I purposely left 2 days between checking out of my AirBnB in Portland and checking into my new one in San Francisco to explore and break up the 10 hour drive. My original plan was to go to Bend, OR and Crater Lake but due to the wildfires it made more sense to put that off for a different trip.
I purposely drove through Eugene, OR aka Tracktown, USA because of the famous Hayward Field located there on the University of Oregon campus; this year’s track and field Olympic trials took place there. I stopped at a grocery store on my way through to grab food and wine for my weekend in the middle of nowhere.
I decided to stay in the town of Hornbrook on the California/Oregon border after finding a cute studio AirBnB above a garage nestled on acres upon acres of rolling dusty hills. The view from the front porch swing was gorgeous, even with the hazy smoke clouding the sky.
I arrived around 3 pm, settled in, and poured a glass of wine to drink on the porches. The wine was an Oregon made rosé that was light yet robust and had a smokey finish; something I’ve never experienced in a rosé… or maybe in any wine to this extent.
The owner, Russell, was outside caring for the ground and we chatted for close to an hour. Russell is a retired geologist who swears like a trucker, wears cool surfer hats, and has the best travel recommendations. He also happened to spend time in the tiny town of Ennis, Montana to help oversee the digging of a well near the hot springs (small world).
I told Russell I would be going for a run in the morning and he told me about several trails he created on the property. He also let me know I might run into the property donkey, Opal, who wonders free.
My run was perfect; I ran by Opal and a section of the property Russell rents out where the tenets have several greenhouses growing cannabis and a barn where they dry it out. I don’t personally use cannabis but it sure smelled great. I also ran by the sign on the property marking the Oregon and California border.
After my run I headed into the town of Ashland, Oregon and on my way in I passed McClure’s Autobody which I had to stop and take a picture of. I walked through Lithia Park and passed a small artists market and a man beautifully playing the soprano saxophone.
I had lunch at the Brickroom and while I was eating at the bar I overheard the bartender talking about his favorite winery so I looked it up and headed to Irvine and Roberts Vineyard as soon as I finished my lunch.
The winery was beautiful. I had the best seat there, looking out over the hills and the vineyard. My amazing server, Wiley, told me all about the chardonnay and pinot noir they specialize in growing. With the Alabama Shakes playing in the background I sipped on my wine flight. I got a glass of their 2018 chardonnay while Fleetwood then Nina Simone played and Wiley told me all about the details of the seasons of each vintage and how much the weather impacts the wine.
A side note about Wiley, anyone who describes a pinot noir’s tannins as a leather chair in a library knows my soul. He explained the wine like each vintage tells a story of the season it was made. How it has a narrative and is a storyteller of sorts.
I asked him about my smokey rosé and how that could happen. He asked for the year (2020) and explained that they had a late wildfire that year and the smoke was most intense the week the grapes were ripest and about to be picked. He explained that there is a debate within the industry of whether the smokiness enhanced or ruined the wine… we both agreed, enhanced.
After finishing my glass of wine I went back to my AirBnB to swim in the pool and read the night away.
There wasn’t any wifi in the studio but they do have an extensive DVD collection. After reading and eating dinner I curled up and watched the original Jurassic Park before going to bed and heading to San Francisco in the morning.
Where My Feet Are 