Travel

A Lovely Fall Road Trip to Moscow, Idaho

Plan a weekend getaway to this small town full of craft beer and changing leaves

By Sarah Murphy September 21, 2016

This article originally appeared in the October 2016 issue of Seattle magazine.

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Where: Moscow, Idaho, a small town just east of Pullman and a five-hour drive east of Seattle.

Why: It’s a college town, the leaves are changing and there are regional craft beers. Need we say more? Yes? Well then, to enjoy the serenity of The Palouse and a Seattle-like culture, complete with bicycle enthusiasts, Chaco wearers and trendy spots for quick bites—such as Maialina Pizzeria Napoletana (602 S Main St.; 208.882.2694; maialinapizzeria.com) and Sisters Cookie Company (610 N Almon St.; 208.892.2253; sisterscookiecompany.com), which opened last summer.

Stop and see: Nearby Palouse Falls State Park (Palouse Falls Road, LaCrosse, Washington; wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/palouse-falls). The waterfall here is the lone remnant of glacial floods from the last ice age. (Tip: A sunset picture allows for the most magical of scenes for your Instagram feed.) Explore: The Moscow Farmers Market (Saturdays through October 29, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.), located downtown, features music and, on October 1, the University of Idaho Homecoming Parade.

Walk the town and peruse the local shops, then head to the University of Idaho Arboretum, a five-minute drive from downtown Moscow, to witness the autumn foliage of the groves’ rare trees. Indulge: Tapped (210 S Main St.; 208.596.4422; moscowtapped.com), a local gastropub featuring 25 regional craft beers and 10 wines. At your own risk: Visit Haunted Palouse in the town of Palouse (9 miles from Moscow), which features two haunted houses and haunted hay rides (through October, dates and times vary; 509.330.0353; visitpalouse.com/haunted-palouse).

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