The Gorge Magazine - Summer 2024

S well G elato

Because our fur besties love dessert, too

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Thistledown on Oak Boutique hotel brings the 19th century to town

Mitchell Point A tunnel runs through it

Maui Meyer

principal broker or/wa 541-490-3051 maui@copperwest.com

Melissa Alvarado broker, or 541-980-8977 melissa@copperwest.com

Vicki Brennan broker or 541-399-3678 vicki@copperwest.com

Hunter Lowery

broker or/wa 541-490-5917 hunter@copperwest.com

Rita Ketler managing principal broker 541-400-0449 rita@copperwest.com

Sean Aiken

principal broker, or/wa 541-490-8277 seanaiken@copperwest.com

Phineas England broker or/wa 541-490-9666 phineas@copperwest.com

Judy Dutcher broker or/wa 541-490-6327 judy@copperwest.com

Elizabeth Turner gen mgr/broker or/wa 541-490-6552 elizabeth@copperwest.com

Paul Thompson principal broker, or/wa 541-490-1044 paul@copperwest.com

Anne McAllister broker or 541-705-7890 anne@copperwest.com

Cyndee Kurahara

or/wa 541-490-1396 cyndee@copperwest.com

Dennis Morgan principal broker or/wa 541-980-3669 dennis@copperwest.com

Candice Richards principal broker or/wa 541-912-5999 candice@copperwest.com

Stephanie Howell broker or/wa 509-596-6177 stephanie@copperwest.com

Ross Henry

ross@copperwest.com

Julie Gilbert pc

or/wa 541-490-4433 julie@copperwest.com

Elise Byers broker, or 541-490-3769 elise@copperwest.com

Heather Bremer broker or/wa 541-980-5182 heather@copperwest.com

Bill Irving principal broker or/wa

503-816-9251 bill@copperwest.com

Cody Cornett broker, or/wa 219-916-0451 cody@copperwest.com

Erin V Pollard broker or/wa 541-705-7798 erin@copperwest.com

Blaine

By Janet Cook

Before JP Sullivan’s bees make honey, he drops them o at summer camp

ARTS + CULTURE

Preparing

Kacie McMackin

Cate Hotchkiss

Courtesy of Loop de Loop Wines

Courtesy of ODOT

JEWELRY + HOME

HOME + JEWELRY

HOME + JEWELRY

HOME + JEWELRY

HIGHLIGHTING LOCAL ARTISTS SINCE 1994

SINCE 1994

SINCE 1994

SINCE 1994

SINCE 1994

305 OAK STREET DOWNTOWN HOOD RIVER

305 OAK STREET DOWNTOWN HOOD RIVER

305 OAK STREET DOWNTOWN HOOD RIVER

305 OAK STREET DOWNTOWN HOOD RIVER 541-386-6188

The first dog in my life was an English Setter named Sam. My parents got him when I was 3 or 4 years old and he was a gentle companion to my childhood, blinking at me as I dressed him in princess outfits, made him sit through tea parties in my living-room fort and, once, turned his multitude of brown spots into a connect-the-dots project with my magic markers. Despite his gentle demeaner, or perhaps because of it, my parents were set on him sleeping outside at night in a fenced area behind our house that came to be known as “Sam’s yard.”

Because I was little and didn’t know any better, I thought this was normal. And maybe it was in those days. My mom had grown up on a farm where all the animals, including cats and dogs, lived outside. My dad, who had gotten Sam from a hunter friend but was not a hunter himself, perhaps thought that making Sam sleep outside would prevent him from becoming spoiled, help him keep his edge — for what, I’m not sure. He built Sam a cozy doghouse for his yard, and out Sam went every night. This lasted for months, maybe a year, until my parents finally relented (I don’t remember why) and Sam was allowed to slumber in the house. When I think about it, I’m a little mortified and a lot heartbroken that we relegated our sweet Sam to nights outside by himself for a time.

I’m pretty sure my kids don’t believe me when I tell them this story. And why would they?

Our labradoodle, which has been their childhood companion for nearly a decade now, sleeps on the bed (first it was ours, now our son’s), naps on the couch, and spends as much time as possible within eyesight or, better yet in his book, sitting on one of his humans. Spoiled? Definitely. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

For all of us dog-spoilers in the Gorge, there’s yet another way to indulge our furry friends thanks to Debbie Hendrickx and her company Swell, Gelato for Dogs. What started with a dog-gelato cart at a Seattle dog park has grown into a flourishing business based in The Dalles with five employees and distribution coast to coast. You can read our story by Cate Hotchkiss beginning on page 20.

You’ll find a lot of other interesting stories in this issue, including a feature on the new Mitchell Point Tunnel (page 40), a profile on jewelry maker Jen Trude and her Tru | Design studio in White Salmon (page 24), and piece on a new 19th-century themed boutique hotel in Hood River (page 10). Page through and enjoy. Happy summer!

— Janet Cook, Editor

About the Cover

Photographer PALOMA AYALA took our cover photo of Debbie Hendrickx and her bright orange Swell, Gelato for Dogs cart on The Dalles Riverfront Trail as a couple of happy pooches enjoyed the healthy treats. “Debbie’s energy is contagious,” Ayala said. “The doggies clearly adore her. She’s a familiar face in the neighborhood and they greeted her with happy tails.” ayalapaloma.com

When you have read this issue please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. Together we can make a difference in preserving and conserving our resources.

SUMMER 2024

EDITOR

Janet Cook

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Renata Kosina

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Jody Thompson

ADVERTISING SALES

Kim Horton, Chelsea Marr

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Molly Allen, Cate Hotchkiss, Kacie McMackin, Jana Shepherd

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Paloma Ayala

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Molly Allen, Paloma Ayala, David Burbach, Petar Marshall, Kacie McMackin

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GORGE MAGAZINE

please contact Jody Thompson jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @thegorgemagazine on Instagram

THE GORGE MAGAZINE

600 E. Port Marina Way, Suite B and C P.O. Box 390 Hood River, Oregon 97031

We appreciate your feedback. Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

Motocross

Andrea Johnson/Maryhill

Winery

Michael Peterson

Melissa Bradley

The Gri in's Loft room at Hood River's Thistledown on Oak boutique hotel

Courtesy of Thistledown on Oak

Thistledown on Oak

PAST MEETS PRESENT IN A BOUTIQUE HOTEL NESTLED INSIDE AN OLD BANK BUILDING

FROM THE OUTSIDE, THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING at ird and Oak streets in downtown Hood River gives no hint of what’s transpiring inside on its upper oors. e staid brick building houses the Goodwill on Oak Boutique and the Hood River Distillers Tasting Room around the corner. Inside are o ces occupied by lawyers and consultants and other professionals.

But as leases expire on the upper oors, former o ces are being transformed into a collection of spaces with names like Gri n’s Loft and the Emerald Juliet suite. e top oor

of the building is a capacious suite known simply as the Penthouse and decorated in the same vein as the other rooms. Which is — wait for it — in the style of 19th century England. e rooms, eventually to number 16, are part of the istledown on Oak boutique hotel, which opened in May.

It’s not a design style you come across every day, and certainly not in Hood River. But for Bradford Perron and his wife, Sarah, it’s a vision that’s been decades in the making.

story by JANET COOK • photos courtesy of THISTLEDOWN ON OAK

Janet Cook

“ at’s the era that I love,” said Perron, whose passion for 19th-century furnishings and design began in childhood with an unlikely source: historic wooden carousel animals. It started with his mother, who had fond memories of carousels from childhood. In the late 1960s, when Perron was about 5 years old, his mother began yearning for an old carousel animal or two of her own to practice painting on. Perron’s dad, a bank executive in Portland, traveled often for work and discovered that, with a little digging during his travels, he could nd historic carousel animals — usually in varying states of disrepair that were happily sold on the cheap.

As his dad brought carousel creatures home, Perron helped restore them and his mom painted life back into them. At rst, they would sell restored carousel animals to antiques dealers. But then they began holding onto them, eventually amassing a collection of more than 1,200.

“It was a hobby that went wild,” Perron said. “And then it became a passion to save the whole carousel.” e Perrons eventually bought and restored 21 entire antique carousels. e Perron family had a home in the upper Hood River Valley where they spent weekends and summers beginning in the 1970s, and they eventually moved here. Perron bought the First National Bank Building in the late 1990s, along with the Heilbronner

where the Gorge gets engaged

Bradford & Sarah Perron, opposite, opened their boutique hotel inside the historic First National Bank Building at Third and Oak streets in May. The Penthouse occupies the top floor, which was formerly an attic.

Building directly to its north. In 1999, the family opened the International Museum of Carousel Art, with more than 150 carousel animals and carousel accessories from their collection, including a 1917 Wurlitzer Band Organ, on display in the former bank lobby.

e museum became a tourist attraction, but after a few years the city told the Perrons they could no longer perform the carousel restoration work there and would need to move it to an industrial zone. ey closed the museum and moved the collection to Dee, where they planned to create a larger museum along with a carousel park. ey were denied a permit and the carousel collection —

believed to be the largest in the world — remains stored in Dee.

Perron turned his attention to the downtown buildings. He began a whole-building upgrade on the First National Bank Building, including turning the attic into useable space and restoring the second oor, which had been abandoned in the 1940s and rendered unusable when support columns were removed from the rst oor in favor of an open oor plan.

