Paint & Sip at Echo Ridge Cellars (Revisited)

Favorite Wine Pick: Rodeo Red (14.2% alcohol volume🍷😁)

Paint & sip nights are a fun way to bring out your creative side, even if you aren't an artist. I road-tripped down to Echo, Oregon to attend one at Echo Ridge Cellars, a quaint winery that is in a repurposed grain elevator. If that doesn't spark your attention, then sit outside and enjoy the feeling you get just being around good people enjoying life. You might get lucky like I did and have the owner's dog come and say hi. (Distraction much, Ash?)

I found this little place through a friend/artist, Kate, Zaftig Girl. She held a giveaway for a free paint night entry and my mom won. Mom, being the awesome mom she is, bought me a ticket, for us to go paint together. It was so much fun! I also found out that Kate is the one who designed the art on my bottle of Rodeo Red! Fricken Cool, I keep it in my kitchen window. Check out Zaftig Girl on FB!

It was a beautiful summer day, when I hauled ass from work down to Echo Ridge, to make it to the paint & sip event. The place is actually pretty simple to get to unless you're just drawn by the beauty like I was. I literally passed the driveway & had to do a U-y to turn around. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that it had open and easy parking. I get high anxiety going someplace new and getting stuck. I told my long time ago therapist that I have always just wanted a way to get away, and that's why I like driving myself to most things. Even if I didn't want to go anywhere, I could leave when I wanted. Getting stuck frightens me in many ways. So huge plus on the open parking haha!

After getting a glass of wine and an appetizer, we started painting our picture of elephants in front of a sunset. The couple next to us was the cutest, most genuine couple that I've been around in a long time. Although accidentally I flicked paint at the wife a few times, who found out the hard way that I'll never be an actual artist, she just laughed it off. Thank God.

Throughout the painting, the dog came and said hi, the owners occasionally came out to talk, and if we wanted to, we could have played cornhole, which has the weirdest name and is really only fun when you're drinking.

Kate was a fantastic instructor and our paintings came out beautifully, although Mom's looks like an elephant is itching its butt on a tree. It just adds character and a story to look back on and laugh. I would recommend this place and I am looking forward to my next visit. The coolest thing I've learned about Echo Ridge is that when they do their Spring release, (I believe it is Spring) they commission a local artist to design the label for one of their tasty wines. I am excited to see future local artists' work displayed on the many bottles that I anticipate buying in my future.

Take the time to step out and do something fun & outside of your comfort zone. Even if you're not good at something, just go have fun. It's good to occasionally step outside of your box of comfort. Journal about it by writing about the details, or find a way to memorialize your little adventure.

🖤💋💨