Mini Vacation time!    Heading to the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon.    We’ve never been there but it’s supposed to be really neat – perched next to a huge waterfall with great food and historic ambiance:

Built in 1921 by timber tycoon Simon Benson, the Columbia Gorge Hotel was known as  the “Waldorf of the West.” A magnificent villa perched on a scenic cliff, the Hotel offering sweeping views of the majestic Columbia River as well as the very finest accommodations and dining in the northwest.

The Hotel was a favored retreat for movie stars like Clara Bow and Shirley Temple, presidents like Roosevelt and Coolidge, and other social and political dignitaries. These were the days of steamers and speakeasies, of Valentino and the Model T; a time when people were dancing the Charleston and listening to jazz at The Cotton Club.

Hmmm – I hope I don’t have to dance the Charleston….