Oregon's Stoller Winery: The Views Alone Make This Place Worth It

A year ago this week, I landed in Portland, Oregon, and began a fantastic 10-day trip throughout the Pacific Northwest. The highlight of my trip was visiting The Allison Inn & Spa--which is in the heart of Oregon wine country in the Willamette Valley. And one of my most memorable visits out there was to Stoller Family Estate. It's about an hour outside of Portland (the coolest city in the country right now), and the views alone are worth it.

From the 100-percent solar-powered tasting room, you'll see these straight-out-of-a-painting rolling hills. I mean, just look at the photos. 

Check out that tasting room.

Can't you just imagine spending an entire afternoon here?

Sip vino indoors in the sustainable tasting room or grab a glass and take it outside. Either way, you'll enjoy a great view and delicious wines. I took home a crisp Chardonnay and fell in love with a Pinot Reserve during our tasting. I was with two other women, and we all enjoyed our wine in the sunshine by the idyllic tire swing. My one regret from the trip is not buying any Pinot in Oregon. Be sure to stock up before you head home. 

Oregon's Willamette Valley is filled with wineries that compete for your time and attention. But you'll want to put Stoller on your list if you love a killer vista and a great Pinot. Cheers!

Hotels I Love: Oregon's The Allison Inn & Spa

Nestled in the heart of Oregon's famed Pinot-producing Willamette Valley, The Allison Inn & Spa is a luxurious resort that feels like your very own cozy retreat. I'm not sure what I loved more: the beautiful landscaped grounds, the way the resort is designed to connect guests with nature, its amazing spa, guest rooms straight out of a story book, the truly inspiring cuisine and Pinot or the fact that the place was dripping with local art. 

 Check out those beautiful grounds. See if you can spot the horse statue in the background.

We'll start with the landscaping. There's a screen saver on my phone that I put up right before I left for Portland because I thought that's what Oregon would look like. What I got was much more beautiful than what I imagined. Describing wilderness is tough, but I'll do my best. The Alison's well-landscaped grounds are surrounded by rolling hills dotted with lush trees that are occasionally obscured by clouds. On clear days, you can even see Mt. Hood. 

 The view from my room. Swoon.

And nature is everywhere in this resort. A stream that runs in front of the entrance to the spa. Each room has a balcony. And the spa is a huge part of that. Some treatment rooms come with sliding glass doors that open up to the outside. I basked in the sun on a luxurious lounger in the waiting room. I'm going to write about the spa in a separate post, but let me assure you that it's magical. 
  
When guests retreat for the night, they're going to a room they'll dream about. The deluxe king room comes with a bathroom complete with two vanities, a separate shower, and the crown jewel: a deep soaking tub that you can watch TV from. This is America. I also appreciated the plush sheets that you sink into every night and the glass jars filled with filtered water waiting on the side tables. 

And then there's the food. The on-site Jory restaurant is spellbinding. Chef Sunny Jin is quite the character. And his food is incredible. If you only order one item, make it the Pinot burger. Flavored with Oregon's signature wine, this juicy burger is not-to-be-missed. Be sure to finish you meal with decadent Pinot cake.

 The Pinot burger is a must-try.

Pinot cake is another great, gotta-have-it item on the menu. 

I'll end with the art. I'm an art lover, and The Alison is chock full of local art. Each room is decked out with a piece from a local artist. The gardens are dotted with handmade sculptures. But my favorite work was the statue resting outside of the spa's entrance. Each of these creations is made out of the mold of a real woman. Forget that perfect stuff. If you're interested, the spa will create your very own mold for you. 

 The entrance to the spa. Doesn't it look cool? 

I just had to close this with this gorgeous spiral staircase.

Travel Highlights of 2014

Since 2014 is behind us and 2015 is here, I wanted to recap some of the best places I've visited last year. It was my busiest travel year to date.

1. The Pacific Northwest

I know it's far. I know the plane ticket from the East Coast is expensive. Yes, it does rain. But not as much people think. But the Pacific Northwest is gorgeous. I thought all the cloud cover would depress me, but it works with the aesthetic. The clouds seem to melt off those bright green trees that blanket the mountains. Put Seattle and Portland on your lists of places to see. Both cities are fun, hip and just gorgeous. Portland is pretty much the hippest city in the country right now. And Seattle is just full of so many iconic sights. Plus, the Puget Sound does seem to sparkle when viewed from up high. Both towns are nearby stunning outdoor scenery. I could go on, but I'll stop. Just visit and see for yourself. 

