I've got a bit of a drive today...over 300 miles. And, since I want to stay off the Interstate and take the "back roads", it's going to be a long day.
I'm up at 6:00AM...coffee in the thermos...everything packed up last night. I'm on the road before 7:00.
Once again, another beautiful drive...out of Crater Lake through the mountains and, then, a long drive along the Rogue River and, later, the Umpqua River.
By 11:00AM, I'm out of the forests and heading into the town of Roseburg. There's a winery there called Abacela that I want to visit. In 2008, I found this winery in a guidebook and, on a lark, stopped by (not expecting much). They make wines using grapes normally found in Spain...Albarino (white) and Tempranillo (red). Back in 2008, I thought that the wines I tasted at the winery were very good, not great. I bought four bottles of Tempranillo. A year or so, I was having a small Tapas party and served the Abacela Tempranillo along with some high-end Spanish Riojas. The Abacela wines blew the Spanish wines right out of the water...everybody liked them.
So...now they have a brand new "tasting building"...very nice. The folks there are very nice, and it's only $5.00 to taste the full line of wines. I'm hungry, so I order a Tapas platter...meat, cheese, bread olives, dried fruit...tasty. I end up buying two bottles of Tempranillo, and one bottle of their "Port"...very nice.
My final destination today is Lincoln City on the coast. I'm inland, so I'm looking for a route west out to the Pacific. I bring in my atlas, and the guys at Abacela tell me that my planned route is a good one. And...surprise, surprise...it's going to take me right past one of my favorite wineries, King Estates.
It's a short drive north on I-5, then ten miles or so on little country roads out to King. The winery is very impressive...it's a huge "castle" perched on a high hill surrounded by acres and acres of grapes. It's a winery, a restaurant, and a huge tasting room. As always, the people at the tasting room are very friendly, and I taste the full line. Again, I discuss my planned route out to the water and...surprise, surprise...the King folks recommend a tiny little producer of sparkling wine...it's right on the way!
Domaine Merriwether is a tiny winery...only two years old, and very limited production. The sparkling wines are excellent...dry and crisp with that "bread dough" aroma that means a well-made product. Naturally, I buy two bottles.
With all these wine stops, I'm way behind schedule. It's 3:00PM, and I'm only half-way to my destination. Around 4:00PM, I'm finally heading north on Highway 101...a beautiful drive up the coast.
I've been patting myself on the back for how well-planned this trip has been...but not today. It's a Friday, and the route is congested with people getting away to the coast for the weekend. All the way up to Lincoln City, I'm passing State Parks and RV Campgrounds...and they are all full.
It's almost 7:00PM by the time that I reach the KOA in Lincoln City. I have no reservation, so I'm not optimistic. But my luck continues...they have a single site left, and I've got it.
I set up camp, and enjoy a glass of cold Pinot Blanc from Elk Cove while I prepare dinner. I'm heating up leftover Tandoori chicken in Sharwood's Butter Chicken simmer sauce...a pouch of Punjab Eggplant from Trader Joe's...a batch of Basmati rice. It's a great dinner.
After dinner, I relax with a few beers, Session from Hood River Brewing. I want to post to the blog, but the KOA Wi-Fi is down.
Beers until after 10:00PM...unwinding from a very long day.
Oh...and there's something that I've wanted to post for a couple of days. Those little "huts" or "kiosks"...whatever they call them...where they sell coffee out here. Well...sometimes...the female Barristas inside must have been late to work because they forgot to wear their tops...I have no doubt that this generates some really nice tips!
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