The Adventure Hub & Winery, located in a converted car mechanic’s shop in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood, offers travel junkies a place to gather, swap stories and dream up future travel adventures ever since opening last fall. Evoking a coffee-shop vibe decorated with comfy chairs, travel books and online reading materials, the lounge also serves as a stomping grounds for groups taking an excursion with EverGreen Escapes before returning to the space for a destination-inspired event.
“Travel is about people and the transformative experiences you have connecting with other cultures in other worlds and maybe even just getting to know your own world a little better,” says Jake Haupert, owner of locally based EverGreen Escapes, which specializes in authentic group tours. “There is only so much you can experience through your research online. At some point you want to talk to other people. The goal of the hub is be a gathering place to share and inspire each other to keep on exploring.”
Haupert created the lifestyle venue which includes a full-production winery called Elsom Cellars, outdoor seating and a fleet of Mercedes vans for transportation and touring. “In addition to the adventure travel theme throughout, including a map and adventure consultation room, we have also created destination-themed event opportunities, including destination-specific slideshows, presentations such as our avalanche training or something similar to our Escape Your Everyday Series,” says Haupert. “In addition to that, we provide our ActiVino tour series, which includes kayaking, hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, birding or sightseeing in our national parks before returning to the Hub.”
Groups that don’t have the time to go on an ActiVino tour, however, can opt to meet at the Hub for a variety of onsite teambuilding experiences such as a Robert Bateman-inspired Corks and Canvas event, wine blending courses, urban wine tour or food and wine pairing. Winemaker Jody Elsom, with Elsom Cellars, says that the Cork and Canvas events can be created to develop either a collective masterpiece or an individual work of art. She says that attendees typically create an artist-guided masterpiece to be gifted to the guest of honor or auctioned off to the highest bidder, generating funds that could benefit a specific nonprofit. The Hub provides the artist, canvas, paint, brushes, easels and aprons.
“With our new location at the Adventure Hub, we have many inspirations throughout the space to create the backdrop for a themed wine and canvas event,” says Elsom. “For example, our display of Robert Bateman paintings inspire an adventurous spirit and wine is the perfect compliment to encourage artistic creativity.”
The Hub also offers groups the opportunity to experience a Tango night, themed around the winery’s several Malbec blends. Groups can experience Tango lessons paired with the Spanish wine and several culinary options from paella to tapas to spicy grilled meats. “The immersive farm-to-table experience celebrates healthy food grown on local farms, prepared by passionate local chefs and enjoyed amongst the barrels where our paired small production wines were crafted,” says Elsom.
