Rick Dancer Media Services LLC » Destinations

The Historic Hotel Condon; Small World Connection (Pictures and a video too)

Rick Dancer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:16:46 +0000

When you get off the beaten path, and take a road less traveled, things just happen. We stopped off in Condon to stay the night at an old historic hotel. The Historic Hotel Condon was built in 1920. At one time it had 42 guest rooms, shared baths, an elegant dining room at a bar. In 1990 the place shut down. In 1999 a group of 30 local business people formed an LLC and dumped more than a million dollars worth of renovation work into the hotel. Now there are only 18 rooms with full baths and they are amazing. This is a beautiful place to stay. It’s elegant, quiet and decorated to make you feel like you live in a forgotten time. On arrival there is a wine/beer/cheese and cracker reception in the lobby. The dining room recently shut down so the Country Flowers Deli across the street whipped up a dinner for us that we could reheat later in the hotel. There’s not a lot to do in Condon and that’s what makes it so charming. Kathy and I walked the streets, checked out the public swimming pool (closes at 7pm) and had a wonderful evening just admiring small town Oregon. Everything here closes by 7pm, even the grocery store so you have to plan a bit. While sipping a beer in the lobby, and chatting with the manager, one of those “I can’t believe it” moments happened. When the LLC disbanded a few years ago, a guy named Rick Stanley and his wife Marlene bought the Historic Hotel Condon. As the hotel manager and I kept talking I realized “Rick and Marlene Stanley” and I went to school together. I used to wait on him at Copeland Lumber when I was in college. Marlene’s Brother was married to my sister’s best friend in high school. In Fact, my sister was the birthing coach for the Stanley’s nephew. But wait there is more. While sipping wine a woman who works at the deli across the street strolled into the lobby looking for a paper. She recognized us and to make a long story short we’d met years ago at the Emergency Animal Clinic in Springfield. Our dog had been stung on the nose by a bee and her’s had eaten an entire bag of dog food. We remembered the story because it was so odd. Now, she is joining us on our Face Book Page. It truly is a small world. Life is full of surprises, twists and turns. Most of us live (I used to) trying to avoid as many of those uncontrolled moments as possible. But when you step off the beaten path you find things, people and stories you just don’t find in the regular, comfortable places. So, step out, get off the track a bit, explore and ask plenty of questions along the way. You never know whom you’ll run into. Oh, by the way, this is a great place to stay. For more information check out their website at www.HotelCondon.com

Back Roads; No Highways

Rick Dancer — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:22:01 +0000

I wish all of you could meet my wife Kathy. When I’m on the Internet writing, she’s next to me seeking out the next great place to visit or stay. Before we had kids Kathy was a travel agent. We’ve always loved to explore but I think my cancer has given us the ability to take that in a new direction. When you live on the less traveled path you tend to look for out of the way places instead of highways. As we make our way home from Eastern Oregon we are staying off the main paths and traveling the backcountry. Just past LaGrande, Oregon, we jumped off the freeway and headed on highway 244 towards Ukiah.Ukiah is a former timber town that used to be home to hundreds of people. Now, only about 200 live in the area. It’s a funky little place with some odd art that leads to the only espresso shop in town. To be honest we didn’t order coffee I have this sixth sense about places with good coffee and I was getting a bad vibe about this one. The antler hotel is well a bit odd. In fact the whole town seemed strange but the people waved and answered our questions. The next stop was Heppner. I have relatives here but have never been to the town. The courthouse is beautiful and so is downtown. This is a farming community and proud of it. We did find an espresso shop in town and that made our day. The road between LaGrande and Condon is beautiful. Oregon has so much farmland out here and so few people. It takes longer to drive the less traveled path but it’s worth it. Kathy and I tend to talk more when wheat fields and endless sky fill the landscape. Today, a bike ride from Condon to Fossil, then we get back in the car and head to…..I’ll let you know when we get there.

Our Far East Discoveries

Rick Dancer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:02:41 +0000

As you know, Kathy and I love to discover new things when we go on trips. We share them with you because so many of you comment that you appreciate our exploration. In Joseph and Enterprise we found a couple of unique things we thought we’d tell you about. One, I didn’t get a picture of but it’s a new brewery in Oregon called Mutiny. Right now they have two micro brews a light and a brown. Both are very good and you must come to Joseph to get them. They won’t be bottling for five or six years. We also rediscovered a brewery we’ve liked for a long time called Terminal Gravity. It’s located in Enterprise Oregon but you can buy this beer all over the state. It just started showing up on tap in Eugene at places like Café 440. The IPA and ESG are very good. Be careful though, I understand there’s some rivalry between TG and Ninkasi. I wouldn’t brag about either beer to the other maker. We rode our bikes along some backcountry roads between Joseph and Enterprise and discovered a great little coffee shop in Enterprise. The Gypsy Java is a funky, weird little place, a little hippy-like and odd but the people are nice and the coffee is great. Their website boasts casting a spell over customers so if you don’t want to be spell-bound, do a little anti-spellbinding before you step inside. We asked the barista where she gets the coffee? Her answer; Café’ Mam, in Eugene. Small world huh. You have to go to Enterprise, Oregon to find coffee in your own town. We also stumbled upon, and I don’t mean that literally, a distillery in Joseph. I’m not a big hard liquor drinker but I’m curious and love to ask questions. The place is called Stein Distillery. Distilleries are the new Micro-Industry in Oregon. We see them sprouting up all over the state but this is the first one in Eastern Oregon. They make a whiskey that is still aging and won’t be ready for a year. The farmer turned distiller grows his own grain to produce Vodka out of Rye. Steins also creates infused Vodka using Oregon Huckleberries, Blackberries and Raspberries. We’re also writing a blog on the place we stayed“The Cowboy Riverfront Retreat”. We’ll post it as soon as it’s ready to go. You really must come visit Oregon’s Far East….Wallowa County. Oh, fun fact, there is not one stop light in the whole county. I’m not kidding. Oh, and best of all the “R&R” Restaurant in Joseph has soft serve Ice Cream that is so good and so inexpensive. Kathy had a baby cone I had a small cone and it cost us 75 cents. I’m not kidding and the small was the same size as a Dairy Queen Medium cone. They also have inexpensive hamburgers, fries, stuff like that. We didn’t eat there but people with families said it was a great deal.

Take a Drink of This.

Rick Dancer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:22:59 +0000

This is a water fountain we saw in downtown Enterprise, Oregon. I won’t take your time writing about it you can read the plaque for yourself. Great town with a great coffee shop we’ll tell you about later.

The White House: A great place to eat.

Rick Dancer — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:40:46 +0000

We found a great new place to eat in LaGrande, Oregon. It’s called “The White House.” We stumbled upon it by accident on Sunday on our way through town headed towards Joseph, Oregon. The place only opened a month ago but what a great atmosphere, good food, and great coffee and nice people. The house was a private residence and then offices and now this wonderful place to eat or just hang out. We had a sandwich (which was great) with a really nice salad and homemade Huckleberry dressing for $6.95. It’s located just on the edge of downtown LaGrande and offers free WIFI as well. Kathy and I sat on the upper porch, on this big comfortable red leather couches. I wish we had a place like this in Eugene/Springfield.

Life at the end of a Pole

Rick Dancer — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:42:55 +0000

I’m not much of a fisherman. I like to fish. But it’s not something that runs through my veins. My youngest son Jess is 100% fisherman. The guy is amazing at it. When he gets a spare second, he picks up his pole and heads to a river. Nice thing is he has a girlfriend who also loves to fish. My barber, Lee Myers, made good on his promise by taking us on a fishing trip down the Mckenzie River yesterday. Lee’s a great barber and a good guy. We spent the whole day up there. I took my video camera with me and brought back the big one…..(story that is).

Astoria, What a great place to visit. “Click here for video”

Rick Dancer — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:02:58 +0000

Kathy and I recently celebrated our 26th Wedding Anniversary in Astoria, Oregon. We had such a great time and the city is so beautiful. A lot has changed in Astoria. Take a quick look at this video.

