Yakima has a few interesting old signs ... the Lariat is one of our favorites.

Downtown Yakima: Art Deco in Apple Country

From Ellensburg to Yakima, we took Canyon Road through the very scenic 27 mile Yakima River Canyon. This route follows the Yakima River as it winds through a steep canyon and then between rounded wheat-colored hills that are punctuated with geometric outcroppings of basalt. The views of the river reflecting the hillsides that rise more than 2000 feet above the water were beautiful.

Upon arrival in Yakima we followed the railroad tracks to the Front Street Historic District. This area is home to assorted shops and restaurants in restored old brick and masonry buildings. A landmark building is the restored 1912 Mission revival styled Northern Pacific Depot. This historic depot now houses the Bert Grants Brewery Pub, the first Northwest microbrewery. We sampled the brews and recommend the Lazy days (summer ale), Fresh Hops ale (fall ale); and Mandarin Heffeweizen.

A short stroll from Front Street took us to the heart of downtown Yakima. Here the best of the old has been saved and effectively integrated with the new. The area is thriving. The streets are lined with every conceivable shop and restaurant, and there are small pockets of landscaping tucked along many of the intersections. Here are a few of the highlights:

Capitol Theater — A restored 1920's renaissance revival palazzo vaudeville house and movie theater. When completed, it was the biggest theater in the Pacific Northwest. Too bad the theatre was closed ... we couldn’t see the interior with the original murals and ceiling paintings.

To see some nice detail ... click on the photo.

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