TravelJill - City & Country Tours

06/08/2024

05/29/2024

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/05/oregon-wineries-sue-pacificorp-for-us100-million-for-smoke-damage/

Some 30 wineries in Willamette Valley are suing Warren Buffett's energy company PacifiCorp for negligence surrounding the 2020 wildfires that caused catastrophic smoke taint to their crops.

04/23/2024

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/21/1244899635/civil-war-confederate-statue-markers-sign-history?utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1sahlCQgtVAp7AcDxtzb0ocyn6oB6rXf35dnIP9rtBFP09_s6qSTM8duQ_aem_AbCfoqFEJNMYPGo6Sg-s5pEkmog26nu6WrjQZAHYC_azfcpkjRLblFVSIU4iz8UbkF_dVZVLaOz0fX3Wxo2ZwYvR

The nation's historical markers delight, distort and, sometimes, just get the story wrong.

04/03/2024

Feline tour guide for the win..

03/30/2024

https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/us-destinations-that-feel-international-gd

01/30/2024

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-spray-coating-grapes-wildfire-wine.html

Spray on coatings for grapes in the vineyard have promise in preventing off flavors in wines that result from contact with wildfire smoke, according to new Oregon State University research.

01/11/2024

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/01/11/columbia-river-gorge-historic-scenic-highway-oregon-interstate/

Oregon Department of Transportation has been working to rebuild the old Columbia River Highway for 37 years.

12/30/2023

12/25/2023

Bottling line action!

12/24/2023

https://www.oregonlive.com/wine/2023/12/nicolas-jay-is-first-oregon-winery-to-deploy-monarchs-autonomous-electric-tractor.html?utm_campaign=theoregonian_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR07IoeggkWENLTAYmHwUmrmoSPJG-MgpakvDKOJSpWc5ot-O-R7op0eVZk

The tractor is touted as “driver optional” and has zero tailpipe carbon emissions.

12/02/2023

Holiday AVA bundles!

https://chehalemmountains.org/mystery-bundle/?mc_cid=14878f18d2&mc_eid=879b29b4a3

https://dundeehills.org/vintage-collection/

A unique collection of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir

11/03/2023

It can get very windy at Crown Point! So windy at times that we must close Vista House for everyone’s safety. Our last anemometer blew away while winds blew at 87mph. Today our awesome state park rangers built a new bracket and installed a new anemometer so we can keep track of the wind speeds.
Check it out: https://www.weather.gov/wrh/timeseries?site=D6193

Image description- stone walls of Vista House below a tile roof with a large black metal bracket holding a white anemometer into a cloudy blue sky.

11/01/2023

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/31/willamette-river-salmon-dams-army-corps-fish-collector-vs-drawdowns/

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer has ruled out opening Willamette River dams and letting fish coast the natural current to help improve survival numbers. It would cost next to nothing and has worked before. The Corps says a costly fish collection machine is the only way to save salmon without disrupt...

10/23/2023

10/18/2023

10/02/2023

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sagrada-familia-penultimate-towers-completed-intl-scli/index.html

After a wait of more than 140 years, five central towers of Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia basilica are at last finished.

09/23/2023

https://columbiainsight.org/the-unique-story-behind-hood-river-valleys-reign-as-oregons-pear-capital/

Maintaining the beauty and productivity of its orchards required citizen action. And still does Fruit preserves: Mount Hood viewed from Mount Hood Organic Farms in Oregon's Hood River Valley. Photo: VWPics via AP Images

09/20/2023

My vote's for Corollary, runner up Alexana.

Crews are always on the go during harvest. From the vineyard to the cellar, this is a time of long days, hard work, and continuous dedication. Here's a smattering of what our teams are listening to inspire and motivate all season long.

09/12/2023

Some folks are already bringing early grapes in (including some for pinot) but there's still quite a lot more to come:

Although the weather gods have been kind so far, there are still a few weeks to go with everything to play for. Read the latest wine news & features on wine-searcher

09/08/2023

It's harvest time in the Willamette Valley! Actually, it's been harvest for two weeks..very much an earlier start than last year! An easy growing season of consistent warm temps has yielded tightly packed pretty grape clusters aplenty. Some of the early harvest is for Sparkling wine and rose, but other grapes are destined to be pinot noir. The sheer volume of grapes this year means some are processed early while others enjoy some hang time for a later harvest date.

08/23/2023

50!

Wine Industry News Article

08/22/2023

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/22/arizona-wine-industry-drought-climate-crisis

As scientists in the drought-stricken state worry about water use, winemakers believe grapes are the perfect crop for the dry land

08/04/2023

https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2023/08/washington-wine-takes-another-blow

Washington grapegrowers are facing an uncertain future after a major producer announced a big cut in what it needs. Read the latest wine news & features on wine-searcher

07/13/2023

Early pre-state seal.

06/27/2023

https://www.opb.org/article/2023/06/27/oregon-maple-syrup-production-to-increase-after-changes/

Over the last few years, a couple of technical advances, a tweak in the law and some Oregon idiosyncrasies are helping the state's farmers take another look at producing maple syrup.

06/15/2023

04/08/2023

Once they were hats! (Beavers)

04/05/2023

https://vintnerproject.com/wine/grown-together-the-ascent-of-oregon-chardonnay/

04/01/2023

https://www.distinctlymontana.com/yellowstone-national-park-announces-new-name-and-rebranding-satire

funny | National Parks Yellowstone National Park Announces New Name and Rebranding By Chris Muhlenfeld |  March 31, 2023 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Mont. -- (satire) The National Park Service announced today that in an effort to better compete for visitors' attention in the modern era, they are r...

03/28/2023

Spring in the WV..