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Moving to the Tri-Cities
Vater5B
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey all! I have recently accepted a new job in Kennewick, WA. While the Internet has taught me that the Tri-Cities are not well liked by urbanites of the PNW, it will be a glorious paradise compare to the wasteland I hail from (the buckle of the Bible Belt). I have been doing searches about the area trying to find cool stuff, but I figured that since so many PA people are from Washington that this might be a decent place to ask. My wife and I love good food, good beverages, gaming, hiking, cultural enrichment and other unique experiences. Are there any places that we must check out upon our arrival?
Thanks!
Thanks!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Vater5B on
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I'm picking my brain, because for 25 years I lived an hour away from the Tri Cities and the most notable thing about it was going to the big mall which was the largest around.
I found this on Google: Events to do in Tri Cities. Wiki is also a good source (Link). Apparently Richland is one of the best cities in the U.S. to raise children (Link).
The Tri-Cities are basically small cities, so lots of sprawl, lots of single-story commercial development (e.g., Wal-Marts, strip malls, etc.), but not much of a downtown to go to. You're also kind of smack-dab in the middle of the Eastern Washington arid prairie, so kind of boring, but great stargazing opportunities. There are also speedboat races on the Columbia River during the summer.
It's been too long for me, so I can't comment on any particular cuisine, but if it's followed the trends of the rest of the nearby Yakima Valley, they've been emphasizing wine and beer, so you'll have good options there. Also, the area has a high Mexican immigrant population which means you can partake of some of the best Mexican food you'll ever find.
Walla Walla is 53 miles away, and has a phenomenal downtown, great food, and is overall a really fun place to visit. If you want to go on a winery tour, take I-82 up to Yakima and you'll have your pick of 53 wineries (Link).
If you can schedule a few days, the outdoors will really open up to you. The Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier National Park to the west are amazing. To the north you have phenomenal camping at Banks Lake up by Grand Coulee Dam. In the northeast you have the Idaho lakes, including Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Big-city wise, Kennewick is 3 & 1/2 hours from Portland, OR, and 3 & 1/2 hours from Seattle, WA. Both are great cities to visit. Another hour past Portland will have you arriving at the northern Oregon Coast, a phenomenally popular stretch for locals and tourists.