Timberline Lodge

Timberline Lodge is one of the great American mountain lodges, and spending a night here turns a Mount Hood day trip into the highlight of a Portland visit. It was built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration as a Depression-era jobs project and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937, and it sits at about 6,000 feet on the south slope of Oregon's highest peak, roughly an hour and a half from downtown Portland. The building is a showcase of craftsmanship: massive timbers and stone, hand-forged iron door hardware and fireplace screens, hand-carved newel posts, woven textiles and furniture made by the artisans who built it, all carefully conserved, and it is a National Historic Landmark. Movie fans will recognize the exterior, which stood in for the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Guest rooms are hand-built and historic in character, ranging from compact queens and kings, some with space for a rollaway, to chalet rooms with bunks that suit families and groups on a budget; expect authenticity and views rather than modern luxury. Dining runs from fine Pacific Northwest cooking in the main dining room to drinks and casual food in the Ram's Head Bar, with its balcony overlooking the hexagonal lobby and massive chimney. A year-round heated outdoor pool and hot tub sit steps from the lodge with alpine views. Outside, the Timberline ski area offers a 4,540-foot vertical drop, the Magic Mile Sky Ride and, unusually, summer skiing on the upper mountain, while summer brings wildflower hikes on trails leading out from the lodge. For groups, the rustic Silcox Hut higher up at 7,000 feet offers overnight stays and hearty meals.

The experience: staying here means having the lodge to yourself after the day visitors leave. Evenings are for the fireplaces in the lobby, a drink in the Ram's Head Bar and dinner in the dining room, and mornings for sunrise on the mountain and the snowfields glowing above the lodge. Take the free historic tours offered by Forest Service volunteers if available, and look closely at the details: every iron hinge, carved animal and textile was made by hand, and the building is as much a museum as a hotel.

Choosing a room: standard queens and kings are cozy and full of period character, and some are small, as is common in historic lodges; chalet rooms with bunks share bathrooms down the hall and are ideal for skiers and families on a budget. Request a room with a mountain view if possible. Book well ahead for winter weekends and holidays, when skiers fill the lodge, and for summer weekends, when hikers and sightseers arrive.

Practicalities: the drive from Portland takes about an hour and a half in good conditions on US Highway 26 and the Timberline Road; in winter, carry chains or traction tires and check road conditions before leaving. Parking is available at the lodge. Weather changes fast at this elevation, so pack warm layers in any season. Timberline suits couples on a romantic mountain escape, skiers and snowboarders, families who want snow, history lovers and anyone who wants to see Mount Hood at its most magnificent.