“When I bought the building there was the attic, and the whole second oor was unoccupied and looked like an attic,” Perron said. “It was like an attic above an attic.”

roughout the years-long project, Perron worked with the Oregon State Historic Preservation o ce and the local Landmarks Review Board, while also following preservation guidelines for the building’s National Register of Historic Places designation. He leased o ce spaces as they were nished, but eventually the idea for a themed hotel took hold. He and Sarah applied for a change of use for the top oors of both the First National Bank Building and the Heilbronner Building, with a plan to develop hotel rooms on a phased basis.

As their vision came into focus, the Perrons began plying auctions for 19th-century furniture. Sarah shares her husband’s love of the era and has been instrumental in creating design elements for the rooms, which often come together around a speci c piece — such as the ornate bed with carved gri ns in the Gri n’s Loft.

“I’m always on the lookout,” said Perron. “I see something and think, ‘that would be perfect for that space.’” Unique antiques are

BUILDING CUSTOM HOMES

The rooftop deck adjacent to the Penthouse includes a seating area overlooking the city.

ventures

everywhere in the rooms — brass fireplace andirons from a castle in England here, a carved figurehead from an 18th-century ship there.

There are even a couple of restored carousel animals. “The carousels got me into all the old stuff,” Perron said, “so you’ll find elements of my carousel love, too.”

Now that the hotel has opened with its first three rooms, the Perrons have applied to begin the next phase, with upcoming rooms to include the Peacock’s Perch (built around a peacock-carved armoire), the Rococo Corner Bridal Suite and the Dragon’s Lair.

In the meantime, the Perrons plan to manage the day-to-day operations of Thistledown on Oak, which is named in part to honor Perron’s

mother. “My mom, having Scottish heritage, loved Scottish thistles,” he said. “She loved the soft purple flower the thistles produced, and at the end of the season how the purple flowers turned into a white down that covered the entire area like a soft warm pillow of snow.”

The thistle is the national flower of Scotland, but is considered an invasive weed in the U.S. On the family farm, Perron’s dad cleared all of it from the property but left the end of one field for the wild thistles to grow so his mom could enjoy them.

“Mom always said that if you looked beyond the sharp thorns and didn’t believe they were a nasty weed, you would be able to enjoy the beautiful soft purple flowers and how they would blanket the ground with a soft white down at the end of the season,” Perron said. “When I purchased these two historic buildings in their dilapidated condition, I could see beyond the development thorns to a soft beauty that could be created within.”

Poke around the Griffin’s Loft and the Emerald Juliet Suite, or the Penthouse with its stunning rooftop deck, and it’s clear the thorns are long gone.

“My imagination starts running,” Perron said, “and it’s like, man, this is a lot of fun.”

To learn more, go to thistledownonoak.com.

The Emerald Juliet studio is named for the juliet balcony overlooking the plaza courtyard below. A ladder leads up to a small loft office with a desk and Chesterfield chair.

pFriem

Anniversary

Party 1

pFriem Family Brewers brings back its anniversary party on August 3 at Hood River Waterfront Park. On hiatus since 2019, the party returns with a free, family-friendly celebration featuring live music, lawn games, food trucks and an abundant selection of pFriem beers as well as excusive ciders made by Son of Man cidery in Cascade Locks. Celebrating 12 years, pFriem is partnering with Music Festival of the Gorge to produce three sets of live music, headlined by Scott Pemberton, with donations going to Hood River County School District music programs. pfriembeer.com

Cross Channel Swim

2

e 80th Annual Columbia River Cross Channel Swim happens on Labor Day, September 2, in Cascade Locks. Participants board the famous Sternwheeler paddleboat at the dock in Cascade Locks and are ferried to the Washington side of the river. When signaled, they jump o the boat and swim an approximately one-mile stretch back to Cascade Locks. A “swim lane” lined with volunteers in sailboats, kayaks and on paddleboards is set up to guide, encourage and protect swimmers as they cross the channel. e swim is open to anyone age 10 and up; swimmers aged 10 to 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. visithoodriver.com

Stevenson Waterfront Music Festival

3

e Stevenson Waterfront Music Festival is August 2-3 spanning the waterfront in Stevenson. A dozen bands will play on two stages — the Clark & Lewie’s Waterfront Stage and the Skunk Brothers Distillery Flatbed Stage — starting Friday evening and continuing all day Saturday. Headliners include e Sea Monks on Friday and Wes Youssi & the County Champs on Saturday. e family-friendly event includes food carts, a beer garden and craft vendors. Facebook/StevensonWaterfrontMusicFestival

Courtesy of pFriem

Courtesy of SWMF

Goldendale Observatory

4

e Goldendale Observatory is open ursday through Sunday, with a solar program from 3 to 5 p.m. and the “main event” evening program from 9 p.m. to midnight. e afternoon program treats visitors to some of the highest resolution and contrast views of the sun available at any public observatory via a live HD telescope feed. Stay for the evening program and get answers to all your astronomy questions while observing the stars outdoors and viewing space objects through one of the world’s largest public telescopes. Admission is free with a Washington State Parks Discover Pass, available onsite. Check the website for current weather conditions and moon phase. goldendaleobservatory.com

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Renata Kosina

Fido Loves Ice Cream, Too

SWELL, GELATO FOR DOGS CREATES TREATS AND TOPPERS FOR OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS

In July 2016, DEBBIE HENDRICKX debuted her bright orange gelato cart in the picnic area of Seattle’s largest off-leash dog park to test an idea: handmade gelato for dogs. The menu featured two flavors — banana peanut butter and pumpkin cheddar, slow churned in a base of coconut milk, and taste-approved by Billie and Patches, her Chihuahuas.

Dog owners reacted in one of two ways, Hendrickx recalls. “Either they were like, ‘This is the coolest thing ever, let’s try it!’ Or, they looked at me like, ‘Whoa, poor lady.’ It was an awkward time.”

However, within a few weeks, she garnered a loyal canine following. “Dogs began beelining toward my cart,” she says, and their owners asked how to purchase the treats outside the park. Affirming feedback, and yet, in the back of her mind, the need to search for a “real” job loomed.

For years, she worked as a corporate buyer and planner for Nordstrom until, several months prior, the company restructured and cut her position. A healthy severance package provided time and space to re-evaluate her career in the fashion industry. “I decided to spend the summer doing what I truly loved — making gelato and surrounding myself with dogs,” she explains.

As summer faded into fall and the rains resumed, Hendrickx deliberated whether to return to the corporate world or give this new, heartfelt endeavor a chance. “I realized the doggie gelato business could really be something. It was my now-or-never moment,” she says. After a brief sabbatical in the Philippines to reset and clear her mind, at age 43, she launched Swell, Gelato for Dogs.

To earn extra income, she rented out her house and moved into her boyfriend’s. In a corner of his garage, she set up a professional gelato machine and a couple of chest freezers. She also hired a packaging designer, finetuned her logo, and reached out to local boutique pet shops and natural markets by going door to door, while attending events with her eye-stopping cart. One customer led to another and soon, 25 stores stocked Swell. From there, Hendrickx found a distributor and, as she says, “things really got rolling.”

But with growth came growing pains. Wall-to-wall gelato-making equipment and supplies cramped the two-car garage. Plus, she was hauling boxes of products herself to a warehouse in a mammoth makeshift cooler customized to fit inside her SUV because delivery trucks refused to pick up pallets from a residence. “All these workarounds were no longer feasible, and I really needed to hire help,” she says.

In 2020, when the Covid pandemic hit, she and her boyfriend decided to relocate to the Gorge, where he already owned a vacation home, and she could potentially find a commercial property within her price range.

story by CATE HOTCHKISS & photos by CATE HOTCHKISS and PALOMA AYALA

Her realtor showed her a two-story, riverfront industrial building for sale in e Dalles with ample room for a kitchen, multiple walk-in freezers, and storage. It even included an upstairs apartment. With proceeds from the sale of her Seattle house, she made an on-thespot o er, and moved in April 2021. Open and light- lled with a view of the Columbia, the space felt like “walking into the most beautiful ballroom and dancing across the oor,” she says. “I still pinch myself.”

Flash forward three years and much has changed: Hendrickx employs a team of ve people; raw ingredients are cooked in a giant steam kettle versus pots lined up on a stovetop; her freestanding gelato machine is more than triple the size of the garage version; and trucks have no trouble accessing the loading bay where Hendrickx stacks pallets like a pro. “A decade ago, I was wearing four-inch heels to work. Now I’m driving a forklift,” she says.

However, what has remained consistent since day one is her steadfast commitment to quality. She continues to craft gelato from simple, wholesome ingredients in small batches, and lls cups by hand with a jumbo pastry bag. She avoids preservatives and uses a natural plant-based stabilizer to prevent the creamy treats from collapsing. Her older Chihuahua, Billie, died six years ago. Patches continued to serve as top taste tester until he died at age 15 in May.

In 2022, Hendrickx introduced three varieties of gourmet toppers, vibrant blends of cooked fruits and veggies to boost dogs’ dry, fresh, or raw food. “ ink farm to cup,” she says. “Eating the rainbow is good for dogs, just as it is for humans.”

Molly Lewis, co-owner of Dog River Pet Supplies in Hood River, agrees, and has been selling Swell for ve years. “We really appreciate Debbie’s high standards and that everything is made in-house, not mass produced,” she says. “Most importantly, dogs devour the gelato.” Lewis also admires the company’s branding and fun, colorful packaging. “Debbie is a superstar in my book. She’s really innovative. And who doesn’t love her!” Indeed, Hendrickx’s upbeat

Debbie Hendrickx serves a four-legged customer from her doggie gelato cart in The Dalles, opposite and above. Opposite bottom, she stirs raw ingredients for a batch. After cooling overnight, it will be ready to pour into the gelato machine.

