Drive to Richland for wine and sun!

May 11, 2022 

I will be participating in the Hot Rod Power Tour in June 2022 driving my 1966 Mustang coupe.  As part of this trip, I will try to take many pictures and tell my story.  The trip will start in Seattle with the furthest east being the city of Atlanta, then return to Seattle.  

This post is a blog of my trip to Richland, WA.  I'm using it as a warm up to learning how to blog while participating the the HRPT.  

One of my favorite reasons to drive to eastern WA from the Seattle area is SUN!  It is common to drive up to Snoqualmie pass in clouds but once the pass is crossed, sunshine greets you.  This is a picture on the east side of the pass with beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds!  At this point in the journey a smile is found on your face with anticipation of the enjoyment of the warm day that awaits you.  

To the right is Lake Keechelus.  Lake Keechelus is a natural lake but had its capacity increased by the addition of Keechelus dam on the east aspect.  Along with allowing the lake to have an increased capacity, the dam also controls the discharge of the water.  The water is used for irrigation in eastern WA.  This time of year the lake is very full and beautiful.  Although I have never been on the lake in a boat, I've always imagined it to be amazing.  The change at the end of the season is dramatic as the water level is down drastically with exposed stumps and lake bottom.  

As the drive continues east, the Cascade mountains are left behind and you enter an area of farms, ranches and the city of Ellensburg.  It is a beautiful area of sunshine and warmth.  It is also known for being quite windy.  In my many trips through this area I've found that the wind can be strong enough to decrease gas mileage due to wind resistance!  However, today the wind was not present and gas mileage was good.  

This is a view of the town of Selah taken from the rest area just northwest of Selah.  If you look at the mountains in the distance you can see the top of Mt Rainier on the right and the top of Mt Adams on the left.  Mt Adams has a thin cloud layer covering the very top.  This is an especially beautiful area.  Selah is known for the fruit orchards located there.  Tree Top apple juice and apple sauce are produced there.  I have a connection to this area as my first job as a veterinarian was at the Selah Veterinary Hospital.  It was a busy mixed practice where I could be found working on dogs and cats in the office or out at a farm or ranch helping with a variety of farm animals.  One case in particular I remember is placing a splint on a calf's broken leg with parts of a car top carrier provided by a neighbor at midnight.  Yes, the leg healed well!  

This is Rattlesnake Mountain.  Located northwest of Richland, it overlooks the Hanford nuclear reservation.  Rattlesnake mountain reaches an elevation of 3531 feet.  Part of the mountain is privately owned while the eastern slope is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife service.  When I was in college I worked at a veterinary clinic in the Tri Cities during the summer.  I became friends with another employee named Janet.  She lived in Benton City which is due south of Rattlesnake Mountain.  We would frequently ride her horses out to the vicinity of the mountain.  Beautiful desert country!  The summer nights we would ride back in warm weather under the amazing starry night.  During the day there is nothing more enjoyable than horse back riding in the sunshine listening to the meadowlarks sing!

Made it to Richland.  Time to feed the beast!  As a special treat I gave her Non Ethanol Premium.  As you can see, the price was also premium!

This is Badger Mountain located at the junction of I-82 and I-182 in Richland.  One of the favorite places for Renee and I to hike.  Badger Mountain has an elevation of 1579 feet.  The mountain has hiking, mountain biking and horse back riding trails.  These trails range from relatively minor elevation changes to a quite steep trail on the east side.  Renee and like to do all of the trails which is about 10 miles and 1500 feet of climbing.  Then we stop at our favorite coffee and lunch restaurant (Ethos Bakery and Cafe) that is located at the north side of the mountain.  We eat lunch, have coffee, look at the mountain and enjoy reminiscing about our just completed hike.  We stay at The Lodge at Columbia Point, a really nice hotel on the banks of the Columbia River.

Finally made it to my destination, Goose Ridge Winery.  Off in the distance are the Horse Heaven Hills.  The reasons for choosing this winery are multiple.  Great wine, warm sun, beautiful scenery and outside seating.  I can recommend this winery to all without any hesitation.

This is not just a wine tasting room.  This is the full winery.  All around you are the grapes that Goose Ridge uses to produce their wines.  All of Goose Ridge's wines are made with their own estate grapes.  In addition, they supply grapes to dozens of other wineries.  Goose Ridge has more than 2000 acres of estate vineyards.  All I know is that I can sit down in sunshine and drink an excellent glass of wine and feel contentment permeating my body.

My selection today was their newly released 2018 Vireo red wine.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  New wines tend to be a little tighter in their taste and do well with a few weeks to months of aging.  This wine however, was exceptional right away!  Smooth, relaxing and very satisfying.  To go along with this glass of wine, I chose a tortilla chip and mango salsa side dish.  Excellent pairing!

The reward of my trip!