staying at timberline lodge ?

I will be traveling from Crater Lake Lodge to Timberline Lodge in July 2009 and then on to Mt. Rainier. After reading a lot of reviews, I am now second guessing my plans for Mt. Hood. This is what I wanted to do. Spend all day driving from Crater Lake to Timberline via the scenic hwy 138, check into Timberline. The next day spend hiking around Mt. Hood and relaxing in the evening. The next day drive to Columbia River Gorge, hike, see sights, and find an alpaca farm to visit. Then return to Timberline. Next day check out and drive to Paradise Inn. A lot of the reviews are disheartning of the area. My family loves historic lodges, spectacular scenery and relaxing. Can anybody help reassure my travel plans?

staying at timberline lodge ?

I guess I am a little confused...how many nights are you planning on staying at Timberline Lodge? Sounds like you are planning 3 nights??

Personally, I think one is good, two might be okay with what you have planned, three a little overkill. If you like the lodge thing, while not historic, you might consider spending a night or two at Skamania Lodge in the gorge as well. They offer many more recreational opprotunites there; i.e. swimming pool, bicycles, outdoor hot tub, etc.

You shouldn%26#39;t have a problem finding an alapaca farm to visit. If memory serves, there are several along the fruit loop, which you would drive through on your way to the gorge.

http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/index.html

staying at timberline lodge ?

I agree. Once you take off for the Gorge you won%26#39;t need to (or want to) make the trek back up to Timberline. Skamania would be an ideal next night. And the drive to Paradise will be that much easier.

Not sure why the reports about Timberline would be disheartening. If the rooms aren%26#39;t up to today%26#39;s 5 star standing...well, that%26#39;s what you%26#39;re looking for, right? Historic and atmospheric...a lodge that has aged pretty well considering. And you%26#39;ll get plenty of spectacular scenery, chances to relax around the huge fireplace and have fine meals in the restaurants. Sounds pretty good to me. And Skamania will bring you up to the modern area and give you great views of the Columbia River and the beautiful Oregon side of the river.

I also agree with Oregonpoppa. I have stayed at Timberline Lodge and would again in a heartbeat (if I had enough time and money). Yes, rooms are kinda small but very comfortable-restaurant is terrific and lodge itself is very comfortable and interesting. Plus, you can go hiking right from the lodge-you don%26#39;t have to drive anywhere. It%26#39;s really wonderful. Yes, I also agree the Skamania Lodge is a good option for on the way to Mt. Rainier. Enjoy!!

Well, Momma%26#39;, I can%26#39;t really reassure you, but I can say that if you like old Lodges then you will LOVE Timberline. It%26#39;s history alone is worth the visit. I believe that many people feel gypped when they pay such a high price for accommodations and that is why the reviews aren%26#39;t very good in some cases. At this venue, you are paying a premium for the history as much as the room, and many people don%26#39;t understand that.- Its an old building that was built in a time when ';high class'; accommodations meant a private bath of any size and a clean bed each night; today the expectations are much different and people expect lots of space and amenities that aren%26#39;t feasible in a historic building of this kind.

Several of my family members ( and their families) stayed there last summer and their reviews were mixed and dependent upon which wing they were in and the type of room. The private baths ARE very small which was a problem for some in particular.

The views are spectacular, however and of course you can visit the snowfields on the glacier all year which is pretty cool ( no pun intended). I%26#39;m not sure that I would choose 3 nights there, but certainly its worth one or 2.

Thanks for all the replies. I feel much better now about my stay at the Timberline Lodge. The reason for the 3 nights is that the first night we will be arriving after a long drive so we wont get to really do anything.The second day, hiking around the lodge, maybe the chairlift, swimming and a nap for my husband. The third day,if I understand what everyone is saying will be a long day of driving to the gorge and back again. My plans would be to leave by 9ooam and return by 7;00pm. I am not sure which way to go from the lodge, Troutdale to Hood River or the other way. One reason to not change hotels for the 3rd night is my family hates packing the car. There are 6 of us, 3 teenagers, my husband ,my mom and me. Sometimes it is easiear not to pack and unload the car so much. Oh and we are on a 23 day road trip so we have plenty of time for enjoying the scenery ,ranger talks and playing the board game Sorry. This is what my trip looks like, 2 nights Crater Lake, 3 nights Timberline, 3 nights Paradise Inn ,2 nights Alta Crystal resort near sunrise, 3 nights Cannon Beach , 1 night Bandon and back to california.

Hi Mama%26#39;.

It takes only about an hour to drive to the Gorge from Timberline/Government Camp, so the ';to'; and ';fro'; won%26#39;t be so bad. Your day will really be determined by how you spend your time in the Gorge.

The Oregon Travel Commission has a publication called ';The Oregon Travel Planner'; which might help you a lot; it has suggested activities and itineraries for different areas of the state using a 7 day vacation format with each day being outlined for possible choices. Their hard-copy booklet is very helpful, and I think that the website is pretty good, too. Try going to:www.TravelOregon.com and see if its helpful for you.

By the way....

There is an alpaca farm in what is called ';The Fruit Loop'; drive...it%26#39;s in Hood River and I believe the name of it is Cascade Alpacas, or something close to that. My brother%26#39;s family stopped by there on their trip last summer.

Where exactly are you planning on swimming at Timberline Lodge? There is no swimming pool there. You would have to drive to one of the nearby lakes in order to swim.

One thing to keep in mind about Timberline Lodge is that it is a pretty steep, windy road up to the lodge. It is not particularly one of my favorite roads to travel, especially if I am already tired from driving/hiking. But, I am just throwing that out there.

I would go the Hood River route to and from the Gorge. You could do the loop around the mountain, drive down in to Sandy, then cut over to the Historic Highway in Gresham, then come back through Hood River, but I think that will add a lot of time to your day, with very little to see going that route. So, I would just stick with going the back way to Hood River.

Mahjerle-

No disrespect intended here, but there is a swimming pool at Timberline Lodge...I%26#39;ve used it.

There is? Wow...I have been up there more times than I can count and have never seen it. I had absolutely no idea it was there. Where is it???? I just asked my husband and he had never heard of it either. WOW!! I stand corrected. Sorry :( Really though, I have been up there a thousand times, walked all over the lodge and the day lodge, and have never even seen a sign for it. Maybe it is because I have never slept there. WOW!! I am sorry. Wasn%26#39;t trying to be a source of misinformation. I honestly didn%26#39;t think there was one there. I am really embarassed.