Guitar Festival 2019
Having fun in Walla Walla
Guitar Festival 2019 was an event we planned to enjoy with Randy and Sandy for three days. The instrumentals were loud but good. Many of the vocals were not pleasant because the singer was screaming into the microphone so one could not understand what they were singing.
Visiting the Goose Ridge tasting room and the Marcus Whitman Ballroom
After settling in we went to the Stone Hut grill where we enjoyed gizzards and nachos. While more rubbery than we like, the portion of gizzards was huge. Afterward we met with Randy and Sandy at the Goose Ridge tasting room where the ladies caught up. Randy and I enjoyed a bottle of wine until the festivities started. There were many people at the festival and the Marcus Whitman Ballroom was full for the kickoff event.
The music was good but the instrumental volume was too high for our taste. The vocals were not so good because the singers were screaming the words, which were largely unintelligible. We sat at the back of room. The chairs were not comfortable. After the kickoff show we went to Dacres which was a small place, did not offer food, and the seating was terrible. They used cheap white plastic lawn furniture. Randy and I went next door to Passo Tiempa for appetizers and returned with bread and prosciutto, peanuts, and olives. Were charged $37 for that small amount of food! We did not like this venue because it was too small, too cold, (Sandy stood by the wall heater) and too loud. We will not return to that venue.
Enjoying Bontzu Cellars for music and wine followed by the Sound and Stone musicians
The next morning (Saturday) we tried making coffee in the room, but it was awful, so I went down for a couple of cups of their robust coffee with Half and Half. Later we had the free breakfast downstairs, and it was not bad. Cheri had oatmeal and fruit, and I had potatoes, scrambled eggs, and two kinds of sausage. I took a bowl of sausage up the room for later. We met up with Sandy and Randy after breakfast, and went to the main events at the Marcus Whitman Ballroom where we enjoyed all four artists, which played in reverse order: Terry Robb, Coyote Kings, Randy Oxford Reunion, and Peter Rivera. All were good, but I liked the last two bands the best.
At the end of the day for our last event, we went to Bontzu Cellars for live music and wine. The room was already full except for the tasting stools so we took those. We found a great Gewürztraminer to enjoy while listening to the guitar. The Sound and Stone musicians Nico Evans and Bash Evans were two brothers who were quite talented. Cheri purchased one of their CDs for $9 which had five of their original songs. They were excellent and we listened to them on the way home. Nico was the younger brother and had a great voice, reminiscent of the lead singer of Creed. For food we had blue cheese, bread, and Scotch.
Joining the Gospel Brunch and Jaz Jam Fest at the Marriott
This morning we started with the Gospel Brunch with Rae Gordon (singer) at the Marcus Whitman Ballroom where we enjoyed scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, bacon, and a variety of other things I’m typically not interested in.
At 2pm we went to the Courtyard Marriott to enjoy the Jazz jam fest and it was really good. There were old guys that were talented, but also teenagers that were just about as good. Sandy and Randy left at about 3:15 to go home because Sandy had to travel the next day to San Diego. We left the event not long after at about 3:30 and went to the Huckleberry’s on 9th Ave to pick up a couple of wines, a rotisserie chicken, and snacks for the evening meal. We also purchased Dot’s pretzels for the first time and they were excellent. We purchased a Bookwalter Reader for $19 and it was excellent. We also bought a L’Ecole white, and have not had it yet.
Wrapping up Guitar Festival 2019 by packing and heading home
On Monday in the morning we loaded up the truck to leave, and when checking out we prepared a bowl of Kielbasa. We drove the back roads way toward Spokane and enjoyed the trip. There was much to see and the landscape was beautiful with plenty of sun. We picked up the poodle and went home to complete a good trip. Guitar Festival 2019 was a success.
Links
2019 Walla Walla Guitar Festival
Walla Walla Guitar Festival
