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It’s fall, and the grapes are ripe for the picking. By the holidays, you’ll be able to sample future releases straight from the barrel in the Walla Walla valley and other Northwest wine regions. It’s also a good time to head east and leave behind Seattle’s gray skies and packed shopping malls. Just an idea…

Having recently returned from my own wine-country retreat, which I write about in this issue, I’m big on short, “backyard” vacations spread throughout the year. When my son went off to his first sleep-away camp this summer, my husband and I decided to take a couple of short trips here in our home state. Given the price of gas and the house projects we’d put off long enough, it made perfect sense.

The trips themselves were terrific, but the stay-near-home part was nice too. I definitely did not miss the stress of planning and packing for a big vacation, never mind the expense and the complicated arrangements I usually make for dog care (times two) and watering the garden. I didn’t have the pressure to wrap up work-related tasks before an extended absence, and I did not come home to 200 e-mails and 50 phone messages. I felt like I was, well, on vacation.

My husband and I actually had long, uninterrupted conversations about topics that did not involve school, soccer practice or piano lessons. I confess to some nervousness a couple of times when we were on the road, just the two of us. We were out of practice. With four or five hours of quiet car time ahead of us, what the heck were we going to talk about? But it didn’t take long for us get back into the swing of things, and when we didn’t feel like talking, hey, we could listen to the CD of our choice.

So you might consider a short sojourn, or even two, this fall. You needn’t go far to have fun. We’re lucky to live in a region that has much to offer in the way of activities and events — in every season.

Happy travels,

Karen Reed-Matthee
Editor and Co-founder

©September 2008 Caliope Publishing Company