Sisters Getaway : New Feature on Rickdancer.com

Joshua Kagi — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:33:20 +0000

Click Headline For Video PLACE TO STAY Kathy found this great place to stay, in Sisters, on the internet. This is the third time we’ve stayed at the Pine Meadows Village. These are the homes located right behind Les Schwab Tire Center, as you drive into Sisters. That picture was taken from one of two porches in this upstairs condo. It’s a two bedroom, two full bath place with a full kitchen, living room and access to a beautiful pool, hot tub and tennis court. The unit we stay in is called “Little Sister Condo.” It runs 140.00 dollars a night plus a cleaning fee. But considering what you get and where it’s located, you can’t beat it. The condo has great furniture and is comfortable and clean. If you’d like to take a look they have pictures on the website. Go to Pine Meadow VIllage. The phone number to contact the company “Sisters Vacation Rentals” is 541-977-9898. Kathy and I highly recommend this place. The neighborhood is quiet.There are these great water features, ponds and paths that go all throughout the complex and it’s right in town. BEST FOOD/WINE For dinner we chose to stay in.We rarely do that we like eating out. However, when you have a view like ours why go out to eat. But we didn’t cook our meal. One night we got a Pizza and the second night Calazone from “Martollis.” This is Authentic Hand tossed pizza baked in old fashioned slate ovens. It’s located right on the main street of town in Sisters at 220 West Cascade. The phone number is 541 549 8356. They close at 8 so if you like to eat late, like we do,order early and heat it up later.Large Pizza’s run $16 to 24 dollars. We took our own wine. We love a red cab out of Washington State called “14 Hands.” The only place locally you can buy it is World Market in Eugene and you have to ask for it. They don’t keep it on the shelves. For $8.99 you can’t beat it. They also have a Merlot and a nice white. Before dinner we went out for a beer at “Bronco Billy’s.” It’s a Sisters Saloon that gives the feel of the old west. Folks are very helpful and nice there. Bronco Billy’s is located inside the Old Sisters Hotel on the main drag at 190 E Cascade. The phone number is 541 549 7427. If you follow my blogs at all you know that Kathy and I are snobby about two things, our beer and our coffee. I love good coffee and hate it when it’s not brewed properly. We found some of the best coffee in Oregon at the “Sisters Coffee Company.” The place is big, beautiful and roomy. It has free WIFI and a huge fireplace for those cold winter days. It is the greatest place to just hang out, get online, read a book or meet people. The folks at Sisters Coffee Company know how to make coffee. They’ve been roasting coffee in Sisters for decades and it tastes like it. I like the Black Butte Bomber. It’s regular coffee with four shots of espresso to give you just the kick you need to get going in the morning. The help at Sisters Coffee Company is amazing. They even know how to make our favorite afternoon drink a Cappuccino on ice. They also have an amazing patio area with a fountain, tables, chairs and in the winter a little fire pit outside to warm your bones. To me a coffee house is the main focus of every community and the folks at the Sisters Coffee Company know how to serve a great cup of coffee and provide a peaceful place for the community, and visitors like us. FUN FACTS So here are some fun facts about Sisters, Oregon. The population is officially 1,745 people however 12,000 people call the surrounding area home. The elevation is 3,200 feet. Hottest month is July with the average temperature at 84.3 and the coldest month is December with the average temperature 40.8.The average annual precipitation is 14.18 inches. Average snowfall is 32 inches. Black Butte Ranch is the largest private employer in the area with 325 staff, Aspen Lakes Resort is next with 98 employees and Ray’s Food Place employes about 80 people. Ray’s just opened a brand new store just as you come into town. It’s a great store. Reminds me of a Market of Choice. Great Wine selection and deli.If you want the best ice cream in town it’s the Sno Cap Diner. My son says they have great hamburgers and fries too. The place is always busy with lines going out the door. BIKE TRAILS Kathy and I love to cycle. The ride we took on Saturday started in Sisters. We headed east, took a left on Locust Street. We crossed highway 126, that’s a little tricky so be careful. We passed the airport as we rode out Indian Ford. When the road ends take a right on Green Ridge Road. Ride that road until it turns to gravel.We rode back the same way and the total was about 40 miles. This is a nice ride, some hills, not a lot of chip-seal. For those who don’t ride “chip-seal” is hell to ride on. Most cyclists don’t care for it. If you are planning to go to Sisters and need a bike trail you can ask the folks at a bike shop in town called Eurosports. The staff is so helpful and on Saturday Mornings they have group rides. You need to be ready to leave by nine. Eurosports is on the corner of Hood and Fir in Sisters. Open seven days a week. Here are a couple of websites where you can find cycle trails. Hey, one side note: If anyone is looking for a great deal on a White Specialized Bike Seat that’s easy on the male system, Eurosports will cut you a deal.I already have one or I would have purchased it. If that’s too much information for you, Oh well. Sisters Cycling Trails & Eurosports Bike Trails