FALL IN WALLA WALLA WINE COUNTRY — THE HOUSE YOUR GROUP WON'T WANT TO LEAVE
You are the one organizing this trip. Twelve people, one weekend, and a list of expectations you did not ask for. Somebody wants the tasting rooms. Somebody wants to watch the game. The kids need somewhere to be. And it is October in the Walla Walla Valley, which means one afternoon is going to be grey and wet, with everyone indoors at the same time.
That afternoon is exactly what Soaring Spirit was built for.
This is a 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom, hot-air-balloon-themed home in College Place, three miles from downtown Walla Walla. It sleeps twelve across five king suites, with two full kitchens, two game rooms, a movie room, a fireplace great room with valley views, a private hot tub open year-round, and a backyard fire pit. There are four to seven distinct places to sit down, so your group can be together without being on top of each other, and apart without anyone driving away.
Our October guests put it better than we can: "The house was so comfortable and nice we spent most of our time there. The grandkids loved the many games, and space to play. The hot tub was used both days. We cooked all of our meals."
WHY FALL IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK THIS HOUSE
Summer in wine country belongs to the pools and the patios. Fall belongs to the fireplaces.
From September through November the valley is at its best and least crowded. Harvest and crush are underway, so the wineries are working and the tasting rooms have something to talk about. The Blue Mountains go gold and the drives toward the foothills are worth an afternoon on their own. Fall Release Weekend brings the valley's collectors to town in early November. Wine Valley Golf Club plays beautifully in the cool air, with tee times you can actually get. And Thanksgiving in a house with two ovens and three dining tables is a genuinely different holiday.
Fall also brings early darkness and weather, and that is where most large vacation homes quietly fail. A house with a pool and a patio has nothing to offer at five o'clock on a wet Saturday in October. This one has an arcade, a pool table, a movie room, a fireplace and a hot tub — and twelve people who are perfectly happy.
THE GREAT ROOM AND THE FIREPLACE
The heart of the house is a two-story great room ringed with floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the valley toward the Blue Mountains. Soaring ceilings, an oversized sectional, two armchairs, warm throws, and a working fireplace beneath the mounted smart TV. In September you will have the windows open. In November you will have the fire going while the light drops over the valley, and nobody will suggest going out.
FIVE KING SUITES, FOUR FULL BATHROOMS
Every one of the five bedrooms has a king bed, a smart TV, blackout shades and its own hot-air-balloon character. No air mattresses, no sofa shuffle, no drawing straws.
The Orange Sunset Master upstairs opens onto a private deck, with an en-suite jetted tub and walk-in shower. The Yellow Sunrise Room has LED wall art and two private entrances. The Green Golf Room has a smart TV and custom lighting. Downstairs, the Pink Balloon Room brings the playful side of the theme and shares a bath, and a second Green Golf Room has charging stations and LED features.
Four full bathrooms means twelve people can get to a 10am tasting appointment without a queue. Guests consistently tell us the beds are the thing they remember: "Everyone in the group agreed that the beds were so comfortable."
TWO FULL KITCHENS — THE THANKSGIVING ADVANTAGE
Most large rentals give you one kitchen and hope for the best. Soaring Spirit gives you two, each fully equipped with stainless appliances, a dishwasher, full cookware, a high-powered blender, an air fryer, and both a Keurig and a drip coffee machine.
For a wine weekend that means one crew lays out a cheese board on the island upstairs while another handles breakfast downstairs. For a holiday it means the turkey and the sides are not competing for the same oven, and the people who want to help actually can. Main dining seats eight, the downstairs table seats eight to ten, and two upstairs breakfast nooks catch the morning light.
Guests hosted Thanksgiving here in 2025: "We had the privilege to host Thanksgiving here and it was remarkable! Peaceful, private, safe, beautiful!" Another family spent Christmas here: "beyond our expectations, with so many handy tools in the kitchen."
