“Is that our tour van?” Super G asks me as EverGreen Escapes’ Mercedes Sprinter van pulls up in front of Seattle’s train station. Nothing says style like the first impression, I was tickled by Super G’s expression as Dan Salvatora, our escape artist, what EverGreen Escapes calls its tour guides, opened the door of the van and helped us step up into our seats along with another guest for our half-day wine tour of one of Washington State’s wine regions.
I had already become acquainted with the EverGreen Escapes experience in Portland and was now checking out the company’s style in Seattle.
From the moment EverGreen Escapes’ escape artist picks you up it is all about you and making your day the most enjoyable day possible. Another classy signature of EverGreen Escapes is that it never matters if one person is signed up or the tour is sold out, an escape artist will arrive on time to take you on your adventure.
Dan, was incredibly knowledgeable. As we passed through each section of Seattle he told his guests a bit of history about the city, then the floating bridges as we crossed over one of five of Seattle’s famed floating bridges into the mountains to Snoqualmie Falls. As we climbed through the evergreen forests into one of Washington State’s agricultural areas he told us about the history and resurgence of local family farms and Washington State’s wine regions.
We stopped off at Salish Lodge and Spa (6501 Railroad Avenue SE, Snoqualmie, Wash. 98065-1109; 800-272-5474; ; Salishlodge.com) a four diamond resort perched at the edge of the falls. We stood on the outlook point watching the waters fall deep into the valley with a roaring rush before continuing our journey further into the mountains to two wineries tasting rooms.
Washington State nips at the heels of California as the second largest producer of wine in the United States. One of the state’s most popular wine regions, Walla Walla County, which is an estimated a four hour drive from Seattle and Portland. The Washington state wine region neighbors Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
EverGreen Escapes offers a number of wine tours from a simple half day wine tasting tour, like we were on, to active wine tours. In the more adventurous wine tours guides take guests out into the snow (ActiVino! “Snowshoe and Wine”), into the mountains hiking (ActiVino! “Hike and Wine”), and on hikes to see Oregon’s waterfalls (Columbia Gorge Wine and Waterfalls).
Portland and Seattle also have a healthy micro-brewing scene that EverGreen Escapes also likes to show off. Guests not into wine can explore what these two cities have to offer in microbrews with EverGreen Escape’s Portland Brews and Bridges and Seattle’s Brews and Views.
Visitors seeking to get active without the imbibing can check out the plethora of guided outdoor adventures EverGreen Escapes offers in the Northwest and beyond.
In 2013, EverGreen Escapes will take its adventure abroad.
About a little over an hour after leaving downtown Seattle, we reached our destination at Woodinville in the Cascade Mountains at Sparkman Cellars (14473 Woodinville Redmond Road Northeast, Woodinville; 425-398-1045; ; SparkmanCellars.com) and Airfield Estates (14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road, Suite #109, Woodinville; 425-877-1006; AirfieldWines.com) where our group sampled a number of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, zinfandel and other wines. Super G, a zin girl, fell in love and was almost converted to a cabernet drinker with Sparkman Cellars’ 2009 Kingpin Cabernet. That’s how good the wines is.
We weren’t sold on Airfield Estate’s wines, but I was intrigued by the story behind the estate that was once a farm that was turned into World War II airfield training base. After the war it took the family some time to find the land’s next use, but more than 20 years after the end of WWII the first grapes were planted. In 2005, the family not only sold grapes, but began making and selling wine. I couldn’t resist picking up the fly girl coasters to bring home to Super G’s new house.
The tour was a tease, a sampling of what Washington has to offer sippers and swirlers. In the late afternoon, Dan continued to fill us in with information and answer our questions as our group glided down the mountains back into Seattle. We easily chatted about wines and other tours we planned to go on during our visit. It was a perfect transition into our evening.
To escape with EverGreen Escapes call 866-203-7603 or visit EverGreenEscapes.com.
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