Spoken Gently's Blog: Tri-Cities Washington

Tri City Herald writes:

Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., would like to open public access to Rattlesnake Mountain and the Hanford Reach to bring more tourists to the Mid-Columbia. Hastings spoke to a sold-out crowd of about 240 people at the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual state of the congressional district luncheon Wednesday at the Shilo Inn in Richland.

Thumbs up for Doc Hastings for supporting Tri-Cities Eco Tourism. As a Tri City Wa REALTOR® this can only mean a boom for an already thriving housing market. A Michigan State University eco-tourism study shows eco-tourism having a significant effect on a region's economy and industry.

Related Reading: Heritage and Eco Tourism | Environmental Tourism | Hanford Reach | Bateman…

Do you simply love to shop? If so, then checking out the famous Columbia Center Mall in the Tri-Cities community of Kennewick, Washington is an absolute must, particularly if you’re considering what your Tri City Wa real estate purchase options are in this vibrant city.

Shopping is actually one of the main recreational activities and attractions to be found in Kennewick, long considered a shopping paradise in the Tri-Cities area and one of the best places to shop in Washington, with a wide variety of local stores, shops, boutiques, larger shopping centers, and, of course, the mall. The Columbia Center Mall, which opened in the late 1960s, is largely responsible for the large crowds of shoppers that flock to Kennewick from as far away as the city of…

The Heart of Washington’s Wine Country

With more than 150 wineries within an hour’s drive, the Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland are truly at the heart of the Columbia Valley which includes the Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills and Wahluke Slope appellations. It is easy to conceive that Columbia Valley wineries would produce high-end, premium wines since the Tri-Cities area lies on the same latitude as the world-famous Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France. The region’s hot summer days and crisp, cool evening breezes naturally stress the vines, and when combined with the Columbia Valley’s rich volcanic soil - it creates the conditions necessary for making great wine.  The area annually boasts more than 300…

The Tri-Cities area of southeastern Washington has long been a prime example of a fast growing, modern, attractive area and it seems that engineers and scientists can particularly feel at home amidst the growth. The labor force in an area is of course a great indication of the kind of economic vitality and education opportunities the area might have and Richland, Kennewick and Pasco can be proud as they have been named the top metro area for scientists and engineers in the United States by Expansion Management.

That magazine put out a study called the Knowledge Worker Quotient, an annual exercise for the magazine that ranks metro areas around the United States in terms of their ability to retain and provide new companies with a sophisticated, highly…

The Area Climate

In the southeastern portion of Washington that the Tri-Cities area is in, the climate is mostly a desert climate where vegetation must survive on typically seven to eight inches of rainfall each year. However, with that lack of rain comes the 300 days of sunshine that the Tri-Cities experience each year, though significant winds can crop up. Snow does occur but is largely a seldom occurrence as temperatures range from 10 degrees to 110 degrees. Because of the significant wind activity that can crop up, the desert climate’s sand and dust environment can sometimes kick up dust storms for residents in the area. Though the climate may be desert, the presence of three key rivers, the Yakima, Washington and Snake Rivers, gives the area a…

The new official Tri-Cities Visitor Guide is available for free from the Tri Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau. The guide is redesigned and updated with 72 pages of information on attractions and services throughout Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and the Columbia, Yakima and Walla Walla valleys. For a copy, call (509) 735-8486.

Related Resources:

• Tri Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau
• About Tri Cities Washington
• Real Estate in Tri Cities Washington
• Enjoy Tri Cities Washington

Welcome to Benton County/Franklin County

Over two-thirds of the residents in Western Washington area are married (70%). This bustling city has a large average household and so is ideal for the growing family. Schools and playgrounds abound, and the topic of conversation over a cup of coffee tends to be about “the kids”.  Although the burgeoning number of college students and graduates may soon change that!

Richland Washington Real Estate district, like Central Washington, had a median family income of $61, 813 in 2000. This is definitely a community of financial security with many of the residents being placed in the “middle-class” bracket.

A benefit of living in the area is its low crime rate, and community orientation.   And almost 88% of the houses…