Washington State is centrally located in the Northwest and there are several different ways one can get here. Let's explore the practical methods with reasonable travel times and take a look at some of the more unconventional methods with absurd travel times.
First of all, there are several direct flights into the Tri-Cities on commercial airlines. These include flights from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix /Mesa, and Minneapolis.
Flight times:
Seattle to Tri-Cities: 50 minutes
Salt Lake City to Tri-Cities: 1 hour 30 minutes
San Francisco to Tri-Cities: 1 hour 40 minutes
Las Vegas to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 5 minutes
Denver to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 10 minutes
Los Angeles to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 20 minutes
Minneapolis to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 50 minutes
Mesa/Phoenix to Tri-Cities: 3 hours 30 minutes
If hopping on a plane isn't your thing, the Tri-Cities is just a drive away.
Drive times:
Walla Walla to Tri-Cities: 1 hour
Yakima to Tri-Cities: 1 hour 15 minutes
Spokane to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 15 minutes
Wenatchee to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 15 minutes
Lewiston, ID to Tri-Cities: 2 hours 15 minutes
Seattle to Tri-Cities: 3 hours 30 minutes
Portland to Tri-Cities: 3 hours 30 minutes
Vancouver, WA to Tri-Cities: 3 hours 30 minutes
These are the transportation methods most visitors use to get to the Tri-Cities, but let's take a look at some weird ways.
Walk time (3 mph):
Seattle to Tri-Cities: 2 days 18 hours 37 minutes approx.
Unicycle time (6 mph):
Portland to Tri-Cities: 1 day 11 hours 30 minutes approx.
A camel's sustained running speed (25 mph)
Spokane to Tri-Cities: 5 hours and 20 minutes approx.
Speed of sound time (750 mph):
Seattle to Tri-Cities: 16 minutes approx.
Regardless of your mode of transportation, come enjoy great wine, water recreation, golf, and weather in the Tri-Cities.
Can you think of any interesting ways to get to the Tri-Cities? Use some high school math and tell us how long it would take by commenting below. Don't forget to hit the share button too.
.jpg)
