Dotted throughout the Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley and Walla Walla are around 150 wineries. Drive or bicycle back roads from winery to winery. Finish tasting with a picnic many wineries offer picnic grounds and deli-style offerings. Or head for a riverside park.
Country inns provide charming lodgings and gourmet food.
Marcus Whitman Hotel in downtown Walla Walla is undergoing top to bottom renovations to bring back its former opulence for those who want nostalgia in their romance. Nine wineries are now clustered in the Snoqualmie Valley and neighboring Sammamish and Snohomish Valleys, just east of Seattle. Countryside attractions here include the Snoqualmie Steam Train, Snoqualmie Falls, organic produce farms, an herb farm, and small towns sprouting antique stores. The new Northwest-style Willows Lodge is nestled along the Sammamish River and is near two of Washington's leading wineries and a microbrewery. Small, family-run wineries can be the most spontaneous.