TravelAwaits
Jun.2.2021
Coeur d’Alene is a quintessential lake town located not far from the Washington-Idaho border. It is easily accessed via Interstate 90, or you can fly into Spokane, Washington. The area is beautifully picturesque with Lake Coeur D’Alene dominating the scenery. The downtown area is very walkable with cute shops and quaint sidewalk cafes. The city has lovely parks nestled alongside the lake. There are plenty of options for day trips with numerous small towns less than a one-hour drive from Coeur D’Alene.
Pro Tip: There is plenty of public parking in Coeur D’Alene, but parking enforcement is very strict. Make sure when you park you promptly pay the parking fees.
TravelAwaits
May.23.2021
Washington State has a variety of popular places to visit for wine, Woodinville and Walla Walla among the most well-known. Arguably some of the best grapes in Washington come from the Red Mountain AVA and winemakers are willing to pay the price three times the state average to get their hands on this stellar fruit.
A serendipitous blending of heat, low rainfall, cooler nights, and a sand, silt, and loam soil create an ideal location for growing vinifera grapes. Grown mainly on the southwest slope of Red Mountain, the main varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The tasting rooms on Red Mountain are located off the beaten path in a rural area. It takes a bit more effort to visit but it is so worth it to taste the renowned wines.
TravelAwaits
May.15.2021
Highway 101 in Mendocino County, California, parallels the Russian River and passes through land settled by Italian immigrants with names like Parducci, Barra, Graziano, and Testa. Their legacy lives on in the 100-year-old vineyards that populate the area. There are wineries still run by the fourth- and fifth-generation heirs who grew up on this land with winemaking in their blood.
The best way to experience these incredible wines is to follow the Coro Mendocino Wine Trail. Coro Mendocino is the first wine to set strict parameters distinctive to its region in the United States. Honoring the “Old Italian” field blends, each Coro wine starts with Zinfandel a minimum of 40 percent and then blended for up to nine named varietals. Another unique feature is that winemakers must go through four blind tastings to be worthy of the Coro Label. These tastings are infamous in the area for being brutal, but with the input of fellow winemakers, the results are a bet