‘When in Rome …’ Rules for Visiting Yakima for the First Time

I love Yakima. I really do. Others like to make it the butt of jokes, but for the people who love living here, we encourage tourism in our humble community and all it has to offer. If you or someone you know is set on visiting Yakima for the first time, here are a few things to consider.

• When going out for Mexican food, consider a taco truck. Taco trucks are totally safe and delicious. Some of my favorite Mexican food comes from taco trucks.
• When going to see a movie at one of our fine establishments, bring cash. Our local theaters are cash only (except Orion Cinemas).
• Around here, asking for an apple (the fruit) is like asking for a candy bar. There are thousands of varieties of apples from your standard Red Delicious and Granny Smith to Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonagold and more.
• No, it doesn't rain here all the time. In fact, it's quite the opposite as we technically live in what is called "shrub-steppe" country -- the next thing to a desert. The west side of Washington gets the rain. The east side, not too much.
• Of course there's crime here, but not everyone gets shot or shanked on a daily basis like others might have told you.
• When ordering a beer, get a good one. Something with plenty of hops, as the Yakima Valley produces 75 percent of the hops in the U.S. When in doubt, grab whatever is available from Bale Breaker or Yakima Craft. Avoid anything that ends like "Lite."
• Yes, recreational marijuana is legal, but it doesn't mean that everyone is smoking it all the time.
• Also, although recreational marijuana is legal, the city of Yakima still has a ban on retail distribution. You'll have to travel outside of city limits to find a store.
• Order all the "soda" you like, but around here it's called "pop."
• We're not Seattle, but the Mariners, Seahawks and Sounders are still our home teams.
• You can plan your route to hit up every yard sale each weekend and still not have time to visit them all. Yakima is a yard-sale type of town.
• A large ice cream cone? They don't come larger than the ones at Ron's Taco and Burger. Once you have that, you'll think everyone else's large cone doesn't compare in size.
• Yeah, it's hot in the summer. We're on the east side. Get over it.

Got more to add to the list? Put 'em in the comments!