The view from the Bridge of the Gods in Oregon. You can get on the PCT from here.

Seattle as seen from the Columbia Tower. The photo doesn't do it justice. 

2. Kentucky

Don't write off Kentucky. I'll say it again, don't write off Kentucky. Every time I go, I'm always blown away by something. Maybe it's the local pride. Maybe it's how everyone who lives there seems to have an inherent knowledge of bourbon. All I'm really sure of is that I like it. Drink some bourbon. Have a hot brown. Check out uber-cool hotel chain 21c and enjoy Kentucky. 

Plan on drinking plenty of bourbon when you're in Kentucky. Go ahead, and have the Old Fashioned.

3. Michigan

The representative from the tourism bureau put it best, "Once you arrive, it sells itself." And it's true. From beautiful blue Lake Michigan to cute small town Petoskey, Michigan is chock full of cute quirks. You'll fall in love with this unpretentious place as soon as you arrive. 

Pretty Lake Michigan at Sleeping Bear Dunes Park.

4. St. Croix, USVI

Whenever I'm on an island, I always think, "I could live here." And when I spent a week on St. Croix, I was already imagining where I would buy my groceries. Enjoy the ocean views, white sand and greenery. I couldn't get enough of this beach-side view from my The Buccaneer hotel room. 

I woke up every day to this incredible view in St. Croix. Swoon. 

5. Nashville

The food scene. Barista Parlor. The music. The Hermitage Hotel. Nashville lives up to the hype. It's the perfect size town that's just quirky enough. If you don't fall in love with the honky tonk bars on Broadway that are obsessed with late 90s country, you'll probably enjoy the hot chicken and record shops everywhere. I even bought a CD last time I was here. And I haven't done that since the early 2000s. Music City gets in your veins and stays there. Enjoy.

Nashville's Broadway is happening and touristy. 

6. Salt Lake City 

I wasn't expecting much from Salt Lake City, but I ended up loving it. The city has a really vibrant subculture and is just plain beautiful. I always love a mountain town and this is one of the best ones. I mean, just look at that incredible sunset. Be sure to check out nearby Park City if you're in town too. 

The breathtaking view from the Natural History Museum of Utah. 

Here's to more traveling in 2015!

Hotels I Love: Portland's Ace Hotel

The rise of the boutique hotel has given the hospitality world some truly great and creative chains. Exhibit A: The Ace Hotel. This entire Seattle-based chain exudes cool. It's an upscale hostel with an edge.

Behold: My bed topped with a made-in-Portland blanket and lit up with that photographer's light. 

Every detail--from the locally made tiny black square bar of soap hanging from the sink in my room to the stack of real (!) albums in a crate beside the bed--is carefully chosen. When I first got to my room at the Portland outpost in May, I immediately fell head over heels with the building. I loved the bikes in the lobby (this is Portland, after all) and the little sign in the elevator that said "It would have been faster if you took the stairs." 

Check out that sleek, cool lobby--perfect for just passing the time.

But what really stood out was how the Ace Hotel is designed to bring people into the hotel. The lobby--complete with a photo booth and shabby chic couch--is connected to a Stumptown Coffee cafe. If you've never had Stumptown--it's only in a handful of cities throughout the country--put it on the top of your list. Their java offerings are downright delicious and impossibly smooth. A barista at this chain once re-made me a latte because he deemed the latte art not good enough. My East Coast mind was officially blown. That kind of commitment to quality coffee makes me swoon. I also enjoyed its full-service restaurant next door. Head over to The Daily Meal if you'd like to read more about my dining experiences at The Ace. 

I just loved this sink. I think it was the symmetry that got me.

Another quality you'll love: each room at the Ace is different. A representative from Portland tourism--the company that paid for my stay--told me each year the hotel invites a local artist to decorate a room. If you visit this spot, be sure to peer into the different rooms to see how each one's decor differs. With any luck, the days of boring and bland hotel rooms are long behind us. Here's to hoping The Ace Hotel sticks around forever.