Short Road Trips from Tri-Cities to Take Your Out-of-Town Family On

If you're expecting family over for Thanksgiving, there's no need to go stir-crazy just sitting around watching TV. The great state of Washington has a lot to offer and so much of it is quite close to the Tri-Cities.

Here are some of our favorite places to kill an afternoon when you just need to get out of the house:

Hat Rock State Park. Located just a hop and a skip from Umatilla, about 9 miles to be exact, Hat Rock is a pretty cool sight to see and an enjoyable drive. I think it looks more like a miniature Devil's Tower, but some people think it looks like a hat LOL. Hat Rock State Park.

Mount Rainier National Park. I think it's kind of a shame that we live so close to something so beautiful and don't visit there often enough. Back in 1792, Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy saw this incredible mountain and named it after his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier.    Mt Rainier.

Bickleton Washington, the bluebird capital of the world. While this is not prime Bluebird season, the drive from the Tri-Cities to Bickleton is a very enjoyable one if you avoid the interstate. Take back roads out of Benton City and travel that way. Call ahead and if the Bluebird Inn is open, make sure to show up hungry!  Bickleton.org

Palouse Falls State Park (pictured above, looking away from falls). Just 90 minutes from the Tri-Cities, Palouse Falls is truly a sight to see. It's amazing how many people that live here have never seen this beautiful State Park. I heard it's really spectacular right now with all the rain we've had. From there we like to keep traveling all the way to Walla Walla for lunch. Then we circle back around to the Tri-Cities and that makes it a pretty enjoyable day trip. Palouse Falls.