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A Closer Look at Our Cities: Sherwood

March 6th, 2012 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan

The Lavender Tea House transports visitors to a bygone era.

Located in the southern part of Oregon’s Washington County, minutes from the college town of Newberg, is the small city of Sherwood.  With a population of more than 16,000, this city is steeped in tradition, and the historic “Old Town” is the community’s center. Antique and specialty shops, a tea house and historic buildings all serve as reminders of Americana and small-town living from another era.

Dine
For breakfast, lunch or dinner, visit  Fat Milo’s Family Kitchen, which prepares its entrees with seasonal ingredients. Or enjoy a spot of tea, scone and finger sandwich in a 126-year-old Queen Anne Victorian cottage at the Lavender Tea House (pictured). (For a complete list of restaurants in the area, visit our “Dining” section.)

Shop
Located in the rural landscape of Sherwood is Sleighbells Gift Shop, a year-round Christmas and all-season holiday gift shop featuring collectibles, decorations, gourmet food and fudge. Antique shops in Sherwood include the Railroad Street Antique Mall, set in the heart of Sherwood’s Old Town.

Sip
Sherwood is making a splash in with its award-winning and celebrated wineries. With six wineries (and counting), this burgeoning wine destination is worthy of exploration.

Alloro Vineyards, in Sherwood, Oregon, is one of several wineries in Washington County offering special Valentine's weekend tastings.

• Alloro Vineyard  (also pictured) (open Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment)
• Anam Cara Cellars (open during special events and by appointment only)
• Barron-Wahl Vineyards (starting in July, open Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., please call in advance)
• Beckham Estate Vineyard (contact winery for information)
• Blakeslee Vineyard Estate (open by appointment only)
• Hawks View Cellars (open by appointment only)
• Quailhurst Vineyard Estate (open Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you’re more into suds than grapes, visit Two Kilts Brewing Company, Sherwood’s only brewery tasting room.

Explore
Rich, fertile soils–perfect for growing various produce, plants, flowers, and, yes, wine grapes–give way to several “U-pick” farms featuring berries, flowers, gourds and more, depending on the season.  Check out these agriculture-related attractions to explore in Sherwood.

Oregon’s Washington County’s only national wildlife refuge, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, also resides here. This national refuge features restored habitats, walking trails and is home to more than 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.

Play
Each year, Sherwood plays host to various events that showcase the fun, quirky spirit of this small town.

• Tualatin River Bird Festival (May 18-20) is a three-day event featuring speakers, hands-on activities and photo opportunities for all ages.
• Robin Hood Festival (July 20-21, 2012) is a two-day event featuring a parade, games, medieval court, archery competitions, contests, crowning of a Maid Marian and more.
• Dressage at Devonwood (July 20-22), of one the most prestigious horse competitions in the state, is held annually at the DevonWood Equestrian Centre.
• The Great Onion Festival returns to Sherwood this October, and features activities centered around onions, such as cooking contests, and eating contests (keep the tissues handy).

There are plenty of reasons to visit Sherwood while in Oregon, and dozens of reasons to come back! Use our Trip Planner tool to plan your Oregon’s Washington County and Sherwood getaway today.

Tags: alloro vineyard, Anam Cara, antiques, Barron-Wahl, Beckham Estate, brewery, DevonWood Equestrian, Dressage at DevonWood, Events, farm store, farms, Fat Milo's Kitchen, Hawks View Cellars, horse events, Lavender Tea House, Old Town, Oregon wine, Oregon's Washington County, Quailhurst Estate, Railroad Street Antique Mall, Robin Hood Festival, Sherwood, Shopping, Sleighbells Gift Shop, Sleighbells of Sherwood, tasting room, tea, teahouse, Tualatin River Bird Festival, u-pick farms, washington county, wine, wine tasting, Wineries, winery
Posted in Attractions, Events, Nature, Restaurants, Shopping, Wineries | No Comments »

A “Berry” Fun Fourth of July

July 6th, 2010 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan

The ripe berries were harder to find, but we found 'em.

This year I decided to take full advantage of the cool, temperate weather and spend Independence Day outside. So, my daughter and I ventured to Smith Berry Barn for its annual July 4th Berry Festival.  The “berry barn” is a short drive to rural Hillsboro, and in addition to traditional festival festivities—food, live music and farm animals galore—the event featured berry picking and wine tastings from Washington County’s newest winery.

New winemaker Provincial Vineyards was pouring its 2008 Pinot Noir and 2009 Pinot Gris. Providence has been growing wine grapes at its vineyard site located outside of Forest Grove, next to Apolloni Vineyards and Purple Cow Vineyards. After selling grapes to local vintners, the vineyard owners decided to bottle the grapes under their own label. Provincial doesn’t have a tasting room; however, their wines can be purchased at local wine shops, such as Urban Decanter in Forest Grove.

We ended up with about two pints of raspberries!

After filling up on hot dogs and strawberry lemonade, we set out for our raspberry picking adventure. This was our first time picking raspberries, and it was quite easy, as the berries were easily pulled off their leaves. We filled about a quarter of the tub, which equated to a little more than two pints. And for only $2.25 for our entire bounty, it was a delicious bargain.

Because of the unusually long spring temperatures, the berries are ripening later than normal, so prime berry picking time is just starting here in Washington County. Raspberries, marionberries, blueberries, loganberries, and a host of other berries I’ve never heard of before are ripe, or nearly ripe, at U-pick farms throughout the region. It’s a great family activity, even for teens, and it’s tasty, too!

For a list of u-pick farms, farm stands and farmers’ markets in Washington County, Oregon, click here.

Tags: 4th of July, agritourism, berry barn, berry picking, Events, farm, farms, Hillsboro, Oregon, Smith Berry Barn, u-pick farms, washington county
Posted in Events, Family Fun, Seasonal Fun | No Comments »