VANCOUVER, CLARK COUNTY, WA
AREA ATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Who wouldn't want to live here? The following scenic/educational/fun places are all within a few minutes or, at the most, 2 or 3 hours drive from Vancouver, Washington. There is so much to offer in the Pacific Northwest. Come and see for yourself. This site is under construction. Please bear with the updating.
BONNEVILLE HOT SPRINGS RESORT
1252 East Cascade Drive, North Bonneville, WA
509-427-7767
Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa is about 60 minutes from Portland, OR (on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge) and 45 mins. from Vancouver, WA. It is located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge - one of the most gorgeous places on the earth. This resort/spa offers luxury lodging, ancient Mineral Hot Spring Baths and total relaxation.
Bonneville's natural mineral hot springs is located on the Lewis & Clark trail and have been used for centuries by people seeking relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind and body.
The European Style Day Spa offers 12,000 square feet of luxurious treatments. Amenities includea 25 meter indoor lap pool, indoor and outdoor jetted soaking pools filled with natural mineral hot spring water, dry sauna and miniature golf. In addition, there are many nearby spots in the Gorge to travel to for hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, fishing, windsurfing, wine and museum touring. (more on those later in this attraction summary. See Multnomah Falls, Maryhill Museum)
After a wonderful day of exploring the grounds or rejuvenating yourself at the Resort/Spa you can enjoy a fresh Northwest style meal in the beautiful Pacific Crest Dining Room.
There are always specials underway that need to have a second look. And don't forget the Wine Tasting every Friday and Saturday from 6 to 7 p.m.
This is also a great spot for retreats, business meetings or family gatherings.
Website: bonnevilleresort.com
Personal note: My husband and I have stayed at this fabulous spot and enjoyed our own private mineral water hot tub on the balcony of our room while enjoying lush greenery/forest land.
This mill was built in 1876 by George Woodham and his two sons. These buildings are some of the oldest working left in Washington. Drive out to Woodland and it will be like driving into the past. This mill is doing today what it was built for over a hundred years ago. There are picnic tables with a great view of the mill, stream and the covered bridge. Get there early and share a bite while enjoying the nostalgia. Perhaps you can hear music drifting downstream from the mill where dances and musical entertainment were sometimes held. There is a "working tour" where you will see huge pulleys and spinning belts that produce flour, corn meal and (last Sat. in October) apple cider. This is mother nature at work using water power. There are volunteers available to explain how this works. Why not visit the mill and see what life was like in your ancestors time. Although the mill changed hands and was used for different purposes for some of this time period, it remains much the same as when originally built.
The Friends of the Cedar Creek Grist Mill, a non-profit corporation, now owns the landmark. It is a working museum along side a covered bridge. On November 11, 1989, wheat was ground in celebration of Washington State's Centennial. What an accomplishment!
The Cedar Creek Grist Mill is open all year. Group tours are available if you call or e-mail. This mill is a National Historic Landmark.
Hours: Grain is milled 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Where: 43815 NE Grist Mill Road, Woodland, WA
Admission: Donations accepted.
Telephone: 360-225-5832
Website: www.cedarcreekgristmill.com
CLARK COUNTY AMPHITHEATER
17200 NE Delfel Road, Ridgefield, WA 98642
This is a world-class amphitheater with world-class acts in the show business field. It is only 20 minutes north of Portland, OR.
Visit: www.clarkcountyamp.com/
CLARK COUNTY FAIR
Visit: www.clarkcofair.com
COLUMBIA GORGE
We took this photo from our room at Skamania Lodge. We were looking east toward the river and what a beautiful sight it was.
The little town of Stevenson, WA is pictured off to the left in the photo.
CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
1511 Main Street, Vancouver, WA
The Clark County Historical Society governs this museum that is housed in the 1909 Carnegie Library.
Regular museum hours are: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Thursday until 9 p.m.)
Admission rates: Adults $4, Seniors and College Students $3, School-Age Children $2. Children 5 and under are free as are CCHS members.
There is a Museum AFter Hours Lecture Series held on the first Thursday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m.
