DAYTON, Ore. — If you’ve ever driven through Dayton, Oregon on the way to the coast, you’ve probably seen it: 14 acres of nostalgia off Highway 18, half RV park, half time capsule.
“You see all sorts of people. Adventurous people, nostalgic people, people from their 20s all the way through their 70s and beyond. It's just a really fun experience for everyone,” said Therese Straight, general manager at The Vintages. Pinot Loop is the name of the street lined with 36 restored trailers, but it might as well be called memory lane.
“Well, it's definitely not camping, but it can give you a little bit of that feel if it's something that you want to adventure out and experience, but we do provide all the luxuries of home for you,” said Straight.
Each trailer has its own distinct personality from retro to modern. The Spartan Royal Mansion is the only trailer with a king-sized bed, full bathroom and even has an outdoor soaking tub surrounded by a privacy fence.
The Vintages is tucked into the middle of the Willamette Valley, a great place for “base camp” if you want to explore the area’s wineries. Back for the first time since the pandemic is their Tasting Passport Program. A fun way to visit some of the local venues within a seven-mile radius. The passport is complimentary with your stay and includes eight different wineries and a local tap room for beer lovers.
“Some of the wineries are offering two complimentary tastings, charcuterie trays, two-for-ones, different deals like that,” Straight said.
“We've had people come from Japan, Sweden and France…but we do get a lot of people from Oregon. We get a lot of people from neighboring towns come and stay with us as well. It's just a really fun experience.”
If you would rather stay in, you can do that too. Each trailer has a fridge, microwave and smart TV. Add-on packages are available as well. The on-site general store offers local provisions along with beer and wine.
“We are only an hour from the coast. So that's a great day trip if you are like making this your base camp head out to the coast for a day,” said Straight. “Also just an hour drive from Portland, so if you wanted to go into the city, you know ski to sea type of thing, we are smack dab in the middle.”
For information on the passport tasting program or booking, visit www.the-vintages.com/