The Lull Before an Adventure

Tom and I spent President's Day in wine country. Just under an hour's drive southwest of Portland, the small town of Dundee is blessed with beautiful vineyards. Situated between the Willamette River and Dundee Hills, Dundee has one of the most picturesque locations in the Willamette Valley. Our first stop was Furioso Vineyards, where a modern, glass-enclosed tasting room overlooks the thriving estate. Overall, I was impressed by the genial service and flagship Pinot Noir.






















The 80-acre property of Alexana Winery has 18 soil types spread over rolling hills, steep slopes and rugged terrain. The rustic tasting room showcases the estate's history. Indian cardiologist, Dr. Revana, founded the winery (and two others in Napa and Mendoza), naming it for his daughter, Alexandra.

Later that week, Jake from Denver was passing through town en route to India. I showcased Portland as we foraged the city for the top vegan restaurants. KaTi, we found, serves delicious thai food on Division Street. Other highlights of the week included Italian fare at Pastini and new experiences at Wicked Axe Throwing!






















I am excited for Jake as he spends the next year traveling and meditating his way through Asia.

I also find myself shifting into travel mode as I embark on a nearly month-long trip to Australia and New Zealand with three of my girlfriends from Denver. As vacations go, I feel more than ready to unplug for the next few weeks, trading in the "winter blues" for summertime adventures down under! To be continued...

Salt Lake City, UT

Early February marked Portland's first snowfall. This very rare event caused stress and anxiety all throughout town. My neighborhood only received a dusting, but the roads and sidewalks were icy. Historically, the city has preferred the use of magnesium chloride--a chemical salt that's applied as a liquid solution--over salt. It's considered easier on the environment, less corrosive to vehicles and roadways, and cheaper for the state to store and use.

I escaped the wintry "chaos" to visit my friend, Roy, in Salt Lake City (SLC). Despite the four-hour weather delay on Saturday, the hour and a half flight was relatively painless. Roy and I spent the evening catching up over dinner at The Bayou--a beer bar and Cajun restaurant just a short walk from his apartment. Across the street, Purgatory Bar is a lively watering hole with a modern, industrial feel. Interestingly, Utah law limits beer on tap to 3.2% alcohol. Full-strength beer can only be purchased in bottles in select places.

The next day, Roy went into full tour-guide mode. Having relocated from Pittsburgh three years ago, I was impressed by how well he knew the city. Most businesses are closed on Sunday, but we still managed a walking tour of downtown. The mostly flat city is laid out in an efficient grid system so that the streets are incremented by 100 and named by the position relative to the center (grid point 0,0), which is Temple Square.

The Salt Lake City and County Building

State Street is a wide highway that runs south from Capitol Hill. The State Capitol was constructed between 1912 and 1916, using granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon. It was modeled after the U.S. Capitol. The building and grounds contain several beehive images, paying tribute to the state symbol that represents industry and cooperation.

The spectacular view from the front steps includes the Wasatch Range and Oquirrh Mountains, and SLC below.

The cold but dry and sunny climate reminded me fondly of Denver. And of course, the mountains. Elevation 4,300'.



Temple Square is a 10-acre complex in the center of town, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Three city blocks contain nearly 20 attractions related to Mormon pioneer history and genealogy. The Salt Lake Temple is a global icon of the LDS Church. The massive granite edifice was constructed in a neo-gothic style over the course of 40 years between 1853 and 1893. Only LDS members are permitted to enter the temple. LDS theology shares the Christian doctrine of salvation through Jesus, but doctrines regarding the nature of God and the potential of mankind differ significantly from mainstream Christianity. The church president is believed to be a modern-day prophet led by the will of Jesus.

Roy and I stopped for lunch at Zest Kitchen & Bar, a health-conscious eatery with a creative plant-based menu.

The southern shores of the Great Salt Lake are a 20-minute drive west of downtown. 30,000 years ago, Lake Bonneville covered 20,000 square miles of land. After the ice age, the earth's climate became drier and it gradually receded to form the Great Salt Lake at 75 x 35 miles. Sailing is popular here, but the lake is shallow (maximum depth 33').

Great Salt Lake is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere. The salinity of the water averages about 12%, making it much saltier than the ocean. Why so salty? Because it has not outlet. Tributary rivers carrying dissolved minerals empty into the lake and become concentrated through evaporation. 

Great Salt Lake is too saline to support fish and most other aquatic species. Wildlife is abundant, however, on Antelope Island and in the lake's shoreline marshes (maintained by the ever-fluctuating water levels). Bison, antelope, deer, bobcats, coyotes and elk roam freely on the island. 

That evening, we took Roy's roommate's dog, Maddux, for a walk in Liberty Park. The 80-acre public park features walking paths, tennis courts, a swimming pool, pond, aviary and children's amusement park. This is where I would spend most of my time if I lived in town!

Seemingly out of nowhere, the bluebird day dissolved into a fierce snowstorm, which prompted a night in with take-out and old movies.

