Romantic Willamette Valley Weekend
Sometime in October I had optimistically booked a pair of airplane tickets. I knew it was a long shot, but the dream of a romantic getaway to a warm beach and a quaint surfing town in Mexico was awful convincing. I found the cutest Airbnb and spent the next few months crossing my fingers. In what is no surprise, things changed. Specifically, the requirements for testing before returning to the US were implemented days before our scheduled trip. If there had been more time to see how things would work, for testing infrastructure to catch up to the requirement, and for me to feel more certain Brandon and I wouldn’t be stuck in Mexico and unable to return home to our son, we may not have cancelled. But the timing was all wrong and we would have spent too much time during a short trip getting to a place where we could get the right kind of Covid test and I would have spent too much time worrying about getting home.
But I was still determined to have a good weekend. After all, the two biggest hurdles - time off work and childcare - had already been cleared. Ultimately, we decided to go somewhere new to us but still close to home. The Northern Willamette Valley was perfect. It was less than a 3 hour drive from home and we got to enjoy so many of our favorite things.
Where We Stayed
Brandon had specific requirements for this Airbnb rental. If we couldn’t be near the beach in Mexico, we at least had to have a hot tub and a well stocked kitchen so we could make delicious meals. Of course at the time, cooking at home - a temporary one or otherwise - was frequently easier than navigating ever changing safety precautions, closures, and limited seating at restaurants, but we actually really enjoy cooking fancy meals together and don’t often get to do this with our kiddo underfoot. Fern Creek Farm was exactly what we were looking for. The roomy apartment was located on a small farm where we ran across chickens and goats (Nigerian dwarf goats to be exact) and got to enjoy the farm fresh produce and other products, including goat milk soap, that we could buy in the small market onsite. The large kitchen had all the essentials we needed to make some amazing meals with the groceries we brought with us or purchased locally. And then there were all of the unique special touches - homemade soap in the bathrooms, farm grown popcorn with an old fashioned stovetop popper, and being greeted with freshly baked cookies. It was exactly the weekend escape we needed. There were actually two bedrooms, so although it was the perfect spot for a romantic weekend, it would also be a great rental for a family or even friends - I’ve already mentally planned a girl’s weekend here.
What We Ate
We did not eat out much this weekend. We enjoyed coffee on the patio or in the hot tub each cool morning and we cooked our own dinners, which were fantastic, if I say so myself. One evening, we picked up shrimp and scallops from Northwest Fresh Seafood along with a bottle of truffle oil made from locally sourced truffles. Of course Brandon made his amazing truffle risotto and we roasted some veggies to serve alongside the risotto and seafood. Yum. The following evening we made truffle fondue with various dippers including steak. And paired it all with a bottle of wine we purchased after a wine tasting earlier in the day. I (don’t) hate to brag, but I doubt we would have had a better meal anywhere.
Although we only had a couple of restaurant meals, I can recommend both. The Newbergundian Bistro was our first stop in Newberg before checking into our Airbnb. The lunch menu varied from sandwiches to a handful of heartier entrees. We shared the potato croquettes, which were excellent. We both enjoyed our sandwiches and warm coffee cocktails, as well.
Our other restaurant stop was the shouldn’t-be-missed Red Hills Market. Our breakfast here was soooo good. Like so good. In addition to the restaurant, there is a market full of local goodies and gifts, food to go (I hear the wood-fired pizza is excellent), and an amazing Sunday brunch with a unique menu each week. Definitely go here.
What We Did
Well first, we took a lot of naps. Because that’s what parents of a toddler do when they have a weekend away. We changed it up by relaxing in the hot tub and going for long, leisurely walks around the local area, which was mostly winding roads and farms and vineyards. We also went to bed early and slept in in the mornings. I’m sure you’re jealous of this exciting weekend that we had (well, if you have a one year old, you probably are actually jealous). In order to not be entirely lame, we did do some wine tasting, which I highly recommend if you’re in the Willamette Valley. Our two stops (because we were driving) were Adelsheim and Lange Estate. Both had great setups for outdoor and socially distanced wine tasting (both required advanced reservations for tasting), even during the rainy winter. More importantly, they also had great wine. The only problem was that it was difficult to narrow it down to just two stops. I’m pretty sure that means we will have to go back to explore more of the Willamette Valley wine region in the future.
Whatever you’re looking for in a weekend getaway, you can probably find it in the Willamette Valley. Although this was our first time exploring this area of Oregon together, I hope it is not the last.