Some upcoming events:
COLUMBIA SPRINGS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER - VANCOUVER
This is a 100-acre urban natural area including forests, woodlands and wetlands at historic Vancouver Trout Hatchery. Hike on nature trails, observe birds and wildlife and visit a working hatchery.
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to dusk daily. Tours by appointment.
Where: 12208 SE Evergreen Highway, Vancouver, WA
Admission: Free
Telephone: 360-882-0936
Website: www.columbiasprings.org
CRUISES (COLUMBIA RIVERBOAT)
The Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge
Paddlewheel-driven ship offeers a variety of one-day cruises in and around the Columbia River Gorge. Daily during season.
Telephone: 800-643-1354
Website: www.sternwheeler.com
Portland Spirit
Dinner, lunch and brunch cruises, sightseeing cruises and cruises featuring live music.
Telephone: 800-224-3901
Website: www.portlandspirit.com
FT. VANCOUVER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, Vancouver 
Fort Vancouver's palisade and nine buildings have been rebuilt near their original locations. Visitors can see what life was like when Fort Vancouver was the most important settlement in the Pacific Northwest.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed major holidays.
Where: 1001 E. Fifth Street, Vancouver
Admission: $3, $5 family
Telephone: 360-816-6200
Personal note: We took our grandsons to the Fort over the Memorial Day Weekend (see photo below). They are 9 and 6 and they thoroughly enjoyed their visit. There were guides in costume who answered questions and told us their duties and responsibilities. Informative and entertaining. We walked over the new land bridge from down by the Columbia River. That is also a beautiful walk. We recommend it! The gardens at the fort were well maintained with native plants and vegetables.
HOYT ARBORETUM, PORTLAND, OR
This is an 175-acre museum of trees, home to one of the largest collections of conifers in the country.
Hours: Visitors center open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Grounds open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Closed major holidays.
Where: 4000 SW Fairview Blvd., Portland
Admission: Free
Telephone: 503-228-8733
Website: www.hoytarboretum.org
JAPANESE GARDEN - PORTLAND, OR
Traditional Japanese garden offers special events, workshops and gardening.
Current exhibit:
Hours: April-September: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays thru Sundays. Mondays: noon to 7 p.m.
October-March: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Mondays: noon to 4 p.m. Closed on major holidays.
Where: 611 SW Kingston Avenue, Portland
Admission: $8, $6.25 seniors and college students, $5.25 students. Exhibits are free with garden admission.
Telephone: 503-223-1321
Website: www.japanesegarden.com
LA CENTER, WA CARD ROOMS
Located in downtown LaCenter, just off I-5, are four card rooms; New Phoenix, Double Down Saloon, Last Frontier and the Palace Casino. Like Poker? How about Let It Ride? You will also find 3 Card Poker, Spanish 21, Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, and Lucky Ladies. Pull Tabs are also among the gaming options. Come join in the fun. It is also a great place for good food.
MARYHILL MUSEUM
The American Association of Museums has awarded Maryhill Museum of Art one of the highest honors a museum can receive. Only 750 museums nationwide (out of 8,000) are accredited, with only 15 in Washington and Oregon.
Maryhill Museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, March 15 through November 15. General admission is $7.00, seniors $6.00, children 6-16 $2.00. Special rates are available with advance reservations. The sculpture garden, picnic grounds and parking are free.
Personal note: My husband and I have been to the grounds - and taken our camera - and been privileged to see some of the most picturesque scenery of the Columbia Gorge.
The museum is a castle-like chateau overlooking the Columbia River Gorge in 26 acres of park-like gardens on 6,000 acres of ranch land about 100 miles east of Portland, OR, on the Lewis & Clark Trail, Washington Scenic Route 14 in Washington.
There are over 20 interpretive panels, placed along the structure, that provide local history and stories about local Native Americans, Lewis & Clark (who wrote about this area in their journals), the Oregon Trail (which can be seen from the site), and the geology of the Columbia River Gorge.
There are facilities for weddings, birthday parties, reunions, meetings or whatever your need. Rental fees vary depending on size and location of event.
