Road Trip to Eastern Washington from Seattle - Suggestions?

Submitted by AK232342 t3_11fkmzg in Washington

I've seen all the major attractions on the West / Central Side and want to take a 7 day road trip to the Eastern Side (East of Leavenworth) sometime in April / May along with my girlfriend.

We mainly want to visit pretty places (accessible by car or short hikes), enjoy beautiful drives, have good food and have a nice relaxed time in general. I don't know if this matters, but both of us are brown / mixed race.

Apart from the Grand Coulee Dam, Palouse Falls, and the cities of Spokane and Walla Walla, what are the major places that we should visit? Also, are there things to be mindful of / avoid from a safety perspective?

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Edit: Thanks for all the suggestions and tips :) When I'm done with the trip, I might post some pics in this subreddit!

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TheFairAmerican t1_jajy7tp wrote

The goldendale observatory and Mary hill are quirky cool options.

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Independent-Rain-867 t1_jaliu3p wrote

There's a museum there too, yes? I recall there were peacocks outside, and russian royalty gowns, etc., and clay models of famous people's hands made by Rodin (sp). There's standing model of Stonehenge along that side of the Columbia, too.

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TheFairAmerican t1_jamj5en wrote

All true. It’s a pretty cool yet overlooked part of the state. And a gorgeous drive as well no matter where you drive from.

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AK232342 OP t1_jaq1lj3 wrote

Thank you, really interesting! I never knew the observatory even existed!

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holmgangCore t1_jakakeh wrote

I’ve heard Dry Falls is quite spectacular. I haven’t seen it myself yet, but it’s on my short list to see!

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accountingisradical t1_jalcal1 wrote

It is absolutely beautiful! It’s a must go! And while you’re there, check out Summer Falls. A beautiful, hidden gem of eastern wa :)

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holmgangCore t1_jaoxeni wrote

Oh nice, I’ll add that to my list. I hadn’t heard of Summer Falls before now, thanks!

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DeathByFartz1996 t1_jand5eb wrote

It’s like a small version of the Grand Canyon. I highly recommend it.

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holmgangCore t1_jaox9qb wrote

That makes it sound even more interesting, I look forward to visiting there!

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PokeyPinecone t1_jakk6if wrote

From Walla Walla, consider checking out the Blue Mountains. The Blues are incredibly scenic and remote, with a diverse assortment of trees that might surprise you in a "dry" forest. They tend to be steep, with dramatic changes in vegetation from peak to valley, and fun, curvy roads.

Try taking Hwy 12 east and heading up the Tucannon River. If gravel roads without guardrails are ok with you, the best scenic route is to detour off the highway at Dayton, to Patit Rd/Hartsock Grade, then south on Tucannon Rd up the river, getting back to Hwy 12 via Blind Grade/Linville Gulch/Tatman Mtn Rd. Definitely have offline map/music/etc options, cell service cuts out in there.

In between Walla Walla and Clarkston, Dayton is a decent stop. It's small and white with pricey gas, but also a little more affluent and touristy, and they have a progressive-oriented co-op/food park. However I feel like people are staring at me when I stop in Pomeroy, and I'm white and know a couple folks. If you just need a bathroom there are also vault toilet rest stops on Hwy 12 at Dodge and Alpowa; they're generally pretty clean and pleasantly busy.

Enjoy your trip!

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ecno_deriter t1_jal0xyh wrote

Drive from Soap Lake to Grand Coulee, check out Dry Falls, Steamboat Rock and Northrup Canyon. You won't be disappointed. There truly is much to see in Eastern Washington.

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GlobbityGlook t1_jal9sxk wrote

Vantage and Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee

Lake Chelan

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DFlint11 t1_jaljps5 wrote

Yes, Ohme Gardens! I proposed to my wife there.

