Columbia Gorge summer vacation

After scuttling our plans to go hiking for a few days in the Methow Valley because of high heat and smoky skies, we backtracked to the Columbia Gorge. It was a good decision (and a good chance to practice being flexible and resilient when plans don’t at first work out :) Our re-vamped plan gave us a chance to discover Society Hotel, an amazingly cool place to stay on the Washington side of the Columbia in the little town of Bingen, and a chance to hike Tamanawas Falls, which has long been on my bucket list. With all of the Gorge hiking so readily available, and all of the great dining and shopping options in Hood River right across the river, as well as a front-row seat to the colorful skies display of kite boarders on the Columbia, it was a positive addition to our tradition of mother-daughters summer trips.

The friendly, adorable, and oh-so-hip Society Hotel had the ultimate tiny house-inspired lodging, complete with a picnic table and hammock, a cafe and library, a meditation sanctuary, a spa with hot and cold plunge pools and a sauna, and even fire pits lit each night, perfect for roasting gourmet marshmallows and making s’mores.

We arrived at the trailhead at 6:30am, and were rewarded by being the first hikers on the trail. We made it all the way to the waterfall and halfway back before we saw another person. The waterfall was beautiful, but I loved walking along the river even more . . . the sounds and sights of the rushing water, the rapids, moss-covered rocks, little eddying pools, were incredibly peaceful. One of the best hikes I’ve ever done, no wonder it’s so terribly popular.

Lavender fields along the side of Highway 35, in the shadow of Mt. Hood.