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organic winery in Newberg that produces exceptional pinot noir and chardonnay. He also recommended Furioso Vineyards in Dundee, which specializes in pinot noir. Shea Wine Cellars in Newberg is another great pinot producer. Before we left Cafe Olli, I had a longer than usual chat with the personable staff. Among other things, they gave me a seasonal cheat sheet so I'd know when to return: local morels are best in May, cherries July to October, asparagus April to June, and strawberries May to June. ey also told us about the self-guided Fruit Loop in the Hood River area about 60 miles to the east. Here, visitors are welcome to visit farms and orchards to see, sample, and sometimes pick local produce. We headed that way and, after spending the night in Hood River, started on the Loop. Our first stop was Hope Ranch Lavender. is gorgeous spot was so beautiful that I could have spent the whole day enjoying the view of snow-covered Mount Hood in the distance and rows and rows of colorful lavender right in front of me. When we finally continued on the Fruit Loop, we tasted several kinds of berries and spent time just enjoying the rural countryside. Back in the beautiful Columbia Gorge area, we enjoyed tasting at Cascade Cliffs, Syncline Winery, and Analemma Wines. How was our trip to Oregon? Delicious. and inventive donuts. Voodoo Doughnut was established in Portland in 2003 and for many years hosted donut-eating contests for mayoral candidates. ese days, customers wait in line at Voodoo stores across the U.S. Other inventive Portland donut shops include Mikiko Mochi Donuts, Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai, and Blue Star Donuts + Coffee. e Season is the Reason Portland's foods carts and donut shops offer exotic flavors, but Cafe Olli is my favorite place to enjoy the taste of seasonal produce. is charming all day café sources ingredients from local farms and purveyors and treats the produce with respect. My breakfast here included organic yogurt, house made granola, and Pablo Munoz cherries from nearby Willamette Valley. As was the case with the morels in my omelet, eating in season provided a sublime tasting experience. is café is also well known for the pizza that emerges from their authentic brick oven, which is one of the reasons that I would hang out here all the time if I lived in Portland. In addition to cherries, the Willamette Valley is also known for its outstanding wineries, and my favorite La Jolla wine guru had provided a list of must-taste options before our trip. ese included Brick House, which is a biodynamic and certified OPPOSITE LEFT Dolly Olive is known for its range of Italian wines and creative martinis OPPOSITE TOP RIGHT Cafe Olli is the perfect place to enjoy seasonal produce OPPOSITE BOTTOM RIGHT The Cultural Village at Portland's Japanese Garden is a beautiful spot to learn about Japanese culture TOP LEFT Powell's Books, a Portland landmark, is the world's largest new and used bookstore BOTTOM LEFT Mikiko Mochi Donuts are gluten free and dairy free BELOW Portland's International Rose Test Garden is home to 10,000 individual rose bushes @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2024 93 POWELL'S BOOKS: PHOTO BY ADAMS/HANSEN PHOTOS INTERNATIONAL ROSE TEST GARDEN: PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAVEL PORTLAND