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A Visit to Stave and Stone Winery and Hood River Lavender Farms
Spend the afternoon at a lavender farm and a winery all in one place in the beautiful Hood River valley. July is the perfect month to visit Stave and Stone Winery when the lavender is at it’s peak at Hood River Lavender right next door! Wander Around in the Lavender Fields Besides enjoying the scent of lavender as you walk around the farm, you can also purchase lavender at their U-Cut garden to take home with you. The cost is $14 per bunch. Hood River Lavender Farms is also a great place to stock up on lavender oil, soaps and lotions as well as culinary lavender and candles. While you’re…
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A Visit to The Gorge White House in Hood River
The Gorge White House is a historic fourth-generation farm operating in the heart of the Hood River Valley since 1908. The farm includes 30 acres of orchards and gardens where guests can pick to their hearts content. I’ve been looking for an excuse to Visit The Gorge White House for a long time. We tried just popping by one year for Mother’s Day and that turned out to be a huge miscalculation as it seemed all of Hood River and the surrounding towns had the same idea! This time the Sipsters visited during the week and there were much fewer people! There is plenty of seating, so pull up a…
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A Visit to Cória Estates Vineyard
The month of May found us in the Salem are area with a visit to Cória Estates, a Mexican owned winery with stunning views of the countryside. This property is located at the top of a hillside vineyard that also boasts a beautiful view of Mt Jefferson in the distance. (It was covered by clouds during our visit) From the moment we arrived at Cória Estates we were warmly welcomed by a kind employee who gave us a quick rundown of the estate. With each pour he proudly shared family history and other fun details about each the wines we were tasting. Cória Estates Score Card I normally enjoy a…
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A Beautiful Girlfriends Brunch at Mermosa in NW Portland
If you’re looking for the perfect Instagramable brunch spot for your next girlfriends brunch, head over to Mermosa in NW Portland. Mermosa serves their brunch family style with portions plated to feed four or more people. Our group of nine simply split into two different ordering groups to make the most of the sharable entrees. If you’re the kind of person (like me) who loves a well garnished plate, then you will love all the options at Mermosa. The entire experience from start to finish is a feast for the eyes! I love this jellyfish inspired floral arrangement hanging above the tables and the navy and white striped curtains gave…
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A Visit to Phelps Creek Vineyards
A sunny Monday found us back in Hood River to visit Phelps Creek Vineyards. We ordered a grazing board which included salami, cheese, baguette, fig jam, olives, rosemary almonds, dried apricots and dates. Phelps Creek Vineyards Score Card I really enjoyed the wine selection at Phelps Creek. The whites were the overall winners for me, but I could have easily been happy with a bottle of the first four pours. The last wine we tried was the Petite Verdot. It was a little too dry for me personally, but it was still good. Of the two reds, I preferred the Pinot Noir. The Rosé was the lightest on flavor, but…