Paloma Ayala, left and above

energy and generosity shine through every facet of her business, including her support for SPCA International global animal rescue to which she donates a portion of every sale. Swell products are currently distributed coast to coast, and served at select wineries, ice cream shops and eateries in the Gorge, such as e Wagon Social Club located on the patio of Randonnée Co ee Company in Mosier. Last August, Sarah Collins, founder of Lucky Locks based in Hood River, and her 14-year-old pup Potato stopped by for a snack after cycling on the nearby Twin Tunnels trail. e menu featured Potato’s favorite avor, My Chill Time, a mix of blackberries, red beets, chamomile and passion ower teas, honey, cinnamon and ginger.

Buy · Sell · Lease · Invest

“He prefers his gelato slightly melted,” Collins says. “It was perfect on a warm afternoon.” e Wagon shared a photo of the sweet moment on its Instagram feed and Hendrickx noticed.

“I love seeing people’s pictures on social media because I know what’s behind the images,” Hendrickx says. “ e dogs love the gelato, which makes the owners happy. It’s this little bubble of pure joy and important for me to keep those connections.”

Although she attends fewer in-person events with her cart these days, she does appreciate the paved pathway leading to her. e Dalles Riverfront Trail, popular among dog walkers, passes within feet of the Swell facility where, in big bold orange letters on one of its kitchen windows, a message reads: "We make gelato for DOGS. Wave to try a sample."

When people do, Hendrickx dashes out the side door, greeting them with her contagious smile, and kneels beside the furry visitors as they lap up a treat or, in her words, “bliss out.” And which still de nes, ever since that rst summer in the Seattle park, the ‘why’ behind her business, the best part, day after day, of her “real” job.

To learn more, go to swellgelato.com or follow on Instagram: @swellgelatofordogs

Sarah Collins treats her dog Potato to a Swell Gelato cup at The Wagon Social Club in Mosier, left. Dogs wait (somewhat) patiently to be served at the Swell Gelato cart on The Dalles Riverfront Trail, above.

Cate Hotchkiss is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Hood River with her family and their dog Harper. Visit catehotchkiss.com.

Paloma Ayala, middle and right

Cate Hotchkiss

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Staying True through Love and Loss

LIFE’S BEAUTY AND HEARTBREAK INFORM JEN TRUDE’S CUSTOM JEWELRY

THE

SUN CUTS INTO JEN TRUDE’S TRU | DESIGN JEWELRY STUDIO IN White Salmon, a dynamic space that is equal parts function and form: chisels, files and propane tanks mix with gold, silver and glittering stones.

Trude splits her time between the back of the studio — a garden of tools and metal, molds and waxes, worn tables, goggles and industrial aprons — and the front, where her jewelry is displayed. Here, refined necklaces drape over the crown of a bleached-white cow skull. Intriguing rings sit snug on tight scrolls of leather. Original artwork hangs on the high, white walls. A leather chair next to a mini-library of vintage children’s books, a collection of antlers, and a chalkboard-painted door where a quote by Dalí is almost entirely obscured by sketches and scribbles done by her five-year-old daughter, Baley, round out the gallery space.

Trude sits at her tall desk in the front of the shop surrounded by papers, notebooks, sketches, business cards, jewelry loops and reading glasses. Baley’s art easel sits low behind her. Evidence of motherhood is subtle but present throughout the studio.

Trude’s smile is bright, her hands in constant motion, occasionally flashing the tattoos representing her family that adorn two of her fingers, as she tells of what brought her to be a jewelry maker in the Gorge.

Trude was raised in Maryland and after graduating from high school, spent a gap year in California and Mexico. It was there that she tapped into her creative core. “I’d always been kind of artsy, but it was never something I really developed,” she says. “I cracked open this shell and couldn’t put the desire to create back in.”

She returned to Maryland and began taking photography, CAD design, architecture and drawing classes, eventually enrolling at West Virginia University to study graphic design. But then she discovered sculpture. “I took my first sculpture class and was like ‘this is it!’ I could take a two-dimensional sketch and make it three dimensional. It felt innate.” She graduated with a degree in sculpture and a minor in art history.

Trude met her husband, Will, on her 21st birthday at a bar in West Virginia. When they eventually got engaged, they approached a designer to make their wedding rings. As he explained the process, Trude lit up, realizing she already had many of the skills he was describing. The designer gave Trude some tools and guidance; their wedding rings were the first jewelry she ever made.

story

photos by KACIE MCMACKIN

After getting married in 2004, the couple tried out di erent towns where they could both ski and Will could kayak. After visiting a friend in the Gorge and loving it, they moved to Hood River in 2007.

Trude spent the years between their wedding and settling in Hood River taking jewelry-making classes. After they moved here, she landed an apprenticeship with Ken Apland of Apland Jewelers. She apprenticed for four years before going out on her own, supplementing her income by working at Everybody’s Brewing in White Salmon. In 2014 she moved into her rst studio in White Salmon and became a full-time jewelry designer. “I was terri ed,” she admits.

Trude’s jewelry found footing with clientele in the Gorge as she spent her early studio years honing her craft. In June 2016 she set up shop in her current studio when she was six months pregnant with her rst child. She gave birth to her son, Whit, in October 2016. Like many working mothers, she found it hard to balance motherhood with running a business. “I felt like I was drinking from a rehose,” she says. “I hardly took any time o after he was born. Everybody should do what they want and need, but in ever-present hindsight, I wish I had taken more time to experience motherhood in those early months with Whit.”

Jen Trude makes custom jewelry at her White Salmon studio, which is also a showroom, opposite top. Opposite bottom, a delta ring. Above, she sets a sapphire in a bezel.

create

With ice and snow still clinging to the ground in March of a seemingly endless winter, five months and five days after he was born, Whit died unexpectedly in his sleep. The loss profoundly affected Trude as a woman and a mother, but also as a creator.

The back of Jen Trude’s studio is a work space filled with the tools of her trade.

During the period that followed, she worked only in the most basic, perfunctory capacity.

“I know I made pieces during that time, but I couldn’t tell you what I made,” she says. “It was very surreal.” In the late summer and fall of that year she spent a couple of months in the mountains of Colorado grappling, growing, mending. After returning to the Gorge, Trude found herself easing back into studio life, slowly finding space for creativity again.

In November, she discovered that she was pregnant again. She and Will welcomed Baley in the summer of 2018. Trude took a year off to be with her, working only in the margins. “I didn’t want to miss that,” she says. “My time with her was very precious. I spent almost five years doing very minimal work and a lot of therapy.”

After Baley started school last fall, it took Trude some time to get her craftsmanship back up to the level it had been before becoming a mother. “It was logistically and creatively hard, but I wouldn’t change it,” she says. “I still find it insane how consciously present I was for these few early years and the speed at which it flew by.”

The loss of her son and raising her daughter have helped to reframe what she’s built into a purposeful, fulfilling business. “The experiences in my life have me at a place where I want to create things that are meaningful, that inspire me and those around me,” she says. “I want to make a piece you can pass down to loved ones as it will remind them of you because it was worn.”

Sustainability, too, is a principle she’s carved into her work and home life, and it’s also evident as a value in her jewelry. She works with recycled and fair-trade gold as well as long-lasting metals like platinum. She uses heirloom and sustainably-sourced stones, primarily diamonds. “Not to be marketing cliché, but diamonds truly are forever,” she says.

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Perched atop a private meadow, three minutes from the vibrant town of White Salmon, WA, this spacious 4Bd/3.5Ba home offers vaulted ceilings, gourmet kitchen, lavish living areas, gym, a spalike primary suite, and whole home automation. Entertainer’s dream year-round, inside and out. Attached 1200 sqft, heated, 4-car garage, with two 60 amp Tesla chargers, plus exterior RV/van parking with full hookups. Live your lifestyle with style.

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“Heirloom, salt-and-pepper, champagne, yellow, pink — they come in a vast array of colors and shapes and sizes.” Trude uses traceable stones and sources them from small, artisanal mines — in North America and around the world — that are environmentally conscious.

Trude’s abilities shine in her custom heirloom jewelry. She loves making pieces for special events, and for “self-purchasing” women who come to her wanting to create special jewelry for themselves. “It’s like, yes! You deserve that, and I want to create it with you,” she says.

With Baley in school full time, Trude is in what she describes as “a growth phase.”

“I get to put all that brain power and energy into my business and myself,” she says. “It feels good.” In this new season of refreshed autonomy, she’s giving herself permission to do the things she wants to do, prioritizing what brings her joy and the things that make her

pieces and process unique and sought after. “Designs are what drive my creativity,” she says. She also loves connecting, developing relationships and basking in the community of the Gorge.

“My clientele here is really speci c,” she explains. “Not only am I striving for compelling designs, but the pieces need to be structural and functional because they’re going to endure the wear and tear of highly active people, and then be passed down to loved ones.” ere is a clarity of quality in Trude’s approach, an awareness of legacy.

It’s this legacy that underpins Trude’s work. Her losses and gains have informed her journey as a designer, and she’s worked and rested and grown and allowed her creative landscape to ourish.

“Love and life are ever expanding,” she says. So, it seems, are her creativity and skill. To learn more, go to trudesign.co

Kacie McMackin is an avid cook, writer and owner of Kings & Daughters Brewery. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

Jen Trude hand carves wax models, left, for creating cast pieces and working on design details. Above, a stacked ring set in mixed metals.

story by JANA SHEPHERD • photos ovided

The Wineries of Underwood Mountain

ELEVATE YOUR GORGE WINE EXPERIENCE WITH A VISIT TO THESE HIGHER ALTITUDE TASTING ROOMS

IN THE HEART OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE AVA, at the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains and rising from the western bank of the White Salmon River, sits Underwood Mountain, an extinct shield volcano rising to 2,755 feet in elevation.

