Drink In Life

How One Conversation Became a Journey Back to Roero

Posted on July 25, 2026 by drinkinlife

One question. One word. A journey that wasn’t finished.

What do you bring home from a journey?

We all return with photographs, a few keepsakes tucked into a suitcase, and memories of places we couldn’t wait to see. Yet, given enough time, I’ve found it isn’t always those things that stay with me. More often, it’s a conversation I hadn’t expected to have, someone I met for only an afternoon, or a moment that seemed almost ordinary at the time but slowly grew more meaningful after I returned home.

As I began thinking about my return to Roero, I realized I wasn’t remembering a particular vineyard or even one of the beautiful villages scattered across the hillsides. Instead, I found myself back at a picnic table beneath the trees just outside Canale, where a simple question over lunch that quietly shaped the articles I would later write about Roero.

After spending the morning exploring Roero, we arrived to find a long picnic table waiting beneath the trees. It had been thoughtfully set with hand-painted plates, linen napkins, and fresh flowers. Before anyone took a seat, cameras came out.

As we lingered over lunch, we were joined by Francesca Iraldi from the Consorzio Tutela Roero, our hosts for this study trip. Francesca asked our group a simple question that, at the time, seemed like little more than a thoughtful way to end our meal.

“When you return home, what is the one thing you’ll take away from Roero? Just one word.”

The answers came quickly, as most around the table answered, “Biodynamic.” It wasn’t surprising. Throughout the week we had learned about the region’s deep commitment to farming with respect for the land, and it had become one of the defining themes of our visit. When it was my turn, another word found its way out before I had really thought about it.

Passion.

Looking back, I don’t think I was answering the question so much as describing the people we had met.

I saw it in conversations with winemakers who spoke about their vineyards with the same affection others reserve for family stories. I saw it in restaurant owners who wanted us to understand not only what was on the plate, but why it mattered.

I saw it in every person who welcomed us, not because they were trying to impress a group of visiting journalists, but because they genuinely cared about sharing their corner of Italy.

That answer stayed with me long after I returned home.

As I began writing about Roero, I found myself thinking back to that afternoon again and again. Of course, I wrote about the wines, the villages, and the beautiful landscapes, but I gradually realized those weren’t the stories that had stayed with me the longest. What lingered were the people behind those places, their generosity, and the quiet pride they carried with them every day.

Those became the stories I wanted to tell.

Several months later, an email arrived from Italy that caught me completely by surprise. The Associazione Premio Giornalistico del Roero had selected my series of articles for its journalism award and invited me to return to Roero for the award ceremony on July 24.

As I read through the details, I began to appreciate just how special the recognition was. The Premio Giornalistico del Roero is an annual award that honors journalists, photographers, and media organizations whose work helps tell the story of Roero to audiences in Italy and around the world. It celebrates reporting on the region’s wine, food, biodiversity, history, culture, and traditions. This year, I was honored to receive the Premio Giornalistico del Roero for my travel journalism about Roero, published here on Drink In Life. If you’d like to learn more about the award and explore my complete collection of Roero stories, you can visit my Recognitions page.

I was deeply honored, but there was one problem. The award ceremony was scheduled for July 24, just a few weeks before my son’s wedding. I’ll admit it, I spent more than a little time trying to convince myself I could somehow do both. I looked at flights, studied the calendar, and mentally rearranged the weeks more times than I care to admit. In the end, common sense finally won. With so much still to do before the wedding, my place was at home. I wrote back with sincere thanks, along with the disappointing news that I wouldn’t be able to attend.

Instead, they responded with the same warmth I had experienced throughout my visit to Roero. They invited me to come in the fall, spend a few days in Canale, and receive the award then.

Once again, the people I had written about reminded me exactly why I had answered “Passion” that afternoon beneath the trees.

My first thought wasn’t about the ceremony or even the award itself. It was about that lunch beneath the trees and the question Francesca had asked before leaving our table.