Monday started off strong with a visit to the public library in Washington Square. I loved this library. The five-story, wedge-shaped building is light and airy, complete with mountain views and a rooftop garden. Another highlight.







Roy and I spent the afternoon in Park City. Just 25 miles southeast of downtown, Park City is situated at 7,000' in the Wasatch Range. Besides skiing at Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort, the area is best known for hosting the annual Sundance Film Festival and the 2002 Winter Olympic. Although the resorts receive less snow and have a shorter ski season than their counterparts in Salt Lake County (i.e., Snowbird), they are much easier to access. In another life, it might have been a powder day, but I was just as content to stroll through the quaint shops and galleries on Historic Main Street. I also discovered my new favorite beer--an apricot hefeweizen-- at Wasatch Brewery!

 

Back in town, Roy and I hit a few more bars and restaurants, including BTG Wine Bar, before catching my evening flight back to Portland. My visit to SLC was short but worthwhile. Exploring new places is among my favorite things to do, and even better when it's in good company. As a fellow Pittsburgh native, it's exciting to see a close friend call home (at least temporarily) to a great city.

Cadence Valley

I first visited Oregon almost one year ago. Late last February, I participated in a brief work/stay exchange through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), a program that links travelers with organic farmers in an effort to build a community conscious of ecological farming practices. Cadence Valley Micro-Farm & Vineyard is located a few miles outside of state capital, Salem--just an hour south of Portland. The three-acre farm rests in the heart of the Willamette Valley, commonly known as Oregon's wine country. Surrounded by mountains on three sides (elevation 154') and with historical importance to the Oregon Trail, this agricultural oasis is now home to 70% of the state's population. The Willamette River plays a key role in the economy by depositing fertile soil across the 150-mile valley.

Since my exchange last year, I stayed in touch with farm owners, Dennis and Rachel, an easy-going yet active and hard-working couple from the midwest. Dennis is a Marine Corps pilot and Rachel works in renewable energy for the state. On a whim, I reached out to Dennis last week to ask if they needed help on the farm. An immediate response informed me that it was grape-pruning season! So I packed a bag and hit the road on Monday morning. My excitement grew as Red and I reached the city limits. The pretty drive cuts through green pine trees and rural farms, snuggled in between the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges. This spontaneous trip was exactly what I needed.

I was thrilled by the familiarity of Cadence Valley as I pulled into the driveway. The thriving property includes a large barn, two fish ponds, and a happy crew of farm animals: alpacas, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, and quirky felines, Marcel and Pinot. The farm yields a wide variety of garden vegetables in addition to an array of fruit trees. The vineyard produces more than 1,000 pounds of grapes per year, providing enough to both sell and keep for wine-making. 

  

The beautiful 1950s house has been modernized with a clean and simple taste, displaying expansive views of the surrounding farmland. Train tracks run behind the property, which adds to the humming soundtrack of the farm.

Ever wonder how grapes grow? Grapevines produce fruit on one-year old wood. When a bud sprouts in spring and grows into a new shoot within the larger grape plant, the shoot turns from green to brown by the end of the growing season, at which point it is considered one-year old wood. The following spring some of the buds on one-year-old wood will grow flowers (which develop into fruit), while the buds on older wood produce only leaves or shoots. The primary goal of pruning is to maximize the amount of one-year old wood on each grapevine without encouraging the plant to produce so many grape clusters that it lacks the energy and nutrients to fully ripen them. Left to its own devices, a grapevine grows to a dense mass of older wood with relatively little "fruiting wood" each year. 70-90% of the previous year’s growth is removed each winter--our task at hand. As we set to work on the grapes, Dennis and I caught up. I listened intently as he told me all about what had changed over the past year.

 

After a few hours of pruning, the setting sun signaled Dennis and I to feed the animals before heading inside. Rachel returned home from work and prepared a delicious vegan macaroni and cheese dinner with home-grown squash. Over the meal, I learned more about Dennis and Rachel's goals for the coming year. The rest of the evening was spent curled up with a book next to the wood-burning fireplace--in the added company of Marcel and Pinot!

I was surprised to see frost on the ground the next morning, but the blue skies motivated me to take a brisk walk through the neighboring fields. After breakfast, Dennis and I finished pruning the section of grapevines that we began the day before. Mission accomplished! We went inside to clean up and eat lunch before saying goodbye to the animals and heading back to the city. While I could have stayed on the farm all week, "life" was calling me back to Portland. Besides, Dennis had been summoned to New Orleans for a military drill, so I was happy to drop him off at PDX airport along the way. 

 
 

Cadence Valley provides the perfect getaway from city life that offers an interesting balance of community and solitude, work and relaxation. The brief trip reinforced my dream to cultivate my own garden someday. It also encouraged me to journal about recent stressors and insecurities. I am thankful for my friendship with Dennis and Rachel--a truly special couple that I hope to keep in my tribe. I will be anxious to return again soon, hopefully come summertime! Reflecting on how much has changed in the year since my first taste of Oregon, I can't help but wonder what else 2019 has in store...