Hiked Comet Falls with my fiancé and a couple of our best friends and absolutely loved the trail!…read moreI've only done a couple trails in MRNP but even if I had done more, I could see this still ranking as a favorite. We had a reservation for entry into the park before 9am and hit the trail early in the day to make sure we wouldn't have to deal with any lines. No issues! The trail is almost four miles roundtrip with a little over 1,200 feet in elevation gain. I wouldn't exactly call it a beginner hike because there's several steep and challenging parts, but it's nothing too bad. My legs were a little sore the next day but all in all it was a great workout. The falls at the end are absolutely gorgeous and hard to comprehend how tall they really are until you're standing right next to it! There's a ton of smaller falls along the way and glimpses of the mountains through the trees too which makes this a gorgeous hike pretty much the entire way. Like most people do, we made ourselves a lunch and enjoyed it at the end and watched the falls for a little while. 10/10 would do this trail again!

Oh wow...how has no one on Yelp written about Comet Falls??? Without a doubt, this trail and hiking…read moretowards majestic Comet Falls was one of THE BEST ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS I WITNESSED at Mount Rainier National Park! What a truly remarkable experience this was for me. I know most people, visitors and tourists would say the main attraction of Mount Rainier is Mount Rainier itself. But this hike to Comet Falls ABSOLUTELY WON ME OVER! I was simply thrilled with the 462 foot plunge of Comet Falls....which then cascaded into another small waterfall. Holy Smokes, when I visited...I was able to photograph both waterfalls (with Comet Falls being the main attraction) all within one entire picture. Seriously, it made for one truly humbling moment! Just some background information I can provide... First off, Comet Falls Trailhead was located literally right off the side of the road as I made my way from outside the entrance towards Mt. Rainier in the small town of Ashford, Washington. From the entrance station, it was about a 10 mile drive heading towards the Paradise Section of Mt. Rainier. Keep this in mind because there ARE NONE, ZERO SIGNS FOR COMET FALLS! Yes, I passed Comet Falls while heading towards the Henry Jackson Visitor Center. But while driving, there were a bunch of cars parked off the side of the road and this got my attention that something cool could be offered here. Along with using the park map, I did recognize the trailhead. In all, I'd say maybe there were only 10 parking spots available. That's how small the area was with limited parking availability. Also, this is VERY IMPORTANT. I hiked to Comet Falls in early afternoon around 1pm in the month of August. When I arrived at the falls in mid-late day....I had the sun at my back going with me. THIS WAS VITAL! Because as you'd expect for taking pictures, this was the perfect moment to grab photos! Absolutely perfect! Yeah it also helped that I hiked the trail on a beautifully sunny day. But coming here in the afternoon time made for the sun to be going with me and I thought my pictures came out stunningly well! Lol, this was so important to me...to not be facing against the sun and dealing with shadows. VISIT IN THE AFTERNOON! More info...Comet Falls Trail is a 3.8 mile round trip hike gaining about 900 feet in elevation. It's not really a hard hike...nothing out of the ordinary...but just so people know it wasn't the easiest hike. Along the way there's not much to view while hiking, just plenty of switchbacks. Right before I arrived at Comet Falls, there was a smaller waterfall area combined with crossing a bridge that some folks may believe is Comet Falls, but it's not. There'll be a clear sign saying - "Comet Falls 200 feet ahead". Still, some people did stop for a picture at these unnamed falls, but they paled in comparison to actual Comet Falls. And yeah when I arrived at Comet Falls, I was completely stunned how statuesque they appeared! For summer time there were still patches of snow on the ground which actually enhanced the surroundings. It wasn't too crowded during my time here and I was able to snap some terrific photos. Also, I easily climbed and got myself right underneath the falls...absolutely as good of an up close view as I could have asked for. I'd say it took me about 3 hours in total to hike Comet Falls. And I spent about 1 hour photographing and just hanging out in and among the falls. Comet Falls was truly special. To be able to get a thrilling introduction to this 462 foot waterfall, the highest waterfall at Mount Rainier, truly gave me the chills I felt quite lucky. And hiking here and spending a portion of the day was certainly worthwhile and one of the best memories I've had since visiting Mt. Rainier National Park. Hiking to Comet Falls is an absolute must!!!

