Western Railroad Discussion > Portland, Columbia River railfanning

 We are planning to take AMTK to Portland at end of June. We hope to spend a day near The Dalles. Anyone know of a place to stay at that has good railroad action nearby? We will be traveling to Newport Oregon on the next day. TIA / KFC/ AIA

The Hood River Hotel is a block or so from the former Amtrak station. If that sounds interesting...

Nickatnight 

The Hood River Hotel is where my maternal grandparents first met a few years before WWI while my grandmother was employed there.  It opened for business 1⅓ centuries ago.

Enjoyed my stay there overnight followed by a HUGE breakfast followed by a ride on the Mt.  Hood RR. Nice historic hotel ambience.

The Celilo Inn on the east end of the Dalles is real nice with a great view of the BNSF and the river and a decent view of the UP below the motel. If you want to stay in town the Dalles Inn used to be OK I haven't stayed there in a few years but if you get a river side room on the top floor you have a good view of both the BNSF across the river and the UP axross the street.

Scott O'Dell

Closer to Portland, the Best Western Columbia River Inn at Cascade Locks (a scenic location) has backside rooms that are right above the UP and offer a great view across the Columbia to the SP&S as it cuves under the Cascade Locks Bridge and onto a tangent through the river.  

I'm partial to the Celilo Inn at The Dalles. I found the "deluxe" rooms on the lower level, close to the office, offer a great view. Great view of the BNSF across the river, and a good spot to watch the Portland-bound Empire Builder in the morning. Be ready to see the Builder 8-10 minutes after it departs Wishram. Real friendly folks, too.

I took the attached photo of the Builder from the Celilo Inn.

The Best Western at Cascade Locks is OK. Quite frankly, I found it to be an overpriced tourist trap. If you're going to spend your day in your room watching the tracks, it might be worth the price. If you are going to spend the day exploring, and just want a place to sleep, it's not worth it.

But, if you do go for the Best Western at Cascade Locks, I recommend a riverside room with a balcony. Naturally, they charge more for them.

A few years back, I made a time lapse video of the UP tracks from my room there. Here's a link to the video:

https://youtu.be/s0ckh1zEl_0

If the link doesn't work, you can find the video, titled "Trackside In Cascade Locks" on YouTube under user walstib373.

If you want to stay on the Washington side of the river, or prefer a budget-priced inn, try the Rodeway Inn at Stevenson, just across the river from Cascade Locks. It's an older motel, with no view of the tracks. But Stevenson is a charming little town. I've spent many hours trackside in Stevenson, where the railroad runs along city's waterfront park.

Bingen, where the Builder stops across the river from Hood River, doesn't have any lodging, but they have great food.

For lunch or dinner, I recommend Beneventi's, on the main drag. Great food -- pizza, sandwiches, and more -- plus it's owned by a really nice family. I'm fond of the roast beef grinder.

There's a view of the BNSF tracks from the outdoor counter at Beneventi's.

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I like the Best Western Hood River Inn.  Rooms facing the river are the good [and expensive] ones.  And everything is under one roof, if that's important.  No need to get into a car to go out to have dinner.

jmhemmer Wrote:
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> Closer to Portland, the Best Western Columbia
> River Inn at Cascade Locks (a scenic location) has
> backside rooms that are right above the UP and
> offer a great view across the Columbia to the SP&S
> as it cuves under the Cascade Locks Bridge and
> onto a tangent through the river.  
YES