In 2024, my travel explorations took me to Finger Lakes, Rochester, Laurel Highlands, Paso Robles, Umpqua Valley, Tualatin Valley, Willamette Valley, and Los Olivos. As has become the norm, I traveled both virtually and in person. Enjoy my travel 2024, year in review, as I continue to broaden my horizons with new places to explore.
This year, my travel was more limited because one of my trips took me to Portland to breed my dog. We were blessed with six cream Salukis, all of which went to wonderful homes. We kept Pinkie, who gives us much joy and we hope will be my next travel companion to pet-friendly hotels.
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Travel 2024 Year in Review – In-Person Travel
I traveled by car to visit Paso Robles and Los Olivos, and I flew twice to Rochester to visit the Finger Lakes, a place on my bucket list. I flew to Eugene to discover wineries in the Umpqua Valley and the Willamette Valley. Each location left me with memorable impressions and, of course, great wine discoveries.
Driving to in-person wine tastings, luncheons, and events in Los Angeles took me to several wineries located in Romagna, Tuscany, Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Bel Air, and Los Angeles. From my LA Wine Writers luncheons, several of my favorites are Epoch, Innovatus, and Warson Wines.
Laurel Highlands
The most profound Travel 2024 journey was my trip to Laurel Highlands. I had wanted to visit for years, and the thought of visiting four Frank Lloyd Wright homes in one visit, especially Fallingwater, the epitome of Wright’s immense portfolio of architectural work, excited me to no end. The visit proved that and more. Wright’s ability to bring nature into the home, uniting the surroundings and home in harmony, was amazing.
Laurel Highlands is also home to the Flight 93 Memorial. I visited the Shanksville Memorial on the anniversary of 911. Walking through the visitor center stirred my emotions, and I felt the serenity and calm of the field of honor. The memorial is designed as a circle of embrace. One senses the bravery of those people and crew members whose small acts of courage helped save others. We need to remember that the choices we make in life can determine our faith for a lifetime. These choices are more evident today.
Stay tuned for my article on Frank Lloyd Wright to come out in 2025.
Finger Lakes, New York
I had always wanted to visit the Finger Lakes, and 2024 gave me two opportunities. Not only did I get to sample wine, but I also visited the Rockwell Museum, which featured a William Wegman photo exhibit. And if you know me, anything about dogs grabs my attention. We also visited the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass.
The beauty of these three lakes, from Seneca and Keuka to Canandaigua Lakes, is inspirational. From New York Kitchen to F.L.X dining to the view from the Lake House Hotel Rose Tavern, the cuisine is local and farm-fresh.
Three wineries stood out. Ravines, Living Roots, and Forge Cellars. Ravines is a French and American partnership between Morten and Lisa Hallgren. Together, they pioneered the bone-dry and mineral-tinged with some old-world style, setting the modern style of Finger Lakes winemaking.
Forge Cellars is a partnership between Louis Barruol and Rick Rainey. Louis is at the helm of two wineries, Forge Cellars and Château de St. Cosme, in the Southern Rhone Valley, where he established the benchmark for Gigondas. Forge has a French line along with its US wines. Specializing in dry Riesling is Forge’s forte. They work with many vineyards along the southeast side of Seneca Lake, so visiting offers a tasting experience of how soils differ from one location to another.
Living Roots is another partnership, but it is with a US-Australian bond. Think Finger Lakes versus Adelaide Hills. Sebastian Hardy represents a sixth-generation winemaking Family in Australia. Colleen Hardy is from Rochester. Her family purchased a vineyard overlooking Keuka Lake. The two spend their time making wine in both locations, and the wines from both places are excellent.
Rochester, New York
When I visited Rochester, New York, I discovered three museums that resonated with me. The first was the Strong Museum of Play, which lets the child in every one of us come out. From the original Barbie to the first Monopoly game, there is something that each of us can relate to game-wise. The museum houses a butterfly sanctuary. If you are not into toys or games, a walk through the humidified sanctuary, listening to the flutter of wings, and seeing some unusual specimens of butterflies is worth stopping by the museum.
The second museum was the Susan B. Anthony Museum. I visited before the 2024 election, so the timing was perfect to recognize Susan B. Anthony’s impact and women’s right to vote. She would be proud to see how many women are senators, congresswomen, and other political officials at the city and state levels today.
Finally, I visited the Eastman Museum, located in the residence of the man who had put cameras on the map and helped to see the world through a lens.
The Erie Canal is a prominent part of Rochester, so taking a boat ride through one of the locks is interesting and picturesque. Downtown Rochester is built around a waterfall. It is not Niagara Falls, but it is well worth a look as you don’t usually have a cityscape view as a backdrop to a waterfall.
I was lucky to have a tour of the Wegman’s farm. Wegmans is a family-owned market known on the East Coast.
Paso Robles
On this trip, a group of wine writers delved into the Paso Robles Cab Collective’s wineries, visiting eleven wineries that produce exceptional-quality, classic, and age-worthy cabernet sauvignon and red Bordeaux wines that rival Napa. While visiting the wineries, we stayed at the Tuscan-styled Allegretto Resort. Our senses were inspired by the attention to detail offered in the resort’s surroundings, which combine art and wine.
