There are few things I like in life better than a good ol’ fashioned road trip with my Tim and my Jay. We’ve trotted off to strange and mysterious corners together. From Pigeon Forge to Wilbur to Eze-Bord de Mer. We’re seasoned.

This fall we hopped in the trusty White Knight and headed off to Oregon (Round Two) to taste the Fall Pinots.

After work on Friday we hit the road with our beautiful sidekick Melissa Gallant in tow. We hit the duty free, skipped the border-line, and bought $.99 hats. I know a bargain when I see one. We drove straight to Seattle, to our swank digs, and then hit the town for a wild and crazy night of carbohydrates and screwdrivers at the PPM.

Bright and early on Saturday we wandered the market. That city gets me right in the heart - the smell of bread and fish and salty sea air. We did yoga in the street, I saw three weiner dogs, and Tim bought me a doppio. It was a good day. Post market we barreled down the I-5 through Portland and on to charming McMinnville.

The city was packed - and after a few “failed” attempts at finding lodging, we ended up at ol’ faithful Red Lion. They had free wifi. McMinnville is this cute little college town in the middle of wine country - famed for UFO sightings in the 1950s. We did a wine flight pre dinner at a cool little wine bar (we tried a selection of local pinots) and then rounded the night off at McMennamins - a creepy old hotel in the heart of the “historic downtown core”.

Early in the morning we visited the local breakfast joint for the most mind blowing breakfast experience of my life. I held Jake up on speakphone while the little serverman rattled off the specials. I think my brain actually slowed down during a bite of my eggs benedict. Very few words were exchanged during the meal. Energy was reserved for savoring.

Post gluttony we left McMinnville for some breakfast wine. It’s never too early to sample a little vino. Jay tastes it for a living. Tim sells it for a living. I was in good company.

We had done this same little loop a few summers ago - and our highlight had been a visit to Domaine Drouhin Oregon. This time we booked a tour! DDO has this incredibly casual and welcoming feel to it - something that I’ve found is very hard for a lot of wineries to capture. Any level of wine lover feels comfortable. The tour was great, the wine was dizzyingly good, and we got to see the glowing grapes mere minutes pre crush.

Next we sped off (sober!) to the Muckelshoot Indian Reservation to see Counting Crows and Maroon 5 play a rainy evening show. I’ve seen the Counting Crows far too many times to count - and this was one of the better experiences. I was far older and wiser this time around, and managed to restrain myself from screaming like my fourteen year old self for *most* of it. Melissa didn’t fare so well during Maroon 5. Though I assure you, no undergarments were thrown on stage - non of hers at least.

A lot of red bull and cheap American gas later, we hit the road, made it home in the early morning, and then trotted back off to reality. We’re already scheming the next trip! Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Buckeye AZ up next.