Happy Saturday! Reflecting on the previous week. Some travel, great food and work. First things first, travel. I spent five days in Oregon with Tom. The premise of the trip was to visit the Willamette Valley with the other board members for a research and development trip. We toured four wineries and explored the valley. I had no idea how substantial the valley was. 750 wineries. Somewhat spread out or so it seemed. One of our bus rides was about an hour from McMinnville. Typically, it would not have concerned me, but the bus was hot, and the guide did not play music. I think I was too aware of how bumpy the ride was. I know that I was not the only one to feel car sick along that drive.
But let me back up. We arrived in Portland and resisted to renting a car. Instead, we took an uber to the downtown area. Quick bite to eat and a beer. There was a food truck bonanza. Offering 20 plus food trucks. I considered arepas or chips but settled on sushi. I was happy! We boarded a bus with the belief that we could arrive in McMinnville in a few hours. We missed one of the busses and jumped on the next one. I should have looked into more. We ended up in a different area of town and hired another car.
Once in McMinnville, we found a local brewery and a market. Stocked up a few supplies and attended a meet & greet. Thursday night was open to discover our own dining options. We were not required to do any board outings. Friday was all board, all day. Two wineries, lunch and dinner. The landscape was beautiful. We began at Willakenzie Winery. Outstanding views and great wine. Small afternoon break and then dinner/tour at Willamette Valley Winery. Again, gorgeous grounds. Stunning. They hosted dinner for us. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a night cap. The opportunity to enjoy tequila continued to elude us. The town of McMinnville feels boutique and intimate. Translation, lots of wine and opportunity for beer but the bottle shops are on the outskirts of town. As we didn't have a vehicle, we were beholdened to what was available to us. No tequila or mezcal.
Saturday was a few wine tours and lunch at Dundee Grill. Dundee is a cute town, and I believe it will be a destination to stay at when there is more accommodations available. It was kitschy and cute. We had a lovely wine tasting at Domaine Drouhin and an afternoon tasting at Beaux Frere. I loved the wines at the last winery. Beautiful tasting.
Saturday evening, we checked out a local mexican restaurant. I liked the salsa, but the entrees were meh. The margarita was not good. However, I believe in supporting local and we would not have known if we didn't try it.
We concluded the night with a gin and tonic at the hotel bar. Spontaneous meet up with some of the board members to finish the visit. Sunday morning, we hired another car to take us to Salem. Jumped on an Amtrak and headed south to Eugene. Met up with my sisters and had a splendid visit. Truly thankful for the time with them.
Reminded me how much I miss travel. I need to just do it. No more stalling or freaking out. I know that there are resources and that money will always be there.
Make it a great day!
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