Drizzlewood Farm is located in Portland, Oregon, secluded in the nature of the area's foothills, oak forests, and wetlands. The property hosts a single vacation rental with two guest accommodations, a living room, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. The Drizzlewood Farm property grounds are available to patrons staying at the Guest House and consist of 100 acres of trails, creeks, gardens, oak trees, and an abundance of wildlife. The lodging property itself is relatively new, having been established in late 2020, and is owned and operated by Kathy Thurow. She hopes that her guests can have a relaxing and rejuvenating "farm-stay" experience while also being able to connect with nature. Near Drizzlewood Farm is the city of Silverton, which is known for its many wineries and its central location to the surrounding nature. The property is open year-round.
The Drizzlewood Farm is located in Portland, Oregon, and consists of 100 acres of land. The Guest House at the farm is a single-story home, 1,200 square feet in size. It's built in a farmhouse style and painted a light tan color. A red roof and white trim complement its simple design. Despite its relatively quaint nature, the house boasts two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The first bedroom has a queen bed, a couple of chairs for lounging, and a closet with a barn door. It also has a master bath complete with grab bars and a shower bench in a walk-in shower to make it more handicap-accessible. The second bedroom has a queen bed and a bathroom with a standard tub and shower. Both of the guest accommodations have views that overlook the surrounding area, such as the hay barn and the oak grove. Additionally, they each have separate room-adjustable heating and cooling. Other rooms in the Guest House include an open-style dining room, kitchen, and living room—complete with couches and small side tables.
Perhaps one of the house's primary features is the full kitchen, stocked with everything from a dishwasher to a blender and serving dishes. There are even seasonings and different baking ingredients included for guests' convenience. Additionally, depending on the season of the year, there may also be fresh produce available from the gardens on the property that visitors can have access to. Guests also have the luxury of having a washer, dryer, and laundry soap provided as additional amenities. Another unique feature of the house is the wood stove, wood-burning fireplace. This feature is especially convenient during the colder seasons of the year, though patrons can use it at any time. Kathy Thurow, the owner of the property, makes sure to provide oak firewood that is harvested on-site to go along with this feature. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi, a smart TV, and a covered deck. The latter of these has two benches for lounging and viewing the surrounding area, as well as stairs leading down to the grass field surrounding the Guest House.
The Drizzlewood Farm itself is perhaps the most notable feature available to people staying in the Guest House. Kathy describes the farmland and the local area as being pastures, oak savannas, forests, wetlands, and vegetable gardens. This locale nature is something that has the potential to create an isolated setting where guests can spend time relaxing or exploring in a private place. As stated above, its grounds consist of 100 acres in total, on which Kathy has tried to make it accessible for her patrons. Some of the features she has implemented on the premises are an abundance of trails and grassy areas that guests can use for walking, exploring, and other activities. There are also creeks that are spread throughout the property that visitors can play in. Oak trees surround the main house and provide shade and a place where guests can spend some time. Beyond the vegetable gardens, there is also a greenhouse on the property utilized for growing various plants.
The property owner, Kathy Thurow, describes the Drizzlewood Farm's atmosphere as a "farm-stay," as it is a house on a working farm. Because of the location and the "small and quaint" Guest House that is more secluded in a copse of oak trees, guests can spend time in nature and relax in relative privacy. Unlike B&Bs, hotels, inns, and other lodging places, patrons of the Guest House rent out the entire building and therefore don't have to worry about or conform to other visitors' schedules. They can use all the amenities and features at their leisure, including making whatever meals they wish to in the fully stocked kitchen.
Because of how relatively new the lodging property is, having opened for business in late 2020, Kathy wanted to make sure that she was providing the best service she could. In order to do this, she debuted her launch by inviting some of her friends to come and be her trial guests, so to speak. From this, she was able to get feedback on the amenities and service that she offers and be better prepared for her real guests. Since then, many different people have stayed at her property. One such visitor of the guest house said, "The cottage is lovely and so well designed. During sun breaks, we walked in the oak groves and hung out with the chickens. The stars at night were incredible!"
As mentioned above, perhaps the most notable feature guests can utilize while staying in the Guest House is the Drizzlewood Farm itself. The property has lots of open space, over 100 acres, where guests have the opportunity to connect with nature by spending time outside. While on the property, it is common to see deer and to hear frogs, owls, and coyotes, among other wildlife. One of the most common activities for guests to do directly on the property's grounds is bird-watching. Additionally, guests can explore the various trails that wind through the vegetable gardens and the oak trees. Guests can further experience the "farm-stay" nature of the property by having access to the fresh produce grown on the farm—dependent on the season, of course. One guest, in reference to the nature of the property, said, "you can wander through meadows, streams, and woods watching for birds and thinking deep thoughts... Listen at night for great horned owls and coyotes."
Beyond having a peaceful stay spending time on the property or at the Guest House, visitors of the Drizzlewood Farm also have the option for a more active outdoor experience at various attractions near the property. Perhaps the most prominent of these is the Molalla River Recreation Area, located in the Mt. Hood Territory. Here guests can hike, bike, and ride horses on an abundance of trails. Also nearby is the Table Rock Wilderness Area, famous for the lava rock there, and more specifically, the "Fortress"—a large lava rock formation that juts above the top of the forest trees.
One of Kathy's favorite places to go to nearby, which she recommends her guests go and visit as well, is Silverton. Here guests can eat at various restaurants, peruse the variety of shops, and drink at the abundance of wineries that can be found in the area. One such restaurant is the Thai Orchid which serves Thai-style meals. The Cascade Foothills Winegrowers is another popular attraction in Silverton, where guests can experience wine tasting while enjoying the views of the Cascade Foothills. A couple of other favorite wineries of Kathy's nearby are Christopher Bridge Wines, which serves food and wine in a venue overlooking the countryside, and the Forest Edge Vineyard. A specific attraction Kathy recommends her guests go to in Silverton is the Oregon Garden, an 80-acre garden complete with a wide range of natural plants and beauty.
Kathy Thurow is the current owner of Drizzlewood Farm. She bought the property the Guest House is built on in 2007 with some family of hers. The 100-acre property was always used as a farming place before she purchased it. Some of the more unique things about the farmland's history are that it was once used as a cattle run, and it has been logged two and a half times for lumber. Today, Kathy continues to utilize the property as a farm, running it as a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). This farm style is a system where local community members subscribe to the farm, receiving portions of fresh vegetables and other things grown there every month. Kathy's daughter was the person who initially organized the Drizzlewood Farm as a CSA.
Since buying it, Kathy always thought the Drizzlewood Farm was a beautiful piece of land. However, it wasn't until the mid-2010s that she decided she wanted to open up some lodging facilities on the property. In 2016 the Drizzlewood Farm Guest House was built along with another house on the property—though the purpose of the second one is to serve as a long-term rental home instead of a short-term vacation rental like the Guest House. However, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and other unforeseen circumstances, the property wasn't open for patrons until the end of 2020 and became fully open to guests at the beginning of 2021.
15298 S Herman Rd
Molalla, Oregon 97038
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Kathy Thurow