Grapes grown here have unique mineral characteristics and brighter acidity, similar to Burgundian and Alsatian varieties — including Pinot Noir, Gamay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris. In the 1970s, experimental plantings of vines took root on Underwood Mountain’s south-facing slopes. irty years later, in 2004, the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area (AVA) was born, designating a 40-mile span straddling the Columbia River as a unique wine growing region. Today, it is home to more than 40 wineries. Six of them, all family owned and operated, sit on Underwood Mountain, making for a destination all its own.

WILLOW WINE CELLARS

Husband-and-wife team Brendan and Tarnna Simpers moved back to Tarnna’s hometown of Hood River in 2011, where they took over management of a friends’ hobby vineyard. at’s where Brendan, who’d studied viticulture and enology and cut his teeth at Napa Valley wineries, made his rst 20 cases of Rosé. While working at Syncline Winery in Lyle under the tutelage of owners James and Poppie Mantone, Brendan processed Willow’s rst few vintages there. He took a leap of faith in 2019, quitting his full-time job to fully focus on growing Willow Wine.

Today, Willow Wine Cellars’ annual production hovers around 1,500 cases, with grapes sourced from the Columbia Gorge and Yakima Valley. Brendan’s love of Cabernet Franc shines

through, made with fruit from the esteemed Dineen and Boushey Vineyards in Yakima Valley. Most of Willow’s whites hail from the Columbia Gorge, except for its Albariño from the Yakima Valley. Willow recently bottled its rst vintage of Verdelho and will soon bottle Tempranillo and release a Chardonnay from Underwood's Hecate’s Vineyard. OUR GORGE

Melissa Bradley

WILLOW WINE CELLARS

Underwood Mountain tasting rooms o er expansive views, like this one from the vineyards at South Hill Winery.

Tom Shaller

WILLOW WINE CELLARS

SOUTH HILL WINERY

Loop de Loop showcases high-altitude wines created by winemaker Julia Bailey and Scott Gulstine. e wines are fermented only with wild yeasts that come in on the fruit. Bailey practices lowintervention winemaking, adding minimal sulphur and bottling the wines un ned and un ltered. Loop de Loop produces upwards of 4,500 cases annually including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner and some Bordeaux blends.

Bailey’s rst vintage as a winemaker was in 2012 but it wasn’t until 2021 that she made wine from fruit grown on Underwood Mountain, where their nine-acre Light Anthology Vineyard, sitting

at 1,250 feet, is organically dry farmed by Gulstine and produces about 1,000 cases.

e winery and vineyard overlook the Columbia River where you can gaze at Mount Hood from the patio and tasting room while noshing on a rotating cheese selection, procured from Cowbell in Portland. Bailey plans to begin hosting 40-seat dinners on Monday nights this summer, and those who attend are invited to camp out and star gaze afterward.

e tasting room is open ursday through Monday with kids and dogs welcome, but please no outside food. Loop de Loop also o ers vineyard tours and private tastings.

451 Kramer Road, Underwood loopdeloopvintner.com @loopdeloopwines

LOOP DE LOOP WINES

LOOP DE LOOP WINES

LOOP DE LOOP WINES

Founded in 2006, South Hill owners Philip and Sheryl Jones have dedicated more than 15 years to nurturing grapes and creating wines on Underwood Mountain. After many years growing grapes and making wine in New Zealand, they sought a similar climate in the U.S. where they could embark on a second wine venture, and landed in the Columbia Gorge. At 1,850 feet, South Hill is Underwood’s highest-elevation vineyard. The Joneses focus on cultivating cool-climate grape varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Gamay across their 35 acres of estate vines. The Jones family, which includes their oldest son and head winemaker, Spencer, also sources from Eastern Washington’s Rattlesnake Hills in the Yakima Valley for warmer-climate grapes. They produce about 1,000 cases annually.

The tasting room, located within the working winery, is open from Friday through Sunday. Reservations are not required except

SOUTH HILL WINERY

SOUTH HILL WINERY

SOUTH HILL WINERY

for parties of six or more. Dogs and outside food are welcome, with snacks available for purchase. Visitors are welcome to try a ight or buy a bottle, but there are no sales of glass pours, and minors are not allowed on the property. Tastings can be enjoyed on the outside patio as well, with stunning panoramic views of the Hood River Valley, Mount Hood and the Columbia River.

801 Scoggins Road, Underwood southhillvineyards.com @southhillvineyards

Established in 2011 by owner-winemaker Michael Savage, Savage Grace sits on 42 acres that span from 1,000 to 1,400 feet of elevation. Originally drawn to the region for its Riesling grapes, Savage now produces 3,500 cases that include Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with some sparkling wines. He practices regenerative farming on his certi ed organic 18-acre vineyard. In addition to his estate fruit, Savage sources from the Rattlesnake Hills and Red Willow in the Yakima Valley, and the Oak Ridge Vineyard in the Columbia Gorge.

e winery’s name comes from a play on his name, which also symbolizes the struggle of the grape to grow and ripen, and his wife, Grace, exemplifying what he aims to achieve in every bottle — wine that he calls “delicate, balanced and approachable yet expressive.”

SAVAGE GRACE WINES

SAVAGE GRACE WINES

SAVAGE GRACE WINES

WINERY & VINEYARD

For fourteen years, our family has been committed to cultivating grapes and producing wine in an environmentally conscious manner in the picturesque Columbia Gorge. We have also been doing the same for thirty years in New Zealand.

South Hill, located in Underwood, Washington, is one of the highest-elevation vineyards and wineries in the area and has spectacular views of Mount Hood, the Hood River Valley, and the Columbia River. It is just 20 minutes from Hood River, and an hour from Portland. We look forward to sharing our award-winning wines and our story with you. Enjoy the breathtaking view while sampling our wines outdoors in our picnic area, or for rainy days we have a spacious seating area in our working winery.

Google reviews:

• We had a fantastic time enjoying the wine and scenery and talking with the owners. The view from the tasting area was breathtaking, and the wine was the best we had tried in the Hood River gorge. It was quiet and peaceful. 10/10

• Visiting South Hill is a great experience, from the spectacular views to the world-class wines. From the first sip you can tell the Jones family has over 30 years experience in the industry!

Our tasting room is open Friday-Sunday, 12-5pm, April to November. Visit our website for details. No reservation is required for parties under six. Call or email us for larger groups.

801 Scoggins Rd., Underwood, WA • southhillvineyards.com • 541-380-1438 • southhillwine@gmail.com

imbibe

e tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays and by appointment. Children and dogs are welcome, and visitors are free to bring snacks.

442 Kramer Road, Underwood savagegracewines.com @savagegracewines

HAWKINS CELLARS

ane Hawkins and Deb Michelson of Hawkins Cellars established their Cloud Cap Vineyard on Underwood Mountain in 2013, planting Pinot Noir vines and bottling their rst vintage in 2017.

Focused on producing lower-alcohol wines, Hawkins harvests fruit earlier to retain more acidity, and employs minimal-intervention practices, including little to no additives. In addition to their estate grapes, the couple sources from other vineyards on Underwood Mountain for Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris, from which they make their popular TruNorth blend. Hawkins is equally passionate about Rhône varieties, sourcing Viognier, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre from in and around the Red Mountain region in southeastern Washington, from which they make the award-winning Caldera Red, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

e tasting room is open Friday through Sunday. ey o er picnic basket lunches but visitors are welcome to bring snacks. Children and dogs are allowed on the property.

10401 Cook Underwood Road, Underwood hawkinscellars.com @hawkinscellars

ANICHE CELLARS

AniChe is a mother-daughter duo who focus on vintage and terroir, making unique varietal blends. Named for her two children, Anaïs and Che, Rachel Horn began winemaking in the Gorge in 2008. Deeply entrenched in the community, AniChe is a family a air, with each member involved in operations in some way or another.

HAWKINS CELLARS

HAWKINS CELLARS

ANICHE CELLARS

The winery now owns and manages some 30 acres of vines for their estate production, with ninety percent of their 2024 production coming from the dry-farmed Hecate’s Key vineyard. AniChe continues to source from the esteemed Boushey Vineyards, and recently tapped the newest vintage of their Marsanne bubbly, done in the traditional champagne method. Other varieties in their roughly 4,500case production include Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Syrah, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner and several Pinot Noirs.

The tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are requested for parties of six or more. Visitors are welcome to bring kids, dogs and a picnic.

71 Little Buck Creek Road, Underwood anichecellars.com @anichecellars

Jana Shepherd is a writer and recent transplant to the Gorge. She lives in Lyle.

General Tips for Visiting Gorge Wine Country

of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association

Consider hiring a designated driver.

Refrain from wearing heavily scented items, such as perfumes and lotions. Even lipstick can affect your wine tasting experience. Allow the day to be filled with the aromas of wine!

Explore varietals unfamiliar to you. Often these can be a delightful surprise.

Ask questions of tasting room staff. Gorge residents are proud to live here and serve local wines, and love to share wine knowledge with others. Ask staff where to have dinner, or where to stay, hike and play.

Don’t be afraid to use the dump buckets. It is not a sign that you don’t care for a wine, and no one will be offended if you spit out a wine or dump what is left in your glass. On the contrary, most wine staff appreciate that it may be necessary to not swallow every wine in order to maintain your wine tasting pleasure and maintain your palate.

Try a mid-week excursion. Often tasters who visit on a weekday find the tasting rooms more intimate and the experience more one-on-one.

