Today the tourism board for the “town so nice they named it twice” officially changed its city slogan to “Walla Walla: Come for the Wine, Stay Because You’re in Prison.”
“Over the last decade or two, we’ve done an amazing job rebranding this area as wine country and a top Washington weekend getaway,” said Walla Walla Tourism Board President Cathy Heigl. “Somewhere along the way, though, I think we forgot who we really are, and that’s home to the Washington State Penitentiary, the largest prison in the state.”
Far from being a detractor, Heigl says reminding visitors that the area also boasts a 2,200-bed secure facility out in the middle of nowhere can be a huge selling point.
“Many people traveling here are fully planning to get a DUI instead of bike from winery to winery or get into a drunken brawl that goes too far at a WSU friend reunion—and they want to know they’ll have overnight accommodations no matter what happens,” Heigl said. “Depending on how memorable you want your time in Walla Walla to be, you can always stay here at The Pen–our state-run bed and breakfast—forever.”
At press time, The Pen was reportedly already so popular it already had no vacancy for this weekend.