TWO GAME ROOMS, A MOVIE ROOM, AND WHY IT MATTERS IN OCTOBER
Game Room One has the pool table, a kids' play zone, wall games and board games. Game Room Two has the Pac-Man and NFL Blitz arcade machines, a multi-game arcade table, a smart TV and lounge seating. The movie room has a 72-inch smart TV and plush seating built for an afternoon that got rained out. There is also a digital game table, a game console, and a board game collection deep enough to settle arguments.
Fewer than one in ten homes in this market has arcade games. About a quarter have a pool table. Almost none have both plus a movie room. In July that is a nice extra. In October it is the reason the weekend works.
Outdoors, when the weather cooperates, there is cornhole, spike ball, lawn darts and axe throwing, plus a wrap-around deck that guests call the best place to start the day with a coffee.
THE HOT TUB AND THE FIRE PIT
The private hot tub is open year round, and fall is when it comes into its own. Cold air, hot water, the valley going dark, a glass of something local. The backyard fire pit is ringed with Adirondack chairs and stocked for s'mores, and the outdoor table seats twelve under the stars on clear nights.
WHERE YOU ARE
College Place sits just west of Walla Walla, which puts you close to everything and away from the noise.
Downtown Walla Walla and its tasting rooms are eight to ten minutes. Seven Hills Winery is eleven minutes, Bledsoe Family twelve, Force Majeure fourteen, L'Ecole N° 41 eighteen, and Walla Walla Vintners twenty. Wine Valley Golf Club is fourteen. Fort Walla Walla Museum and the Whitman Mission National Historic Site are about twelve. Walla Walla University is five minutes and Whitman College ten, which makes this an easy choice for parents' weekends, homecoming and graduations.
For provisions, Andy's Market is a quarter mile, and Colville Street Patisserie and Roger's Bakery handle the pastries. Walmart and the fast-casual strip are a five minute walk. The regional airport is fifteen minutes out. Bring a car — rideshare here is thin, and the wineries are spread across the valley.
ARRIVING AND STAYING
Self check-in with a smart lock, so late arrivals are a non-issue. An EV charger on site. Parking for up to nine vehicles across the three-car garage, driveway and street. Nine smart TVs for your own streaming logins, wifi throughout, a dedicated workspace if someone has to take a call, upstairs laundry, and heating and air conditioning throughout.
After you book you get our menu of add-ons — in-home massage, a private chef or catered meal, early check-in or late check-out when the calendar allows, and local wine or celebration packages.
We live in Walla Walla ourselves and we answer quickly. Guests mention it more than anything else: "Mindi, you have thought of everything your guests will need during their visit by giving them a sense of home."
WHO THIS HOUSE IS FOR
Harvest and crush weekends. Fall Release. Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. Multi-generational reunions — we have hosted four generations under this roof. Milestone birthdays and anniversaries. Girls' weekends and guys' golf trips. Parents' weekend at Walla Walla University or Whitman. Any group of up to twelve that wants to be together somewhere that has actually been thought through.
You could book a house with a pool and hope October is kind. Or you could book the one with the fireplace, the arcade and the second oven, and stop worrying about the forecast.
Your fall dates are open. Claim them.
Cancellation Policy: We follow the cancellation policy in place at the time you booked, as shown in your confirmation. If there is any chance you may need to cancel, we recommend purchasing travel insurance at checkout. Refunds are not provided outside the booked policy for weather, illness, or travel disruptions.
No Pets and No Smoking: There is a strict no-pets and no-smoking policy for the benefit of all guests with allergies. Any known abuse of this policy may result in a substantial fine.
Outdoor Cameras: Security cameras are at the entrance to the house for your safety. They may be recording video and audio.
Damage Protection: A damage waiver is included with your cleaning fee and covers any accidental damage during your stay. Intentional damage will be your responsibility. Please let us know of any damage so we can remedy it for our next guests.
Rental Agreement: A link to our rental agreement will be sent to you to sign before you check in. You may also be asked to verify your identity. We use a third party for this through two-factor authentication, and we do not store any of your personal data.
Security Deposit: $400 will be held on your credit card to cover any intentional damage. Once you check out and there is no damage the full amount on hold will be released to you.