Check out my article, Discover Paso Robles CAB Collective: A Cabernet Sauvignon Journey
Umpqua Valley
Until I visited the Umpqua Valley, I did not understand the importance of this Southern Oregon wine region and its influence in bringing several varieties to prominence in the United States. Three men, Richard Sommer with Pinot Noir, Stephen Reustle with Grüner Veltliner, and Earl Jones with Tempranillo, were the pioneering men who helped put the Umpqua Valley on the map. On this trip, I discovered Oregon Olive Oil in the most unlikely place. I never realized that Olives can grow in a cool climate.
Stay tuned for several Articles coming out in 2025
Tualatin Valley
Having visited the Tualatin Valley twice in 2018, it was time to return and visit new wineries. Located just west of Portland, the Tualatin Valley includes several bedroom communities: Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Sherwood, Forest Grove, and Tualatin. We stayed at the charming Orenco, a boutique hotel in Hillsboro adjacent to the Orenco Station. I would stay there in a minute for any trip to Portland due to its proximity to the station and access to Portland and the surrounding communities.
The Tualatin Valley represents the northernmost region of the Willamette Valley, where Pinot Noir is king. Our visit included six unique wineries, dinner at the Sosta House, and a bed and breakfast at the original Ponzi estate, which Nico and Mia Ponzi Hamacher run.
Check out my article, Dauntless Wine CØ: From Wine to Military Veterans.
Willamette Valley
A trip to Oregon must include some visits to the Willamette Valley. I cannot visit the area without visiting one of my favorite wineries, Beckham Estate. Andrew Beckham was a ceramics teacher and got the wine bug but took it in a different direction. He used his pottery background to create amphorae to ferment and age wine. I like the diversity of the wine and the challenges Andrew creates both in making the amphorae and developing wine to produce in the amphora. It is a perfect example of an artistic blend of wine and art.
In the past year, I have been introduced to two Korean winemakers. One is CHO Wines in the Willamette Valley. From a winery musician to a winemaker to the owners of their winery, it shows that creative inspiration comes in many forms.
When I visit the Willamette, I am always eager to meet Carl Giavanti and check out the wineries he represents. Keeping with the art theme, we visited Potter’s Vineyard in Tigard. Although Bill Sanchez’s career in nutritional science is handy for a winemaking career, he is also a potter. The wines are excellent; the tasting room is an art gallery showcasing local artists, and one can sample wines while visiting. Along the way, we checked out Bill’s studio.
Another winery, Ghost Hills Cellars, is in the Yamill-Carlton AVA. As its name evokes a haunted past, this winery is one of the oldest family-owned wineries in the Willamette Valley; the property moved from dairy farming to wine over 100 years ago.
Check out my article and video, Ghost Hills Cellars: The Legend Of A Haunted Winery.
Temecula, California
My dog, Bree, and I enjoyed a pet-friendly overnight at South Coast Winery & Resort. What could be better than staying in a villa overlooking the vineyards with my canine companion and enjoying good wines produced by winemaker Jon McPherson?
Los Olivos
My husband and I always take a day trip to the Santa Ynez Valley. One favorite winery we visited this year is Tercero. If you have never met Larry Schaffer, it is a must. Larry is among the wine business’s most inquisitive, adventurous, and curious people. His vast knowledge ingratiates your tasting experience. One of my favorite wines, Outlier, is a balanced Gewurztraminer.
2024 Travel Year In Review – Virtual Travel
Joining in Zoom webinars and wine tastings, my travel 2024 calendar ventured to destinations across the United States. Wine webinars took me to the Yakima Valley in Washington and Ghost Hill Cellars in the Willamette Valley.
By co-hosting the IFWTWA, International Food Wine Travel Writers Association webinars, I discovered many new destinations. Join me as I highlight the cities I explored.
New York State
Until I attended a webinar by I Love NY, I had no idea New York State has so much to offer. New York provides impressive scenery from the Hudson Valley, with its stately and historic homes, to the Thousand Island Seaway, with its coastal villages. There is more to New York than New York City, which most people visit. Each region is filled with exciting adventures and sites. As you know from this article, I visited the Finger Lakes and Rochester this year.
Gettysburg
Gettysburg is most known for its significance in the Civil War and the famous Lincoln speech, but Gettysburg is also known for its culinary scene and the round barn. There are few round barns left. Round barns were built around a central silo, which acted as the core of the barn’s interior structure.
Niagara Falls, Ontario
In 2015, I briefly visited Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. The Canadian side of Niagara offers more than just the horseshoe falls and a boat ride under the falls; Nikola Tesla played a big part in developing hydropower, and the Niagara Parks Power Station is where it all began.
Niagara on the Lake and the Niagara Peninsula offer excellent opportunities to explore wine and the area’s cuisine.
Chautauqua, Seneca, and Cayuga
The area championed the abolitionist, Suffragist, and civil rights movements; Seneca and Cayuga are home to some of our country’s equal rights history. Cayuga features the home of Harriet Tubman. Seneca was the site of the nation’s first women’s rights convention.
Chautauqua County is home to the National Comedy Center and the Lucy Desi Museum. The area boasts five lakes, including Chautauqua Lake and Lake Erie, and is also home to Lake Erie Wine Country.
Plans for 2025
I look forward to traveling to new places in 2025. As my plans develop, I plan to experience the Chocolate Festival in Hawaii, the wines of Eldorado County, the mid-century modern architecture in Palm Springs, and the wines of southern Oregon and Lafayette, Louisiana. I cannot go a year without visiting Santa Barbara County’s wine country. My local LA Wine Writers will take a field trip to Ojai.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year as we welcome 2025.