Have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. After all, wine is about enjoyment on your personal level.  Drink what you like and enjoy with others.

ANICHE CELLARS

Courtesy

a Tunnel Runs Through It

Mitchell Point is once again the site of a “tunnel of many vistas”

When the Mitchell Point Tunnel opens this summer, it will be the reincarnation of one of the most iconic roadway tunnels in the country. One of the last sections of the restored Historic Columbia River Highway to be completed, the tunnel is the crown jewel of the 73-mile roadway project that began in the 1990s.

“We’ve saved the best for last,” said Don Hamilton, public information o cer for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). “For 30 years we’ve been putting this together piece by piece, and this is the real gem of the project.”

e near completion of the historic highway comes nearly four decades after the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act was signed into law in 1986, protecting the Gorge from sprawl and mandating ODOT to restore and reconnect the old highway for recreational use.

It was a tall order.

Story by JANET COOK

Photos courtesy of OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

e old Columbia River Highway, dubbed the King of Roads when it opened in 1915, was the rst paved highway in the Paci c Northwest and the rst scenic highway constructed in the U.S. It demanded the most innovative design and engineering solutions of the era to build a road across rugged and often steep terrain, past dozens of waterfalls, over creeks and around sheer basalt cli s. When it was nished (the road from Troutdale to Hood River opened in 1915 but it would take another seven years to complete the route to e Dalles), the highway allowed travelers in their Model T Fords to drive through the Columbia River Gorge for the very rst time.

On a route replete with scenic wonders and roadway marvels, the most stunning part of it all was the Mitchell Point Tunnel six miles west of Hood River. Modeled after a famous tunnel on Switzerland’s Axenstrasse skirting Lake Lucerne, the 400-foot tunnel was blasted through the basalt rock face at Mitchell Point, which at the time dropped precipitously to the narrow Union Paci c Railroad bed below, beyond which was the free- owing Columbia River. In order for motorists to take in the dramatic view (and allow for natural light and ventilation) ve windows were cut into the rock. Nicknamed “ e Tunnel of Many Vistas,” it was widely considered to be the most expensive section of road ever built.

The original Mitchell Point Tunnel opened in 1915. The new tunnel, accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists, mimics the original with five windows overlooking the Gorge, opposite.

A Tunnel Runs Through It

Within little more than a decade, the thrum of progress was already taking a toll on the highway. The construction of Bonneville Dam in the 1930s led to the closure and rerouting of a section of the road west of Cascade Locks. Plus, cars were getting ever bigger and the narrow road — built to accommodate Model Ts, with little room for widening in many places — became increasingly obsolete.

When I-84 was built in the early 1950s, 22 miles of the old highway were abandoned or destroyed. In 1954, the Mitchell Point Tunnel windows were cemented shut and the tunnel backfilled with gravel. In 1966, the tunnel was destroyed for the expansion of I-84 from two lanes to four around the base of Mitchell Point.

The Scenic Area Act breathed life into the dream of bringing the old road back. Along with a mandate to do so, it set aside federal funds to get the project started. ODOT initially tackled “easier” sections of the road, including portions in the western Gorge between Tanner Creek and Cascade Locks that were completed in the 1990s. Restoration of the Mosier Twin Tunnels and the roadway on either side of them — which is a pedestrian trail and not open to vehicles — was completed in 2000.

e Historic Columbia River Highway is now accessible to cars for more than 50 miles, while another 22 miles known as the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is open only to pedestrians and bicyclists. More than a century after becoming a scenic destination in itself, the Historic Columbia River Highway draws travelers to its winding route, past waterfalls and around basalt cli s. And now, once again through a magni cent tunnel at Mitchell Point.

Work on the new Mitchell Point Tunnel began in May 2021, exactly 55 years since the destruction of the original tunnel.

“Given the complexity of the project, it’s not surprising that it’s taken three years,” said Terra Lingley, Columbia River Gorge

A Tunnel Runs Through It continued

for

The new tunnel is longer and deeper into the mountain than the original, with about 20 to 25 feet from the edge of the trail to the railings at the windows, known as adits — of which there are five, a throwback to the original tunnel.

The project required “lots of engineering on the front end,” said Lingley. Due to the blasting of the original tunnel a century ago, the surrounding rock was already fractured, making it less stable. “Blasting was a feat in and of itself,” she said. “Every blast we did loosened up surface rock and also internal gravel that was shaken

The cliff dwarf primrose, a delicate rock-dwelling plant endemic to Mitchell Point, was surveyed and monitored closely during the tunnel’s construction to ensure its survival.

loose.” Months of rolling slowdowns on I-84 below, where traffic was stopped in both directions during blasts, ensured safety on the freeway and the adjacent railroad track.

In addition to the structural safety issues, the team had other priorities to consider during blasting — including a small rock-dwelling plant. “The douglasia laevigata is an endemic plant and only grows on cliff faces,” Lingley said. “To date, it’s only been found at Mitchell Point.” For years before the project began, surveys were conducted to see how many of the plants — known as cliff dwarf primrose — existed there. Once blasting started, a biologist was on hand to monitor the plant.

“We had an allowance to impact a certain percentage, but we kept it below that,” Lingley said. “We lost a few of the plants but we managed to keep the larger colony mostly intact. You wouldn’t think that would be a huge concern, but that’s the joy and beauty of working in the Gorge.”

A peregrine falcon nest on a cliff to the east of the tunnel was also monitored. “During blasts, we had to make sure the sound never got above a certain decibel level,” she said.

After the blasting was complete came extensive engineering to make the tunnel safe for users. Because the rock on the west end of the tunnel was substantially fractured, steel arches were built in that

EXPERIENCE THE GORGE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

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A Tunnel Runs Through It

section for reinforcement. Throughout the tunnel, areas with bigger faults got rock bolting, while shotcrete (sprayed concrete) reinforced with steel fibers formed a mesh to strengthen and solidify any loose rocks.

Surrounding the tunnel, acres of rockfall fencing was installed on the surface of the cliff, colorized to match the rock.

When the tunnel opens, it will be somewhat of an “island,” said Lingley, until a 0.7-mile section of trail is built to complete the connection between Viento State Park and Mitchell Point. Funding for that section is in place but construction won’t happen until 2026. In the meantime, a temporary pedestrian trail will connect the two locations. On the east end of

the tunnel, the route continues on Mitchell Point Drive, a local road. From there, a 1.6mile segment connecting to Ruthton Park is all that remains of the 73-mile project.

“We’re very excited to be where we are,” Lingley said. “In 1986, there were 22 miles of road not connected.”

Lingley noted that “nothing in the Gorge happens with one person or one agency.” ODOT has worked closely with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the State Historic Preservation Office, the U.S. Forest Service, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway and Travel Oregon. “It’s a team effort,” she said. “We’ve been building this for 30 years. Our partnership has really grown and there’s a lot of trust between the agencies.”

Don Hamilton was at the tunnel as the finishing touches were completed, admiring the handiwork and taking in the sweeping views. “We’re so proud of everything we’ve been doing,” he said of the decades-long project. “But wow, here we go.”

A viewpoint and seating area lies at the west end of the Mitchell Point Tunnel.

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Hive to Table, by Way of Local Farms

BEFORE JP SULLIVAN’S BEES MAKE HONEY, HE DROPS THEM OFF AT SUMMER CAMP

THE FIRST TIME I GRABBED A JAR OF HONEY from the Hope Ranch Lavender farmstand and tried it at home, I was blown away. It was unlike any other honey I had tasted, not only compared to what I’ve found in the Gorge, but anywhere at all. And that’s all thanks to the work of JP Sullivan of BZ Bee Honey in White Salmon and his hardworking bees.

Sullivan had always had an interest in homesteading, with a desire to raise some type of livestock. But with his schedule as a mate on a tugboat, living and working on the boat for 28 days at a time, raising animals that needed to be fed and watered every day wasn’t an option.

His curiosity in beekeeping sparked thanks to a connection with a coworker’s dad who was a sideline beekeeper — someone who manages several bee colonies but also usually has a day job. “Initially, the rst hive of bees we had was to help out our own garden, and I ended up making honey,” Sullivan says. “I got into the thought of scaling it up, but the initial drive was us thinking, ‘Wow — this is the best honey I’ve ever tasted.’” After getting his rst colony of bees in 2020, Sullivan now has 16 of them, each with its own queen, workers and drones.

e desire to scale and serve as a resource for others in the Gorge has continued to grow, developing mutually bene cial relationships along the way.

“Ivy Roulette at Hope Ranch Lavender was the rst one to reach out to me,” Sullivan says of the lavender farm located a few miles south of Hood River. While lavender plants

story by MOLLY ALLEN • photos by MOLLY ALLEN & PETAR MARSHALL

Molly Allen

Petar Marshall

don’t need to be pollinated, the bees still got right to work after being dropped o at what Sullivan likes to call “summer camp.” eir presence enhances the experience of visitors to the lavender farm, and it also allows Sullivan to process and bottle fresh honey to be sold right at the source.

“Bees will y up to three miles to nd nectar and pollen,” Sullivan says. “But when you’ve got a large area and that big of a nectar source, they’re not competing.” Lacking the need to source other

nectar means the bees stick around the lavender. e avor and hue of honey will di er based on the owers the bees visit before making it. at avor and hue, along with the smoothness of the honey, is nothing short of incredible when the bees have been buzzing around lavender plants.

From the time good nectar starts owing, the bees could ll a box per week, according to Sullivan. “ ey bring in the raw nectar, which is really watery, and start moving it around the hive,” he explains.

