by Roger Sanders, Club Historian

Make plans and hotel reservations today for a tour that you will remember! Plan on two days and one evening of new and different things in Hood River, Oregon on Saturday March 23 and Sunday, March 24. Room reservations will not be held after February 22.

“Porsche Unplugged” means being unplugged from your Porsche a little longer and drive what you want to avoid late season cinders. Most of us will probably drive SUV's. We’ll stay on the main roads.

We’ll meet at Cascade Village Starbucks at 8:30am Saturday. After a microbrew pub lunch in Hood River, we’ll spend the early afternoon at a new and very interesting Air and Auto museum. Later in the afternoon we’ll taste unique Italian wine varieties at a nearby winery.

We’ll then check into the renovated and classic Columbia Gorge Hotel. You’ll stay where Rudolph Valentino, Myrna Loy and even president Roosevelt stayed as they enjoyed the beauty of the Colombia River Gorge (and no, they did not sleep together). We’ll have dinner there and hopefully listen to some smooth piano jazz. The rooms and baths are nice. There’s free hot coffee in the hotel reception area, but not in the rooms.

Sunday, after a brunch that the Columbia River Gorge Hotel is famous for, we’ll visit the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, about 20 minutes away and experience 15,000 years of the gorge’s history. Following that, we will return to Bend by about 5pm. If the brunch is too much food, regular breakfasts are also available.

Make hotel reservations by February 22!!! Then e-mail me (roger@bendfireside.com) to confirm that you are coming! Here are the reservation details:

Colombia Gorge Hotel
4000 Westcliff Dr.
Hood River, OR.
1-800-345-1921, or 1-541-386-5566

Ask for the “High Desert PCA” group rate for March 23. Rooms are a little expensive but hey, its not every day that you get to sleep where Myrna Loy slept. Room rates will be around $159 if we also have dinner there. Otherwise they are higher. Garden and river views are available. Ask for standard height beds if needed, as several rooms have extra high beds. Also, bring quarters for downtown Hood river parking.