10 Coolest Small Towns, Wash.
A little bit hip and a little bit homey, these up-and-coming towns guarantee a fun detour on your next road trip. You’ll be browsing the local real estate pages before you know it.
By Paul Gregutt
Published in the September 2007 issue
Waitsburg, Wash.
Population: 1,212
Nearest City: Walla Walla, 21 miles
Ross Stevenson and Leroy Cunningham settled in Waitsburg six years ago, in search of a quieter lifestyle. With two partners, they opened the Whoopemup Hollow Café in 2005. The Whoop, as it’s known, dishes up jambalaya and Coca-Cola cake to wheat farmers and wine snobs alike (120 Main St., 509/337-9000, jambalaya $19). Just across the street, Jim German recently opened Jimgermanbar, which specializes in classic cocktails and small plates (119 Main St., 509/337-6001). His wife, Claire Johnston-German, owns the AMO Art gallery next door (117 Main St., 509/876-1264, amo-art.com). Summers in Waitsburg can get hot, and the Laht Neppur Brewing Co. is the place to cool down (444 Preston Ave., 509/337-6261). After savoring a flight of eight mini pours, head over to the Monteillet Fromagerie, where the cheeses are made with milk from free-range goats and sheep (109 Ward Rd., 509/382-1917). Monteillet’s sheep’s-milk gelato is a revelation.