Cafe Maryhill is open daily March 15 through November 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Seating is available inside and outdoors within view of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood. There is a gift shop (of course) featuring unique art gifts, mementos of Maryhill, and original American Indian jewelry.
Come and learn the history of Sam Hill, the builder of Maryhill's Stonehenge (a tribute to the soldiers of Klickitat County who lost their lives in World War I). This was the first monument in our nation to honor the dead of WWI. It is a full-scale replica of England's famous neolithic Stonehenge. This location now includes monuments to the soldiers of Klickitat County who died in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam.
You will find the monument four miles east of the museum, the original Maryhill townsite, just off Highway 14. Hill's own crypt is a short walk from Stonehenge on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River. There is no admission fee to visit the memorial; however, donations are always appreciated to offset maintenance costs.
Other interesting tidbits: The historic Loops Road, the first paved road in Pacific Northwest, was built in 1913 by Sam Hill. The road is open from 7 a.m. to dusk for bicyclists and pedestrians. There is no admission fee. Seven types of experimental road construction were used to build Loops Road, including liquid asphalt shipped from California. You will find a collection of related memorabilia of Loops Road within the Museum.
Maryhill Museum is certified by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail as an official Lewis and Clark Site.
For further information contact the Museum at (509) 773-3733 or lee@maryhillmuseum.org
MOUNT ST. HELENS
Cougar, WA
May 18, 1980 will forever be etched in the minds of locals - and some not so local, residents of the surrounding areas of Mt. St. Helens. That is when an earthquake of 5.1 shook the mountain and caused an eruption that created the devastation of nearly 230 square miles of forest to be blown down. The mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as the ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. Personal note: At the time of the eruption I lived in a small town in Oregon 30 miles west of Portland, OR and we had significant ash accumulation. Lasting nine hours, Mount St. Helens and the surrounding areas were dramatically changed.
In 1982, the President and Congress created the 110,000 acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education.
Personal note: My husband and I have been to visit the Johnston Ridge Observatory and the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center. We were treated to a beautiful day with a great view of the mountain.
There are many nature trails for hiking around the area. (permits are needed). Visit their website at www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm for more information.
MT. HOOD - TIMBERLINE LODGE
We took this photo of beautiful Mt. Hood to showcase one of our listings in Camas. Wouldn't you love to see this every day from your home?
Additional information coming soon.
Visit: www.mthoodrr.com/ for some adventures.
This scenic and often photographed 620 foot waterfall (second highest year-round waterfall in the nation) is only a 30 minute drive from the Portland/Vancouver area. Have you ever been told to "take a hike"? Well, this is one of the best places to do it. There is a 1.2 mile trail which climbs to the top of the falls and provides a gorgeous vista of the Columbia River Gorge and the falls. You may continue on for six miles on the Wahkeena Loop Trail or head to the top of Larch Mountain if you feel the urge to see even more of the Pacific Northwest's beauty.
This attraction is easily accessible by car and the falls are a quick 5 minute walk from the parking lot. The Benson Bridge offers an amazing view of the falls and surrounding area. A great place for a photograph or two! During an extremely cold period you would find the falls transformed into a stupendous ice sculpture. What a great photo that would make.
Multnomah Falls is open year round and there is no charge to park or visit the falls. The Forest Service Information Center is open from all days 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and free trail maps are available.
In addition to this gigantic falls, there are several other equally pretty (tho not as dramatic) along the old highway. Take the time to look at brochures/maps in the area.
Personal note: My husband and I have ventured forth to the falls and also to the wonderful Lodge for dinner. It is open year round for meals. They have a delicious brunch in addition to regular meals. Give them a call. The humungous fireplace in the dining room is quite a sight.
OMSI - PORTLAND, OR
Visit: www.omsi.edu
OREGON/WASHINGTON COASTS
We took this photo while listing a condo in Long Beach, WA. A gorgeous site with miles and miles of open beach. Photo below is of Oregon Coast.
OREGON ZOO - PORTLAND, OR