Day 30-July 18, 2012-Our First Winery Visits
Was quiet last night except for the tree branch that kept swishing on the bedroom window. Heard a few coyotes and got up about 3AM to do some star gazing. Left early this morning and stopped at Terra Blanca (“white earth”, again) Winery, the next vineyard over from where we slept. A lot of the people we spoke to yesterday said it was really beautiful to see. We figured it would be closed but we could look at it anyway but, lo and behold, they’re open so we find ourselves doing a wine tasting at 9AM. I’m not even over my coffee phase yet. And this lady keeps pouring different kinds, we must have tasted ten different wines, whites, reds and roses. We stay and talk to a few of the employees for a while (hey, they have nothing better to do, it’s too early for visitors) before we decide to move on to the next winery.
Instead of going straight to a campground we go to Columbia Crest Winery which we didn’t realize until too late that it’s 21 miles through “Horse Heaven Hill”, an area they call the “breadbasket of Washington” with huge farms growing onions, potatoes, peas, carrots, beans, corn, but mostly dry wheat, wheat that doesn’t need irrigation. Good thing, we’re in the desert between the Cascade Range and the Rockies. They only get 6” of rain a year here and are complaining about the humidity. It’s a beautiful ride but a bit out of our way. But we like Columbia Crest Wine and planned on going here. It’s right on the Columbia River and a gorgeous building and pretty flowers and grounds. Every time we mention another kind of wine this lady opens another bottle and she’s got a really heavy pouring hand. By the time we leave I’ve tasted enough wine to last a while.
Off to the campground, a nice place right in the middle of Wine Country Rd. in Prosser, WA. Only drove 72 miles today but it took almost 5 hours to do it with all the stopping. It’s 2PM, 92 degrees and no trees. But what’s that I spy….a POOL!!!!! AAAHHH!!!!
After dinner, sat around and read a bit. Met a woman who farms wheat, barley and oats about 35 miles from here. What a different lifestyle from anything I know, interesting to list