Shopping in Hood River

Shopping in downtown Hood River

Begin your day at 102 Oak St. from the grand lobby of the oldest hotel in town, the Hood River Hotel. The building was completed in 1913 as an annex to the original Hood River Hotel, which dated from 1881 and stood just across First Street.
The downtown core of Hood River runs along Oak and Cascade Streets from 1st to 6th Streets.

Walk west to the corner of Second and Oak. From here you can see signs for sporting goods stores in nearly all directions. The stores support the region’s thriving outdoor adventure industry with everything you need for kayaking, hiking, swimming, windsurfing, skiing, snowboarding,kiteboarding,fly-fishing, camping, biking, mountain climbing and more.

Cross to the northwest corner of Oak and Second to visit G. Williker’s Toy Shoppe at 202 Oak St., Hood River where specialty toys look at home in the vintage storefront.

Wander into 2nd Wind Consignment a few doors down at 210 Oak St. for used sports equipment. Low prices and a great selection (fueled by the town’s avid outdoorsmen) make trying a new sport more tempting.

Walk onward to 305 Oak to reach Twiggs where chic candles, elegant hand-made jewelry and hip knickknacks adorn the display cases.
Cross Oak St. again - being careful to mind the Route 30 traffic - and head for Gorge Dog where you will find everything for the outdoorsman’s favorite sidekick.

From April to October stop in for a cone at Mike’s Ice Cream located in a little cottage on the north side of Oak between Fifth and Sixth. A landmark and local hangout, Mike’s is well known for its ice cream give-a-way on the last day of the season, usually sometime around Halloween.

Continue downhill on Fifth to the next block, then turn left (west) to find Full Sail Brewing at 506 Columbia St. Tour the state-of-the-art, employee owned brewery then enjoy the river view as you sample craft beers from the tasting room deck.

For fun on a smaller scale, make your way east on Columbia, then turn right up Fourth Street to find Hood River Hobbies. Store shelves hold hard-to-find model trains, planes and automobiles as well as comics, kites and remote-contolled vehicles.

Lovers of full-size trains will want to backtrack to Fourth and Cascade Streets and walk east three blocks to arrive at the historic craftsman-style Hood River Train Station, from which the Mount Hood Railroad excursion train departs. The train offers its passengers excellent views of orchards, forests and streams as it winds its way from Hood River up more than 1,700 feet to the tiny fruit-picking town of Parkdale at the base of Mount Hood. To complete your shopping tour, walk up First Street to return to the Hood River Hotel. Take in a movie at the Skylight Theatre & Pub across the street at 107 Oak Street inside Andrew’s Pizza in Hood River. Fairly recent releases, beer and food during the show (no alcohol at matinees) and a see-through projection booth make this theater a hit with locals and visitors alike.

Walk up Second Street and State Street to find the Overlook Memorial Park. Here a beautiful fountain depicts salmon making their way upstream. Turn toward the river for a great view of the gorge or climb the stairs for more impressive views from the garden above the bluff. If the climb makes you thirsty, a visit to Horse Feathers Brewpub for its strong brews and icredible views may be in order.

Walk or drive down Second Street to the waterfront to see windsurfers and kiteboarders enjoying the Columbia Gorge’s famous winds. Variations in air temperature on the east and west sides of the Gorge cause the wind tunnel effect that is responsible for the thrilling gusts sought out by adrenaline junkies throughout the year on the Columbia River. If you dare to join in, lessons and rentals are available from several outfitters located at the river’s edge.