Breakdown

Well folks, we're almost there. 10 days to go.

Just to run things by everyone again, the celebration starts a little early for all you who are coming in from out of town (which is a lot). On Thursday night, April 17, we'll host a barbecue at our home at 863 N. Winchell Street. We'll have some great food, including meat from Gartner's, a Portland institution and delightful experience in itself.

Friday night, April 18, we'll have a "Meet-n-Greet" up in Centralia at 10 p.m. at the
McMenamins Olympic Club Hotel and Theater.

And just in case you were wondering, we're planning on taking a couple days of R&R after the wedding. It's not a full honeymoon, which we plan on doing later this year, but just a few days to enjoy. And no, we aren't going to tell anybody where we'll be.

We're really getting excited about the big day and can't wait to see you all. If you've got any questions about the area or the schedule, don't hesitate to ask.

One Month Out

Well, we have hit the one month mark... so far we have 64 confirmed and about another 20 that are making plans to be there, you know who you are...

We are starting to get excited, and hopefully that means that we will be better about writing entries on the blog!

Thursday Night BBQ

Let the festivities begin! As people are finalizing their plans and the RSVPs are rolling in we figured it was time to dust off the trusty blog and add some festivities to the presentation!

For all of you coming to town early to get a glimpse into the city we call home, we would like to invite you over for some food and fun.

Thursday, before we all make the pilgrimage up to Washington, we are hosting a BBQ at the house. This is a great chance for you to come and see our relatively new house and meet all (or most) of the key players in our big day. Hopefully the fun will start around 7, as we wind down from all the wedding prep work that I will have left to the last minute and enjoy a drink or two with friends and family.

The only thing that we ask is that if you are planning on swinging by you let us know so we don't have a feast or famine situation... email me at jyoung.pdx@gmail.com, or give me a call (503.866.9732) we don't need more than a day's notice.... we aren't planning anything fancy...

Columbia Gorge - Make a Day of it!

Seriously, it would be a shame if you didn't make it out to the Gorge! You don't need a day to see the highlights... but it makes for a great day trip. Click here for a nice overview on the drive and its features. Here are some highlights.

Angel's Rest is one of the first, and as luck would have it, easiest hikes in the gorge. The short hike has a great payoff at the top. It makes for a great introduction to the gorge. If it is a nice day, we would highly recommend the trek. However, if it is rainy and overcast, you might want want to skip it and head straight to the waterfalls.

Waterfalls: the most famous of the falls is Multnomah Falls, its easily accessible and quite impressive. If you are looking for a little hike (and to avoid the other tourists in the area) we would recommend hopping over to one of the other falls along the Gorge. Here are a couple that we like: Latourell Falls, Oneonta and Horsetail Falls.

Hood River is the town at the end of it all, and it is worth the drive. It is a nice little town with boutique shops and good food. One of our favorite places is the full sail brewpub. If you take the tour you get a free pint glass. Or, just stop by and have a beer and a burger while watching the daredevils windsurfing on the Columbia. It is supposed to be some of the best wind surfing in the world.

*Photo By Nate Marvin (courtesy of flickr)

Mt Hood - get up there!

For those of you heading to the area, you might want to consider a trek up the mountain. This is one of our favorite pastime no matter what time of year it is! The drive is beautiful and the mountain is an unforgettable experience. Here are some highlights.


Timberline Lodge we love going up here for an afternoon and enjoying the combination of Oregon history and nature. From the lodge you can head out snowshoeing, x-country skiing, or down hill skiing or snowboarding. Or, just head up to the Ram's Head bar and have a beer.
http://www.timberlinelodge.com/index.php

Skiing, Snowshoeing, Snowboarding There are numerous places to rent all the gear that you could possibly need while you are out here. And the mountain has trails and ski parks galore! We would recommend stopping in "Gov-y" or Government Camp to pick up gears, maps and the required parking permit. Here's google results for rentals.

There should be great snow before and after the wedding!

Wedding Planning

Well, we are moving along in the world of wedding planning. Mom (Phyllis) came out last weekend and we chipped away at the mountain of details that I have left piling up in the corner...

Anyway, we had a great trip up to the barn to talk details. Here are a couple of photos.



This one is the blank canvas of the alter... exciting huh!













Here's a nice shot of the barn in winter... yes, it really is a barn!

Wines of Willamette Valley

So, I have fielded a couple of questions about what to do while out visiting for the wedding, and lets consider this the first in a series of fun stuff in and around Portland.

The Willamette Valley is making itself known in the wine world for its delicious Pinot Noirs. And lucky you, it is just a hop, skip and a jump south of Portland. To learn about all the vineyards we would recommend checking out the Willamette Valley Wineries Association's website that has info on all the wineries in the valley.

Snowshoeing on Xmas Eve!

Just wanted to share a couple of photos from our Christmas celebration! Above is Garth breaking a new trail, really testing out the snowshoes we got a few weeks back! Below is Jen enjoying the view from the White River West Trail.

Merry Christmas

Many of you have received our "Save the Date" coasters and typed in this funky address to see what's going on. Well, we're going to put updates on the wedding, tips and hints on what to expect, fun stuff to do in the Northwest and other useful information here. We don't have any schedule of posts, but we'll do our best to keep adding on a regular basis.

There are a couple of things that everybody should keep in mind:

1. Comments... we welcome them! After every post, for those who are not internet-savvy, you can click the comment link and give us some feedback or put some information you have that we don't. Or you can let everybody else know what your plans are in case you're willing to share ideas, trips, etc.

2. At the end of this blog is a subscribe link, which you can use to have an email sent to you when a new post is added. If you just can't get enough of us too quickly, this feature is for you.

We both hope you all have had a wonderful holiday and are really looking forward to getting everything rolling for April!

Sea-Tac or PDX?

I have been fielding questions about which airport people should be looking at flying in to... well, lets see that is a complicated question. Here is what I have:

First, are you coming in just for the wedding? If so, either airport is fine. Chehalis is halfway between Seattle and Portland. You can rent a car or take Amtrak into town!

If you are coming early or staying late, come into Portland... we'd love to show you around and enjoy all the fabulous food and drink that Portland has to offer!

Here is the site for Sea-Tac: http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/
Here is the site for PDX: http://www.flypdx.com/

We would recommend Jet Blue or Continental coming into Portland. However, if you are looking to see what deals are out there, we would recommend www.kayak.com I think they do the best job of aggregating the deals for you!

Sweet...we got the suite

For all of you wondering where the blushing bride and groom will be staying, I am happy to announce that we will be staying at the Holiday Inn, in the King Suite, you are all invited to swing by and hang out!

Checking in...

Looking for details on the lodging? Well, you have come to the right place. We have a room block at the Holiday Inn Express, glamorous I know... Anyhoo, if would like to check in with us, here is all the info that you should need.

You must reserve by April 1 to get the block rate, after that date the remaining rooms go back to general booking. You will want call up and use the code phrase "Young wedding and it is in a block" to gain access to our special deal.

There are 13 King bedrooms, 5 single queen rooms, and 7 double queen rooms you you best be getting while the gettin' is good!

The price including taxes is $108.76

There is an indoor pool and continental breakfast and if we are lucky there might even be an arcade room... but I make NO promises on the arcade room.

The link to the hotel is on the right of the page. I will try to update the status of the rooms sporadically (read as once if you are lucky!).

Now I lay me down to sleep...

Well, I had high hopes for the McMenamin's that is in the next town over, great ambiance, history and a fun meeting place.

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=58

However, when we went and toured the facility we learned what they meant by shared bathrooms... 6 bathrooms that the occupants of their 27 rooms share. AND only 4 of those 6 bathrooms have a shower! Yeah, nothing says chaos like 20-50 wedding guests trying to get ready for a wedding sharing 4 showers.

I would still recommend the hotel for local guests looking for a place to crash after the party. Rooms are affordable and comfy - as long as you are laid back around the whole bathroom thing.

As for the out of towners, we are blocking rooms at the Holiday Inn Express and Best Western hotels in the area. Yes, it is slim pickin in these parts. But lets be honest, how much time are you going to spend hanging out in the hotel? Yeah, I didn't think so... did you read any of the outings posts (that I am ambitiously planning on writing) about all the great things to go and see and do in the area!

We are blocking rooms at both of these options. Please call the hotels to get one of the rooms on hold. I will add the group rates when I have the blocks in place...

The Big Red Barn

We are getting married in a big red barn in Chehalis, Washington. The barn is owned by a couple who renovated it and use it as a photography studio. The venue is pretty much exactly what we wanted. It is in the countryside, rustic and heated. This was a challenging combination to come up with believe it or not. Anyway, Laurie and Jason keep a blog that talks about some of the events that they have hosted there (including their own wedding). Check it out, we think it is going to be a great place to get hitched... www.redbarnstudios.blogspot.net