Perhaps that’s because, in many ways, the invitation felt like a continuation of the same conversation. I had traveled to Roero hoping to learn more about a remarkable wine region. I returned home carrying something far more valuable: an appreciation for the people who call it home. Those were the stories I wrote because those were the moments that stayed with me.

Now, in just a few weeks, we’ll be making our way back to Roero.

Before we go, there are still a few stories from that first journey I’d like to share. Over the coming weeks I’ll be revisiting my first visit to Roero, along with a few memories that never found their way onto the blog.

This time, I get to share Roero with my husband. Together we’ll discover places that are entirely new to both of us, but I’ll also finally get to show him a few of the places I couldn’t stop talking about after I returned home last year.

The last time I was there, I filled pages of my notebook. But one word stayed with me: Passion. It seems only fitting that it’s the word bringing me back.

Earlier Stories from Roero

If you’re new to my Roero series, or you’d like to revisit where this journey began before we head back to Italy, here are the articles that started it all:

Thank you for reading and for following along. Is there a place that has stayed with you long after you returned home? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

About Elaine

Elaine is an international award-winning travel writer, wine writer, photographer, and WSET Level 3 wine professional who believes every destination has a story worth telling. Through Drink In Life, she explores wine, travel, gardens, books, food, and the quiet moments that make a life well lived.

Read more about Elaine →

Hidden Luxury: Discovering The Lodge at St. Edward Park

Posted on July 21, 2026 by drinkinlife

The Lodge at St. Edwards Park

The Lodge itself has a remarkable story, and honestly, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to stay there. I’ve always been drawn to places with a history, especially when that history hasn’t been polished away in the name of luxury.

Completed in 1931, the beautiful Romanesque Revival building began life as Saint Edward Seminary, where it served as a Catholic seminary for more than four decades. Today, it’s difficult to imagine young seminarians once walked these same hallways, but reminders of that past are everywhere if you take the time to notice them.

Rather than allowing this historic landmark to fall into disrepair after the seminary closed, an extensive restoration transformed it into an elegant 84-room luxury hotel, reopening in 2021 as part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

What I love most is that the renovation didn’t erase the building’s history; it embraced it. The former seminary dining hall is now home to Cedar + Elm, where guests gather over beautifully prepared Pacific Northwest cuisine instead of communal meals. The original barber shop has been reimagined as the intimate Tonsorium Bar, while Father Mulligan’s Heritage Bar pays tribute to the seminary’s first president, Father Thomas Mulligan.

Add in a relaxing spa, rotating art galleries, miles of forest trails, and thoughtfully designed guest rooms, and you’ve got a hotel that somehow manages to feel both luxurious and deeply connected to its past.

Walking through the Lodge, I couldn’t help thinking that this building has simply entered another chapter of its story. I’m always drawn to hotels with a story, and this one has nearly a century’s worth of them.

Checking in came with one more pleasant surprise. Thanks to my Diamond status, our standard King room had been upgraded to a spacious Lodge King.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to receive a room upgrade on nearly every Hilton stay. In fact, I can only remember one time it didn’t happen, and that hotel happened to be completely sold out. It’s easily one of my favorite Diamond benefits because you never quite know what awaits at check-in. Sometimes it’s a room on a higher floor or with a better view, and other times you’re unexpectedly settling into an Executive Suite. Either way, it’s a perk I never take for granted.

Our room was warm, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed, blending modern luxury with subtle nods to the building’s historic past. Looking out over the surrounding forest, it was hard to believe we were only a short drive from Seattle. Surrounded by 326 acres of Saint Edward State Park, The Lodge feels more like a secluded mountain retreat than a hotel tucked away in Kenmore, Washington.

An Evening at the Lodge

Good hotels have a way of encouraging you to slow down. Instead of rushing off to dinner, we spent a little time at the bar, enjoying our first chance to simply relax.

