The publishers of SmarterTravel.com recently included Yakima as one of the country's 10 "Best Small Cities On the Rise."


The article cited the valley's 300-plus days of sunshine annually, the abundance of wineries and breweries nearby, as well as the revamped Front Street in the downtown area. The also went on to mention that Yakima tends to be very pet-friendly, listing more than 50 local businesses that allow patrons to bring their dogs with them.

"What's Hot:  Also in downtown, Yakima Craft Brewing Co. opened this month and Cowiche Canyon Kitchen + Icehouse Bar is slated to open in late September."

"If You Go: The new Spirits and Hops Trail takes you to several craft breweries, cideries, and distilleries."

The nine other communities, in no particular order, are:
* New Haven Conn.
* Portland, Maine
* San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Greenville, S.C.
* Traverse City, Mich.
* Asheville, N.C.
* Chattanooga, Tenn.
* Missoula, Mont.
* Roanoke, Va.

What I found most ironic were some of the comments made by citizens of the nine other towns listed.  Some of them mentioned out of control crime, the possibility of getting shot, etc., like this tet-a-tet between two citizens of New Haven, Conn.:

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Hmmmmm....  I wonder what town near here has a few people who sound like that?

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