OREGON TRIP JUNE 2020

OREGON TRIP JUNE 2020

We fell in love with Oregon on the first trip in October 2018. This was now our 5th trip. Veronica and Justin met us at our hotel. We were standing outside, but they were very easy to spot. They drove around with their kayaks on the car up until the point when someone tried to steal them. Fortunately, the thieves had to make two trips and a neighbor spotted the kayak in the bushes before the thieves came back to retrieve it. Now they are safely stored in a storage unit.

They had talked about the wonderful farmer's markets and the one they took us to didn't disappoint. Looking at this picture two years later and I'm realizing I need to go to Frog Farms for some of that lavender!

Driving in wine country, you tend to see plants all over the place potted in wine barrels. Now that we live here, we even had our real Christmas tree standing in a half wine barrel we bought at Willamette Valley Vineyards.

 

Our next stop was in Amity at The Bramble, Silas Wines Tasting Room. Sad for business owners because this was in the midst of COVID, but fortunately for us we had a private tasting with the owner and winemaker, Alex.

Veronica and Justin are great ambassadors for Oregon.

Roger and me.

Alex makes some fine wine and Roger especially loved his Viognier. Not on this trip, but last fall (2021) Roger bought six bottles of Alex's last eight.

Our next stop was Beckham Estate Vineyard. Andrew and Annedria Beckham intended on making a ceramics studio and ended up with a unique winery with tasty wines. From their website: "Beckham Estate is likely the only winery in the world where the production of the terra cotta vessels for fermenting and aging is on-site, and is integrated with the farming and production of the wines."  

They also have plenty of my favorite flowers—hydrangeas—planted in more of the vessels. We asked Annedria her secret for the beautiful flowers to which she replied, "I sometimes dump the leftover wine into the pot." I'd do that with my hydrangeas but I rarely have leftover wine. These photos are reminding me, we need to revisit Beckham Estate Vineyard!