A Love Letter to Walla Walla, Washington

---

The first thing that struck me about Walla Walla was the greenery. As a California native, I am no stranger to beautiful landscapes. But this - this was different. The trees where different. The local flora and fauna were such a stark contrast to the palm trees and succulents I had grown up with. While our SoCal mountains where built high with red clay soil, Walla Walla had brown, fertile soil rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. Walla Walla was lush.

A quick drive (because nothing in Walla Walls is more than a fifteen minute drive away) outside of town will only prove this point. Rolling green hills enveloped with vineyards, apple orchards, onions, and a variety of other agricultural treasures are abundant. As a life long food lover, this was a paradise. It is this landscape that creates a perfect layer for agriculture meets refined. The wine. Oh my god, the wine!

And, of course, with good wine comes spectacular food.

Nine years ago, I found myself deep into a google search. I was on the prowl for a new place to call home. In the search bar was: Best Affordable Small Towns in the US.

I knew I had my heart set out on the Pacific Northwest. Initially, my search led me to Spokane. Spokane, with it's population of 229,071, was tiny in comparison to the goliath of San Diego's 1,382,000 population. Alas, job opportunities in Spokane were few and far between for a pastry chef. (I would also later learn that Spokane is the third largest city in Washington and most definitely not a small town at all.)

The spark that led me to Walla Walla came in the form of a job offer. The Marcus Whitman Hotel and Conference Center, the historic landmark and downtown Walla Walla's tallest building, was hiring for a pastry chef. I applied.

As luck would have it, they were interested. After a phone call interview with their head chef and sous chef, I was flown out for a job interview.

It was the peak of June's mild summer days. The lovely aroma of peaches filled the air. It was no wonder I was struck with love at first sight. As you walk through the neighborhoods, steeped in

Americana and small-town splendor, you can look up and see a canvas of green leaves instead of blue skies. The old Craftsman and Victorian houses were the kind of thing I had only seen in movies.

And there were restaurants here! Real restaurants with excellent food that wasn't just "good for a small town," but creative and inspired in their own right.

My husband and I sold all of our possessions that didn't fit into our cars, and road tripped our way up north. This was a perfect place to settle, and an ideal place to start a business.

We set roots. The soil is perfect for it, after all.