JP Sullivan, opposite, checks on a frame of bees before dropping the box o at a blueberry farm in Husum. He also takes his bees to Hope Ranch Lavender in Hood River, where he processes and bottles fresh lavender honey to be sold at the source.

Petar Marshall

Molly Allen

“ e process of it going through their honey stomach and coming back out starts to break down the sugars, eventually turning it into honey.” While the water content of the nectar brought into the hive at rst may be 70 to 80 percent, it eventually drops to around 17 percent.

Once the nectar gets to the right moisture content, the bees seal the honey with wax to keep additional moisture out and to stabilize it. Sullivan then uses a refractometer to measure and con rm the moisture content before beginning the harvesting process.

It’s about a month from when the bees arrive at the lavender farm to when Sullivan starts processing and bottling honey. “When it’s ready to pull, I’m processing and spinning it out and bottling it as fast as I can — and it’s selling just as fast,” he says. “ e demand is very much there.” Last year — the rst year of his partnership with Hope Ranch Lavender — Sullivan took six hives to the farm and each box made 100 pounds of honey.

BZ Bee honeybees also make their way to summer camp at a blueberry farm in Husum beginning in late April. “With blueberries, there is a small pollination bene t,” Sullivan says, adding that in between the rows of bluberries, there’s a lot of clover. “You can really taste the di erence between lavender honey and blackberry honey, and with the honey from the blueberry farm you can taste the clover.”

While the honey produced by bees at the blueberry farm isn’t sold on site, it can be purchased through BZ Bee Honey, along with blackberry honey, comb honey and creamed honey. is year’s rst honey harvest should be ready toward the end of July, and Sullivan says he’s often still selling into December. His porch o Highway 141 in White Salmon is the best place to buy BZ Bee Honey.

As Sullivan continues to grow his honey operation through farmer partnerships (rather than pollination contracts) he also wants to serve as a resource for other hobbyists and those interested in getting into beekeeping. He says he learned a lot of things the hard way as he was getting started and would like to pass that knowledge along.

One new local beekeeper who has been a mentee and helped him with honey harvesting last year plans to purchase colonies from Sullivan this spring. Sullivan’s interests also include selling mated queen bees from his stock, along with nucleus colonies. When he started his business, Sullivan had to drive to Olympia, Wash., and to Salem for queens. Now, he can serve as a source for others who need a queen.

“Not many people are doing this in the Gorge,” he says. “When you need a queen, you need one right now. If you have an issue with your colony, having a local queen helps. I want to be involved and be that resource to help out new beekeepers.”

In the meantime, Sullivan will continue to take his bees to summer camp and bottle their sweet honey to share with others.

To learn more, go to bzbeehoney.com

Molly Allen is a food, beverage and travel writer who lives in Hood River.

With the help of his BZ Bee honeybees, JP Sullivan produces lavender and blackberry honey, as well as comb honey and creamed honey, which has been crystalized to create a smooth texture that’s easy to spread.

Petar Marshall, both images

GEAR UP

The Gorge as Artist’s Canvas

INSPIRED! EXHIBITION SHOWCASES CONSERVED LANDS IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

IF EVER THERE WAS A LANDSCAPE to inspire artists, it’s the Columbia River Gorge. is summer, a collaboration between artists and the organization responsible for preserving that landscape is bringing that connection to life.

An exhibition entitled Inspired! is on display at 301 Gallery in Hood River throughout August and September. e show, a collaboration between the gallery and Friends of the Columbia Gorge, will showcase work from the 301 Gallery’s 15 member artists as well as 11 non-member artists who have been invited to participate.

e exhibition calls on the artists to explore the landscapes and ecosystems preserved by Friends of the Columbia Gorge and federal and state agencies. Friends of the Columbia Gorge led the ght to create the National Scenic Area beginning in 1980, a years-long e ort that culminated in the creation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, signed into law in 1986.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge is the only conservation organization dedicated to safeguarding the Gorge’s scenic, natural, cultural and recreational resources, and continues its work to protect and preserve the lands within the 80-mile-long National Scenic Area corridor that extends from Troutdale to Celilo in Oregon and Washougal to Maryhill in Washington.

“Art, in all its forms, can be a powerful catalyst for conservation,” said Tim Dobyns, communications and engagement director at Friends of the Columbia Gorge. “We hope the Inspired! show will motivate Gorge residents and visitors to contemplate their own role in protecting beautiful landscapes like those in the Gorge.”

story by JANET COOK • photos courtesy of FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE & by DAVID BURBACH

Cate

Hotchkiss

Celeste Bergin, left, is one of the show’s invited artists. Above, Dancing Rock preserve.

David Burbach

e conservation organization suggested several preserves to foster artists’ inspiration for the show. On the Oregon side of the river, they are the Mosier Plateau, Mt. Ulka and Rowena Oaks. In Washington, suggested sites are the Camas Patch, Cape Horn, Dancing Rock, Heartleaf Blu s, Turtle Haven, Vista View and the Lyle Cherry Orchard.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge has provided the artists with access to all Friends’ preserves, including private ones, as they create their work.

“ e artists have been invited to go onto the preserved land and create from that experience,” said Cathleen Rehfeld, a renowned Hood River painter who is co-curating the show with fellow 301

member artist Polly Wood. “I’m really excited to see this event come together,” she added. “It’s really about all of us being inspired by the experience of living in the Gorge and responding to it.”

e artists began conducting creative research on the designated sites during the spring. Whether working en plein air — directly in the outdoor environment — or in their studios, the artists have had several months to create their response to their chosen site or sites.

Wood, a Hood River ceramic artist, is a former board member of Friends of the Columbia Gorge and has long been involved in its

Red, White, and Blueberry, photograph by Brian Chambers

Cathleen Rehfeld, left, co-curator of the show, is a member artist at 301 Gallery. Thomas Kitts, middle, and Paloma Ayala are invited artists for the show.

David Burbach

David Burbach Cate Hotchkiss

preservation e orts. “ ere’s a lot to be inspired by because of the lands that have been protected,” said Wood, who won’t be creating works for the show but is curating it alongside Rehfeld. While the majority of the artworks are expected to be 2D paintings, drawings and photographs, there will be some 3D sculptural pieces as well.

“ ere will be representational works as well as inspirational pieces,” Wood said.

To go along with the artists’ work, Friends of the Columbia Gorge is creating stories about the conservation history of each preserve that will be shared via plaque/QR code at the exhibit.

“Being able to show the back story of the places that have been preserved is going to be really cool,” Wood said. Many of the sites

suggested for artists’ inspiration have been acquired since the National Scenic Area was formed in 1986 through the Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust. Created in 2005, the trust has acquired thousands of acres of previously private land which it has opened to the public. In addition, it holds a number of properties that are closed to public access in order to protect habitat for endangered or threatened species, and to increase climate resilience by protecting forests that store carbon.

e trust also works actively to steward its properties, controlling non-native plants, maintaining trails and welcoming students from area schools onsite to learn about the area’s natural history and local habitats.

“I think that makes this show di erent from other landscape shows,” Rehfeld said of the conservation history accompanying the artworks. She said Inspired! also di ers from the annual Paci c Northwest Plein Air show in that it features works in a variety of sizes.

“ ere are going to be some really large paintings in this show,” she said.

Rehfeld said she anticipates Inspired! will be a “very robust event.”

“Given this group of artists and the spectacular nature of the sites o ered by Friends,” she said, “I can’t imagine a more likely framework for the creation of beautiful work.”

301 Gallery will donate 10 percent of any proceeds from the sale of show-related artworks to Friends of the Columbia Gorge. To learn more, go to 301gallery.com and gorgefriends.org.

THECOLUMBIARIVER:WALLULATOTHESEA

Mount Ulka, one of the sites suggested for artists’ inspiration.

Cate Hotchkiss

FROM 2023 FESTIVAL FILMS

Kumari: A Father’s Dream

People, Lamprey and Cultural Ecology

Black Ice

With the Tide

Between Earth and Sky

Janwaar Technicolor

FROM 2023 FESTIVAL FILMS

Kumari: A Father’s Dream

People, Lamprey and Cultural Ecology

Black Ice

With

Tide

Clearing the Air

PREPARING FOR WILDFIRE SEASON WITH SMOKE READY GORGE

IN THE LATE SUMMER OF 2020, Lauren Kraemer was camping with her family and some friends on the Lower Santiam River southwest of Mount Hood. What started as a welcome respite during the rst Covid summer turned into a nightmarish race to escape the Beachie Creek Fire, which spread rapidly following a historic windstorm.

Kraemer and her husband and two young sons, along with the friends and their children, were told to evacuate the area at 10 a.m. Later that day, the place where they’d been camping burned to the ground. “We literally felt like we had ames licking on our heels as we returned to the Gorge.”

WHAT IS SMOKE?

A mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other materials burn.

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is the greatest health concern.

Can cause irritation, inflammation, and shortness of breath, and can worsen existing heart and lung diseases.

And then the smoke settled in. Blown in from several res, including the by-then massive Beachie Creek Fire, smoke blanketed western Oregon and settled heavily into the Gorge, causing some of the worst air quality levels in the U.S. It felt dystopian, murky at midday with visibility sometimes only a few hundred feet or less.

For Kraemer, an associate professor in the College of Health with Oregon State University Extension in Hood River,

story by JANET COOK • photos ovided

David Gn/stock.adobe.com

the smoke was more than just an inconvenience. She’d spent the last months focused on supporting migrant and seasonal workers during Covid. Now, the smoke created another challenge.

“ e smoke was overlapping with pear harvest,” Kraemer said. “ ere were workers out in the orchards picking fruit when the AQI was in the hundreds.” e Air Quality Index measure of air pollution has a scale of 0 to 50 indicating good air quality. Anything above 100 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, with “hazardous” air quality starting at 300. It was also the fall Chinook salmon run, said Kraemer, so the smoke was disproportionately impacting tribal shermen as well.

Kraemer and the OSU Extension, along with other community organizations, scrambled to respond to the situation. “We didn’t have the best communication strategy,” she said. “We were missing those vulnerable groups. It felt disjointed.” Masks that had been

Giving starts in the Gorge

The Gorge Community Foundation helps donors create charitable endowment funds to support the causes you care about and projects that inspire you.

Since 2003, the Foundation has made over $2 million in grants. You can start an endowment fund now with a tax-deductible contribution or include the Gorge Community Foundation in your estate plans.

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Anson/stock.adobe.com

distributed during Covid weren’t effective against smoke. Farmworkers were experiencing burning eyes, and on one organizational phone call, it was suggested that eyedrops be given to the workers.

“My background is in public health,” Kraemer said. “We try to work upstream. I have never felt more downstream than at that moment. We’re giving people eyedrops to make this horrible situation better?” It was a catalyzing moment for Kraemer. “I felt like we needed to do better,” she said.

After the smoke cleared, Kraemer and OSU Extension faculty and staff brainstormed how to improve the local response to wildfire smoke. One of the main takeaways was the need for better data. “We only had two air quality monitors at that point,” Kraemer said — one in Hood River and one in The Dalles. “Ideally you have them every couple of miles, especially in our area with so many microclimates, geographical features and the wind.”

The OSU Extension eventually received three grants to work with local governments and agencies to better prepare for smoke events in Hood River and The Dalles. Two grants were to purchase, install and maintain 10 new air quality monitors and produce a regional community response plan for smoke. The third was for ongoing research into mitigating non-wildfire smoke, including orchard waste, slash burns in forestland, and even smoke from residential fireplaces and woodstoves.

The Smoke Ready Gorge campaign launched a website last fall that provides information about how to prepare for and respond to smoke events. A map of regional air quality monitors shows the current AQI at each one, updated every two minutes. A smoke-ready checklist offers useful links and tips, including how to make a DIY air filter with a box fan and suggestions for coping with stress caused by smoke events.

Since the initial 10 air quality monitors were obtained, another 15 have been installed and Kraemer recently received a grant to expand the network even further. Once those are

HELPFUL TIPS

MINIMIZE SMOKE EXPOSURE. If you have an air conditioning unit at home or in your car, switch it to the "recirculate" mode.

MAKE YOUR OWN BOX FAN FILTER. Instructions on the smokereadygorge.org website in the smoke checklist section.

IMPROVE YOUR HVAC SYSTEM. Replace your current filter with one that is rated MERV 13, FRP 10 or higher.

SMOKE-READY CHECKLIST

1. CHECK OUT LOCAL AIR QUALITY SENSORS TO SEE IF IT IS SAFE TO BE OUTSIDE.

2. STAY INDOORS AND CREATE CLEAN INDOOR AIR.

3. MAKE A PLAN WITH YOUR FAMILY.

4. PROTECT PETS AND LIVESTOCK.

5. CONSIDER IDEAS TO REMAIN MENTALLY STRONG WHILE STAYING INSIDE.

up and running this summer, there will be monitors at every school in Hood River, Wasco and South Wasco counties and in Dufur. In addition, there will be 19 monitors installed indoors at schools.

“In future smoke events, we want to be able to see how well a building’s envelope is preventing smoke from getting inside,” Kraemer said. “ at will help us know how and where we need to improve ltration systems.” Having the monitors at schools will also allow administrators to decide, for example, if it’s safe to have outdoor recess during smoke events. In addition to schools, other sites with new monitors include the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and the Columbia Gorge Food Bank in e Dalles, and the Extension o ce in Hood River. Kraemer hopes to install monitors at the Port of Hood River building and at Water’s Edge at the east end of e Dalles.

As part of an e ort to increase air quality literacy, the Extension is developing an education and outreach plan for K-12 schools. Kraemer launched a pilot project with seventh graders at Hood River Middle School this spring to analyze data from the newly installed monitors and teach students about the health e ects of smoke and how to mitigate it.

In June, during the regional Smoke Ready Week, the Smoke Ready Gorge campaign will o cially launch with pop-up displays at area hospitals and health clinics, the Hood River County Library and other gathering places.

Future e orts include creating safe places where community members could gather during smoke events and let their kids run around, such as a school gym — an idea that came out focus groups held in the aftermath of the 2020 wild res. e new indoor air quality monitors will help show where community gathering places could be set up in the future. Kraemer also hopes to work with local businesses interested in being designated as “clean-air gathering places” — including co ee shops and restaurants.

“We’re starting to see that these smoke events are causing a lot of grief, they’re stressful and mentally taxing,” Kraemer said. Along with the unsettling eeriness, smoke events cause many people to experience climate grief and existential dread, she said. “As a community, we recognize that we’re collectively experiencing this really stressful thing usually once or twice a year.” Climate change could make wild re smoke events even more frequent.

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e Smoke Ready Gorge campaign is one way Kraemer hopes to get upstream of the inevitable smoke events to come. She hopes she’ll never again have to escape a raging wild re, or hand out eyedrops to mitigate the e ects of smoke. But as rattling

as those experiences were, Kraemer used them to make sure we’re all better prepared for the next wild re season.

“Ideally, we want all of our community partners to be communicating well and have a plan in place,” she said. “ at way, when we have a big smoke event, there’s a clear protocol for how to reach people.”

To learn more, go to smokereadygorge.org

MARTIN’S GORGE TOURS

Guided tours for individuals, groups, families, or couples. Including waterfalls, wild owers, wineries, breweries, trail hikes, scenic drives and more. Sit back and relax as we explore the hidden treasures of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

503-349-1323 • martinsgorgetours.com

GLENWOOD GENERAL STORE

Located in scenic Glenwood. A country store providing all your essentials to tackle everything from climbing the mountain to making dinner. We have groceries, hot deli, drinks and camping supplies.

509-364-3535

glenwoodgeneralstore.com

208 E. Main St. • Glenwood

MARYHILL WINERY

WinePressNorthwest’s “2015 Paci c Northwest Winery of the Year”, 50+ award-winning wines, tasting room, Tuscan-style terrace with views of Mt. Hood and Columbia River, Bocce, and gi s.

877-627-9445

maryhillwinery.com

9774 Hwy 14 Goldendale

RIVER DRIFTERS

Perfect for families, groups, and friends with trips for all ages and abilities. Guided ra ing on the White Salmon, Deschutes, Clackamas Rivers, and more! Last minute reservations okay. For updates and specials follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

800-972-0430 • riverdrifters.net

BEST WESTERN PLUS HOOD RIVER INN

Welcome to the perfect base for exploring the Columbia River Gorge. River view guest rooms, dining and drinks at Riverside, heated shoreline pool, spas, sauna, shoreline path, seasonal packages.

800-828-7873 • hoodriverinn.com

1108 E. Marina Way • Hood River

HOOD RIVER HOBBIES, LLC

Get ready for disc golf and other outdoor games. We have something for everyone at your local family-owned hobby and game store. Games, toys, discs, kites, RC vehicles, models, cra s, events, and more! Come nd a new hobby or a unique gi .

541-386-1223 • hoodriverhobbies.com

110 - 4th St. • Downtown Hood River

Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients

• 2 one-pound packages Oreo cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 3 Tbsp. corn syrup

• 1 pint heavy cream, divided

• 1 1/2 quarts mint chocolate chip ice cream

• 1 1/2 quarts vanilla bean ice cream

Directions

Lightly grease a large, deep cake dish or casserole dish. I used a 10-inch-wide, 4-inchdeep cake pan. Line the greased dish with plastic wrap.

Allow the vanilla ice cream to soften at room temperature while you prepare the Oreo crust. In a food processor, pulse one package of Oreos (approximately 45 cookies) until fine. With the processor running slowly add the melted butter and the kosher salt, scraping down sides and combining as needed. Press half of the crust mixture into the base of the pan.

Combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup and 3 Tbsp. heavy cream in a medium bowl. Microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between, until it is silky and just melted. Pour half of the chocolate sauce into the pan, spreading it carefully over the Oreo crust. Allow to set in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Scoop 4 cups of vanilla ice cream into the pan, use a spatula or gloved hand to press

THIS ICE CREAM CAKE IS PRETTY SIMPLE, PRETTY CLASSIC AND PRETTY DELICIOUS. A CRISP OREO CRUST, LAYERS OF CHEWY CHOCOLATE SAUCE, TWO TYPES OF ICE CREAM, AND A LIGHT WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING MAKE EVERY BITE BALANCED AND NOSTALGIC. I USED MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP AND VANILLA BEAN, BUT YOU COULD SUBSTITUTE YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVORS.

the ice cream into an even layer. Sprinkle with the second half of the Oreo crust and press gently into place. Place the cake in the freezer to set for 30 minutes, or until firm, while the mint ice cream softens at room temperature.

Pour the second half of the chocolate sauce onto the Oreo crust layer, spreading it carefully. Scoop 4 cups of mint ice cream into the pan, pressing into an even layer. Freeze for two hours or until completely set (this can take a while depending how melted your ice cream was and how cold your freezer is).

When the cake is set, whip the remaining heavy cream until it will hold shape. Crush one row of Oreos (approximately 15 cookies) in a small bowl with a fork. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap, like a hammock, to remove the cake from the pan, and set it on your serving platter. Frost the cake however you like with the whipped cream, topping the cake with the crushed Oreos.

