May
25
The Willamette Valley.
by Emily in Hosts, Willamette Valley
Our route took a shift as we waited outside Portland’s REI last Thursday, and a local biker spawned some convo and encouraged us to head through the “Valley” vs. straight to the coast. On top of that advice were my mother’s concerns for Memorial Day traffic, then Pinot Noir tasting popped into my thoughts and so it was- the Willamette. The ride was peaceful, full of agriculture including hop vines and clover fields. Despite the initial day taking us up an unforgiving “hill” called Pete’s Mountain- where I nearly called it quits as I cursed myself up after toppling over because of the incline- it was worth the breathtaking countryside.
The third day we finally ran into some vineyards and decided to stroll into Witness Tree. There was a holiday special going on with cheese and music, so we got pretty cozy after tasting all the selections. A couple approached us to ask about our bikes, and then they offered a place to crash in Salem. We took them up on it. Turns out Amy is a musician, both her and Clifton love wine, and they had a lab named Bella. We hit it off. Here is a family pic below:
