[jabm67]

Weekend before last I went over to Yakima, left my kids with my sister, and took my mom and did wine-tasting in the Yakima Valley. It was "Red Wine & Chocolate" weekend, though I think no more than half of the places we went to had much chocolate. We managed to get to ten different wineries. Fun, but man, there's a lot of mediocre merlots out there.

[Wyoming53]

jabm67 said:

Weekend before last I went over to Yakima, left my kids with my sister, and took my mom and did wine-tasting in the Yakima Valley. It was "Red Wine & Chocolate" weekend, though I think no more than half of the places we went to had much chocolate. We managed to get to ten different wineries. Fun, but man, there's a lot of mediocre merlots out there.

Kind of off thread. But did you see the news about wine? They say that within the next 5 years, we will overtake France on the most wines available from any country.

I always wanted to go up into wine country and take a tour or two. Never got the chance. Closest I came to it was a big festival they had in San Diego. They'd chain link off Old Town and invite all the micro breweries in to set up booths and give samples of beer. Some years they had over 300 different beers to sample. Cost $25 to get through the gate, beer was free. Food cost you though. 100% of the money went to the Cystic Fibrosis foundation.

[MyAzi]

I have been to Yakima and yet never gone to any of the wineries out there. Perhaps one of these days. I did however attempt to go to the Casino out there in the Topponish area and let me tell you...what a scary place! I heard so much about it that I had to go see. It was small and dingy. So we went into town to grab a drink...and that was scarier!! First the town is semi dry. Only beer and wine and the couple of bars there were less desirable than the casino. There was one restuarant in the entire town that served hard liquor and it was like a diner with a small bar in the back. And we had to get a waitress to come pour a drink. LOL if that is what you could call it!

I also figured with the large hispanic population there that I could find some decent Mexican food in Yakima...no such luck!!!

[jabm67]

Well, those towns are on the edge ... perhaps within, I'd have to look at the map ... of the Yakama tribe reservation. Liquor is a historically contentious thing in that situation.

As far as good Mexican food in Yakima itself, it's there, but it's surprisingly difficult to find. There's a place whose name I cannot recall out at 72nd & Tieton that's pretty good that I go to with my folks ... that's way out in the western edge of town, out toward where they live.

[washington native]

i typically only stopped in yakima if one of my daughters had to go to the bathroom. much better wineries in the yamhill valley.