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hyrailer t1_jak1zsw wrote

Marblemount on SR 20 (closed now for the winter, but should open in about 6 weeks), and just west of there- Diablo Lake. And going east on 20 through Okanogan and Ferry counties, cross the Columbia on WSDOT's only inland ferry, the San Poliel, in Keller, WA. It's free, and the scenery, especially on the east side of the river, is very nice. Dry Falls State Park, on SR 17 north of Soap Lake is an amazing example of Eastern WA geological history. US 12 over White Pass is absolutely spectacular for its high mountains and deep forested valleys. Enjoy your travels.

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gravelGoddess t1_jaki24z wrote

Actually, there are two; the other is the Inchelium/Gifford ferry that also crosses the Columbia River.

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hyrailer t1_jakpkhr wrote

WSDOT operates that also?

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gravelGoddess t1_jaldneo wrote

I think the Colville Tribe does as the Inchelium landing is on tribal land. The other landing is near Gilbert which is on the Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area. It may be a federal/tribal operation? The operators when we last took it were tribal members.

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hyrailer t1_jam70cb wrote

Aha! Thanks for the tip. I'm clearly not finished exploring up there. It might be funded by BIA. Very beautiful country up there (but then again, this whole state has a lot of amazing things to see!)

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sgnl_01 t1_jal6otv wrote

For a beautiful drive, don’t forget Yakima Canyon Road. Nice hike in Umptanum Ridge and a lunch at Canyon Grill.

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jdbsea t1_jakc9wt wrote

It may be farther east than you are thinking and you already mentioned a few of these places, but I spent a day or two last year driving around the Palouse Hills at peak spring green season (it was early June in 2022) and was absolutely stunned at their beauty. The drive from Washtucna to Colfax was really remarkable. Palouse Falls is in the area and makes a great stop, otherwise it’s a lot of driving and taking in the scenery. I really enjoyed it. Could spend some time in Walla Walla too and then travel through the Columbia River Gorge to get back to Seattle (via Portland).

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throwaway23029123143 t1_jal2ui9 wrote

The Palouse is stunning. One of the most beautiful places on earth! I'm not sure why more people don't go there. When I was young I used to live in a little town called Waitsburg and the memory of the evening glow of those hills in summer still gives me butterflies.

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gravelGoddess t1_jaldudp wrote

You can really get some memorable photos just driving around and going to the top of Steptoe Butte for a telephoto compressed view of the farms and fields.

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12thMemory t1_jakydr0 wrote

Wild Horse Wind Farm

Great way to spend 45-60 minutes stretching your legs. When we went, pre COVID, it was a week day and we had the place to ourselves. You can explore around on your own or go on the tour. We were able to step inside the base of the closest wind turbine.

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yemerrypeasant t1_jakclxl wrote

Frenchman Coulee is really pretty. Popular rock climbing spot with some pretty views.

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throwaway23029123143 t1_jal2n7h wrote

The gorge and lake Chelan

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doktorhladnjak t1_jalaeya wrote

I can’t believe I got this far down before someone mentioned the gorge! It’s awesome

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AK232342 OP t1_jaq8ox2 wrote

Thank you, I've been to both of these already. The Gorge is breathtakingly beautiful!

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sarahjustme t1_jal3s69 wrote

By may, rt 20 should be open, it's gorgeous.

Take i5 past Mt Vernon to rt 20, go to Diablo lake,, head across to twisp, then down 97 to vantage, then across 90 to the potholes/Othello. That's maybe three days if you do lots of stuff along the way. Also, you could take a little detour to Coulee city, if you like huge dams. The it depends if you want the wide open spaces or the mountains. Personally I'd head down to Walla Walla and do some touristy stuff

Never thought about it, but there's waymore than you can do in a week, especially if you like to take breaks and do stuff.

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poppinwheelies t1_jal6vel wrote

Do not miss The Grand Coulee. The scenery from Soap Lake up to Dry Falls and The Grand Coulee Dam is really gorgeous.

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Active-Ad3977 t1_jak2u6s wrote

This video offers kind of an interesting perspective. Spokane is the only place east of Leavenworth that they’ve covered so far but hopefully they’ll be able to do more in the future

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allybra t1_jaklc4c wrote

Something Butte coming from the falls through the Palouse.

In Spokane-rocks of Sharon hike is beautiful.

In Coeur d’Alene - mineral ridge hike also gorgeous

Painted rocks hike offers a gorgeous view of the little Spokane River

Liberty lake county park has a hike going up to a cabin, but along the way you get in a patch of cedars.

All of them are great choices

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allybra t1_jakljsr wrote

Also driving as high up as you can at Mt Spokane. You can probably do the last mile on foot from the parking lot

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allybra t1_jakln0o wrote

Oh, and forgot one of the most beautiful - bowl and pitcher on the Spokane River is awesome

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gravelGoddess t1_jale09r wrote

Just be aware that the eastern part of the state has rattlesnakes. We have been to all the western states camping and we have seen the most in Eastern Washington.

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tetranordeh t1_jalf7d6 wrote

The ticks will also be looking for their first spring meal about now.

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AK232342 OP t1_jaq8r2m wrote

Oh no, we probably won't be doing a lot of hiking then

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gravelGoddess t1_jaqa4f4 wrote

You will be okay if you watch where you put hands and feet. Wear heavy above ankle boots, long pants and carry a stick. So many places to explore east of the Cascades.

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idealbradley t1_jalh1in wrote

Yakima River Canyon Palouse Falls The Gorge Salmo Mountain... still on my list to go Ancient Lakes Frenchman Coulee Drive through the Blue Mountains, then Wine in Walla Walla Juniper Dunes Wilderness

Best tamales are in Union Gap Best bread Mazama store Best Jerky Owen's meats in Cle Elum

I'm sure there's a lot I'm forgetting

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Independent-Rain-867 t1_jaliyn8 wrote

Palouse Falls, south of Ritzville should be flowing nicely that time of year.

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Independent-Rain-867 t1_jaljcdh wrote

If you visit Leavenworth (once is enough) I always stay in Wenatchee and have dinner at Visconti's. I have to travel to the coast once a year, and I never miss dining there.

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s7ab_m3 t1_jamabzj wrote

Most things we've visited are already mentioned, but we visited Hanford Reach late last year and there's a short and incredibly beautiful hike to a small sand dune there that was pretty cool. I posted some photos in this sub.

We were staying at Potholes State Park, area over there has some unique geography.

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Howard_Ratner t1_jamatwu wrote

If you have the chance Douglas Creek. In a car drive as far as you can to the parking spot and then hike the switch back to the cavern below.

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hotdogmatt t1_jamk2qt wrote

My husband is Asian and we have lived on the east side for almost two years and he has not had a problem yet.

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Nikonicus t1_jamm59x wrote

The Palouse area beyond the falls. They have been called America's Tuscany.

If you're going to go south a bit, I'd stop at Mt. Rainier, Snoqualmie Falls, and the Columbia River gorge near Hood River, which is packed with waterfalls.

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Careless-Internet-63 t1_jamt3go wrote

Grand coulee dam is worth seeing, though you'd have to go after memorial day to be able to go on the tour and see the laser show

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_jamxxpl wrote

White Pass highway (SR 12) between Yakima and Mt Rainier is the most scenic route in my opinion. Should be clear of snow by then. Steptoe Butte in Whitman County. Pioneer Park in Walla Walla.

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LeftCoastPyrMom t1_jav98yr wrote

Sullivan Lake and Metaline Falls in the Colville National Forest

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HotMomInUrArea t1_jak081x wrote

On your way to leaven worth eagle falls is an awesome swimming hole right of the road, and mouth barring is a fucking site to see steepest mountain in Washington it’s like a giant rock spike

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allybra t1_jaklz1b wrote

Restaurant: not a lot of great options, but all of our going out is at gander and ryegrass in downtown. Clinkerdagger if you want to eat and have a view of Spokane falls, but it’s nothing worth writing home about.
Mizula in downtown is good, but not great Luna on the south hill is good

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allybra t1_jakmj5l wrote

I wish I could say that it is an extremely safe area for minorities/ POC but the reality is this is a deep red area, and that translated into how people of certain shades are treated. People like to say it’s purple, but people moving here from California and other places move because of the policies/ general feel of this area. Lots of trump flags on trucks with nuts. Also this

https://www.scarspokane.org/police-brutality

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tetranordeh t1_jalf1lm wrote

On the flip side, Eastern WA has a very high Hispanic population. So many amazing taco trucks and fusion restaurants.

