Skamania Blog

It’s wedding planning season, so we thought it’s time you met Silhouette Rebecca Melesko! Rebecca has been one of our Catering Sales Managers for the past two years and has 12 years experience in the wedding planning industry. After acquiring her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Johnson & Wales University in Providence Rhode Island and working for hotels in Connecticut and Seattle, she has found her home at Skamania Lodge where she says the best part of her job is working with her coworkers and enjoying the view every day.

Would you like to win a romantic overnight stay for two on Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2012)?  Not only will you win a free overnight at the lodge on the 14^th, but you will also get a couples massage that day at 3 pm, dinner for two that evening in the Cascade Dining Room at 6 pm, an in-room bottle of wine and a bouquet of roses.

My Destination Dish recipe for the month of Febuary is Grapefruit Beurre Blanc with Citrus Crusted Scallops, Brulee of Red Grapefruit, and Citrus Quinoa Salad. Visit The Cascade Dining Room at Skamania Lodge to try this delicious grapfruit dish or try it at home using my recipe below.

Every meal is made to order with Silhouette Lindsey Draper! Lindsey has been our Kitchen Line Supervisor for the past 15 years and holds 20 years experience in the culinary field working previously for Dairy Queen. However, she acquired most of her training when she attended the Western Culinary Institute. Lindsey says her favorite part of working at Skamania is the beautiful scenery.

Meet Silhouette Renee Rhyne! Renee has 10 years experience and has been part of our Housekeeping team for the past year and a half. Working previously for Kristal Clean on their detailed new construction clean-up crew and at Hilton hotel in Sacramento, California, Renee says she likes working at Skamania because “I like working with people and meeting people from different places in the world.”

Please welcome to our family, Silhouette Jacquilin Patton Schilling! After graduating from the Nail Institute in Billings, Montana, Jacquilin has moved back to her hometown of Stevenson, Washington and has started her career as our new Nail Technician. She seems very excited to be a part of the Skamania family and has already started creating additional treatments to our menu, adding that “Working with such great people makes my job so much more enjoyable!”

My Destination Dish recipe for the month of January is a Local Honey & Peppercorn Glazed Duck Breast with sweet hermiston, onion and butternut squash whipped potatoes, crispy beets, kumquat marmalade, and cherry demi glace. This dish is served with Glen Fiona Syrah, 2007 Walla Walla Valley. Visit The Cascade Dining Room at Skamania Lodge to try this delicious kumquat dish or try it at home using my recipe below.

Feel like an extra dessert during your conference dinner? Silhouette Tamera Ehrgood can help with that! Tami has been one of our banquet servers since we opened nearly 19 years ago and has 32 years experience in the food and beverage industry working previously at Cascade Inn. Tami enjoys working at Skamania Lodge because of her co-workers, the atmosphere of the lodge and always getting to meet new people.  

Silhouette Many Mayberry is ready to welcome you with a smile! Mandy has worked as both a server and front desk agent for the past year at Skamania Lodge. Although she has previous customer service experience at Southwest Airlines, Mandy is currently attending Mount Hood Community College and Washington State University to acquire her Masters in Environmental Science so that one day she can become a college professor in science. In the meantime, she enjoys working at Skamania because her “boss and coworkers are fantastic. Plus the lodge is a great place for a nature lover like me.”

Did something break in your room? Don’t worry, Silhouette Jeremy De Jong will fix it! Jeremy has been our Chief Engineer for the past year. He has five years experience under his belt, working previously at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. Living and working in the Gorge has definitely been a new experience for him because “the people here are so much nicer than anywhere I have ever lived before.”

To celebrate the season, we are offering two chances to win an overnight stay at Skamania Lodge! Each week, we will post a trivia question as it relates to each holiday. Each time a participant answers the question correctly their name will be entered into a drawing for the following prizes: