photo courtesy of billaday

One of the places that we visit often is Hood River, OR.  For those of us living in Portland it's a great place to get away too. It's only an hour away, they have hiking, biking, breweries, wineries, the Fruit loop and great places to eat as well. They even have some pretty great hotel accommodations.

The other beautiful thing about Hood River is you can drive out and back in a day. It's that close. So if you can't stay the night, just go for the event.

On Saturday, October 1 they are having the Hood River Hops fest. I am giving away 2 tickets for this event. Each ticket will have give you ::

• Admission
• One Mug
• Four Tokens

They are hoping to have close to 40 beers on tap for sampling at this event. Many of the beers that they will pour will be less than a week in the keg.

Here's multiple ways you can enter to win ::

• Go to Vacation Thrills Facebook page and "like" it
• Go to Eating My Way Thru Portland and "like" it too – we go there often and I have a reviewed a few restaurants.
• Sign up for newsletters at each of these sites. (1 entry per site.)
• Leave a comment here about your favorite beer and tell me what other entries you did.

You will get one entry for each thing you do upping your chances of winning. Winners will be chose at random using Random.org.

The contest will close on Sunday the 25th. At that time I will get contact info from you so I can get the tickets to you ASAP. So please make sure you input your email when you leave a comment on this blog.

Your chances of winning this are pretty great since it's a narrow crowd that will be available, like beer and be willing to drive to Hood River. So what are you waiting for? Enter today.

Keep in mind you must be 21 or older to enter the event.

One more thing. I am giving these tickets away because I can't go. It's my 20 year college reunion and yes I am choosing it over this. So I will need you to tell me what I missed.

View from the Space Needle

I love this city. It's such a great place to vacation. They have so much to offer including lots and lots of great places to eat. And let me be honest, we pretty much ate our way through Seattle.

Most places we went to were crowded and I am a shy girl and hate to pull out my camera to take pictures, but I will let you know what we ate and what we thought anyways.

We had already done the Seattle Underground a few years back. We have also did the the Space Needle at that time too.

GETTING THERE FROM PORTLAND ::

We took the train. For $60 round trip it's pretty sweet. You spend the 3.5 hours reading, talking and not thinking about traffic. It's great.

The whole reason for our visit was to take our daughter and her friend on a college visit. Because of that they got a discount on their train fare.

GETTING AROUND SEATTLE ::

Once you get off the train you have to walk…wait for it…..1 block. From that point on you are in the free fare zone. Chances are you have a motel in that area, so no need to grab a taxi. We don't ride the bus system ever anywhere, but it's pretty easy to figure out.

We walked. Our motel was only about a mile away from the train station. And honestly after sitting on the train, I was ready to stretch my legs and look around.

As we walked we stumbled upon many happy hours. I used my Happy Hour app for Seattle, called Cocktail Compass. By the way Portland has one too, not sure about other cities though.

EATING IN SEATTLE ::

Where to start??

We stopped at Lola, which is a Tom Douglas restaurant. This place was packed. Now mind you, we are carrying back packs. But we make our way to the bar and grabbed some great eats.

Salmon cakes, red pepper humus and chicken and pork kebabs, plus 2 beers. The portions were small, but so great. We decided not to order more, but instead hit another happy hour later.

We made our way to hour hotel. (more on that in a minute) dropped off our things and hit the city again. I had scoped out more eats earlier in the week.

We went to Amber. Great place, great ambiance. Again we bellied up to the bar. We ordered the Kobe beef sliders (these are why we came), 2 pizzas, that turned out to be rather large. An order of ribs, because they told us we needed too and a bowl of their house made Clam Chowder. We also ordered 2 cocktails, that were happy hours specials and 2 beers.

Amber was amazing. We had way to much food. Partially because it was our second Happy Hour, although it was over an hour between and almost 1 mile of walking. We had earned it, right?

The bill for the 2 places were exactly the same. If you want quality, special and unique fare, make your way to Lola, just expect to pay more, but it's worth every penny.

If you want great eats, I mean great happy hour eats that's not typical fried bar food, and you want it at a great price, head to Amber.

Both will make you happy.

STAYING IN SEATTLE ::

Both times we stayed in Seattle we used Hotwire. Last time we ended up at the W Hotel.  This was the epitome of a 4 star hotel. Beautiful, sleek and amazing. It felt like luxury. The price for this 2 years ago was just $119. I just looked up a 4 star and found one for $125 a night for Pike Place area. Not sure what hotel it is, but you get the idea. I thought earlier I had found the Westin for $100 a night.

We found a boutique hotel for just $106 a night and it was a 4 star too, Edgewater Hotel, I told you about it here, and I was so excited.

Well, the Edgewater Hotel in Seattle was so incredibly disappointing. Disappointing is an understatement. I think they earn their 4 star because they are on the water. The rooms lack 4 star quality. Check out the pictures of Edgewater Hotel here. Trust me it was worse than it looks.

Now we did end up with a city side, which is much smaller and not as nice as the water side, but let me remind you we were only viewing the city out of our last hotel a few years back. The room did not make up for the lack of view. We never thought twice about our view last time, we were so pleased with our room.

The beds were hard and there was nothing luxurious about the decor. As a matter of fact the decor was down right awful. The beds in this 4 star hotel were log beds with like ugly bedding. The rooms were tiny. Again we stayed in a 4 star in CA once with tiny rooms, but the rooms were amazing.

When asked at the front desk what we thought, we told them there is no way this should be a 4 star. I think at $106 a night it was an ok deal. But at $180-$200, which is the original cost of the room, I would have been pissed to say the least.

There are tons of bad reviews of this hotel on YELP. This is my favorite because she perfectly described what I thought of the place.

I have not written a review in years but  my experience here was so bad that I had to write something. I feel like they totally lead you on, on their website. My mom had a discount from Expedia so I used it. Even with that I still payed over a hundred dollars for a room that was less then even okay. We were promised a flat screen tv which we didn't have, free internet which wasn't free, they didn't even have a continental breakfast which they had expressed was also included. The room was tiny we walked in and were literally on the bed. The whole feel of the room was dirty I think if I had not drank as much as I did that night I would not have laid on the bed. You know that it is bad when you both look at each other and say the only people who would find this luxury are people that live in a trailer park. The only nice feature was the bathroom. The decor is beyond horrible. Luckily I had the best person with me so we made the most of the night despite the hotel. Overall I give this a major thumbs down.

There is so much to see and do in Seattle. I barely touched on it. We did wander through the Pikes Place Market. We also wondered through Pioneer Place. I wanted to go to Queen Anne, but we never made it over. Another trip I guess.

We have had a ton of rain this winter and spring. So finding something to do in Portland when it's raining has been high on our list.

Entertainment ::

• Blitz – With games like pool, air hockey and shuffleboard you can have a great time. They have 13 beers on tap and a pretty decent menu, although it's typical bar food.     Right next door is Little Big Burger. Grab a bite there first then head over to drink your beer and play your games. Get there early because this place packs out.
• Players – This is an upscale bowling alley with video arcades as well. You can even rent rooms with 2-3 lanes for private parties. The food is supposed to be more upscale as well.
• Big Al's- for bowling and food. Great place for kids parties.

Comedy clubs ::

• Comedy Sportz – good or all ages, although they also have later adult shows. We used to go all the time, but haven't been lately.
• Harvey's Comedy Club
• Curious Comedy Theater – I have been to this venue and had a great evening.

Cool Movie Theaters ::

• Living Room Theaters – This is the best dinner and a movie experience in Portland.
• McMenamins – they have multiple buildings that they have purchased over the years. These also offer the dinner and a movie experience. They are also so spread out over Portland and the suburbs that you should find one near you.

Musuems ::

• OMSI
• Pittock Mansion
• Childrens Museum

Shopping ::

Most Portlanders don't even realize that it's raining and will just grab an umbrella and shop at one of these trendy outdoor places

• NW 23rd
• Bridgeport
• Woodburn Company stores.

Shop at Lloyd Center Mall while the kids enjoy ice skating in the mall.

Miscellaneous ::

• Powell's Books – Yep, with one square block of books, they should have what you are looking for. It's the largest new and used book store in the world. Don't worry it's a typical Portland establishment and it does have a coffee shop attached.
• Southwest Community Center – Indoor water park in SW Portland
• North Clackamas Aquatic Park
• Go to a Spa – they are a dime a dozen here in town. Groupon and LivingSocial often times have deals and you should never have to pay full price.
• Oaks Park Roller Rink

Grab a Bite to Eat ::

• I do like to eat, so finding a place to eat and watching it rain works for me. I often refer to Urbanspoon for reviews, but also find lots of info at EatingMyWayThruPortland.
• Check out one of the many Breweries in town. Portland is known as the micro brewery capital of the U.S.
• Enjoy a Food Tour

Looking for something different? Something unusual? Then sign up for Groupon or LivingSocial. You never know what they are going to offer. You will get $5 just for signing up with LivingSocial. Signing up is free and you are under no obligation to buy. Just watch the deals roll in.

Looking for coupons for the North Meets South Food & Drink Jubilee that is happening in Portland at the Benson Hotel? Well Groupon can hook you up. They are offering tickets at 50% off.

This sounds like a great event with music, food, wine, beer, and spirits. It sounds like tickets are limited, so grab them now if you want them.

It doesn't stop there, you can also get 18 holes of golf for $78 at Bonneville. Make sure you are signed up for Groupon so you too can receive daily deals so you don't miss out. I love this group buying site stuff.  It saves me money and offers some really fun experiences along the way.

Whenever we take a trip I will easily spend a day searching local restaurants.  I do this because I refuse to eat at most chain restaurants and because I really don't enjoy bar food every.single.meal.  Therefore, I start a search early on.

I look for healthy food, I look at price and I look for location.  As much as I enjoy a good meal, I won't drive out of my way for one, unless a reader suggests something that should not be missed.

I was excited when I came across the website called HappyCow.  This is a great site to help you locate healthy restaurants worldwide.

Next time you are on vacation and you are curious about what's around that's healthy, give HappyCow a look.

But I did want to share the trip my husband and son took to In-n-Out.  That's right they drive 6 hours, grab a burger, see some sights, grab a burger and come home.

This is the 2nd year they have done it.  This year they stopped in the Redwoods.  They spent a few hours there just checking things out.  If you haven't seen the redwoods, you need to make a trip out.  It's pretty spectacular.

You can see in order to make it through they had to pull in the mirrors.  This was a fun stop, but they had better things to do.  You guessed it.  They had to make their way to the the happiest place on earth…In-n-Out.

The bottom picture is something that is ordered off the "special menu".  I think this is called animal fries.

They spent the night at the Gaia Hotel and they loved it.  You can read how I got it at such a great deal.  I have to preface this with my husband is a hotel snob and won't stay at a Motel 6, so getting a nice hotel at an affordable price is always a good thing.

]]> http://vacationthrills.com/2010/09/10/how-far-would-you-drive-for-in-n-out/feed/ 0 http://vacationthrills.com/2010/08/30/the-weekend-in-my-city/ http://vacationthrills.com/2010/08/30/the-weekend-in-my-city/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:16:25 +0000 Amy http://vacationthrills.com/?p=1016 I had a great day planned yesterday.  It included hiking in a place I had never been, going to a theater I hadn't been to either and ending the day watching the sunset from a great location.

More on The Weekend in My City

1.  Drink what's Free – They do offer pop/soda cards, but they are expensive and the only way to get your moneys worth is to drink a lot and then it just becomes unhealthy.

2.  Don't eat a the restaurants that charge – There are more than enough "free of charge" restaurants to choose from why would you even consider paying for a meal?  If you do want to pay for a meal do it while in port and try some of the local flavor instead.  That's why you are on vacation right??

This was a bean dip fondue in Honduras

3.  Choose the Free activities – There are plenty of things to do on the boat.  Plenty of shows to see and game shows to watch, don't pay for your entertainment.  Walk past the casino, you can do that anywhere.

4.  Don't feel like you need to have an excursion at every port – Big, big money maker here.  We met up with a couple a few years back and they had booked something at all but one port.  By the time they were at the last one they were happy they could do their own thing and not have another excursion.  They almost felt like they had missed out on a few ports because they were whisked away to an activity instead of enjoying the culture.

A private island I found online before we went. We walked over to the boat ferry. We did not book it ahead of time.

5.  If you do want to do an excursion try and book it through the company instead of the ship.  You can save up to $10-$20 a person just booking it yourself.

6.  Grab your drinks while in port – Ships charge lots of money for alcoholic drinks and they charge a 15% (although it could be higher now) tip right on there, and give you an additional tip line.  Really??  We like to stop at a local place and try one of the local beers or drinks.  Tons cheaper and you get to do something more authentic.

Drinking a local beer in Roatan

7.  If you want drinks on the ship try and bring some of your own.  It's risky, sometimes they go through and sometimes they don't.  But if you can get your own on the boat it will save you tons.

8.  Once off the ship, walk a little ways – If you get a block or 2 away from port the taxis start to get significantly cheaper.  Acapulco was a huge price difference.  We went to see the cliff divers. We paid  $2 and the couple next to us grabbed a taxi right at port and paid $17.

9.  Buy local – You are cruising so you can see different cities in different countries or areas.  Don't buy the silver on the boat, instead walk the city streets and pick up something from the locals.  It will be a fraction of the price.

Some of the Many Shops in Cozumel

10.  Don't tell your kids the card is attached to an account – They make it so easy to spend money on a cruise.  Your room key will also get you drinks.  As a matter of fact our last cruise didn't accept cash or credit cards, room keys only.  Either don't tell your kids or make sure they know they are responsible for anything charged.

There are so many more ways to save, but this is just some of the basics.  For us it becomes a game. You want my money and I try and see how little I give you.  We don't have regrets about things we haven't purchased, instead we love the new things we tried and the adventures we have found, at a fraction of the price.

Finally last summer I met up with a friend and we stopped in Hood River.  We had the the most amazing meal and I decided the next time we came through we would stop as a family and enjoy.  And we did!!  That was the stop that made me want to come back for a weekend.

So here we are 3 months later enjoying Hood River.  Before we even entered the town we enjoyed hours of hiking and sightseeing and photography.  Not that I am good at photography, but I just wanted to remember it all.  The day was beautiful and we managed all 3 meals outside in the sun.

The weather the second day was bad and we sat inside Doppio Coffee shop, reading and relaxing.  I had found this place online, before we even got here.  When we went out the first day I forgot to take my list of coffee shops to try and that didn't seem to matter, we ended up here anyways.

The bed and breakfast was good.  I am not a bed and breakfast person, but no complaints.  I was hoping for a little protein for breakfast, but the homemade scones did not disappoint.  The room, although small, suited it's purpose on that sunny day.

It seems that there is always something to do in Hood River.  This day was no exception.  As we began to walk around we noticed that the roads were blocked off.  After asking around we realized that there would be a Crit bike race.  This sounded intriguing, so we began to look for a place to sit and watch.  We knew the race was going to start right around lunch time, so we started walking the 1k course to find a place to sit.  We stumbled upon Double Mountain Brewery, which was also on my lists of places to try.  We walked in and the owner/manager (not sure which) told us to go into the other room, where a garage door was wide open and tables were pushed up to the edge.

Double Mountain Brewery is great.  The pizzas were amazing, and the beer was even better.  The thing I really love about beer and breweries is you can sample until you find one you like, then they pour you a big glass knowing you are happy.  This place was no different.  I sampled 3 kinds.  She told me I HAD to try all 3, so I did.  And just like they hoped, I was completely happy and ready for more!!

As the rain began to come down, we sat there, fully covered, yet outside, with the best view of the race.  How do we know it was the best view?  The whole time people walked by the said "wow, you have the best seats here."  We smiled, sipped our beer and hoped they would keep moving, as to not block our great view.

Between the hiking, the breweries, and the bike race we just got a taste of what Hood River has to offer the outdoorsy person.  It is after all the windsurfing capital of the world.  Along with all kinds of other water sports, the close mountain for ski or boarding, and mountain biking there is never a dull moment in Hood River.

Check out the Romantic Side of Hood River

The grounds at the Columbia Gorge Hotel are beyond romantic, as they are the settings to many weddings.  From the pictures you can see why.  What I never knew is hidden on the hillside is this beautiful waterfall.  The bridge gives you a view from above.  Worth the stop to just look if you have time.

One of our gifts from the Hotel was a wine tour.  They had 6 places that we could to a tasting.  We didn't make it to all of them, but the drive was so pretty and the grounds of the Wineries we did stop at were  beautiful and surreal. Definitely a place I could hang out at and drink a glass of wine.

We ended our romantic day with an incredible find.  The Stonehedge Garden Restaurant.  I found this online with high recommendations. (go to the website and click on events and you can print a coupon for 10% off) What we experienced far out exceeded our expectations.  The road that leads up is a gravel road, with plenty of potholes, and it's next to a rock quarry.  You kind of think you are not heading anywhere even remotely romantic.  You follow this road to the top where a beautiful home and gardens await.

Walking around before you dine is a must.  The only disappointment in this stop was that it was not warm enough to sit outside, but our waitress took care of us and sat us at the window overlooking the gardens.  Wow!!

The food was amazing.  They offered 4 specials on top of the well rounded menu.  We noticed that there was a signature dessert that needed to be ordered ahead.  We asked and were told it was a must.  Bread pudding without raisins topped with Creme Brulee, topped with a rum sauce that is then lit on fire, brought to your table them topped with a caramel sauce.  Spectacular!!

The day could not have been any better.  It was a leisurely day taking in all Hood River had to offer for the Romantics.

Check out the Outdoorsy Side of Hood River