Walla Walla has a great, old, historic downtown area, one of the best downtown business districts I have seen in terms of century-old architecture. It is the county seat of Walla Walla County and the courthouse is Depression-era architecture that is a grayish color. There is a 13-story hotel in the heart of downtown. Most decent sized towns have a high rise hotel in the middle of town, some open for business, some not. They are a reminder of earlier days when downtown areas were the heart and soul of every city and town in America. However, this hotel seems to be overly tall for a town the size of Walla Walla. It is the Marcus Whitman Hotel. It was abandoned for awhile, but it has been re-opened.
Walla Walla is also located in the grassy, hilly area called the Palouse that occupies much of southeastern Washington. An alternate name for the Palouse Hills is the Horse Heaven Hills because there is so much grass it is heaven for horses.
Walla Walla is also the focal point of Washington's fledgling wine-industry. There are alot of vineyards in the area.
Adjacent to Walla Walla on the south is College Place, which has about 8,000 people. Life in
College Place revolves around Walla Walla University. Most towns that are dominated by a university have a medium to large university in town that exerts its influence over life in the town. However, Walla Walla University only has about 1,900 students, and yet it is a commanding presence in the town. The university is affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church. In fact, about 85% of the residents of College Place belong to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. This creates the unusual situation where most of the town's businesses are closed on Saturday, but open on Sunday.
College Place is home to the Walmart that serves the area.
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