Smokey Bear had a nice visit to Skamania Lodge a few weeks ago. He got to meet some wonderful guests and take some great pictures. Come meet Smokey Bear at his visit on August 15th. You can't miss this.

Skamania lodge Raptor Adventures are taking off... literally. Come see the program that is making the news for Skamania Lodge. Meet these amazing birds, learn all about them and see them up close. They are only here through the summer so hurry up for a visit.

This is the 14th year that Skamania Lodge associates have raised money for The American Cancer Society. This year the theme was Celebrate More Birthdays and our team won the Best Tent Site award! We raised more than $4,000 and are very proud of our efforts.

A few weeks ago I stayed as a guest at Skamania Lodge where I was working as the Wedding Photographer for Chris and Robyn Bonsell. My family and I were already quite impressed with the magnificent mountain views, the large rustic resort and the attentive guest service from the moment we walked through the front door that was held open by your friendly staff members. 

Summer hit the Gorge fast and hard this year with temperatures rising 30+ degress in one week! Our bodies may still be adjusting to the hot temperatures, but this doesn't mean our golf game needs to suffer. Here are a few words of wisdom from our golf director to help keep you playing like a pro!

Good Morning Jena,
     My sincere and deepest appreciation goes out to you for all of your efforts regarding my daughter's wedding. Both my husband, Hans, and I were truly happy with the entire event beginning with the golf tournament to the care given with what we left in the ballroom on Sunday morning. Your staff was professional, the ballroom exceeded my expectations, the food received many compliments, and most of all we enjoyed the event knowing you had it well in hand. We will follow up with Skamania Lodge and be sure they know the fantastic job you did. I left the two large flower arrangements for the Lodge to enjoy and asked the staff to put Fecht on the pots. I will pick the pots up next week and let you know when I am coming. I know you shared with me that you are still learning, but I also know that you are on your way to a successful career in your field. Thank you for making our special day so very memorable.

With warm regards,
Donna Winterlich

The winners have been announced and we are smiling ear to ear. I am proud to say that Skamania Lodge has been voted Best Sunset Wedding and Best Northwest Wedding Venue in Oregon! Here comes my Academy acceptance speech: "Thank you to everyone who made this possible. We have such amazing clients and wonderful people that we surround ourselves with to make every special day flawless."

The Waterleaf Spa at Skamania Lodge provides a calming effect for guests, and every guest leaves the Spa with a feeling of complete rejuvenation. Additionally, in the spirit of going Green, The Waterleaf Spa is also working to rejuvenate the world.

We had dinner in the River Rock Lounge on the 4th of July. The Asian Sampler plate was very nice, with potstickers, sesame crusted shrimp, and crab eggrolls with lovely chunks of crab meat in them. The Flatbread was delicious - gorgonzola cheese over proscuitto with thin slices of pear and some nut crumbles. That was very good. But the best was last ~ Caramel Banana Bread Pudding! WOW!! If you like bananas - you need to try this dessert. I am not even a huge fan of bread pudding, but this reminded me of when Gramma made banana pudding with vanilla wafers...but BETTER!

Staying in a river view room at the Lodge is one of the best places to enjoy the 4th of July! We enjoyed the music of the Patrick Lamb Band right out in front of us. And when darkness arrived, we had a great view of the fireworks from the comfort of our overstuffed leather chairs in the room. This could become a tradition!

The front lawn of Skamania Lodge is a great place to hang out! There are games available such as croquet, frisbee, soccer balls and more... there are the comfortable Adirondack chairs to relax in and that beautiful view to enjoy.

This is just amazing! The program is targeted toward children, but it's great for adults as well!!

Times are Fridays 6pm, Saturdays 10am & 3:30pm and Sundays 10am & 1pm.

As of May 25^th, Skamania achieved certification through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program.  This big accomplishment highlights the efforts in environmental stewardship.  The program requires environmental preservation and/or improvement in several categories, including:  Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Education & Outreach, Chemical Use Reduction & Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management.  The Skamania Lodge golf course is the 12^th in Washington to become certified, out of about 327 golf courses in the state. 

This past spring has been unseasonally wet for most of the Pacific Northwest. Our PGA professional and Director of Golf, Guy Puddefoot, has a couple tips to help any golfer play on the softer ground.

For a good Portland themed recipe, try Chef Tippel's Summer Squash Soup. It's one of the best soup's I've ever tasted!