Fruitful Travels: Washington's Panorama Land Is a Hotspot for Produce, Fun

Summer is the best time to visit Washington State's Panorama Land. This area, located in the eastern corner of the state north of Spokane, is famous for its produce stands and fruit farms. An trip through the area is a kaleidoscope of peaches, plums, apples, strawberries, and more. You've never had a sugar rush like this one.

I recently visited the area on a train trip through the Northwest. From Chicago, I took Amtrak's Empire Builder to Spokane, where I disembarked, spent a night, and rented a car. The next morning, I headed north on Highway 395 toward Kettle Falls, Panorama Land's de facto capital.

The tiny town was as quiet as it was quaint. Ramshackle barns lined the main road. Cows ambled quietly in the fields. Every [time I motored by someone walking in the shoulder, the person I passed looked up and waved. At Myers Falls Market, the local grocery store, one of these friendly folks pointed me toward the fruit stands south of town.

These stands were along Highway 25, overlooking Lake Roosevelt and the Columbia River. The first, Riverview Orchard, had nectarines aplenty, and owners John and Janet Crandall let me pick my own, right from the trees. As I picked, the couple's pack of golden retrievers followed me skeptically. They were the guardians of the orchard.

I tried some local honey and sampled some of the season's pears. Then, before I left, Janet shared with me another of their passions: coffee. The couple roasts their own beans on site with a Diedrich Coffee Roaster. My cup of dark roast made the afternoon Starbucks taste like water.

Later that afternoon, I stumbled upon Cliffside Orchard, where Jeff and Jeanette Herman gave me another lesson in local produce. Jeanette told me Panorama Land, named for its vistas, was one of the first fruit-growing regions in the state. She noted that the rushing waters of the Columbia help to create fertile soil, even though the land is dry.

 "Everything out here lives and dies by that river," she said. "Without it, we'd be a big dust bowl."

Cliffside had nectarines and pears, but the real attraction here were the cherries. Plump, juicy and nearly the size of squash balls, the fruits were the sweetest and most delicious cherries I've ever tasted. I sampled about a dozen of them, then purchased a three-pound bag for a whopping total of $8. Price-gouging supermarkets have some nerve.

By the time I drove back through town and crossed a rickety metal bridge that spanned the Columbia, I knew I was in fruit paradise. I turned south on Highway 20 and followed the signs for Peachcrest, an orchard that -- as its name suggests -- specialized in still another type of fruit.

Tucked on the riverbank off the main road, this orchard stretched on for what seemed like miles, with peach trees as far as the eyes could see. I drove back to the main barn and parked next to a tractor. Squinting in the late afternoon sun, I wandered over to a tree, inhaled the sweet scent of peaches and marveled at the furry globes.

A friendly woman emerged from the barn and laughed. "Why don't you grab one and take a bite?" she asked.

So I did. And the juice ran off my chin, making a small puddle in the dirt below. It took me no more than 30 seconds to eat the whole perfect peach, and about twice as long to wipe sticky juice off my fingers and face with a moist paper towel. Over the next hour, I repeated this process at least six times. A fruitful visit, indeed.

Matt Villano is a writer and editor based in Half Moon Bay, California. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.  When he's not working, he likes running and watching whales.