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A2 Hood River News, Wednesday, March 4, 2015 G REATER G ORGE www.hoodrivernews.com New Lyle Hotel owners aim to ‘Make it what it’s meant to be’ By AMBER MARRA The Enterprise It hasn’t been easy, but the Lyle Hotel is back in busi- ness. Richard and Trece Simp- son bought the historic, 10- room hotel last July and began remodeling it in Au- gust. Originally built in 1905, the Lyle Hotel had sat closed and unoccupied since 2012 until the Simpsons scooped it up. Though there is still work to be done on the exterior of the building, the Simpsons have lightened up the interi- or of the hotel. The lobby’s previously crimson walls have been changed to a creamy antique white and the bar area, which was a simple light oak surrounded by blue walls, has been stained and is now backed by an antique piece of furniture that features intricate carv- ings. “We didn’t know what it used to be. We’d been to Hood River a bunch of times but we had no idea what the Lyle Hotel used to be. Our goal is to make it what it’s meant to be now,” Trece said. Though neither of the Simpsons has ever run a hotel before, both are feeling confident about their busi- ness’s potential given their separate backgrounds and experiences. Richard is a classically trained chef from the Califor nia Culinary Academy and even served as a cook with the USA cycling team for the 1989 Tour de France, while Trece man- aged orthodontic practices for 25 years, as well as a con- struction business. And so that’s how it works: He manages the kitchen and the food side of things, while she handles the hotel and hospitality. “This opportunity has been the perfect culmination of all our experience. It was the most natural thing for us to do,” Trece said. The interior decoration of the hotel isn’t all that’s changed. Richard said in order to get the kitchen up to snuff it had to be totally gut- ted. Since opening, he’s man- aged the restaurant’s menu, which changes periodically and focuses on French, Ital- ian, and American cuisine. Everything is made from scratch and eventually the menu will feature all locally sourced ingredients, similar to the bar menu, which in- cludes all locally sourced beer and wine. “It’s an all-star lineup,” Richard said. It is the hope that the Lyle Hotel can serve the recre- ation community of hikers, mountain bikers, kite board- ers, and windsurfers that come to Lyle, but also those who flock to the surrounding hills throughout the year to visit the multiple wineries that now call Lyle home. “We have tried to make it as much of a symbiotic rela- tionship as possible. We’re sending the wineries people and they’re sending people down here,” Richard said. The Simpsons also want the Lyle Hotel to be a go-to spot for the local community. Since opening on New Year’s Eve, the bar and restaurant have been open for dinner starting at 4 p.m. every day except Tuesday and brunch on weekends from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., giving them plenty of opportunities to hear about residents’ previous experi- ences at the hotel. Upon hearing of the Lyle Hotel’s reopening, one cus- tomer decided to repeat his- tory. “Fourteen years ago his then-new-date surprised him by picking him up after work and not telling him where they were going until they got here, so they had their roman- tic dinner and not long after were engaged and have been married for 14 years since, so when he found out the hotel was reopening he did the same thing for her for New Year’s Eve,” Trece said. That said, there have been some growing pains associat- ed with opening a hotel for the first time and revamping its restaurant. During their Valentine’s Day celebration, the hotel was fully booked and several items on the restau- rant’s menu sold out. For the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which will fea- ture live music and a special menu, the Simpsons say they are ready for more. “We want the food to evolve and have it all be a good, new experience. That’s what we want to do,” Trece said. Friends of the Columbia Gorge offers Spring-Summer Hike Program Events celebrate Friends’ 35th anniversary Spring is in the air a bit ear- lier than usual in the Colum- bia River Gorge — ready to get out and explore? It’s a great time to kick off a new season of discovery: fascinat- ing trails, colorful wildflow- ers, bracing waterfalls, and a new wealth of Gorge discover- ies! From March 15-July 18, Friends of the Columbia Gorge will host over 65 hikes, outings, and land stewardship events as it celebrates the or- ganization’s 35th anniversary. The spring-summer sched- ule offers a terrific variety of options for all ages and en- durance levels: you can tune into wildlife at night in the Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge; walk among the annu- al explosion of flowers at Catherine Creek, Mosier Plateau, and Table Mountain; Photo by Mark McConnell SPRING SCENES like this one await hikers who sign up for the Friends of the Columbia Gorge’s Spring-Summer Hike program that runs from March through July. Sign-ups for the general public begin Friday, March 6; see www.gorgefriends.org for more information. hike with the whole family on kid-friendly waterfall walks; spend a day wiking (hiking followed by wine tasting) or go from an invigorating trail to a refreshing beer