Show wdd i& d i®j (D ® wu g ii ism i? i& § i This spring we invited you to tell us about your favorite spots weekends for long More than 1200 WEEKEND readers sent ideas Here is our choice for June FLORIDA Try a leisurely weekend in historic St Augustine where miles of beaches mix with Spanish charm in the USA’s oldest city Who: Gene Rushing 36 of Salem Ore Training coordinator Oregon Department of Transportation Single father of two What Getaway to Hood “It’s just perfect” says Gene Rushing of his favorite getaway “I really enjoy the remoteness of some of the mountain streams To be able to hike all day tong and not see another person is just great” Rushing should know He once worked as a state forest ranger in the area and knows its hideaways intimately Rushing still returns when he can “Hood River is one of the most undiscovered scenic areas in the state” he explains “There’s something for rugged types and there’s something for those who just like to go and look The diversity is great” No exaggeration In summer you can snow ski in the mom- - r River Ore Windsurfing year-roun- d snow skiing Why: "There's a little bit of something for everybody The weather is fantastic It's like something out of a storybook In my it opinion hasn't been discovered ing windsurf in the afternoon Or climb Mount Hood — Oregon’s highest peak Or fish — in the USA’s cleanest fresh waters Or camp along the river’s edge and dine on top of a bluff Here’s one way to spend a tong weekend in and around the Hood River Valley Day One Let someone else do the driving today Board the Stemwheeler New Orleans-styl- e Columbia Gorge at Cascade Locks for a spectacular ride becliffs to Bontween 1000-foo- t neville Dam and back to the locks The two-horiver cruise is $9 for adults $5 for children (Check out the Stemwheeler Days Festival June In the afternoon catch some ur great in streams along the way Bonus Day Try some salmon steelhead and trout fishing Rent canoes or paddle boats ($20 a day) at the Lost Lake Resort for trout fishing Before heading home stop by the Inn at Hood River Village Resort for lunch and lounging on the riverside deck Tip: Historic Columbia Gorge Hotel’s hearty Farm Breakfast ($1295) includes home-bake- d biscuits apple frit— ters and the waitress stands atop a chair with a spoonful of honey and dribbles it on your pancakes honey-from-the-s- 17-1- 9) By Carol Clurman mountain scenery aboard SURFS UP: Sailboarding novices and veterans migrate in summer to Columbia River Gorge because of the steady winds clear waters and magnificent scenenr that make Rood River Valley the USA’s wind- surfing capital Mount Hood Railroad which chugs its way up and back into the scenic Hood River Valley ($9 for adults $5 for children) Day Two Feeling invigorated? Get up early and head for the slopes at Timberline Lodge an hour’s drive away south on Highway 35 to Highway 26 West At 1 pm when lifts close in summer months return to Hood River and check out Meadows Windsyn-erg- y in Port Marina Park for windsurfing lessons ($35) and rentals ($20 per half-day- ) Windsurf in Columbia Gorge Sail Park the USA’s windsurf- s ing capital (The Columbia Gorge ProAm is there July Apple Jam Jazz Festival July Also stop by the Visitors Center to pick up trail maps for tomorrow’s hiking Day Three Put on your hiking boots pack a picnic and hit the trails of Mount world-clas- 8-- 17 15-1- 6) Hood National Forest Don’t miss Multnomah Falls on the Trails way quarter-mil- e paths USA WEEKEN0JUNE 1588 range from to daylong 33-mi- le Fly-fishi- is FY1: from east Getting there: and west Highway 35 from south Lodging a sampling: Columbia Gorge Hotel 4000 Westcliff Drive Hood River Ore 97031 te doubles from $75-17-5 Inn at Hood River Village Resort 1108 Marina Way Hood River Ore 97031 (503) from $60-$8- 0 386-220- Inn 0 E doubles at Cooper Spur 10755 Cooper Spur Road Parkdale Ore 97041 (503) cabins from $3995 Help: Call the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce 0 (503) 352-603- 7 386-200- fc- I |