Ashland wineries: Quady North & Belle Fiore

While staying in Ashland we visited a couple of wineries that we’ve enjoyed in the past: Quady North & Belle Fiore.

Firstly, Quady North:

Quady North

They used to have a tasting room in Jacksonville, but recently moved to a building at their winery:

Quady North

Quady North

Quady North

Quady North

We did a couple of tastings, which included some bonuses, along with a  charcuterie platter for our lunch:

Quady North

We bought several bottles, plus a box of wine:

Quady North


Another day, we went to Belle Fiore Winery, another winery we’ve liked:

Belle Fiore

A somewhat fancier building:

Belle Fiore

Belle Fiore

We did the Reserve and Chateau tastings:

Belle Fiore

Belle Fiore

I admit it, we mostly go here for their truffle fries; this time since this was our dinner we also got a charcuterie board, though I think we would have preferred just getting a full-sized order of fries (this was the small):

Belle Fiore

We didn’t buy any bottles from here; after doing the tastings, we decided we didn’t particularly enjoy any of them enough this time. Their wines are too tannic for us.

Travel from Welches, Oregon to Ashland, Oregon

We drove our coach 321 miles, about six hours of driving, from Welches to Ashland, Oregon.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading south:

Map

An interactive map:

Toading up in the maintenance area, as usual:

Toading up

“Welcome to Boring, Paired with Dull, Scotland”:

Welcome to Boring

Our favorite garden center in the Sandy area, Tony’s:

Tony's Garden Center

Willamette River:

Willamette River

Joining I-5 South, with heavy traffic:

Joining I-5 South

Rest area:

Rest area

I-5 South:

I-5 South

Lunch stop at Coburg Crossing Cafe at a TA Travel Center in Coburg, Oregon:

Coburg Crossing Cafe

Coburg Crossing Cafe menu

Breakfast for lunch

Rail bridge over North Umpqua River:

Rail bridge over North Umpqua River

“Slow Down” for a sharp curve:

Slow Down

Rest area:

Rest area

Nice Southern Oregon view:

Nice view

A glimpse of Mount Shasta from I-5 South:

Glimpse of Mount Shasta from I-5 South

A glimpse of downtown Ashland:

Glimpse of downtown Ashland

Emigrant Lake entrance:

Emigrant Lake entrance

The lake was very low (and has been for a long time):

Emigrant Lake

Unstaffed fee station (campers continue to site):

Emigrant Lake entrance

Entrance to The Point RV Campground (with a disconcertingly tight corner):

The Point RV Campground

Our site:

Our site

Baseball: Seattle Mariners vs New York Mets

The second Seattle Mariners game vs the New York Mets, at the Mariners’ ballpark, T-Mobile Field was originally going to be an afternoon game, but was pushed back a few hours as it was featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

We were there very early, having done the ballpark tour beforehand, so had ample opportunity to sample more ballpark food:

Burgers and fries

Pizza

Julio Rodríguez exercising, having been on the injury list until this game:

Julio Rodríguez exercising

Marking the batting boxes:

Marking the batting boxes

Jenn with inflatable trident:

Jenn with inflatable trident

Pitching:

Pitching

Batting:

Batting

Cal on base:

On base

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball:

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball

Pitching:

Pitching

Run scores:

Run scores

Salmon Run:

Salmon Run

Salmon

Home run:

Home run

Two runs score:

Two runs score

Even though I’ve been in this ballpark more times than any other over the years, and had explored in the previous game, plus the guided tour, I still wanted to explore some more, to take pictures from other angles and places:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Seattle

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

“Hotdogs from heaven”, a Mariners innovation where they drop hotdogs on little parachutes:

Hotdogs from heaven

Hotdogs from heaven

Hotdogs from heaven

The wave:

The wave

Cal Raleigh is nicknamed “Big Dumper” (because he has a big butt), and they played on that by having him read out messages to dump people:

Big Dumper

The M’s did rather well:

Scores

Mariners win:

Mariners win

Mariners winning dance

Sweep:

Sweep

Cal interview:

Cal interview

Mariners win

Baseball: Seattle Mariners vs New York Mets

While our coach was at home, we spent a couple of nights in a hotel in Seattle (across the road from the ballpark), to attend a couple of Seattle Mariners games vs the New York Mets, at the Mariners’ ballpark, T-Mobile Field (which I’ll always think of Safeco Field).

The first game was an evening one.

T-Mobile Park

We went in early via the bullpen gate, and grabbed some nachos from Edgar’s Cantina:

Edgar's Cantina

Nachos

The crowd out by the bullpens:

Crowd

Out-of-town scoreboard:

Out-of-town scoreboard

Retired numbers:

Retired numbers

Dave Niehaus, late voice of the Mariners:

Dave Niehaus

The Walk-Off Market, where you can just pick things up and walk out, via Amazon technology:

The Walk-Off Market

Root Sports TV set:

Root Sports set

Root Sports set

Welcome to T-Mobile Park:

Welcome to T-Mobile Park

Later we got some clam strips from Ivar’s Seafood & Chowder:

Ivar's Seafood & Chowder

Clam strips and fries

Cal heading to the bullpen:

Cal heading to the bullpen

Cal info:

