Tri-Cities, Washington
Tri-cities is a central area surrounding the river joining of the Columbia River + Snake River. These 3 cities have merged together over time and are easily accessible to each other through a series of bridges. I would highly recommend a car for this city to see all the beauty of the bridges and to be able to go as you please as local transit is less available. The airport is small + municipal but seems nice from the drive nearby.
Our Stay
We traveled to this area for a quick volleyball tournament my husband had been invited to play at the local Columbia Basin College (CBC). This was a very quick turnaround trip for us, especially given the distance, but we had a limited time frame and had to turn it around quickly. We drove down Friday afternoon, Jeremy played the tournament Saturday morning, and we were driving home by 3PM Saturday. The Tri-cities area definitely has much more to offer than we were able to see on this trip, but we are sure we will be back soon.
Where we stayed
Fairfield Inn Kennewick
Unfortunately, this was not our favorite stay. We have had great luck with Fairfield Inns in the past, but this was definitely a smaller, older build and it was felt in the amenities. Breakfast was decent but there was a small selection compared to others, the rooms were spacious but the furniture, electronics, + amenities were outdated. The King suite we stayed in had a couch bed for the kids, but it was a twin size rather than a double, like we thought it would be, and was not listed as such on the website. Service was lovely but it did provide some setup challenges and we had a more difficult night of rest with the girls trying to get a situation in which everyone would sleep.
Some positives: located near multiple family friendly restaurants, nearby shopping + grocery, and easy access to the freeway for city roaming.
What we ate
This trip was too fast to eat anywhere too swanky or local, it was a lot of grab and go. But of what we did get, we were impressed with their franchise quality.
Red Robin
A family favorite, and great for traveling with hungry kids as their menu currently has many bottomless options for one flat price.
Costa Vida
One of my personal favorites for sure. I love the raspberry chipotle enchiladas and the sweet pork salad. The kids meals are filling and fun, and less costly than most other restaurants' kids menus.
Arbys
Sometimes you just need to eat curly fries. A classic all around, although their kids menu is lacking in my opinion. I usually buy an adult sandwich I know my kids would eat better and split it in half for them.
Where we played
Columbia Basin College
Jeremy played in CBC’s public co-ed volleyball tournament here. It is a beautiful campus with an observatory, agriculture gardens, plenty of grassy areas for play, and a brand new recreation center. They were excellent hosts and the tournament was great! If you are a volleyball player and near enough to travel, definitely check out their tournaments. They post them to the college website as well as on social media events.
Playground of Dreams - Columbia Park
This playground was so much fun! Our kids had a blast and were so sad to leave it. The park boasts several different swings, including a tri swing and inclusive swings. It has several different play structures, with a great rounding up of the PNW. This is near the Columbia River and is very scenic, with plenty of running space for kids and pets, a skate park, an outdoor theater, Veterans Memorial gardens, a pond with fishing, and a walking path along the river. There is a great view of the Pioneer Memorial bridge. Bring a picnic lunch and stay a while.
Sacagawea Historical State Park
This park is a perfect spot for a family picnic. There is a great grassy, shady area full of picnic tables near the small Interpretation Center, which is backed by the junction of the Snake + Columbia rivers. There are hiking trails, boat docks, scenic views of bridges + water, ducks and geese to watch, teepee structures to explore, and so much more. We were only able to stop by for a short time in the main parking lot but we would love to come back again! I can’t recommend this enough for families!
Other Tips + Tricks
We drove up to Tri-cities from the Boise area, putting our drive at around 260 miles one way, roughly 4.5 hours of driving (plus stops, because kids). The route we took drove us through some fun historic towns along the original Oregon Trail, including Baker City, OR and Pendleton, OR. Both of these cities had beautiful historic downtown areas with lots more to explore (more than we had time for this trip) and could be a great stopping point along a road trip through the area.
The Blue Mountains had a great forested area that was fun to drive through. It always feels amazing to see such a dense forested area, especially having lived most of my life in desert areas. There was even a summit called Emily Summit! I’ll have to leave time to stop there next time.
The drive itself was smooth sailing. The roads were fairly well maintained, and the views were next level. The most difficult area to drive is called Deadman Pass, which is just southeast of Pendleton, OR. It is a very steep incline area with lots of truck traffic, so be aware of this unique section of the drive.
