Backroads of Yamhill County

I don't venture into Oregon wine country more than once every year or two. The drive to Carlton for our anniversary dinner at an Italian restaurant we like was gorgeous once we headed out of Newberg and got off the main roads. Rolling hills, about which H likes to say, I didn't know there were so many shades of green, blue sign after blue sign giving directions to a winery: we must have passed 30 or 40 of them. In the 1980s, when I directed the first comprehensive profile of the local wine industry from an economic point of view, there were only a dozen, if that. Half a dozen you could choose from on the store shelves. A huge and successful growth industry.

Dinner was great, and the drive back pretty as well, until we again hit Newberg and the main drag home. There are only main drags home. H immediately took pain pills and iced up, even this little trip a bit much for her.