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allybra t1_jamjt0d wrote

You mean central WA has a high population of Hispanics. Lived here for 4 years and the only Hispanics I met are my neighbors. That’s it. Taco trucks are not an indicative of populations

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_jamx013 wrote

Obviously different where you are. Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Yakima, Grant, and Chelan have large Hispanic populations and small business owners.

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allybra t1_jamy5qq wrote

But that is not eastern WA, is it? That is central WA, and it does have a big Hispanic community. Spokane has 6%. Proportion wise, that’s not a big, vibrant Hispanic community.

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_jamylq7 wrote

Everything east of the cascades is eastern Washington. And in relation to the population in those areas, yes it is. I think Yakima is 50%.

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allybra t1_jamzh5m wrote

Spokane is not Yakima though. It might be east of the cascades, but it’s not eastern Wa, it’s central. Everything about the two regions is different. This is how I think of Wa state regions, sorry I don’t know how to add pics. It is a map about CoVid opening, but if you Google a map of Wa state regions, you will get the same thing. Even the universities are called Central WA, they are not eastern Wa in the center of the state

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Washington

pics. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/inslee-king-pierce-and-snohomish-counties-can-restart-restaurant-dining-and-fitness-centers-under-new-washington-covid-19-metrics/?amp=1

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Rocketgirl8097 t1_jao4qnd wrote

Oh lord. As far as the person posting the question, its all eastern Washington. Subgroupings are irrelevant to the context of the question.

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allybra t1_jao8wd7 wrote

He says in his posting he has seen West/ central and he is looking at eastern WA. We apparently have different interpretations of eastern WA. You consider everything East of the cascades eastern WA. I don’t - I consider Ritzville Davenport and East of Ritzville Davenport on i90 eastern Wa. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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tetranordeh t1_jamrnsn wrote

The Tri-Cities area is roughly 32.4% Hispanic. Sorry for not looking up census data for a quick road trip recommendation. 🙄

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/pascocitywashington,richlandcitywashington,kennewickcitywashington/POP815221

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allybra t1_jamw425 wrote

Tri-cities is not Spokane, though, is it? And he said he is visiting Eastern Wa, not the SE

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tetranordeh t1_jamwvgy wrote

Heaven forbid I forget to check Spokane's census data before making a comment on Reddit. You're being an ass over a quick road trip recommendation.

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allybra t1_jamxosi wrote

Dude, what the fuck is your problem? He is a person of color, he is concerned about safety in places he is visiting. As an immigrant, I understand that. Also, just spewing off BS at him doesn’t help. There’s lots of fusion cuisine/ taco trucks - that’s BS, that doesn’t help him. The reality is we had rallies and convoys of trump loving neo-Nazis here, so I wouldn’t say it is overly safe for someone who is a POC. Population wise, I know 2 black people and 2 Hispanics, plus the staff at the Mexican restaurant we go to. This area is not a cornucopia of nations. Racially is it 88% white, don’t paint it to be the United Nations, with people singing kumbaya in peace together.

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tetranordeh t1_jamyluk wrote

Maybe you should've specified that you were only talking about Spokane from the start. I pretty calmly pointed out that other parts of Eastern WA have higher Hispanic populations, and you just keep coming back with "not in Spokane!"

Chelan County: 28.7%

Grant County: 43.1%

Walla Walla County: 22.6%

Franklin County: 54.1%

Benton County: 24.0%

Feel free to look up the rest of the counties. I'm done here.

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allybra t1_jamwbdr wrote

Spokane has 6% Hispanics, so I wouldn’t say that to be a high population of Hispanics

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allybra t1_jamjve5 wrote

Also I work in the medical system, and not a whole lot of Hispanics come through

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hoey1808 t1_jakawo8 wrote

Nothing really worth seeing on the east side imo (coming from a eastern wa resident)

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