We woke before sunrise and enjoyed the soft pink skies rising above us we got ready to head to Walla Walla for some biking and wine tasting. After squishing our bikes in the car, we blasted, heading on a trip to enjoy wine country.

The drive was pleasant and the Palouse hills were beautiful. I was inspired by the farms filled with lines of color and the amazing homes people chose to build when faced with such an incredible view. There are several teeny, tiny towns between Pullman and Walla Walla, each with charming people with lots of artistic charm. One of my favorite art projects was of a metal robot directing a band of music instruments.

Once we arrived, we met up with a local cycling enthusiast, Scott, at Allegro Cyclery right in historic downtown Walla Walla. Jake’s bike had suffered an unexpected tire-deflation-situation during the drive over and the guys at Allegro surprised us by immediately fixing the problem right in front of us with almost no effort and at a very low cost. Issue complete, we were off.

We started the ride with a cruise down Palouse street, a rue full of history, and according to Scott, the original (and current) site of many of Walla Walla’s millionaires. These homes were majestic, with amazing floral landscaping and intricate decorations like an expertly frosted cake. I felt as if I’d been jolted into another time period.

We biked through vineyards and over rolling hills, viewing expanses of wheat and quirky homes; Walla Walla has a great mesh of rural farms and incredibly modern dwellings. You can’t look far without seeing interesting new technology to keep grape vines from becoming frosty, vintage farm equipment, solar panels on the roofs of houses and even a sustainable local farm that still plowed their fields by horse!

The scent of sweet, fresh flowers hung in the air as we rolled over hills and past fields. The alfalfa crop was near ready to harvest and the small purple flowers were barely visible as we spend past them. They were reaching up toward the sun as it beat down on them mercilessly. Alfalfa must be related to clover, because the blossoms smelled delightfully similar.

The ride in blazing heat was taxing, and as the pavement began to radiate blasts of hot waves onto us, we decided to take a stop by a Southside winery on the vineyard loop, Sleight of Hand.

A refreshing change from more upscale wine cellars, Sleight of Hand was filled with vintage records, great people and stellar sips. What caught our eyes were the magic-show style paintings and imagery around the winery, and all over their bottles of wine.

We tasted varietals with names like The Archimage, The Magician’s Assistant and our favorite: The Conjurer. Emblazed with the face of magician and actor, Neil Patrick Harris, it was an excellent red blend that we couldn’t go home without purchasing.

Once off the bike, we didn’t stop exploring! We stopped for lunch at a local hot spot and visited more wineries like Beresan and Adamant Cellars. Stay tuned for more of our Walla Walla wine tasting experience!

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Adan

By Elizabeth Adan

Elizabeth Adan is a Freelance Writer, Publicist and Brand Ambassador. Her blog Aquaberry Bliss is a unique outdoor lifestyle blog dedicated to expanding your world and inspiring your creativity. When Elizabeth isn’t traveling, you’ll find her writing, hiking or gardening. Find Elizabeth on Twitter @stillaporcupine and on LinkedIn.