It's not comparable to neighborhoods like the French Quarter (New Orleans), Beacon Hill (Boston),…read moreor the Jersey Shore, but who woulda thunk MY neighborhood here in Richland, WA was a "Historic District". But my neighborhood of Alphabet Houses surely has a history tied to this country, and it is kind of cool to put your residence in a historical context. Now, what drove me to write this Yelp was my noticing of historic signs popping up on Van Giesen during my drives to work in the morn. One by one, I started to see little black signs magically appear on the corners of various streets: McPherson Ave, Marshall Ave, Warren Ct, Mahan Ave, etc. Now these signs are due to the effort of a local group honoring veterans, so isn't totally Historic District-related, but it certainly helps for telling the stories history. As for the Alphabet housing. During the war effort of World War II, the small farming of town transformed from a small farming town to a metropolis of secrecy (fuel for the first atomic bombs were built on the Hanford Site). Richland Population: 1943: 500 1945: 25,000 (!!) The huge change in population needed to be handled quickly. Yes, many soldiers were housed in tents and temporary barracks, but scientists, technicians, and management (along with their families), needed honest to goodness homes. An architect from Spokane was given 90 days to design homes and neighborhoods for the huge influx of people: enter the alphabet houses (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/z_1wFu2h3fGTsjBo6jfv2A?select=TfltN_vfiTmYtBImYep2tg). Each home design was assigned a letter (hence the term "alphabet houses"). The houses range from tiny 1-bedroom houses to huge two-story duplexes. (for the record, I live in a 2-story 3bedroom, home known affectionately as an F-House). It's over a half century later, and many of these houses are still around and generally in their original state. Some areas of the district are quaint and DO look historical, but other neighborhoods do look a wee bit ghetto (like my 'hood!). This is home, and it's nice to know the history behind the area. If you ever get the chance, you should drop by the CREHST Museum (http://www.yelp.com/biz/crehst-museum-richland). There's a cool exhibit about the Alphabet Houses.

The alphabet housing "district" in Richland is interesting to say the least - the new small metal…read moresigns giving some history about the street names are neat, but unless you go on a walking tour of the area I can't see how you would read them. This part of town is probably the least expensive part of northern Richland, the houses have been remodeled and modified, a least most of them have, but the area still retains its unique vibe.

The Teapot Dome Service Station I either got from Atlas Obscura or a book called Weird Washington…read morebut I can't entirely be sure but this place has been on my bookmark list forever and finally got to go to it while on vacation. It's Yelp classification of Local Flavor fits the bill precisely! Historical and unusual this tea pot dome service station was actually a functioning one at one point in time and the building has been kept up and maintained perfectly so it looks quite pristine! Antique gas pumps are nearby to admire, a pic nic table and a memorial nearby. Admission is free and the day I was here I visited with a very congenial gentleman about the nearby area and took some info home about the building and the area. Definitely a cute place to stop! The attraction isn't anything that would be too terribly time consuming to stop at and a good place to stretch your legs and enjoy a service station of the past.

For anyone who appreciates history, architecture, scandal and the Venn diagram where all of them…read moreoverlap, the historic Teapot Dome service station in Zillah, Washington is for you! Located on the main drag in downtown Zillah, this iconic structure is both hard to miss and a poignant reminder that if you are an elected official and do something dumb, it will probably be memorialized forever... Perhaps in the form of an old gas station! For those who are unfamiliar with the teapot dome scandal (like I was until about three minutes ago) - here is a link to a Wikipedia article that will give you some background. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot_Dome_scandal In a nutshell, the presidency of Warren G. Harding was rocked by some illegal activity where leases to drill for oil were granted inappropriately. One such place was in teapot dome, Wyoming... Hence the name. Wouldn't you know, those rascals in Zillah, Washington were on the ball and constructed this novelty gas station as a reminder of the past and to give your kids something fun to look at when you would stop for gas. Unfortunately, this place doesn't have active pumps anymore, but they do use it as a welcome center for the community. There's a nice little parking lot out front, some restrooms if you need to stop, and plenty of opportunity for a picture that will remind you of those clever people down in Zillah! Also, I can imagine architects may appreciate all that goes into a place like this. At present, I don't have a good enough appreciation for the complexities of architecture to know whether not this place is a masterpiece or a piece of crap. Either way, it looks like something out of a nursery rhyme and is unique in the service stations that I have ever been privy to. If you're going through the area, it's worth taking a three minute detour to go see this place!

The newest addition to the outdoor art scene in the area is quite a cool one! Not withstanding, the…read morefact that my better half is one of the 167 people that had their picture displayed on the outside of one of the historic buildings in town. This project is one that is part of a larger international movement called inside-out which aims to help communities see what makes them unique by highlighting pictures of residents. It's a really neat project that has gone on in over 200 cities and realize largely on volunteers in the community to help complete the project. It's very fun to get to walk by and see giant portraits of people you recognize, and some you don't, but that you know are from your city. It's amazing to see how similar everyone looks with a smile or making a funny face. A great addition to downtown, and something that has turned an otherwise ordinary alley into a spot that you can take your friends to!

