Get away for a romantic bed and book fest at Skamania Lodge in the Columbia River Gorge

Photo Courtesy of Skamania Lodge

If, as booklovers, you and your sweetheart are frequently the first to read the new bestsellers and go to all the book signing, now there is an opportunity for a sweet get-away Valentine's present - a new literary series launching with Kathleen Flinn,  the bestselling author of “The Sharper the Knife, the Less You Cry,” on February 19 & 20 at Skamania Lodge.

Skamania Lodge, an all-season mountain resort in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, is hosting a Bed & Book-fest, a new literary series that gives book worms an opportunity to getaway for exclusive interactive experiences with writers from the Pacific Northwest. The series will feature five author hosted weekends in 2010, and launches with Kathleen Flinn.

 “Skamania Lodge is the perfect place to curl up with a good book, and the Northwest is full of great authors,” said Scott Spann, general manager for Skamania Lodge.  “We hope to make this event a tradition for writers and readers for years to come.”

Skamania Lodge’s Bed and Book-fest package featuring Kathleen Flinn includes one night accommodations in a superior forest view room, a copy of Flinn’s book, entry to an exclusive author’s reception and participation in Flinn’s cooking demonstration and hosted lunch.  Rates for the Bed and Book-fest package start at $209, and do not include Lodge fee, taxes or gratuities.   
 
Each Bed & Book-fest weekend will include an exclusive author’s reception with readings and book signing opportunities, as well as customized, author-hosted workshops and a copy of the author’s featured work.  Guests who attend the first Bed & Book-fest with Kathleen Flinn will enjoy an exclusive cooking demonstration during which Flinn will share a favorite recipe from her book, followed by an author-hosted lunch of the same featured dish, prepared by Skamania Lodge’s award-winning culinary team. 
 
Skamania Lodge’s Bed & Book-fest series will be held on select weekends:
• Friday, February 19 – Saturday, February 20, 2010 - Kathleen Flinn 
Author of the memoir “The Sharper the Knife, the Less You Cry”, a bestseller that is currently being made into a feature film.  Her book describes leaving corporate America for Paris to fulfill her dream of becoming a chef by studying at Le Cordon Bleu.  Flinn currently splits her time between Seattle and Florida and is working on two new books.
 
• Saturday, March 13 – Sunday, March 14, 2010 - Jennifer Worick
Author of “Backcountry Betty: Crafting with Style and Natural Objects”.  She has written or co-authored more than 20 books, including the New York Times bestseller, “The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating & Sex”.  Worick currently resides in Seattle and is the Seattle reporter for Allure.
 
• Saturday, March 27 & Sunday, March 28 - TBA
 
• July or August 2010 - TBA
 
• Friday, August 27 – Saturday, August 28  - Langdon Cook
Author of the Northwest adventure and food book “The Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager”.  His book’s blog was named Seattle Weekly’s Best Local Food Blog of 2009.  Cook lives in Seattle and enjoys exploring the Northwest’s natural wild edibles.
 
 If you have never been to Skamania Lodge, it is surrounded by the waterfalls, peaks, forests and canyons of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.  This is an all-season mountain resort and conference center, situated on 175 acres, 50 minutes east of Portland, Ore., in Stevenson, Wash.  With 254 guest rooms and a 22,000-square foot, International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) approved conference center, Skamania Lodge offers a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and groups.  Skamania boasts the Waterleaf Spa, indoor swimming pool and whirlpools, a fitness center, onsite hiking, an 18-hole par-70 Golf Course that earned a four-star rating from Golf Digest magazine in their “Best Places to Play” for 2008, the Cascade Room, River Rock Lounge and the U.S. Forest Service Information Center located in the lobby. 

Skamania Lodge is centered in a Pacific Northwest playground with hiking, biking and Sternwheeler cruises along the Columbia River in the summer; skiing and snowshoeing in the winter; and golfing, fishing and whitewater rafting all year long for outdoor enthusiasts.  Skamania Lodge is a spectacular location to soak in the natural beauty and to enjoy a vast array of outdoor activities. 

For more info or to make reservations go to Skamania Lodge or call (800) 221-7117.

Contact Carlanne via email:  romancetravelexaminer@gmail.com

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