Of life's chapters, their beginnings and endings can not always be succinctly defined by the symmetry of the calendar. Beginnings and endings can be messy, sloppy, ill-defined if not subtle.
But sometimes, the calendar does align with new life chapters. With 2024 to be history in less than 48 hours, I locked the gate to The Pilchuck behind me on a dewy, fog-drenched late December morning and pointed my wheels southward. For the sake of symmetry; This end of the 2024 calendar year coincided with the end of my solidary existence on our 50 wooded acres, building a home and the foundations for a future life in Washington. Things were going to change for me in 2025. I had packed clothes, computer, some perishables from the fridge, my wife and my daughter comfortably in my SUV as I cruised into the next subtle phase of my life, swinging like a pendulum from the Pacific Northwest to back to Texas in my transient ways of the past several years.
I had furnished my Washington home and managed the property in a series of successive iterations, approximating the place's completeness for either retirement living for the wife and I - or to have an acceptable property for short-term rental revenue. The future is opaque to me.
As my windshield wipers swept the dew's condensation from the glass, my immediate plan was to follow through on my promise to my wife: A) If she flew up to Seattle to spend Christmas with me, B) I would then put together an overland adventure to return her to her job in Texas, including some worthy sights and experiences along the way. It was convenient to pack our daughter, Inga, along with us to bring her back to Portland after she came north via train after Christmas for a Holiday in Victoria, BC with her parents.
We left early on December 30th, made great time down I-5 and we were crossing the mighty Columbia River on the outskirts of Portland after a titch more than 3 hours of driving. It was a bit early for lunch time along funky Alberta Street in Inga's neighborhood, but some of the shops were serving, and so she marched us to Petite Provence. It was mojito French toast and a mocha for me. After lunch, we hugged her goodbye and I set the GPS coordinates for our first road trip adventure.
Now, there is many a thing to do between Arlington, Washington and Garland, Texas. The trick is to be judicious with one's desires, expectations and time. The list of 'Things to do, Places to see' was long; many we'd done and enjoyed before. Our 'Adventure List' was culled, though time in Mendocino is always treasured - it's been done. Time is limited, so we picked things that Susan had not done before.
Our Adventure List included: A) A winery tour, B) The Grand Canyon, C) Petrified Forest National Park. And lots of hard driving.
My first thought was to stay over in Mendocino and then spend a day in the nearby Wine Country of Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa Counties. Travel time dictated that we not stop in the charming sea cliff village of Mendocino, and thus we'd scratch a wine tasting from our list.
But wait! There are some fine wines being made just outside of Portland in the Willamette Valley. But which winery (there are about 700) and where should be our single worthwhile stop? Though it was the thick of Christmas Day, I texted my accountant, Mark Rice back in Dallas. I asked him for his professional advice for a winery in Oregon's Willamette Valley. He got right back to me, "Call and ask for a private tasting at the small, but well crafted vintages of Belle Pente outside Charlton, Oregon. I did as he suggested.
Susan and I had a 2:30 tasting appointment with the owner and winemaker of Belle Pente.
Susan enjoying a taste of Belle Pente Pinot Noir
We got an good introductory lesson on the grapes, the geological soil types and climate that combine to make this area of the Willamette Valley a prime producer. We good some background stories and a taste of Chardonnay, several levels of Pinot Noir and a Pinot Gris.
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| We focus on the geologic map of the Willamette Valley. Anybody displaying a geologic map is good people and can be trusted. |
I got carried away and had Brian tally up a dozen bottles of wine to make the trip back to Texas. I am looking forward to sharing them with my accounted as he balances the books of Sunstone Exploration, Inc.
We coasted down the winery's dirt farm road and wove through the twilight filtering through the orchards and fields of the valley floor as we reconnected with I-5 in Salem.
We had a bed waiting for us in Grants Pass. We were not too hungry and Susan was feeling the onset of a cold. We grabbed a hot tea and an appetized plate at a China Garden and called it a day.
Day 1: Arlington, WA to Grants Pass, OR. 538 Miles - This was an easy, low-mileage day.
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