Cal info

Heading back:

Heading back

Catching:

Catching

Catching

Batting

Batting

Baseball

Run scores:

Run scores

Pitching

Salmon run:

Fish race

Fish

Sweeping

Cameras

Exploring the ballpark:

Consessions

Consessions

Ballpark

Screen

Ballpark

Hydro Challenge

Seattle skyline:

Seattle skyline

Retractable roof over train tracks:

Retractable roof over train tracks

Hit It Here Cafe:

Hit It Here Cafe

Hit It Here Cafe

Ballpark

Moose:

Moose

Getting a lead

T-Mobile Park

Lights

Selfie

Pitching

Mariners win:

Mariners win

As soon as most people left, flocks of seagulls swooped in to scavage the waste food:

Seagulls scavaging the waste food

T-Mobile Park

We like it when the Mariners win.

Travel from Missoula, Montana to Quincy, Washington

We drove our coach 338 miles, about six hours of driving, from Missoula, Montana to Quincy, Washington.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Map route

An interactive map:

Clark Fork:

Clark Fork

45 MPH next 4 miles:

45 MPH next 4 miles

Rest area:

Rest area

Welcome to Idaho; Entering Pacific Time Zone:

Welcome to Idaho; Entering Pacific Time Zone

6% grade:

6& grade

Rest area:

Rest area

Welcome to Washington:

Welcome to Washington

Spokane:

Spokane

Bridges:

Bridges

Truck stop:

Truck stop

Iron Skillet for lunch:

Iron Skillet for lunch

Iron Skillet for lunch

Paladin on the dash:

Paladin on dash

Dust devil:

Dust devil

Rest area:

Rest area

Paladin in his dash bed while leaving the rest area:

Paladin in his dash bed

The farms along I-90 in Quincy had signs on their fences indicating what the crop was; we’ve sometimes not recognized a crop and wondered, so wish everyone would do this. Beans:

Beans

Potatoes:

Potatoes

Sweet corn:

Sweet corn

Timothy:

Timothy

Mural in Quincy:

Mural in Quincy

Heading down into the Columbia River gorge:

Columbia River

Our destination, Thousand Trails Crescent Bar:

Thousand Trails Crescent Bar

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Mitchell to Custer, South Dakota

We drove our coach 313 miles, about five hours of driving, from Mitchell, South Dakota to Custer, South Dakota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Route map

An interactive map:

Heading west of I-90:

I-90 West

Rest area stop:

Rest area

Sunflower field:

Sunflowers

The Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture:

Sculpture

A Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome passing us:

Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome

Lunch stop at Hutch’s Cafe:

Hutch's Cafe

Menu:

Menu

Hutch's Cafe

Hutch's Cafe

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Entering Mountain Time Zone:

Entering Mountain Time Zone

Passing Badlands National Park:

Badlands National Park

Another rest area:

Rest area

Paladin sat in his dash bed for a while:

Paladin sat in his dash bed for a while

Firehouse Brewery & Winery had several fire trucks along the freeway:

Firehouse Brewery & Winery had several fire trucks along the freeway

Paladin asleep on the floor:

Paladin asleep on the floor

Busts:

Busts

Entering Custer State Park, our favorite state park:

Custer State Park

Curvy road:

Curvy road

Whatever we do, don’t turn onto Needles Highway with our coach! Very narrow and short tunnels:

Needles Highway intersection

Legion Lake campground entrance:

Campground entrance

Our site, with a glimpse of the lake in the background:

Our site

Mall of America

We visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

According to Wikipedia, it is the largest mall in the United States, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the twelfth largest shopping mall in the world.

Mall

We had dinner at Shake Shack (first time we’ve seen one since we visited New York years ago):

Shake Shack

Shake Shack

Mall

In addition to being a huge mall, the center is filled with an amusement park:

Amusement park

Amusement park

Amusement park

Amusement park

Amusement park

Minnesot-ah!:

Minnesot-ah!

Mall

Amusement park

It’s an impressive mall… but still just a mall.

Baseball: Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies

We attended a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies, playing at the Twin’s ballpark,Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Target Field entrance:

Target Field entrance

Seating:

Seating

Selfie:

Selfie

Team store:

Team store

Cheddar brats and pretzel:

Hot dogs and pretzel

A citizenship ceremony:

Citizenship ceremony

Map:

Map

Ballpark from outfield:

Ballpark from outfield

Putting:

Putting

Winnebago camper van:

Winnebago camper van

More ballpark angles:

Ballpark

“Win! Twins!”:

Win! Twins!

Rotating ball and big screen:

Rotating ball and big screen

Concessions:

Concessions

Concessions

Mascot TC Bear, kid, “animal control” handler:

Mascot, kid, animal control

Ballpark

Ballpark

Lots of screens:

Lots of screens

Baseball

Mascot

Baseball

“Unapologetically Loud”:

Unapologetically Loud

Mascots:

Mascots

Dippin’ Dots:

Dippin' Dots

At one point the lineup screen showed the Mariners lineup?!

Screen showing Mariners lineup?!

Then the screens blanked out while they fixed that:

Screens blanked out

Baseball

Run scores:

Run scores

Twins win:

Twins win

Twins win

Final score and stats:

Score and stats