Parkdale, Oregon

There are many places in the Hood River valley to enjoy views of Mt. Hood, but one of the best is from the tiny village of Parkdale. It's just a few miles south of Hood River, and we drove through town in search of a place to grab a quick beer and maybe a sandwich, after a day of geocaching.

Parkdale has old houses and buildings, always a draw for us... we love old architecture. As we drove through town we spotted the Solera brewpub, with a parking spot right out front. So we claimed it, went inside, and were charmed by the big open room with long bar, wide plank floors, and soaring ceiling, right up to the original timbers of this turn of the 20th century building.

We snagged the last stools at the bar and sampled the IPA, then stayed a while to talk with locals and the brewmaster. It didn't take us long to investigate the open back door and found one of the most amazing views of Mt. Hood we've seen so far during this trip. The brewpub, as it turns out, is right next door to the historical museum, with old tractors and barns, which made for a great photo op.

I love how the left contour of the mountain mimics the roofline of the metal-roofed barn. Or is it that the barn mimics the mountain?