We settled into Father Mulligan’s Heritage Bar, ordered a couple of cocktails, and shared an appetizer. Before long, we found ourselves slowing down too. It wasn’t loud or hurried, just comfortable. The kind of place where your watch stops mattering because the conversation across the table matters more.

As we sat there, I found myself thinking about the history surrounding us. Nearly a century ago, this building was home to seminarians preparing for the priesthood. Today, guests gather in those same spaces for cocktails, dinner, and a weekend away. That’s one of the things I appreciate most about historic buildings that have been carefully restored. They don’t erase the past. They simply invite a new chapter while allowing the old one to remain.

We didn’t make it downstairs to The Tonsorium on this visit, but I did peek inside and immediately added it to my list for next time. Housed in the seminary’s former barber shop, it’s one of those details that makes exploring the Lodge so enjoyable. Around nearly every corner, there’s another small reminder of the building’s past.

One of the things that convinced me to book The Lodge wasn’t just the beautiful rooms or the historic setting. It was Cedar + Elm.

Before I book a hotel, I almost always look at the restaurant menu. Well…if I’m being completely honest, I usually check the wine list first. Old habits die hard.

If I’m going to splurge on a getaway, I want the dining experience to be every bit as memorable as the hotel itself. I was looking forward to seeing what Executive Chef Luke Kolpin had created.

Located in what was once the seminary’s dining hall, Cedar + Elm celebrates the best of the Pacific Northwest with a seasonal menu built around locally sourced ingredients, sustainable seafood, herbs harvested from the Lodge’s own gardens, and even honey from the property’s onsite beehives.

It’s a philosophy I appreciate because when you begin with exceptional ingredients, there’s no need to overcomplicate the rest. The thoughtfully curated wine list, featuring a strong selection of Washington wines alongside international favorites, made choosing dinner even more difficult—in the best possible way.

One thing my husband and I have done for years is share almost everything we order. It started because neither of us wanted to miss out on a dish the other had chosen, and somewhere along the way it simply became our tradition. Sharing means we both get to experience more of what the chef has created, and honestly, I can’t imagine dining any other way now. The seasonal menu, however, made our decisions anything but easy, but eventually we settled on three dishes to share.

The Rainbow Carrots with brown butter and pine nut cream immediately caught my eye. While the carrots were beautifully roasted, the real star of the dish was the pine nut sauce. Rich, silky, and full of nutty flavor, it tied everything together.

The Housemade Ricotta Gnudi with spring onions, sage, and butter was comfort food in its most elegant form. Pillowy, delicate, and surprisingly filling, it was one of those dishes that makes you slow down because you don’t want the last bite to arrive too quickly.

The Chicken Schnitzel was another standout and, honestly, one of my favorite dishes of the evening. Crisp, golden, and perfectly cooked, it was topped with chopped pickles and a bright herb sauce that completely changed how I think about schnitzel. I love pickles, but I never would have thought to pair them with this dish.

The combination worked so well that I found myself mentally adding it to the growing list of recipes I want to recreate at home. Whether mine will come anywhere close is another story.

To accompany dinner, I ordered a glass of the 2024 Franc Blanc from Gård Estate Wines in Royal Slope, Washington. It was my first time trying the wine, and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction.

Bright and refreshing with lively acidity, it paired beautifully with everything we ordered and was a reminder of just how exciting Washington wines continue to be. One of my favorite parts of dining out is discovering a wine I’ve never had before. Even after years of studying and writing about wine, there are always new bottles waiting to surprise me.

To celebrate our anniversary, our server invited us to choose a complimentary dessert from the menu. We didn’t have to think about it for long. We both chose the chocolate torte, topped with toasted hazelnuts and served alongside a scoop of bright passion fruit sorbet. Rich without being overly sweet, it was the perfect way to end a memorable dinner.

After dinner, we wandered through the Lodge a little while longer, stopping to admire a few more pieces of artwork before heading back to our room. Waiting for us was a bottle of Champagne, chilled and ready to toast an anniversary we’d finally taken the time to celebrate.