Dinosaur town is a fun little park and gathering spot in the town of Granger. The area sits on a…read morenice little area with a pond, an amphitheater and a couple playgrounds with lots of dinosaurs to climb on and around. A couple slides and swings, as well as a concessions area with some tables complete this unique play spot about a mile from the freeway. This place gets an extra star because they add on to it just about every year! The main playground near the concession stand and the amphitheater has some great dinos to climb on as well as the swings and slides. The second area across the street has more dinos, an smaller sandy area for little kiddos and the creme de la creme...the T-Rex statue! This one is a bit big to climb on, but it's great for pictures. As stated, they add to the park each year. I'm or sure which was the most recent addition, but one on a small island situated in the middle of the lake seems to be one of the newer models. It's a short walk around the lake to the little peninsula and there's some nice area to sit once you're there. They host movie night here and it's a place they obviously take some pride in. Worth a stop if you're passing by and need to let the kids run around a bit, plus it's fun to climb in dinosaurs!

Lots of dinosaurs here. My goodness. So many dinosaurs. If you wanna see dinosaurs, this is the…read moreplace to go.

So, okay, I don't think you're REALLY meant to climb to the top and get a close up view of the…read morehorses. It's very slippery and steep. The only reason there are 4 instead of 5 stars - because how can you really criticize a highway sculpture? - is because if they ARE going to have a trail, which they do, how about some nice steps made out of railroad ties, for instance, instead of VERY SLIPPERY volcanic rock? The real title of this sculpture is Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies. It was made by David Govedare and is unfinished, although it was made a while ago, so perhaps we can just call it finished. It consists of several life-sized horses, all slightly different. There are viewpoints on both sides of the highway; however, you can only hike to it (crawl, maybe) from the parking area on the eastbound side of the highway.

Just east of the Vantage Bridge…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/i-90-vantage-bridge-vantage?hrid=dgakWPY4_7V36mIYBEzsfQ on I-90, there is a sign pointing the way to a scenic view. I was not able to spot the Wild Horses but I definitely had a great view down the valley to the bridge and over the lake. It was supremely windy up here today. Absolutely bonkers. I very nearly got blown off my feet but the view was worth it. [Review 17108 overall - 96 in Washington - 624 of 2022.]

We often drive through the area in our two passenger busses doing senior tours to different areas…read morearound the state. We made it a point to stop here for lunch each year we pass through as their food is REALLY good! And they do not miss! If you are in Ellensburg, and you enjoy good italian dishes, it is a MUST to eat here! thanks for a great meal! (:

What can I say about Simone? She is top notch and has the sweetest demeanour and her smile lights…read moreof the room. We watched her maintain her good attitude even with a dining room full of people, all vying for her attention. The rest of the wait staff was also very nice and we were greeted by friendly enthusiastic hostesses. The restaurant itself is lovely and you really feel like you are having a special night out. As a chef, yous all know i can be tough to please, so i try to give the benefit of the doubt! This is the third time we have eaten here hoping for it to be worthy of the prices. This last time, we decided i will take it home and fix it up to make it more palatable. I did share with Simone our thoughts on the food, and she let us know they have a new chef who is learning their menu. So, we will come back one more time to see if there is a positive change. We really want to enjoy coming here as it is one of the more affordable nicer dining options in the area. Well let yous know how it goes! To be continued...

We've been to Gård's other locations before, but finally made it into the Ellensburg tasting room…read moreyesterday - and I'm so glad we did. The wines are as solid as ever (big fan of their new releases), but the real standout was the guy pouring. Super friendly, chill, and made the whole experience feel easy and fun. No pretense, just good wine and good convo. Bonus points for having food to snack on and beer options for the non-wine folks. It's got everything you need for a laid-back afternoon. This spot might just be my favorite Gård location. Definitely worth a visit if you're in town.

Gard Vintners in the historic downtown area of Ellensburg is a winery with a broad variety of…read morewines. The tasting fee is $20 for 6 tastings, waived with 2 bottles purchased. The tasting room is actually 2 large rooms with many seating options. We sat in the comfy chairs in the corner. Van approached us upon entering and served our tastings. He is very knowledgeable about their vineyards and wines, which is much appreciated. They don't have a set tasting flight, but rather "whatever is open" at the time. We had a wide variety from their Blanc Franc, which we loved, to a rich Cab Sauv. The bottle prices are wide ranged and well priced. They have a bites menu, but we didn't try any of the food. They have musicians play on some evenings. They produce whites, roses and reds so it's a great place for couples and groups who have varying preferences.