Girls Weekend in Bingen, Washington

Syncline Winery in Lyle Washington

Our girls weekend in Bingen was orchestrated entirely by my friend Melissa who was celebrating her birthday. We started off the festivities with a trip to Syncline Winery in Lyle, Washington.

We were welcomed to the winery with a glass of rosé. The birthday girl decided to try a bottle of Picpoul as none of us had ever heard of it, much less tried it before. Here is the description from the wine list that piqued our curiosity “This intriguing wine has bright lemon balm aromas and flavors that are backed by lively citrus zest and wet stone notes.” I’m not sure what a wet stone is supposed to taste like, but I can assure you that I did not pick up anything from this wine hinting that stones were somehow involved. What I can say is it was refreshing and light and we all enjoyed it.

The Girls!!

Future wine!

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Now on to Bingen, but Where on Earth is Bingen?

Glad you asked! This post features stops at several small towns in southern Washington, along the Columbia River. We visited Lyle, Bingen and White Salmon. If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, you likely have not heard of these places. True confession. Until I was invited to this getaway, I had no idea where Bingen was even though I’ve driven past the area many times to go hiking. Bingen is a small town tucked into the hills right across the Columbia River Gorge from Mosier, Oregon. It’s close to several great hikes and boasts fantastic views of Mt Hood.

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Overnight Lodging at The Society Hotel

The Society Hotel is located in an old school building that was transformed into a retreat in the heart of the Gorge. The original schoolhouse building was built in 1937, and served as the school for students in Bingen and White Salmon, Washington from 1938 until the 1970s.

The Vibe

As for what to expect…I’d say the vibe is very Pacific Northwest. Translation: casual outdoorsy with a helping of Scandi design, a generous splash of granola (AKA hippie/earthy), topped with a dash of bohemian hipster. Oh and also vintage grade school. The grounds surrounding the cabins were left to their own devices, so there was a mix of wild flowers, wild clover and tall grasses amongst the other landscaping. I’d say there was definitely a less is better, minimalist flavor here.

Dress Code

During our late spring stay we saw lots of hoodies, joggers, yoga and active wear. The emphasis is on casual comfy, so wear whatever makes you comfortable…except maybe not your birthday suit. They do frown upon that.

The Property Map

The hotel lobby features a cozy sitting area with a hip library vibe on one side and a coffee bar / cafe on the other side. There are lots of very nostalgic grade school elements that I loved and sadly completely overlooked when taking photos.

Our room was located down this locker lined hallway. All the rooms in this hall were named after school subjects. Ours was the French room! It was tiny, pretty much just room enough to fit a bed and a sink. Think hostel, but with privacy. (Shared bathrooms were located right next door). Luckily we didn’t spend much time in our room at all, so it was perfectly fine. For those wanting a true hostel experience, you can stay in the bunk room down the hall.

The Cabins

For those in need of a bigger space, the cabins offer guests an en suite bathroom and kitchenette…oh and a hamook! You can read all about the room accommodations here. The cabins are built in a ring around the perimeter of the spa. These are perfect for bachelor or bachelorette parties or retreats where you have a large number of guests.

The Sanctuary

No one was using The Sanctuary space when we peeked in the door, so we walked in and sat on the cushions in the center of the circular room. This room was obviously intended for group yoga and meditation, but we used it for stretching and girl talk, a much better use in my opinion.

Fire Pit

We wrapped up our evening at the nearby fire pit. There are several on site and they really add a nice ambiance as you walk around after dark.

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Henni’s Kitchen and Bar in White Salmon for Dinner

Drinks

Left: Gilda – tequila blanco, pineapple, lime, cinnamon syrup, large rock. This is the drink I ordered. Bonus points for being a strong drink (which is more than I can say about most drinks these days!)

Right: Greenhouse G&T – gin, dolin blanc vermouth, shiso bitters, tonic water, cucumber & lemon.

Appetizer

Fresh Baked Focaccia with goat cheese, grape chutney, Saba & pistachios nuts. This was a nice starter. The bread was yummy. The cheese was good, but didn’t knock my socks off for whatever reason. It was pretty mild and I think I wanted something with a little kick.

Main Courses

Entrees from left to right: Cesar Salad, The Henni Burger, Fried Calamari, Potato Gnocchi, Black Mussels and Cedar Plank Salmon. I ordered the Cesar salad and I could taste the anchovies in the dressing which made me so happy. It was a delicious salad!

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Breakfast at The Society Hotel

For breakfast we kept it light. I ordered a lavender latte and shared a breakfast sandwich. Another friend ordered the avocado toast which was the other option that sounded good. I was actually impressed by the variety of breakfast choices on the menu.

Spa and Bathhouse at the Society Hotel Spa

Cold Plunge

One of the highlights of our girls weekend in Bingen was the time spent at the spa, specifically the cold plunge pool. Yikes! For someone who absolutely hates being cold, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a cold plunge, but I was more than willing to give it a try. Actually, the expectation can be found in the name…COLD plunge! Expect to be very, very cold. How cold? 54 degrees to be exact!

We started off by warming up in the sauna. Once sufficiently warmed up we cautiously walked into the frigged water. The goal was to stay submerged for three minutes. This is a pretty lofty goal my friends. I lasted 30-40 seconds tops. Jumped out and ran back into the warm sauna. We all commiserated for a bit, but eventually decided to give it another go. This time we lasted 2 whole minutes! WOW…so cold. We’re not quitters so we repeated the process once more until we lasted for three whole minutes. I loved the discipline and the feeling of overcoming something challenging.

After our cold plunge it was finally time to relax in the outdoor hot tub, a glorious 104 degrees followed by a soak in the warm pool at 95 degrees.

Photo from the website as photography wasn’t allowed inside the spa area.

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Feast Market in White Salmon for Lunch

After checking out of our room(s) we ventured into White Salmon for shopping and lunch. We wandered in and out of thrift stores and antique shops then eventually we found ourselves at Feast Market for lunch. Feast Market reminds me a tiny bit of Red Hills Market in Dundee, OR.

I ordered the smash burger which was on special that day, but not on the regular menu. It was excellent! The burger itself was very well seasoned. You could tell it was organic and fresh and the garlic aioli really kicked it up a notch.

I tried a bite of The Classic sandwich which was also very good and included salami, ham, fresh mozzarella, garlic aioli pepperoncini, red onion and arugula. I also tried a bite of the soup of the day which I think was a chile verde soup. It was very flavorful and had a yummy corn flavor that I liked. Lastly I tried a bite of the ginger cookie which was really good, especially if you love gingersnaps or molasses cookies like I do.

You can find their full lunch menu here: Feast Lunch Menu

I opted for water, but they offer beer, cider and kombucha on tap. Give this place a try if you’re in the White Salmon area. Note: they close at three between lunch and dinner service.

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