at a Gorge brewpub on a Trails to Ales outing. Let Friends take you to Gorge spots beyond the Public meeting on Rooster Rock future March 18 A public meeting for Roost- er Rock State Park is sched- uled for Wednesday, March 18. Park staff with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Depart- ment (OPRD) will present site development plan options for the park that include improv- ing the park entrance and de- veloping an accessible walk- ing path along the Columbia River, while maintaining ex- isting park features. Proposed improvements aim to increase interpretation and ranger-led educational programs that highlight the natural and cultural history of the Gorge, as outlined in the 2015 OPRD Columbia River Gorge Management Units Plan (available at www.gorgeparksplan.com, pages 154-57). The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Corbett Fire House, 36930 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. Another planning meeting will be held in May to review a preferred site plan option. A timeline for construction has not been set. Visit www.gorgeparks- plan.com and join the mailing list to stay updated on the process, or contact Ben Hed- strom at (503) 986-0745 or ben.hedstrom@orgeon.gov with any questions. ones you can see from the road. Online registration for hikes started this week at Friends’ Hike With Friends page (gorge- friends.nonprofitsoapbox.com /hikes) for Friends members, and begins Friday, March 6 for the general public. Many of the outings are open to the public, though some are for members only. Friends’ basic membership is $35 annually. You can join when signing up for a hike, either online or by contacting Kate Lindberg, Outreach Assistant, at 971-634- 1265 or katel@gorge- friends.org. “While you can always ex- plore the Gorge on your own, we can take you to places you’ve never seen, hear sto- ries you’ve never heard and meet people you’ll never for- get,” said Friends Executive Director Kevin Gorman. “Our staff and volunteer hike lead- ers and shepherds are eager to share their knowledge and en- thusiasm. Not just preserving the land, but experiencing it, has always been part of Friends’ mission during our 35 years advocating for the Gorge.” The guided hikes and out- ings aren’t all the Spring/Summer program of- fers. Friends is launching the 35 & Gorgeous hike challenge later this month. The chal- lenge invites participants to hike 15 trails and complete 20 other activities (from visiting waterfalls to identifying wild- flowers) as a way of commem- orating the 35 years that Friends of the Columbia Gorge has spent working to protect this unique American natural treasure. Friends is also re-launching its Play & Stay program as an all-inclusive Columbia Gorge weekend vacation package. A single price includes activi- ties, a Friends staff member as a guide, lodging, trans- portation, and meals. Choose from two weekend options, held April 10-12 and May 15-17. ■ Visit the Friends of the Co- lumbia Gorge website at www.gorgefriends.org. Photo by Amber Marra RICHARD AND TRECE Simpson have brought life back to the Lyle Hotel, which closed in 2012 and recently reopened under their ownership. A classically trained chef, Richard creates menus for the newly renovated restaurant area and keeps the bar stocked Whether it’s an with local beer and wine, while intimate dinner setting Trece welcomes guests and for two, or simply manages the rest of the hotel. unwinding with Joe Guenther Financial Advisor 1631 Woods Ct Suite 102 Hood River, OR 97031 541-386-0826 co-workers after a long day, the Tiger Lounge is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself. Grace Su’s Restaurant & Tiger Lounge www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Open Tues.-Sun. 11am-9pm Intersection of Hwys 30 & 35 (541) 386-5331 • Hood River www.chinagorge.com Your Mortgage Lender Call Bernie today 541-490-0167 Bernie Dittenhofer Licensed Mortgage Banker NMLS #2550 NMLS #114231 ML 832-21 A division of Mann Mortgage, LLC 509 Cascade Ave., Suite F, Hood River Apply at berniedittenhofer.westcorpmortgage.com the 51 st annual Pine Grove Fire Dept. auction th • 9 a.m. saturday, March 7 NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS OR CONSIGNMENTS OF: Appliances, furniture, toys, antiques, collectibles, power tools, hand tools, cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, bikes, snowmobiles, tractors, trailers, household items, garden tools, lawnmowers, rototillers, equipment of all types. We ask that all items be in working order. Business Owners: Please consider donating excess or obsolete stock. Please bring items to the Firehouse. For more information or drop-off times, call 541-806-1173. Located 4 miles south of Hood River on Hwy. 35 at Van Horn Drive WEEKLY SUDOKU This week’s Sudoku presented by: Y OUR B USINESS N AME Answers on Page A6 Bonus Winner #2 Oliver Zuck cashed in as a bonus winner in this year’s Hood River News Kids Subscription Campaign! It’s Happening Now! Spread the News Kids Campaign Ends March 14 Fill in all 81 squares on the puzzle with numbers 1 to 9. You can use each number 1-9 only once in each nine square section, in each horizontal line of nine squares, and in each vertical column of nine squares. The puzzle is completed when you correctly fill every square. Advertise Your Business or Service Here call 541-386-1234
