October 24th marked my friend Sara’s first Wine and Junk Run hosted by her shop SW Iowa Primitives, Antiques and Furniture.

What exactly is a Wine and Junk run you ask?  Similar to a Poker Run where you pay an entry fee, receive a flyer of participating stops where you either draw a card or receive a stamp to mark your attendance and slowly make your way back to Stop 1 where there is typically food, drink and prizes.   They are a great way to fund-raise money typically for a great cause and always a guaranteed good times with friends and new friends you make along the way.   This particular run consisted of vehicles and stops at various Primitive and Antique shops/boutiques and a few wineries.

Jessica and I made our way down from Omaha at 10am to catch the 11am signup and were well on our way by 11:30am.  Oh what a day we had.

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Stop #1 – Wabash Wine Co. Shenandoah

This location has been open for 10 years and now includes a restaurant.   We stayed for wine sampling of 5 different wines, all of which were either sweet red or whites.   No dry for me!  Jess bought a bottle of sweet red, we signed the guest book and made our way out to Stop #2!

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Stop #2 Ray ‘s Shabby Cottage, Shenandoah, IA

A lot of neat furniture pieces and many other goodies can be found at Ray’s.  Definitely check out their facebook page (linked above) or stop in if you are near Shenandoah!

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Stop #2.5 Emerald Isle and a random school house.

Because we wanted a beer and a bite to eat.   As for the school house stop, don’t ask.  Does there need to be a reason other then we are just a bunch of kids at heart with random ideas for entertainment?

Plus, Hunter is Jessica’s niece. We thought it was fitting.

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Legit study sesh…

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Stop #3 Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyards, Thurman, IA

We definitely had the most fun at Sugar Clay Winery in Thurman, IA.   Beautiful location, friendly and accommodating owners, fairy-tale like setting.  The perfect package for an afternoon with girlfriends.

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Because who doesn’t love a good tree huggin’?

We sat around an imaginary camp fire and enjoyed everyone’s company, despite the looks of pure un-enthusiasm from this crew. 😉  They were having a great time, I promise.

Ms. Sara, Jess and I.

Janice, Erin and Ardie (Three Generations)

We spent a solid amount of time here, proof in the off the wall photos.

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And then it was time to move on to Stop #4.

…but not before we paused briefly for some senior photos. 

Again, don’t ask.  We do what we do and that’s reason enough for us.

Perhaps wine had something to do with it as well…

Stop #4 Mitzi Mo’s Boutique, Glenwood, IA

She has TONS of cute stuff in her store.  From chalk paint, to jewelry, to baked goodies and a little of everything in between.  Definitely worth your time to swing into this quaint little store off the town square in Glenwood, IA

Stop #5 Vine Street Cellars, Glenwood, IA

Vine Street Cellars in Glenwood is located right on the town square and is a very clean, fresh and sophisticated winery.  We liked our visit, as did Janice, Erin and Ardie. 🙂

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Stop #6 SW Iowa Primitives. Emerson, IA

The last stop took everyone back to Emerson for some delicious food cooked by Troy and Sara as well as prizes and fun for all involved.   Jessica and I were unfortunately unable to make the stop due to a Halloween party and costume change I had on my agenda, however, the entire day was a success!

Rumor has it Sara is making next years run even bigger and better with more stops at shops and wineries.   Make sure to join in on the fun next year!

Cheers!