Hi there! I’m Laura McGlynn, and I’ve always believed in the power of place. My work has taken many forms over the years, but it’s always centered on creating spaces and experiences that feel personal, welcoming, and deeply rooted.
My husband Eric and I met in South Florida in 2003 and have been chasing that idea ever since – through moves, businesses, and more than two decades of shared adventures. We’ve always been drawn to good food, good wine, and the possibility of building a life around both. A trip to Oregon in 2014 changed our course completely. We spent one day tasting in the Dundee Hills and knew we’d be back. By the end of that year, we’d returned three more times and bought our first home in the Willamette Valley.
A new kind of home base
Over the next several years, we bought and remodeled a series of homes throughout the Valley, designing each one as a short-term rental that could reflect the region’s natural beauty and warmth. Eventually, we moved full-time to McMinnville, welcomed our son Wesley, and settled into what’s now The Park House: a space that still holds many of our best memories.
Two years later, we finally found the land we had been searching for in Newberg. We purchased a five acre property, renovated the home, rehabilitated the vineyard, made some wine, developed a guest house on the property and… moved back to the east coast. (That probably wasn’t where you thought this was heading, but the lure of family called and we uprooted our lives once again!)
The silver lining: we kept our gem, The Park House, and are thrilled to be able to continue to share it with guests visiting McMinnville and the Willamette Valley.
From hospitality to travel planning
Our family is now based on the East Coast, but we continue to return to the Willamette Valley as often as we can – to reconnect with friends, visit our favorite producers, seek out the new ones, and just be in the places that inspired all of this.
And what started with a few planning requests from Park House guests has now grown into a focus on traveling planning for slow food and wine destinations, with thoughtful itineraries and personalized service as the foundation.
I specialize in the Pacific Northwest, Portugal, and Southern England, all regions I’ve come to know firsthand. I work with clients on trips built around wine tastings, boutique hotels, and locally-focused culinary experiences. I also offer support for other types of travel, including complimentary hotel bookings, group trips, and journeys beyond my core destinations.
Thanks for following along! I’m so happy to share this next chapter with you.
Photo Credit: Big thanks to Coviello Photo for the snaps!