I used to think of Ellensburg, Washington, as a place to stretch my legs, refuel and groan about how many more hours it was going to be reaching the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla or wherever eastward I was heading.
Not anymore.
A recent 24 hours in Ellensburg has convinced me that this historic central Washington town, best known for its university, farming and rodeo, is an ideal place to stop for a night and enjoy a whole lot of culture and charm — just a mile off of Interstate 90.
Did you know that if you are flying Icelandair to Europe, you can stopover in Iceland for up to a week, for no extra cost, before flying to your destination? You get a break from the long flight and a mini-vacation before finishing your journey.
Why not apply the same premise to Ellensburg? This friendly small town deserves to be a stopover, not a pitstop. It has a vibrant arts, culture and wine scene as well as a plethora of outdoor activities. Ellensburg may just be the Iceland of Washington state.
Starting the journey east
Ellensburg is just two hours east of the greater Seattle area, but if you aren’t used to making the haul across the state, it can be daunting to get going. To prime you for the drive, here are two treats along the way.
If you get on I-90 by midmorning, stop and have lunch at South Fork in North Bend. This two-year-old restaurant with its casual country vibe and extensive Washington-based beverage list is an excellent way to start your trip. Order at the counter, then choose an inside table or a space on the patio. Got dogs or kids? There’s a whole big field in which they can run around – supervised by you, of course.
Next stop is downtown Cle Elum for a tasting at Upsidedown Wine. Owned by Audrey and Seth Kitkze, Upsidedown is known for their luscious Rhone varietals. We swooned over the delicately balanced Stoney Florals Grenache and the rich “Artist Series” White, a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne.
Back on the road and it’s just 25 miles to Ellensburg.
Bringing arts and culture to the ’Burg
While solid and proud in its identity as rodeo town, Ellensburg has expanded to embrace the arts. In February 2024, the city was named the newest Certified Creative District by the Washington State Arts Commission.
“We have a huge community of rural artists,” says Hayley Harrell, who runs marketing and events for the Downtown Ellensburg Association. “Our First Friday art walk every month is really popular.” Peeking through storefronts, you can see art adorning the walls as many of the small businesses in town incorporate the work of local artists, changing out exhibits monthly or quarterly.
When Emily and Lee Fergestrom, owners of Yakima’s Fortuity Cellars, were looking to open a second tasting room, they were drawn to Ellensburg. “We love the creative energy,” says Emily Fergestrom. “There’s a great mix of shops, restaurants, galleries and bars. It’s a place we wanted to spend time in.”
Drawing on that artistic energy and believing in the power of collaboration, in early 2022 the Fergestroms reached out to their friend and wine club member Erin Oostra, an artist who had recently relocated from Seattle to Ellensburg, and proposed a joint wine and art venture.
By the end of that year, the cozily co-located Fortuity Cellars tasting room and Nuwave Gallery opened on a downtown corner, offering a contemporary art gallery experience along with a rotating selection of Fortuity wines.
Recently, the space featured “The Nature of Now,” showcasing the food scrap-based art of James Zamory, chef/owner of Carnal restaurant in Bellingham. For the show’s opening, Zamory catered the evening, in which his art and small plates (and Fortuity wines) were in conversation. As were the guests! Who knew you could make gorgeous, arresting art with fennel tops and beef silverskin?
“Food, wine, and art — it was a natural intersection of all three,” Fergestom said. As well as the exhibitions, the wines rotate in the tasting room. The Fifty-Fifty Malbec/Syrah blend is perennially popular, and see if you can try the Rosé of Cinsault before it sells out.
Walk the ‘wine block’
Ellensburg is becoming rich with wine tasting options rooms. We stood in the middle of North Pearl Street, AKA “the wine block,” and could hit three tasting rooms with a cork.
Gärd Vintners, owned by Lisa and Josh Lawrence, was the first to open a tasting room downtown. A large and comfortable two rooms, the Gärd tasting room serves as a community gathering space as well as wine experience. Katie Holm, director of community engagement for the Downtown Ellensburg Association, regularly enjoys Gärd’s live music Fridays with her family.
“You see a lot of multigenerational families eating, drinking and dancing together,” she says. Her go-to glass is The Don, a Cab/Syrah blend. We also suggest the luscious Kvasir and the peachy Muscadelle. All of Gärd’s grapes are sourced from their estate vineyards and carefully crafted by winemaker Matías Kúlsulas.
Next door to Gärd, is Kúlsulas’ own winery, Valo Wines, which he co-owns with chef Michael Ruhland. Opened in 2024, the tasting room features both Valo wines and the more experimental Massalto label. “We wanted to have something traditional and something more playful,” says Ruhland.
“Ellensburg wasn’t an area I had ever thought about,” he admits, saying that Gärd’s success proved to them that the market was there for both locals and visitors, and especially with the close proximity to the Columbia Gorge and Leavenworth. Their monthly four-course wine dinners, featuring both Valo and Massalto wines and catered by Ruhland, have been very popular.
After you’ve tasted through the Valo/Massalto lineup (the Valo Pinot Noir and the Massalto Extravaganza, a carbonic Cinsault, are YUM), pop around the corner to Siren Song Wines Le Bistrôt. A soupçon of France in white tiles and blue velvet, Siren Song walks the line between tasting room and restaurant with its menu of generous shared plates. If you order the white wine and butter poached shrimp, pair it with the Musique, an Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc blend.
Time for a rest
When you are ready for a post-tasting, pre-dinner rest, check into the Hotel Windrow and sink into their very comfy, many-pillowed beds. If you are traveling with friends or kids, the double queen room is incredibly spacious and has a series of doors for bathroom privacy. Built as an Elks Lodge in the 1920s, the hotel features tall windows and old-world charm as well as modern amenities including a 24-hour fitness center.
For dinner, walk across the street to Julep Southern Kitchen & Cocktail Bar. We were wined-out by this time so went for classic cocktails: a Paloma (which came with real grapefruit juice) and an Old Fashioned. Both went beautifully with our Nashville Cauliflower Bites, Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich, and Shrimp Po’boy. They also have an impressive mocktail list.
Before you hit the sack, see if you can snag a bedtime chocolate chip cookie in Hotel Windrow’s lobby.
On the road again
You’re going to need sustenance to finish your drive across the state. Fuel up at The Early Bird, a hoppin’ breakfast joint with generous servings and mimosa flights. Did we need to order the steaming, sticky Monkey Bread as well as our Benny Bowl and spiced nut and blueberry strewn Brown Rice Porridge? No. Are we glad we did? Oh, yes.
You know what else we’re glad about? That we stopped over in Ellensburg on our journey to eastern Washington. Now it’s just under two hours to the Tri-Cities, two-and-a-half hours to both Spokane and Walla Walla, and three hours to Pullman.
We had a fantastic time exploring downtown Ellensburg and sampling so many incredibly well-done wines poured by friendly and knowledgeable staff. While the varieties, styles and décor varied from tasting room to tasting room, there are two things they all had in common: superb wines and Chris Stapleton on the sound system.
This isn’t Ellensburg’s first rodeo. They know how to please a crowd. I’ll happily stopover in our very own Iceland any time.
Feature Image Courtesy Saskia Potter Photography
