Having researched almost every lodging and dining facility throughout central Oregon (and with a helpful reminder from a wonderful ODer - thank you, Vee :) we headed for Timberline Lodge. What a magnificent building. Had we not already had reservations elsewhere for that evening, we would have checked right in. (Note: I had debated this in pre-planning, but we only had so many nights and I wanted at least one location to be for two nights, so I wouldn't be making Dad pack up and move each morning. NIce of me, don't you think ;) In any case, we would have loved to stay there. Timberline Lodge was built in 1937 as part of the Works Progress Administration. It was hand-crafted by local artists, using local materials, and features amazing stonework and woodwork. The hallways and lobby areas are filled with artwork and historical displays. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was there to dedicate the building when it opened. This is an all-year lodge and, as we found at Crater Lake, there was quite a bit of snow. More than once we were passed by cheerful visitors on skis, returning to the nearby Wy''East Lodge after a run down the slopes. Though we didn't stay the night, we did manage to get into the dining room for lunch, where we had soup and salad and looked out the window at the winter scenery.
Now, I have to say, for the sake of readers who don't know me well, that it's probably becoming clear that I have an obsession with lodging. I suppose I always have. I love the feeling of getting away and being able to pretend for a night that another place is really your own. That aside, much of the freelance travel writing I've done over the last few years has been about lodging, especially historical lodging. This is why I often change locations daily, in order to gather more for my "I have stayed there and this is what it was like" list. In addition, being a starving freelance writer most of the time (the two definitely go together, regardless of how glamourous it may sound) I specialize in places that are relatively low-budget. I actually prefer this, since I think it's a cool trick for most people to find a way to escape without breaking the bank. I really have a passion for finding lodging that's a great deal and passing that information on. Having now explained that, it will make sense when I say what a treat it was (using Dad being with me as an excuse to splurge) to stay the next two nights at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Sigh. I doubt I can do the place justice. But it's exceptionally nice, a very elegant and classy place. And the location can't be beat, situated on a bluff overlooking the Columbia Gorge.
We got a decent rate for a room on the garden side. We shared the room, but it was half of a suite, so there was an attached hallway with a bath off to one side and a closet to the other, which included a small refrigerator (stocked, of course, with honor bar things to raise the bill, but I brought in my own Diet Coke from the car, as always ;) The rooms are not large, which is common for historical hotels. But they're immaculate and comfortable, with luxurious sheets (honestly, I think this is becoming my favorite amenity.) The gardens are beautiful, so we didn't feel slighted over the big spenders on the river view side. The hotel offers a complimentary champagne and caviar reception in the downstairs lounge from 4:30 - 5:30. I don't do either of those bubbly or salty things, but Dad enjoyed a glass of champagne while we sat on the outdoor patio and admired the river. There's a great area of rock paths along the edge of the property and also a waterfall under (well, off to the side, really) the building. Pretty breathtaking. Our first night there was a little chaotic, unfortunately, because there was a wedding on the lawn outside, followed by a reception inside. I was probably a little tired from driving, but was a little irked later that night by what I assume were inebriated wedding guests slamming doors late at night. Our luck to be on the same floor. It would be better the second night. I finally fell asleep, prepared for the day of sight-seeing that was to follow.
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From there, we backtracked a few miles on Hwy 26 in order to pick up Hwy 35, which wound north through the Mt. Hood National Forest, dropping up into Hood River. (The town, not the river ;)
The hotel is built on the former site of the 1800's Phelps Mill. A hotel by the name of the Wah Gwin Gwin Hotel was built there in 1904, but torn down in 1921 when Portland lumber baron Simon Benson replaced it with the current building. Though it opened with high acclaim and attracted many celebrities, the Depression years hit hard and it was sold and used as a retirement home for many years. Restoration efforts in 1977 turned it back into the luxury accommodation it is now.