Tuesday - Foiling and Wine Tasting

It doesn't look very windy!

Lousie and I left at 9:30, stopped at McDonald's for breakfast, then drove to North Bonneville - where I picked up some Slingshot parts. We then headed on to Stevenson to check out the possibility of some foiling.

I hummed and hawed for a bit.  We were the only ones there, and it didn't look windy enough, but I kept thinking of Dale and Jim at the Event Site sailing in almost nothing.  I decided that with the big board and foil, I could always slog back, so I rigged and headed out.

The first few reaches were light - I could get going on the far side, but not on the near side.  Then it filled in and I was able to foil all the way across, both ways.  I had two really good sessions.  I could have kept going, but I was getting tired and making mistakes, so I thought it best to get off the water.

After a while, more kiters started arriving - mostly with foil boards, then a few windsurfer foilers and even some standard windsurfers and kiters.

Thanks, Louise, for taking the photos and for your patience waiting out my sailing session!

I packed up. We had a quick snack at Subway (The Crossing is only open Wed - Saturday) then headed back to the Condo.  When we got there, there was a note from Sue.  She and Andreas had rented E-Bikes and would meet us at the Marchesi Vineyard at 4:30.

We rode our E-Bikes to the Columbia Gorge Hotel and walked around their grounds, enjoying the spectacular views from the top of the cliff and of the waterfall.

The roads up to the Marchesi were a bit busy and in some sections narrow - so not as nice as the old highway that we rode on the other day.   We were the first to the Winery, but it wasn't long before Andreas, Sue, Ross, and Matt joined us.  We had a nice visit on the winery deck tasting all of their wines.  Ross and Andreas each bought some wines after our session.

A table ornament at the Vineyard...
Actually, it is a live cat - it barely moved unless someone came over to scratch it.

We stopped at Safeway on the way home for supplies, and then Ross and Andreas barbecued steaks, shrimp, quinoa, carrots, asparagus, and salad for supper.  It was excellent - and then finished off with ice cream and nectarines for dessert.

We spent the rest of the night drinking wine and enjoying some old "Kennedy Center Honors" on youtube.