A WEEKEND GETAWAY AND STAY AT BELL SISTER FLATS IN ROSEBURG
Every year for our anniversary we celebrate big! We take four days to enjoy each other, sometimes wine or beer tasting, and always hiking, eating, and relaxing. We usually like staying somewhat close to home so that we don’t waste time travelling too much, exploring along the way to our destination.
This year we decided to head to Roseburg. It’s less than two hours from Medford and there is so much to do in the Umpqua Valley, it’s the perfect place to getaway for the weekend. On this trip we wanted to stay in town so that we could be close to the restaurants and bars downtown as well as close to wine tasting because we didn't want to drive in the evening when we knew we would be having cocktails.
Last year I had been on a tour of Bell Sister Flats while at a travel symposium and I couldn’t think of anywhere else more perfect. They offer two luxurious one bedroom flats that have every necessity that you may need. We stayed in the Minnie Flat, but there was nothing “mini” about it. When you walk in you are greeeted by a bottle of wine from a local winery and delicious chocolates from Umpqua Sweets and Treats, right up the street. The kitchen is fully stocked with enough room to cook to your heart's content that included a coffee maker, tea maker, and even a Ninja if you are smoothie drinkers like us! There was also a small dining table and a sitting area that accommodated two cozy chairs and a TV as well as some cards and dice in case you get bored.
As we walked down the hallway the decor was simple and tasteful and when we walked into the bathroom, well I’ll put it this way, we didn’t want to use it because it was so pretty. Clean lines and natural accents complimented the well thought out decor. There is a separate water closet and the shower was huge to accommodate two people, you know “to save time” ;)
At the end of the hallway is the stunning suite that gives you a street view as well as hills in the distance. There are blackout curtains, a beautiful fireplace, a double recliner that was situated cozily in front of the fire and TV, and then a beautiful king size bed with all the pillows one could need. I actually loved all of the pillows because I basically build myself a nest to sleep in after getting in my cuddle time with my hubby. After we got situated we went to dinner at The Parrott House just five minutes up the road.
The Parrott House is a historic house built in 1891 on gorgeous grounds that hosts events, in addition to their restaurant and Reform Bourbon Bar. We were enchanted by the Victorian decor, and the food and cocktails were delicious. The thing that really fascinated us was that the main dining room was only lit by a vintage chandelier and candlelight giving us a feeling like we stepped back in time. We will definitely be adding it to our must-dine list everytime we visit Roseburg.
The next morning we could have easily locked ourselves in our cozy little flat and vegged for three days, but we had to take advantage of its location. We were surprised to find that within one mile of Bell Sister Flats there were a lot of dining options. We headed downstairs and decided we wanted to walk to breakfast and we wanted something lighter so we opted for the Bagel Tree Cafe that was only 1/2 a mile away. They had 20+ varieties of bagels and our choice of sandwiches to be made out of them. The bagels were so delicious, not too doughy and the perfect amount of chewiness. They also serve smoothies, coffee drinks, and boba tea!
After our breakfast we walked around downtown, and even though a lot of stores have been shuttered there are still quite a few open. We love listening to music on vinyl so we were stoked when we found this hole in the wall store Roseburg Collectibles. It was piled from floor to ceiling with vinyl records, DVDs, VHS tapes, cassettes, and even some 8-tracks. We spent about an hour digging through the vinyl and found quite a few, the owner gave us a great deal since we bought so many! Happy with our vinyl finds we headed up the street to peruse an antique shop as well as the comic book shop Heroes Haven. If you are a gamer or into comic books we highly suggest stopping into Heroes Haven. They have a lot of collectible comics, Pokemon, Magic, and other collectibles and it is such a well arranged store.
When we tired of shopping we needed a little pick me up so we stopped into Gathering Grounds, a cool little coffee shop just three doors down from Bell Sister Flats. The staff was super friendly and made a wonderful, silky latte. Gary really enjoyed their cold brew too! He’s a bit of a cold brew snob so it means a lot when he gives a compliment on it. We finished up our coffee right around noon, the perfect time because the wineries open between 11am and noon.
What is so convenient is that the Umpqua Valley wineries, while in the middle of wine country among beautiful sweeping hills and open farm land, they are just 10 to 20 minutes from downtown. We visited four wineries during our stay, two on Friday and two on Saturday, and we enjoyed every one. We visited Melrose, Cooper Ridge, JosephJane and Mustard Seed and loved that each one was different from the other, from large sweeping estates to intimate, family-owned, boutique wineries, the wine was good and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. Just what we expect from southern Oregon wineries.
After our afternoon of wine tasting we had reservations at one of our favorite restaurants in Douglas county, True Kitchen + Bar, and it just happened to be right across the street from Bell Sister Flats. The food is always delicious with classics like Shrimp & Grits and Crab Cakes, as well as unique offerings such as Pistachio Pesto Primavera and Adobo-Lime Chicken. Their cocktails are always wonderful too!
With our bellies full we walked back across the street to our flat and snuggled up for the rest of the evening because we wanted to enjoy our last evening in our luxurious room. While the flat was beautifully decorated, it wasn’t overdone. It was cozy, comfortable, and homey. We definitely look forward to the next time we visit Roseburg so we can stay in Bell Sister Flats.
The next morning we packed up and stopped into The Parrott House for brunch because we enjoyed dinner so much. It did not disappoint! Gary very much enjoyed the breakfast buffet and I had the Crab Benedict that was phenemonal, piled with beautiful Dungeness Crab. On our way out of town we stopped in Winston to shop at its Now N Then Antique Mall. It was a huge store with multiple vendors and we found a few treasures to take home.
Our trip to Roseburg was wonderful as always! One thing we realized is that we need to visit more often. We discovered some new favorites as well as some more places that we’d like to explore. We will be visiting again soon so that we can eat more, drink more, and hike more!
Want to get out for some outdoor adventures while you are in Roseburg? Before we checked into Bell Sister Flats we went for a hike at Wolf Creek Falls. Only 45 minutes away it’s the gateway to multiple waterfalls along Little Creek Drive. If you want to venture a little farther, take 138 through Glide and you can visit 11 different waterfalls including Toketee, Watson, and Lemolo falls as well as the Umpqua Hot Springs. Be aware with the recent fires Fall Creek Falls and Susan Creek Falls trails are both closed but there are plenty of more trails to explore.
We highly suggest planning your next weekend getaway to Roseburg. There is so much to explore you will definitely want to go back more than once!