The Hood

After four very enjoyable days in Portland we head East for our next leg to the Columbia Gorge and the charming little town of Hood River. We are happy to find out from the very enthusiastic valet at our hotel that it is only a little over an hour's drive away and a beauty of a drive at that. And he's not kidding. On the road which follows the beautiful Columbia River as the road bends this way and that our view is of magnificent Mount Hood.

I seem to keep whipping my head around every time I glimpse it so I can take yet another picture. 

It is hypnotic and beckons me yet somehow elusive, one second it's there then  it's gone.

Then there are the pines,

they are massive and permeate the air with delicious fresh scent. If you veer of the main road there are waterfalls galore,

which I have a hard time capturing with my camera but I keep trying.

We arrive at the Columbia Gorge Hotel,

which sits right on the river. 

It is surrounded by plush gardens

with it's own little creek and waterfall

and swings for a lazy afternoon.

And lazy we are. We spend the next two days traipsing through the charming little town with it's adorable shops and cute restaurants;

the evenings on the terrace enjoying a bottle of wine

while gazing across the river at Washington.

We cross the river for lunch in the darling town of White Salmon, Wa.

at Everybody's Brewing

and find the most amazing view from their terrace!

One night I have a salmon for dinner that tastes like none I've ever had, river to table! I could linger around here a while longer but there are other plans in store so off we go.

And I forgot to mention, when we arrived there was a wedding going on,

auspicious beginning number two.