The Valley Vagabond: One Night on the Edge of the Columbia Gorge

My husband is a work-from-home computer guy who was starting to look as pale as a 14-year-old D&D aficionado. So, to get him some much-needed color and Vitamin D, I booked a night at Sagecliffe Resort & Spa in Eastern Washington.

Sagecliffe, formerly known as Cave B Inn & Spa and located within the Cave B Estate Winery grounds, is a small resort hotel with stunning views of the Columbia River Gorge near the small town of Quincy, Washington.

I heard about the resort from a friend last summer, but since the resort shares a fence line with the gorge amphitheater (founded by the former owners of the resort), everything was completely booked at the time.

I booked off-season and mid-week this time and, luckily, on some of the sunniest days this year. After perusing the website and looking at the many accommodations (yurts, condos, rooms and suite houses), I picked a front-row Cliffehouse suite overlooking the river and made reservations at the on-site restaurant.

We set off on a Thursday morning for the two-hour drive to Quincy. I had requested early check-in so we could enjoy the resort and hike to the river before changing to enjoy dinner. We stopped once in Thorpe to load up on fruit and an obscene amount of Jam and once in Ellensburg for lunch at Perkins, of course. We made good time and reached Sagecliffe shortly before our 2 pm check-in time.

The short drive from the main road to the resort takes you through the winery grounds, and it became abundantly clear that this was no ordinary destination. The website states, “Experience outdoor adventure and a landscape like no other…” Boy, they weren’t kidding.

As you pull up to the parking lot in front of the main resort building, you are greeted with a sweeping view of the Vineyard, the Cliffehouses and the jaw-dropping vision of the river gorge. We entered the rock-sided building with its curved metal roof and large windows and hit a snag.

Our reservation in their system was for the 26^th, but it was the 27th, and we weren’t late, oops.

It took a little time for the front desk person to figure out what was going on and ensure the suite was clean, but we managed to survive on the sunny restaurant deck. Within a short time and just a few minutes after our original check-in time with a 100-dollar gift certificate to the restaurant for our trouble, we drove down to Cliffhouse number ten.

Armed with complimentary flashlights (to navigate the walkways at night) and a resort map, we pulled into the parking lot closest to the suites.

Our suite was surprisingly private in the middle of a row of five. We walked into a sunny living room with a gas fireplace, couch, chair, desk and TV swiveled above the fireplace between the main room and bedroom.

The bathroom featured an Italian slab granite vanity with a deep soaking tub, a large stand-up shower and a separate toilet room. There were two bedrooms; the master had a king-sized bed, and the second contained two queens. All three rooms opened onto a trellised patio with seating for six and a spectacular view.

We hung out for a while but then had about 2 hours until dinner, so Mark decided to hike down to the area closest to the river. I hung out in the shade of the patio listening to birds sing while reading a book. He returned a half hour before dinner extolling the virtues of the view and the jet flying below the canyon rim but was not crazy about the walk back UP the trail from the river. Still, he got some much-needed color, so we changed and walked to the restaurant for dinner.

Tendrils Restaurant is “an upscale dining establishment that focuses on the farm-to-table philosophy” near the main resort lobby. The eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is available to the public.

The menu is not extensive but full of interesting choices. We chose a starter of Sauteed Jumbo Shrimp; I chose the Bowtie pasta with Italian Sausage, Wild Mushrooms, Spinach and Tomato, while Mark chose the American Kobe Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus. I happily ate his asparagus, as he isn’t a fan.

The main course was delicious and filling, but not inclined to miss out on dessert, we took some strawberry cheesecake to go and headed back to the room. We spent the rest of the evening alternately watching a genuinely awful George Clooney and Julia Roberts movie (Ticket to Paradise, do NOT recommend) and stepping out onto the patio to watch the sun dip below the canyon’s edge. The bed was wonderful. It had lovely crisp linens, cozy comforters and cushy feather pillows.

Mark awoke early and visited the coffee stand in the lobby for our morning cup, and when 8 am rolled around, we trekked back up to the restaurant for pancakes, yogurt and granola, bacon, potatoes and sausage. My only complaint would be the lack of a proper coffee maker in the room. There is a teapot and instant coffee, but being a brewed coffee person, it didn’t quite cut it.

We had about 2 hours until check out, so we decided to walk around the grounds to see the rest of the resort. We strolled through the Vineyard in the morning sun to Willow Pond (some critters were running along the bank, and I’ve heard they were muskrats, Mountain beavers, otters and mink. If you know what they are, please comment below) and to the drive of the Winemaker’s Lofts, a separate Airbnb on the property.

Returning just in time to pack up, we made our 11 am checkout time and drove home. We had a lovely relaxing time. I highly recommend Sagecliffe for a quick getaway.

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