Place the finished cake back in the freezer for another hour to fully set with the whipped cream. Cut, serve and enjoy!

Recipe and photos by KACIE MCMACKIN

Kacie McMackin is an avid cook, writer, and owner of Kings & Daughters Brewery. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

BACKWOODS

BREWING COMPANY

509-427-3412 • backwoodsbrewingcompany.com 1162 Wind River Hwy • Carson

Backwoods Brewing is family owned and located in Carson, WA. Established in 2012, we o er delicious beers, hand-made pizzas, outdoor seating, and welcome all ages.

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

BRODER ØST

541-436-3444 • brodereast.com

102 Oak St. Suite 100 • Hood River

Offering Nordic inspired breakfast and lunch to the gorge. Something new and exciting for the whole family to enjoy. Come try traditional recipes such as aebleskiver (danish pancakes), swedish meatballs, norwegian lefse (potato crepes) and lots more!

We look forward to serving you!

#broderost

DOPPIO COFFEE

541-386-3000 • doppiohoodriver.com 310 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

Relax on our beautiful patio in the heart of Hood River. Enjoy a hand crafted, in-house roasted espresso drink. Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini sandwiches, fresh salads, smoothies and fresh baked pastries and goodies. Gluten free options available. Free Wi-Fi and our patio is dog friendly. Our tables are spaced apart and disinfected after each guest.

BISTRO 1907

541-467-2277 • balchhotel.com/dine 40 Heimrich Street • Dufur, OR

Join us for casually elegant, indoor/outdoor destination dining. Features local beer and wine, seasonal fare, mountain views, and the magic and charm of the historic Balch Hotel. Found 15 scenic minutes from The Dalles, where the Gorge meets the High Desert.

First-time guests, mention you discovered us in The Gorge Magazine, and enjoy a drink on us!

CASA EL MIRADOR FAMILY MEXICAN RESTAURANT

541-298-7388 • casaelmirador.com 1424 West 2nd Street • The Dalles

Quality Mexican food prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients. Warm, friendly service and a lively atmosphere. Indulge in generous portions of flavorful sizzling fajitas, fish tacos, savory enchilada dishes and daily specials. Drink specials & Happy Hour menu from 3-6pm, Mon-Fri. Full service bar, take-out menu, gift certificates and catering services. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

EL PUERTO DE ANGELES III

541-308-0005

1306 12th Street • Hood River, on the Heights

We are open and happy to serve you. Authentic Jalisco Cuisine. We provide a safe dining experience. Enjoy good food and good times. Offering daily lunch and dinner specials, served all day. Happy Hour Mon-Fri. Outdoor dining available (weather permitting).

Open Daily 10am-9pm Dine-In or Takeout

BRIDGESIDE

541-374-8477 • bridgesidedining.com

Exit 44 off I-84, Cascade Locks

Stunning views next to the Bridge of the Gods – Bridgeside serves tasty char-broiled burgers plus an extensive menu of breakfast items, sandwiches, chowders, baskets, salads & desserts. Dine-in or takeout. Serving breakfast and lunch with friendly service.

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

CELILO RESTAURANT

& BAR

541-386-5710 • celilorestaurant.com

16 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

Celebrating over 19 years, Celilo began with a desire to honor the bounty of the Northwest. Our ever-changing menu reflects the seasonal highlights of the region’s growers and foragers. We offer the most innovative in fresh, local cuisine as well as an award-winning wine list, full bar, small plate menu, and happy hour.

Open Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

509.637.2774 • everybodysbrewing.com

177 E. Jewett Boulevard • White Salmon

A cornerstone of the Gorge restaurant and brewpub scene, we’ve provided the community with award-winning beers and top-quality meals for more than 15 years! Enjoy our warm and welcoming pub, or our covered and heated patio with views of Mt. Hood.

Visit our website for hours, events, current beer selection, or to order online!

GRACE

SU’S CHINA GORGE RESTAURANT & TIGER LOUNGE

541-386-5331 • chinagorge.com

2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River

Voted Best Chinese Restaurant in the Gorge! Proudly serving Hood River and the Columbia Gorge since 1978. Join us for authentic Hunan and Szechuan flavors, Columbia River views, happy hour in the Tiger Lounge 3-6pm, and always friendly service.

Open Tue-Sun for takeout & dine-in service, closed Mon.

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

541-321-0490 • pfriembeer.com

707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront pFriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Europe, but unmistakably true to our homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world. We’ll let you decide.

Open Daily | 11:30am-9pm

SUSHI OKALANI

541-386-7423 • sushiokalani@gorge.net 109 First Street • Downtown Hood River

Come find us in the basement of the Yasui Building, the local’s favorite spot for fresh fish, Pan-Asian Cuisine, and a rockin’ atmosphere! Lots of rotating specials, creative rolls, and a large sake selection means you’re always trying something new! Private rooms are available for groups up to 20 people. Take-out menu available online. Open for dinner Mon-Sat at 5pm, closing hours change seasonally.

GROUND ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE

541-386-4442 • groundhoodriver.com

12 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

Get your daily fuel for your Gorge sports and activities here!

A long time locals favorite coffee house and eatery, Ground features fresh in-house roasted coffee, house made pastries and cookies with lots of gluten free options. We make our soups from scratch every day and source mostly local and organic ingredients. Nitro cold brew on tap.

RIVERSIDE RESTAURANT & BAR

541-386-4410 • riversidehoodriver.com

Exit 64 off I-84 • Waterfront Hood River

Welcome to Riverside, where you’ll find the best food, drinks and views in the Gorge. Dine indoors or outdoors on the waterfront with fresh menus changing seasonally, a wine list with the area’s best selections, and 14 taps with all your favorite local breweries. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with the freshest ingredients grown and harvested by thoughtful, intentional local growers.

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO.

971-231-4599 • thunderislandbrewing.com

601 NW Wa Na Pa Street • Cascade Locks

A popular brewery and taproom situated in the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Known for its award-winning craft beer and delicious food offerings, which visitors can enjoy while taking in the breathtaking views of the river and mountains. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the patio. A unique experience for beer lovers and nature enthusiasts. Please visit website for current hours.

THE LITTLE SEVEN SEVEN RANCH HIGHLAND BEEF

509-767-7130 • L77Ranch.com

Grass-Fed Highland Beef from our ranch to your home. Known for flavor and tenderness, Highland Beef is higher in protein and iron than conventional beef, lower in fat and cholesterol. The L77 Ranch Shop is tucked into the woods of Lyle, WA. The impressive Highland Cattle can be viewed as you travel through the ranch. Email for a Local Price List. By appointment only.

SOLSTICE HOOD RIVER

541-436-0800 • solsticehoodriver.com

501 Portway Ave • Hood River Waterfront

A destination dining experience that unites friends, families, & community with a love of wood-fired pizza, shareable appetizers, and gluten friendly offerings. Inspired by the Gorge & seasonal harvests from our neighboring farms, our food & beverage menus are chef-driven & handcrafted. Walk-ins welcome! Reservations for in-house dining & takeout at our cafe/pizza truck available on our site!

YOUR

PARTAKE LISTING HERE

Contact Jody Thompson for more information: 425-308-9582 • jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com 541-399-6333 • thegorgemagazine.com

The Gorge is a mecca for great food and drink: restaurants, cafés, wineries, breweries, food carts & more. Help visitors and locals decide where to dine and drink. They’ll see your ad in print and in the online digital edition of the magazine…for one affordable price! RESERVE A PARTAKE LISTING SPACE TODAY

Artist Charlene Rivers lives in Parkdale, and many of her paintings depict whimsical scenes from the upper Hood River Valley. For this one, entitled Parkdale and the Columbia Gorge Hotel , she wanted to include the iconic hotel on the bluff overlooking the Columbia River. “I thought it would be fun to show the valley and down to the Gorge and the hotel,” she said. She starts with a black canvas and draws images with chalk. Then she paints the scene with layers of acrylic, wiping off the chalk with a sponge, and finishes with oil paint sticks to create highlights. “I had to simplify the hotel,” she said. She included fish in the pond and, as in many of her paintings, orchards and lavender, as well as Mount Hood in the distance.

the artist

CHARLENE RIVERS was born in Hood River and grew up in Parkdale. She was an artsy kid, but it wasn’t until she left for Western Oregon State College, intending to major in biology, that she realized she could study art. “I didn’t even know there was such a thing as an art program,” she said. After earning a degree in art education, she became the first full-time art teacher at McMinnville High School. When she and her husband returned to Hood River in 1970, she became the first art teacher at Hood River Middle School. She helped found the Columbia Art Gallery in the early 1980s “when there were hardly any artists in the valley,” she said. She’s explored various mediums over the years, including pottery, weaving and mixed media, exhibiting at galleries, shows and festivals — mostly recently a still life series at 301 Gallery in Hood River last winter. She paints or creates art every day and teaches free workshops. sites.google.com/site/charleneriversstudio

Home sweet home.

Cyndee is a NW native and has called Hood River home for over 20 years. Licensed in OR & WA, Cyndee is a top producer in The Gorge.

THINKING OF LISTING? READY TO BUY?

Cyndee can help you achieve your Real Estate goals –ask her clients! HHHHH

“Cyndee was a WONDERFUL agent. She’s very knowledgeable, relatable, reliable, communicative and was supportive throughout the entire process. We had quite an up and down road to purchasing our house and Cyndee helped us get through with grace and ease. I would highly recommend working with her without any hesitation.” – Sammy R.