Tag Archives: mt hood lodging

Drop Dead Savings

Drop Dead Savings have been extended through November 18

Drop Dead Savings are back at the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast. We invite you to Stay two nights, mid-week in October at the Old Parkdale Inn and take 20% off your room rate. Any room, midweek, Sunday through Thursday at the Old Parkdale Inn that comes with our hearty Northwest Breakfast, of course.

The Hood River Valley is a spectacular place to visit in the Fall.  Tour the valley and stop in at the fruit stands, family farms, lavender farms, and wineries on the Fruit Loop. Less crowds during the week. More apples and pears for you to taste and take home. The Mt Hood National Forest is just minutes away where the awesome fall foliage has begun to put on a show. A little bit later in the month, after the harvest is in, the acres and acres of fruit trees begin to turn. Or you may just want to relax in our gardens, a throw over your lap, watching the family of quail that have called our garden home this summer.  These savings come once a year. 

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Wildfire and Air Quality Update: While the wildfires burning across Oregon are not completely extinguished they’re under control and cooler temperatures, good, strong onshore flow and most importantly, some measurable rain will help flush out the atmosphere, get rid of the last of the wildfire smoke. And the harvest of Pumpkins, Pinots and Pears will go on.

Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast is.

National Banana Split Day

National Banana Split Day August 25

Banana Split for breakfast?  How about this healthy, delicious and nutritious variation from the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast? Oatmeal Breakfast Banana Split is a fun breakfast recipe that will kickstart your day with the energy you’ll need to power through exploring Oregon.

You’ll need about one cup of prepared oatmeal for each ‘split’.  Use your favorite oatmeal recipe making sure it’s on the thicker side. You’ll be using a cookie or ice cream scoop to scoop into banana

  • Slice the banana lengthwise and lay in your bowl
  • Drop two or three scoops of oatmeal onto banana
  • Add fresh fruit.  Try peaches, pears , apples, and berries
  • Top with a tablespoon or two of Greek Yogurt
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips, hemp hearts and chia seeds
  • Drizzle with maple syrup or any fruit syrup
  • Don’t forget the Cherry on Top

The great thing about this meal is you can top this banana split oatmeal with whatever you like. In the Hood River Valley we have an abundance of berries, cherries, stone fruit, apples and pears. Try some fall flavors with pumpkin puree and seeds. Or go tropical with mangos, pineapple and oranges. The options are virtually endless.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast is.

tourist hood river valley

A Tourist in the Hood River Valley

The innkeepers at the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast enjoy playing the tourist in their own Hood River Valley, driving the Fruit Loop, a 35 miles driving tour through orchards, forests, farmlands, and friendly communities. “Sample delicious fruits and take your favorites home, visit a winery, experience fields of fragrant lavender, and savor delicious baked goods at Fruit Loop locations throughout the year.”

‘We stopped by the Mt Hood Winery, Oregon’s 2016 Winery of the Year.  The 8000 square foot Tasting Room facility was built with event hosting in mind.  A conference room, large meeting hall, a private dressing room. They thought of everything. Surrounded by newly planted vineyard the winery has breathtaking views of Mt Hood and the Hood River Valley.

The Fruit Loop is just an hour away from Oregon’s largest city, Portland. Located just outside the national scenic area called the Columbia River Gorge, our Valley is the nation’s largest pear-growing region, one of the few places that offers the complete experience of growing, producing, and then enjoying fruits and wines.

‘At the Gorge White House the flower fields bloom from April until first frost, usually in October. U-cut or they-cut flowers. This year they have tulips, daffodils, peonies, dahlias, gladiolas, rose mallow, sunflowers, delphiniums, cosmos, asters, zinnias, lilies, iris’s, snapdragons, echinacea, black-eyed Susans, marigolds, crocasmia, veronica, and more. Make an afternoon out of arranging your bouquets at the picnic tables or on the spacious patio.

‘Our last stop was at Packer Family Orchards and Bakery. The bakers use pears in just about every one of their products. By using pear concentrate, they have reduced or in some cases, eliminated the need for refined sugar in many of their recipes!  Enjoy the sweet taste even more, knowing that their products make for a healthier alternative.   I went in for some fresh peaches, so juicy and sweet, and one of their giant cherry/white chocolate cookie. Ended up with that one and the macaroon and one other that had an amazing lemon flavor.’

The harvest season will soon be in full swing. The Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakast along invite you to enjoy the fall season in the Hood River Valley.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know that Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakast is welcoming guests.

Seven Oaks Bed and Breakfast

Seven Oaks Bed and Breakfast

Seven Oaks Bed and Breakfast was built in 1928 by French craftsman and renowned inventor August Guignard.  The homestead featured acres of farms and orchards as well as manufacturing operations for the fruit grading equipment he pioneered.

The lush gardens surrounding the Inn are bordered by mature Douglas Firs that provide complete privacy and the feel of country living.  Views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams provide a dramatic backdrop for serene and peaceful seating nooks and gardens within the meticulously kept grounds.

Spacious dining and living rooms, a shady porch, and a sunny deck offer places to enjoy the views over a glass of wine and good company while nooks for reading or meditating provide peace and quiet.

With an emphasis on healthy, fresh food, Seven Oaks is proud to feature vegetarian specialties, homemade jams and pastries, and organic, locally roasted coffees.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn. Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know that Seven Oaks is welcoming guests.

Oregon Trail

The Historic Oregon Trail turns 177 in 2020. Time for you to hit the highway, inspire your own pioneer spirit, stand in the actual wagon ruts pioneers left behind, and visit the numerous interpretive sites, monuments and cultural centers along the way.

The Oregon Trail traversed 2,170 miles of what today is Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. Travel the Oregon National Historic Trail through Oregon, from Idaho, along the Columbia River and around Mt Hood.

There are several trail sights from the Idaho border to Baker City, the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center offers living history demonstrations, interpretive programs, exhibits, multi-media presentations, special events, and more than four miles of interpretive trails.  From the top of Flagstaff Hill you can still see the trail running out across the plains.

This last week we traveled the Old Emigrant Hill Road, just north of La Grande, caching over 25 hides along the way while visiting some Oregon Trail sites. The cemeteries along the route toward Portland reveal so many Oregon Trail stories: where the emigrants came from, how they lived, and died, as they headed for Oregon and the awaited promises.

The last hurdle for emigrants on the Oregon Trail was the Cascade Range. Early pioneers either had to barge down the treacherous Columbia River, make their home in The Dalles, or travel the Barlow Road through the Cascades along the south side of Mt Hood. Lodging option on Mt Hood: Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast 

The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum reveals the cataclysmic floods that helped shape the Columbia River Gorge. Here also you’ll experience interactive exhibits of the Lewis and Clark expedition, The Oregon Trail and 10,000 years of Native American life in the Gorge.  Lodging: Hood River Bed and Breakfasts

At the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and Historic Site in Oregon City, visitors can learn about the journey, discover what it was like to be a pioneer and what life was like for those who reached Oregon Territory.  Lodging options: Willamette Valley Bed and Breakfasts

“On such a journey as this, there is much to interest and amuse one who is fond of picturesque scenery, and of wild life.” – Randolph Marcy, 1859

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn. Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. 

National Apple Strudel Day

National Apple Strudel Day is June 17

National Apple Strudel Day is June 17 but the innkeeper of the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast makes this easy Strudel year round, mixing up the filling with available fruits.

Ingredients•

•  1 Egg
•  1 tbsp water
•  2 tbsp granulated sugar
•  1 tbsp all-purpose flour
•  ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
•  2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
•  2 tbsps raisins

•  1 sheet of Puff Pastry, thawed

•  1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Stir the granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the apples and raisins and toss to coat.  Make sure to toss the apples and raisins until they’re evenly coated with the flour mixture. The flour helps to thicken the juices released by the apples as they cook.

Sprinkle additional flour on the work surface.  Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 14×12-inch rectangle.  Place the pastry onto the baking sheet.  Spoon the apple mixture lengthwise down the center of the pastry.  Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle to within 1/2 inch of the peach mixture.  Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the peach mixture, alternating sides, to cover the apple mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

For some nutty crunch, ¼ cup sliced almonds may be added with the apples and raisins.  For a tasty spring strudel try using fresh peaches or fresh berries.  In the fall you can substitute Bosc pears and dried cranberries for a Pear and Cranberry Strudel.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get a photo of the apple strudel so we substitute with one of a Peach Strudel.

The Old Parkdale Inn has three guest rooms, each with amenities including a private bath, flat-screen satellite TV and DVD player, microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator, and Free wireless Internet.

Located on the famous Hood River County Fruit Loop,  the Inn is perfectly situated to tour the area’s gorgeous farms, wineries and orchards.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn. Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know the Old Parkdale Inn is.

National Strawberry Shortcake

National Strawberry Shortcake Day

National Strawberry Shortcake Day is, today, June 14 and the innkeeper of the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast shares a guest favorite

Shortcakes ~ this recipe will make 8 shortcakes.  The innkeeper stretches it a little, making 6 slightly larger cakes, making room for more whipped cream and berries, and perfect for the 6 guests that the Old Parkdale Inn can accommodate.

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbs Grated lemon rind
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ teas salt
¼ cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup half and half
melted butter
2 teas sugar

Preheat oven to 450°
Shortcakes:  Whisk flour, sugar, lemon rind, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender until the mixture is a coarse meal.  Add half and half and stir just until moist. Don’t overwork the dough if you’re looking for tender shortcakes. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown

You’ll want to mix your berries with 3 tablespoons sugar and a splash of lemon juice then refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.  In Oregon and the Hood River Valley we are blessed with an abundance of berries: Oregon’s child the marionberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries being just a few.  Use the freshest ones you can find, mix it up.

Try adding a drop of almond extract to the bowl as you whip up some fresh cream.  Slice the Shortcake in half horizontally, spoon the berries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top.  Garnish with slivered and whole mint leaves, a little more whipped cream and a few more berries.

The Old Parkdale Inn is located in the Upper Hood River Valley on the north slope of Oregon’s tallest peak, Mt. Hood, in the quaint town of Parkdale.  Outdoor adventure, farms, wineries and fine dining are nearby. Three well appointed rooms with private baths offer complete privacy and the serene gardens are perfect for romantic and restful getaways.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn. Hospitality Update: Oregon is one of the top states where it looks like social distancing is working. Our inns have been proactively doing everything in our power to keep you safe, welcome you back, as travel restrictions are being lifted. Not sure if your favorite inn is open? Give them a call as they just might be. We know the Old Parkdale Inn is.

National Donut Day

National Donut Day is the First Friday in June – June 5, 2020

National Donut Day is the first Friday in June, June 5, 2020.  We hope you have a chance to try this delicious baked donut recipe shared by the innkeeper at the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Clean up is easier than with a fried version not to mention a bit less guilt-inducing!

Baked Pumpkin Donut

  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbs. vegetable oil
  • 2 tbs. butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. maple extract
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your donut shaped baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
  • In a mixing bowl, add in the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, melted butter, granulated and brown sugars. Mix on medium until combined.
  • Add in both of the eggs and maple extract. Mix on medium until incorporated.
  • Add in the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix until just combined.

Use a piping bag, or spoon, to fill each donut cup about 3/4 full, making sure the center post is clear.  Innkeeper uses a 9 cavity donut silicone baking mold.  Bake until the donuts are a light golden brown and spring back when touched, 6-10 minutes.  Let cool slightly, flip pan over, glaze or roll in cinnamon sugar

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

Sakura Ridge

Sakura Ridge ~ The Farm and Lodge

Sakura Ridge ~ The Farm and Lodge is a working orchard and Bed & Breakfast in the foothills of Mt. Hood and an inspected and approved member of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild.  Perched on 72 acres in the foothills of Mt Hood, the farm has thousands of fruit trees and gardens filled with vegetables, herbs, and berries.  Fresh eggs are gathered daily and there is always plenty of honey from the hives.

Sitting on the expansive decks, overlooking the orchards and fields, with an awesome view of Mt Hood, you’ll feel like you’re so much more than only 10 minutes from downtown Hood River.  Five well appointed guest rooms, each with a private bath and complete with down comforters, Hudson Bay or Pendleton blankets.  Just the right balance between rustic and classy.  Breakfast is always what’s in season, what’s from the farm and is always good to eat.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

National Apple Pie Day is May 13

National Apple Pie Day doesn’t necessarily have to be celebrated with an apple pie, right.  Why not Apple Pie Cookies?  The innkeeper at the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast put a little spin on the classic apple pie and the results were amazing.

Like most lodging properties across America we’ve been shuttered for over two months now. The Old Parkdale Inn was honored to be featured in Forbes Magazine article celebrating National Apple Pie Day. Nearly four dozen of these elegant and charming properties are reaching out to their guests, past and future, with digital postcards featuring their own apple dessert recipes and a cinnamon-sweet “Wish You Were Here” sentiment for virtual reconnection during this time of extended social distancing. They are one of the top 12 recipes and properties in the country

For quicker, easier assembly she used refrigerated pie crusts

Apple Pie Cookies

  • 6 green apples
  • 1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
  • 5 ounces caramel sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Ground cinnamon

1) Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and non stick spray;  set aside.

2) Remove pie crusts from refrigerator so they warm up slightly. This will make them easier to work with.

3) Peel the skin off the green apples, compost.  Continue peeling so you have bunch of fleshy, white peels of apple in your bowl.

4) Dust work area with flour and slightly roll out crusts. From one pie crust, cut out circles for the cookies.  Cut the second pie crust into 1/2″ strips.

5) Place round pie crusts on cookie sheet. Spread a thin layer of caramel sauce on each cookie, followed by a pile of white apple peels. Using the 1/2” strips, create a tic-tac-toe lattice pattern over each cookie.

6) Beat egg in bowl and add sugar and nutmeg until well blended. Brush cookies with egg wash.

7) Sprinkle cookies with cinnamon.  Use more or less cinnamon depending on your preference.

8) Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until cookies are a golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!

The Old Parkdale Inn is located in the Upper Hood River Valley, a renowned growing region for pears and apples.   Located in the quaint town of Parkdale, Oregon with Oregon’s tallest peak, Mt. Hood, as a backdrop.  Outdoor adventure, farms, wineries and fine dining are nearby.  The complete privacy of the inn and the serene gardens are perfect for romantic and restful getaways.

You’re sure to enjoy sweet treats such as these at the inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is proactively taking steps to welcome you back when traveling restrictions have been lifted. Our member inns have always engaged in exemplary cleaning practices, and typically we hold ourselves to even higher standards than the guidelines provided by our health agencies. We’re taking it up a notch so as to provide the very safest environments for you, our employees and ourselves. We’re ready to share Oregon with you: it’s environment, culture, and heritage. Combine gracious hospitality with ambiance at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn