Traders at Ft. Simcoe

This mural depicts traders arriving at F.t Simcoe. Watch tomorrow to compare the blockhouse with the real thing.

Smoking Salmon

This mural depicts the traditional fishing and smoking of salmon by the Yakama people.

Four chiefs of the Yakama

This mural is just to the left of the classic Pepsi lady.

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Note on the Pepsi ad mural--identified by a commenter as a Gibson girl. The "Gibson Girls"! I should have realized. Charles Dana Gibson, the artist who painted the original Gibson Girls, was a distant cousin.

Advertising Mural

Most of the paintings in the mural city of Toppenish are historical scenes and personages. This is one of the exceptions. Though I imagine the costume is historically accurate for some period in the town's history, it makes me wonder the profession of the model.

Huckleberry

At the nearby Heritage Restaurant--part of the Yakama Nation Cultural Center in Toppenish--huckleberry tops the dessert menu. My choice was huckleberry pie, my daughter ordered a huckleberry sundae, and a couple of the boys had huckleberry floats made with huckleberry ice cream and huckleberry soda. The Heritage is the only place I have found huckleberry soda.

Hop Harvest beginning

Hop harvest has begun in some parts of the Valley. Still very labor intensive, this harvest has changed a lot since the scene depicted in this one of the Toppenish Murals. I will have my camera ready when the harvest reaches my neighborhood and document as much of the process as I can.

Here's Looking at You

Of all the outstanding murals in Toppenish, I think my favorite sight there is this whimsical treatment of the windows in this building on the main street through town.

Mural City

Toppenish is a city of murals. Since the first of these professionally done images was done in 1989, more than seventy have appeared on the walls of the town. The project celebrates the city's history and heritage with images of Native Americans, pioneers, cowboys, agriculture, everyday life, the coming of the railroad, and many other significant people and events.

Did you notice the mountain? You can't get away from it in the Yakima Valley. I took a few other shots when I did this one, and I will return to take you on a better tour at a later date.