Months ago my husband had decided that we needed to take a little vacation just him and I. We haven’t done that since our honeymoon, nearly seven years ago and we needed a recharge. We didn’t want to be too far away from the kids but wanted to be far enough away that we wouldn’t chicken out and come home early. I scoured the web for the most fair and reasonably priced room rates and also looked into what the area had to offer us. That’s when I came upon Dayton, WA.
We did our booking through booking.com and settled on the Best Western Plus. I chose this place for a couple reasons mainly the price was the driving factor but the amenities were really nice too. We booked the king suite for a two night stay which included a large breakfast, microwave, fridge, keurig, couch, and an array of toiletries. The hotel was built in the last five years and has been kept up quite nicely.
The drive to Dayton took about 2 1/2 hours and once we got there we went straight to the Historic Depot Museum. This place was great because it was free, informative, and totally cool! When you first walk in you’re faced with beautiful architecture that you can’t help but notice. Near the front door they have this little safe that was pretty sophisticated for its time. We also got to try opening the inner part of the safe since they don’t have the combination (turns out we didn’t either, darn!). The upstairs of the Depot was used as living quarters and it was full of period appliances, knick knacks, and furnishings. The thing that stuck out most in my mind was an old washer and with it was instructions on how women would do laundry day. Those women had to be seriously buff in order to just do laundry! Gloves off to them, now I’m going to lift some weights eat more pizza (let’s be honest). 😉
After the Depot, we headed to The Boldman House. This house was restored to its original (1912) condition and all of the furnishings in it were actually found in the house and belonged to the Boldman family. It was like walking through a time capsule. This family literally kept everything… receipts, magazines, letters, newspaper clippings, whole newspapers, clothing, kitchen utensils, furnishings… the list is endless. They had so much stuff that some of it was also on display at the Depot Museum. It was truly remarkable to see and one that I will take my kids to see, eventually. You know, when they won’t be as tempted to touch things.
***It’s important to note that while both the Depot and Boldman House tours were free, they are not free from expenses. They need our donations so please consider a donation if you loved what you saw.
For dinner we decided on Chief Spring’s Fire & Irons Brew Pub located on Main Street. It was fantastic! We had fajita pizza and was hands down the best pizza my husband or I had ever had. To wash down the pizza we had one of their home brews, The Fire Line, which was definitely one of our all time faves. Great place to go out with friends, date night, or even to take your family. Fun atmosphere, good service, and great food! I would definitely recommend this place.
The next day we went to Walla Walla, WA and explored the Fort Walla Walla Museum. The place sits atop a hill and shows off a pioneer village, small vineyard, horse era agriculture, and military exhibits. Sam and I spent at least three hours looking through everything. We’ve gone on a number of tours with entry fees where you felt like you didn’t get anything for your money but this one certainly doesn’t go on that list. The pioneer village was probably my favorite part while the agriculture exhibit was more Sam’s thing. All in all though, there is something for everyone and it truly doesn’t disappoint.
On our way back to Dayton we stopped in Waitsburg and found two little whole in the wall antique shops. Again, there was something for everyone, old and young! We were hoping to get to tour the Bruce House but it wasn’t open so we’ll probably come back for that just on a day trip. We had dinner at the Whiskey Canyon Sports Bar & Grill… seriously delicious! I had a locally brewed IPA with the biggest club sandwich I had ever seen! My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach but that was okay because, leftovers!
We both had so much fun on this mini vacation and can’t wait to find another little historic town to visit. While we missed our kids, it was definitely nice to just be able to focus on us for a few days. If you’re looking to relax, rejuvenate, and do some exploring, Dayton is a fine place to visit.
Blissfully Unscripted 