Photo courtesy of Skamania Lodge

During our travels we’ve seen a lot of failed government programs.

The world is full of well-intended ideas thought up by well-meaning people that simply didn’t work.

In an age of political cynicism, it’s easy to start thinking that every government-funded idea is a million dollar toilet waiting to happen.

So it’s nice to see examples when things actually work out.

Last week we got a chance to visit Skamania Lodge on the banks of the stunning Columbia River.

Pony Tail Falls: just one of hundreds you’ll find in the Columbia River Gorge

In the 1980s Congress dedicated $5 million for the construction of a conference center on the Washington side of the river (the Columbia forges the border between Washington State and Oregon).  The seed money was intended to help jump-start the economy of a region that was in the throes of a timber industry downturn.

Skamania County ponied up another $5 million, and partnered with private developers, and opened a big lodge/conference in 1993.

Photo courtesy of Skamania Lodge

I’m sure at the time there were detractors howling, “Pork Barrel Spending!  Taxpayer waste!”  But looking back more than 20 years, I think it’s fair to call Skamania a success.

Here’s why:

Poor areas with depleted natural resources need one thing fast: a new cash engine.  Many areas turn to tourism to help build a sustainable industry, often using what resources they still have left.

We’ve seen examples of this in places like tiger habitat in central India or the overfished waters in The Philippines.  The government carves out a park, and soon (if things are done right), the locals are making more money than they ever did before.

The Columbia River basin around Stevenson is blessed with some remarkable terrain.  While it’s taken a hit from forestry cutting, there are some of the best waterfalls in the northwest (50 waterfall hikes within 30 minutes we were told).  Windsurfing blustery gales that rip through the Gorge is highly popular, and it’s all within striking distance of Portland, Eugene, Tacoma and Seattle.

If only there was something to draw them in… say a big awesome lodge!

Photo courtesy of Skamania Lodge

We are big fans of grand old lodges.  Everything is oversized – from the jumbo timbers used in the main halls, to the impossibly large fireplaces.  It’s easy to feel like you’re a kid again when you’re surrounded by objects with a bigger scale than you’re used to.

Skamania designers borrowed ideas from the classic National Park lodges like those found in Yosemite or Mt. Rainier.

They integrating the use of wrought iron accents and reclaimed wood for the flooring.

This chimney was sourced from a local abandoned quarry and weighs a cool half-million pounds.

Here’s another cool stone fireplace in the bar.

The property now boasts a zip line course (another private partnership), a golf course (that winds through the natural ponds and wetlands) and a saline swimming pool (good for the eyes of the kiddos).

Here’s Ian taking the first swim of his short life.

But what’s really interesting, is to see how Skamania changed the community around Stevenson. Not only do the thousands of guests buy groceries, drink beer and take windsurfing lessons in town, but the lodge has become the defacto meeting place for social events: things like concerts and weddings.

The lodge isn’t really uptight about non-guests dropping by for events. During our stay, they organized a football playoff watching party and hosted a local artist for an art class in the common room.

One of our favorite features is the Forest Service office in the main lobby where visitors can get hiking advice and trail information from the knowledgeable staff.

We met couples escaping the big city for a romantic weekend, and plenty of families exposing their kids to nature – some for the very first time.  Despite the torrential downpours, everybody had that vacation glow on their face that said, “all is right with the world.”

Now, admittedly we haven’t dug deep into the financials of Skamania to see just how much it’s really benefitted the community, and if the taxpayer is really getting their money’s worth.

But we are willing to say that we support this kind of government spending if this is the end result.

On the winding path to Oneonta Falls