On November 28, 2008 The New York Times published an article in its real estate section on Yamhill Country.  In “Rural Vistas, Natural Healings, and Pinot Noir,” Times writer Barbara Hernandez reported, ”

“McMinnville, the county’s largest city with 30,000 people, draws those seeking a life fulfilled by organic produce and good pinot noir. It is home to dozens of art and antiques shops, and there are plenty of destinations for natural healing and meditation. In Yamhill County, the party is wherever you want it to be. It can be at a rural barbecue, a restaurant and bar in McMinnville, or even a bed-and-breakfast in Carlton. Just don’t expect any urban luxuries — other than creamy sauces and rich dishes. Oh, and there’s rarely a shortage of wine.”

Read the article here.  Registration required, but it’s free.

In late Novemer 2008, the Editors of Sherman’s Travel Magazine got to gether to decide on their “10 Top Hotspots for 2009.” They rightfully selected the Willamette Valleys.  We came in at #6.

They wrote, “Billing itself as the ‘place for pinot,’ this slumbering grapevine district is home to more than 200 wineries, most of which beckon visitors with tasting rooms and even eco-wine tours.”

Read all about the 10 hotspots here but naturally call our concierge Nicci Stokes at 503 560-1512. She will arrange a tour through #6 with our very own All Events Limo.  You will want to be sampling our wonderful harvest.  So you drink.  We drive.

Let’s say you want to visit some of the award-winning wineries in our neck of the woods.
You have a problem for which we have a solution.
The Problem:  You want to visit five or six wineries.  How do you plan your trip so you spend the least amount of time driving and the most amount of time visiting?
 
The Solution:  The first step is to go to Google Maps Fastest Round Trip Solver.  Enter the starting point for your trip.  That’s the address of the Kelty where you will be staying.  You can copy it to your clipboard here:
 
675 Third Street, Lafayette OR
 
Paste it into the box labeled “Add location by address.”   Click the ADD button.  Hint: You have to manually clear that box before you can paste another address.  Do it now.
 
Leave that window open.
 
Next stop, another map:  Our Oregon Wine Country and Willamette Valley Vacation Planner. 
 
This is a growing map of Oregon wineries.   So far, we have added the wineries that won an award in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.  You will find them marked with BLUE pushpins.  We have also added map locations for wineries that Jamie Goode, an internationally known wine writer, visited right after the 2008 Pinot Noir festival.  (See “Reason #14” to read his blog on Oregon wineries.)  You will find his stops marked with YELLOW push pins.
 
As you click on the pushpins, a little balloon will open up.  There you will see the name of the winery AND its address as well as its URL
 
When you find a winery you want to visit, select its address and copy it to the clipboard.
 
NOW pop back over to Google Maps Fastest Roundtrip Solver.   Paste it in the little box and click ADD.
 
When you are done, click the “Calculate Fastest Roundtrip” and you’ve got your route.  Print it and you are good to go!!!
 
If this sounds like just too much work, you could of course just call our own ALL EVENTS LIMO at 1-503-560-1512.  Tell us where you want to go and we will figure it out.  Unless you have a designated driver, you drink.  We will drive.
 

Jamie Goode is a London-based winewriter.  He currently writes The Sunday Express, the national newspaper in the UK.  You can catch Jamie Goode’s full credits here.

After attending the International Pinot Noir Celebration, just concluded in McMinnville on July 25, he has started a tour of Oregon Wine Country.  Just as soon as I get another minute, I will add some of his stops to my “Oregon Wine Country and Willamette Valley Vacation Planner Map”

But for now, you can follow his travels.  Check out Day 1 of Jamie Goode’s Tour of Oregon Wine Country.

This is the perfect event to for aviation enthusiasts and people who just want something unique to do.

The McMinnville Chapter of the Northwest Antique Airline Club will host over 800 antique, war bird, classic, experimental and civil aircraft August 15th – 17th.

If flight is your thing, you have come to the right place. Attend the show. Enjoy live entertainment, every conceivable kind of antique airplane. Even take airplane rides. Of course you can’t miss the Evergreen Museum, host of the Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose” AND the new Evergreen Air and Space Museum.

For a great three-day week-end, your itinerary might look like this:

Thursday, August 15: Arrive at the Kelty (naturally). You can know in about 10 seconds if we have space available through our online reservation service. Or you can call our Inn Keeper at 1-800-867-3740.

(If we are booked, we generally know who in the area might still have space.) And if you arrive in the afternoon, you will enjoy complimentary Oregon wine and cheese.

Friday, August 16: Enjoy a fabulous breakfast. Is “fabulous” the right word here? Maybe “scrumptious?” Not quite. How about“supercalifragilisticexpealidocious?”

Enjoy the antique air show. It will be at the McMinnville Airport. Directions to the McMinnville Airport are here. Who knows how much time it will take? But you don’t have a schedule, do you?

Have lunch, maybe with one of the many vendors at the air shop. Then motor on over to the Evergreen Air and Space museum. That’s all of 3.2 miles. This will probably take the rest of your day. Come on back to the Kelty for our complimentary Oregon wine and cheese. Have a nap?

Let our Concierge help you with dinner reservations. You should probably take care of this when you make your reservations at the Kelty. Enjoy dinner and, of course, a great rest of the evening.

Saturday, August 17: Of course you start your day with an unbelievable breakfast.  You just can’t come to Oregon Wine Country without visiting some Oregon wineries. When you visit these, you want to sample lots of wine, right? And drive, right? Eh……….probably not the driving part. That’s why we now have our own classic limo. You drink. We drive. Find out more about our tours of Oregon wine country. Once again, our Concierge will have helped you with dinner reservations at yet another of the outstanding restaurants in the McMinnville area.

Sunday, August 18: Have breakfast. Then we recommend you motor over to historic downtown McMinnville. There you will find antiques, crafts, books, art stores, exactly what you would expect from a lovely old Oregon town. For a feeling of the historic district, you’ll enjoy this page from the McMinnville Downtown Association. And then, sadly, it’s back to the real world.

Here is another video of a wonderful day at the Kelty Estate Bed & Breakfast.

We would love the opportunity to help you plan your Oregon Wine Country wedding. We thought you would enjoy this video.

Located just a few short miles from The Kelty Estate, the new Evergreen Space Museum will open on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 9 a.m.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime museum launch — and features a dedication event including Astronauts Gen. Joe Engle, Gen. Tom Stafford and Titan II expert Chuck Rash. Don’t miss this historic event and be here as the Evergreen Space Museum opens its doors for the first time! While there, we think you’ll be amazed to see the famous Spruce Goose, the largest wooden aircraft ever built.

We’ve learned that many of the guides at the museum are volunteer World War II pilots. I’m sure they can tell you the stories behind the impressive collection of military aircraft. They also have a terrific IMAX theatre!

Have you been to the Evergreen yet? Tell us your favorite display!

We hope you feel as welcome here, on our blog, as you do when you visit us at “The Kelty.” We want to make sure you have an exceptional time here in the heart of Oregon’s Wine Country. Please feel welcome to leave us your comments about your stay with us!

Again, welcome!

Sadly, your Kelty Inn Keeper never gets to attend the Pinot Noir Festival — held this year July 24-27. We’re here to make sure you enjoy every minute of your celebration. You will enjoy meals and wine as never before in your life…or so we are told.

But do make sure you have a designated driver who doesn’t touch the stuff. Hmmm. That’s not going to work, is it? So you drink and enjoy.

Our very own All Events Limo will provide the designated driver, for a modest fee of course.

We’re here to make sure you have a great time!