This wasn’t just any bottle of Champagne. We had brought the 2013 Roger-Constant Lemaire “Les Hautes Prières” Premier Cru home from our visit to the Champagne region the previous fall after tasting it at the family’s small Champagne house in Villers-sous-Châtillon. Nearly a year later, opening it felt like revisiting that afternoon.

Made primarily from Pinot Meunier, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the Champagne had spent years aging on its lees before release, developing wonderful depth and complexity. Rich notes of baked apple, citrus, and brioche, paired with a fine, persistent mousse, made it the perfect bottle to toast both our anniversary and another memorable getaway.

Waking Up in the Park

An advantage to staying at The Lodge was waking up surrounded by Saint Edward State Park instead of downtown traffic. Rather than stepping outside to the sound of buses and construction, we were greeted by towering Douglas firs, birdsong, and trails winding toward Lake Washington. It’s easy to forget you’re only about thirty minutes from downtown Seattle. The property feels remarkably secluded, making it hard to believe one of the region’s largest metropolitan areas is just beyond the trees.

Breakfast was served at Cedar + Elm, and thanks to our dining credit, we were able to enjoy one last leisurely meal before checking out.

A Perfect Ending…or Beginning

When we first started talking about a belated anniversary getaway, attending the Western Washington All British Field Meet hadn’t crossed my mind. A couple of weeks earlier, a gentleman had stopped to admire our 1969 MG Midget while it was parked in our driveway. During the conversation, he mentioned the annual show at Saint Edward State Park.

My husband had already decided to attend, but it wasn’t until I found availability at The Lodge at St. Edward Park for my expiring Hilton Free Night Reward that we realized the hotel and the car show were in exactly the same place. What began as an anniversary getaway turned into the perfect excuse to enjoy both.

If you’ve ever been to a classic car show, you know the vehicles are only half the attraction. The real fun comes from the people who have spent years lovingly preserving them.

You can spend quiet a bit of time, wandering around admiring all of the beautifully restored MGs, Triumphs, Jaguars, Austin-Healeys, Minis, Rolls-Royces, Land Rovers, and motorcycles, stopping to chat with owners who were more than happy to share the stories behind their cars.

As if the cars weren’t enough, one owner had created the perfect picnic display beside their classic roadster, complete with wine, fresh bread, and a wicker basket that looked ready for an afternoon in the countryside. It made me laugh because it combined so many of my favorite things into one photograph. Apparently my interests overlap more than I realized.

By the time we left, we’d admired more British cars than I could possibly count, picked up a few stories from their owners, and added a few ideas for our own MG along the way. I’d call that a pretty successful morning.

A Weekend Well Spent

Over the years, I’ve come to enjoy finding ways to make travel work without spending more than I need to. There’s something satisfying about combining points, travel credits, loyalty perks, and the occasional free night into experiences we might have otherwise put off for “another time.”

This weekend was the perfect reminder of why. One expiring Hilton Free Night Reward became the nudge we needed to finally celebrate our anniversary. We enjoyed a memorable dinner, stayed in one of the Pacific Northwest’s most distinctive historic hotels, and spent the next morning admiring classic British cars at the Western Washington All British Field Meet, all because of one chance conversation in our driveway and a reservation we finally decided to make.

The best part of the weekend wasn’t the hotel, the dinner, or even the car show. It was finally making the time. It’s easy to keep saying, “We’ll do it another weekend.” Sometimes all it takes is one small reason to stop waiting.

The next time an opportunity comes along, I hope I’ll remember to simply say, “Let’s go.”

Thank you so much for reading. I hope this article inspires you to plan your own getaway to The Lodge at St. Edward Park, discover a few new travel perks, or simply explore a destination that’s been waiting a little closer to home than you realized.

If you have any questions about our stay, Hilton Diamond benefits, or anything I covered in this article, feel free to leave a comment below. I’m always happy to help.

Until next time…happy travels!

About Elaine

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