The National Onion Association Summer Convention is less than three weeks away. Richland, Washington plays host. If you’ve been straddling the fence about going, it’s time to jump on over.
It’s pointless to rehash the NOA’s brochure which gives all the details on meetings, the Columbia Basin Ag Tour and networking opportunities. Instead, here’s some things to do while in the Tri-Cities area.
FOR HISTORY BUFFS
Learn about “Kennewick Man,” a 9,200-year-old skeleton at the East Benton County Historical Society Museum.
Follow the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery and explore the Lewis and Clark Trail or visit Sacajawea State Park.
Visit The REACH Museum to learn about the Manhattan Project, Alphabet Homes, Lewis and Clark, the Ice Age floods and eastern Washington’s geology.
Dig up local artifacts and learn about the region’s geography at the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site
Blast into the past while exploring the B Reactor National Historic Landmark at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park
FOR SPORTS & OUTDOOR RECREATION FANS
Golf at one of 10 area golf courses.
Cheer for one of the Tri-Cities’ professional sports teams during a Tri-City Dust Devils baseball game
Float on the Columbia River with a rented jet-ski, powerboat or kayak.
Engage in a game of “foot golf” at Columbia Park Golf Links.
Walk, bike or run the 23-mile paved Sacagawea Heritage Trail located along the Columbia River.
Enjoy spectacular views while hiking the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve or Tapteal Greenway.
Ride on horseback or bicycle through vineyard trails and take in the spectacular view from Red Mountain.
Go on a guided wildlife tour of the McNary National Wildlife Refuge.
Splash in the sprays of water at one of Tri-Cities’ splash pads.
Search for the many different geocaches hidden in the Tri- Cities using your smartphone or GPS device.
DINING & CULTURE
Savor award-winning Washington wines at one of 200 wineries within a one-hour drive.
Dine at a restaurant along the banks of the Columbia River and watch a spectacular sunset.
Taste fresh produce from roadside stands or at one of 11 local farmers markets.
Listen to live music in Richland’s John Dam Plaza on a warm summer night.
Tour the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and learn about the recent detection of gravitational waves.
Cruise along the Columbia River on a dinner cruise.
Explore Washington’s first barrel caves used for aging wines at Terra Blanca Winery & Estate Vineyard on Red Mountain.
View artist Maya Lin’s Seven Story Circles in Sacajawea State Park, part of the Northwest Confluence Project.
Sample brews and spirits at local microbreweries and distilleries.
Gaze up at the planets and stars at the Bechtel National Planetarium.
Reach for the brass ring at the Gesa Carousel of Dreams.
Splurge on handmade chocolates, freshly baked breads and in-season produce at the Country Mercantile with locations in Richland and Pasco.
Seek out authentic Mexican shops and panaderias (Mexican bakeries) in Pasco’s historic downtown.
Create your own works of glass art while sipping fine artisan wine from Barnard Griffin in the world’s only glass arts studio located in a winery
