Oregon Road Trip

A McMenamins Experience

A number of years ago, Tom Mehren, publisher of Seattle DINING! and Sound RIDER!, created a road trip for motorcycle enthusiasts that had them riding the backroads of Oregon and staying at a different McMenamins each night. It was a resounding success and we loved it so much that we just did it again on our own in September. We renamed it the McMenamins Hydrotherapy Tour since we stayed at three locations with soaking tubs (which is a must, really).

We'll share a bit about the accommodations and the food. We'll also share where we ate away from the properties. In general, we love the hotels, but not the food so much. McMenamins puts great effort into the atmosphere with landscaping and incredible interiors that are just fun. They are producing their own spirits, wine, and beer. They have separate spots at some locations they use as cigar bars, there are patios with woodburning firepits that make you feel like you're camping, there are theatres with first-run movies, small bars scattered through properties, and we can't say enough about those soaking pools. Amazing. So why is the food a bit second rate? Well, the good news is that this time around, we were pleased with what the restaurants are doing now.

We started in Centralia, Washington, at the Olympic Club, an historic building opened in 1908 known as a "gentleman's resort" with ladies of the evening on the second floor. There are stories of train robbers, bootleggers, gamblers, raids, and a "secret" basement. We were told that when McMenamins purchased the building, they went into the basement and found Tiffany chandeliers which are more valuable than the entire building. Another tale to add to the list or true? We were looking for a lighter meal that night (does that really exist-we never seem to have a lighter meal…) and grabbed a bar booth in the Olympic Club Pub with an amazing glass chandelier and ceiling above it and ordered three appetizers, all of which were fresh, seasoned well, and were thoroughly enjoyed. Like most McMenamins, the rooms share communal hallway bathrooms that hold basins, toilets, and showers. Towels, robes, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer are left in the rooms for guests. Most rooms have the tale of a former guest/employee painted on the walls and usually a picture.

We had breakfast in Centralia at Berry Fields Café. It's a bakery with items made in-house daily: cinnamon rolls, cobbler, pies, and more. The breakfast menu is quite extensive with weekday specials, plenty of egg dishes, chicken fried steak, and lots of sides. Homey atmosphere and very friendly service. Breakfast and lunch daily.

Our second night was in Forest Grove at the Grand Lodge. The soaking pool here is smaller than others but is surrounded by greenery and artwork as usual. We were highly entertained by a tree squirrel working on several tree nests. Since he couldn't live in them all, he must have an extended family or is a slum lord. The Grand Lodge is a former Masonic and Eastern Star Temple with the usual fun rooms (even visible pipes have faces painted on the elbows), restaurants, bars, and Ruby's Spa. A vegetable garden and estate chickens help supply the Ironwork Grill's kitchen. Like most McMenamins, music is involved. Generally free and live, you can find music around the campuses. Our rooms were in the basement which normally would be fun (directly across from two bars and a hallway full of tables and chairs to socialize, but it was rainy and dark, the rooms felt dank, the women's shower never stopped dripping and we were there on a Monday when the two bars were closed and no one was in the hallway. In the summer, those basement rooms are probably in demand! We ate both dinner and breakfast there and were happy with both. Dinner in the bar, breakfast in the dining room.

Pool photo courtesy of McMenamins

Tuesday, we headed to Tillamook, checking out the cheese factory and the Air Museum, with lunch at the Blue Heron . Called a "French cheese company," there is so much more there. We did see a French Brie and a French honey, but most things seemed to be local. There's a gift shop, wine tasting, and the café where they make hot and cold sandwiches, soups, salads, kid's meals, breakfast sandwiches, appetizers, charcuterie plates. You can buy wine to have with your meal. There's even a petting zoo for the kids.

Connie Adams/November 2023

If you're interested in recreating the trip, you can buy"Oregon Backroads Tour" on soundrider.com.