National Tourism Week - May 10-18
This week celebrates National Tourism Week and its Silver Anniversary.  Presented by the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), National Tourism Week is a collective effort to promote the power of travel and tourism and the economic, cultural and social contributions it brings to the nation’s communities.  To coincide with this national event and to recognize tourism as a vital economic resource for our state and local community, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard both proclaimed May 10-18 as National Tourism Week.  For more information about National Tourism Week, visit the TIA website.

Doggy Dining Now Dog Gone Easy
Vancouver is already a dog friendly community.  But what if you’re traveling with the dog some Saturday afternoon and decide to stop for a bite to eat?  One restaurant in Vancouver has got you covered.  The Restaurant at the Historic Reserve is now offering Yappy Hour where man and his best friend can both relax on the restaurant’s back patio while being served up nibbles and refreshment.  The menu includes epicurean creations for your 4-legged friend as well as items all priced at just $4 for you.  Yappy Hour takes place every Saturday from 3 – 5pm.  A certain portion of the sales go to help Second Chance Companions, a non-profit organization helping animals in need.

Hudson's Bar & Grill Has a New Spring Menu That's All About Sustainability
Hudson’s Restaurant in the rustic Heathman Lodge has introduced a new Spring menu that's all about fresh, local ingredients from sustainable producers and growers.

“We are continuing to develop and nurture relationships with local producers to ensure our guests receive the highest degree in freshness and quality from our kitchen,” said Executive Chef Ray Delgado.

Ray’s menu also includes fresh fish of the day which he sources from sustainable fisherman.It also features several organic salad options along with many popular entrees such as Lobster Ravioli, Braised Short Ribs and Fresh Alaska Halibut.

The new Spring menu is available for lunch and dinner. Hudson’s Bar & Grill is located at 7805 NE Greenwood Dr.

Pomeroy Farm Gets Much Needed Renovation
Pomeroy Living History Farm, a popular visitor attraction in North Clark County, will complete a $150,000 renovation project on the historic farm house in time for their Traditional Crafts Weekend event in June.Many of the updates are to the actual structure of the house, however the upstairs bedrooms are also being refurbished and each room will be themed with a different decade starting with the 1920’s.Once open in June, the farm house will be open for tours June 18-August 31, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11am – 4pm and Sundays from 1-4pm.The Gift Shop and Carriage House Tea Room are currently open Wednesdays through Saturdays. For more information, visit www.PomeroyFarm.org.

New Holiday Inn Express to Open in November
Ground breaking on the new 90-room Holiday Inn Express took place earlier this month on a lot near the Westfield Shoppingtown mall just east of Vancouver and next door to Staybridge Suites and near The Heathman Lodge.  The four-story hotel is expected to be complete in November.

Red Lion Hotel at the Quay Updates Meeting Facility
The Centennial Center at the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay has recently received an interior renovation with updated colors giving it a fresh new look.  The 4557 sq. ft. stand alone meeting space on the west side of the hotel has meeting capacity for 300 – 700 people.  Last year the hotel completed renovations on the lobby, guest rooms, restaurant and lounge.

Outdoor Markets are Back! - Beginning April 5th, Vancouver Farmers Market will start their summer outdoor market season. The streets come alive every weekend with over 200 vendors offering local produce, plants and high-end arts and crafts. Food booths with local and international specialties keep the crowd well-fed while entertainers provide live music.  As one of the region's largest outdoor farmers markets, the Vancouver Farmers Market is proud to celebrate its 18th season this year. The Market is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver next to Vancouver's public square, Esther Short Park, where summer concerts and outdoor festivals take place. The outdoor market runs Saturdays and Sundays from April 5th, 2008 to October 26th, 2008. Outdoor Market hours are:
Saturdays 9 am - 3 pm and Sundays 10 am - 3 pm. 505 West 8th Street (on Esther Street south of 8th Street)
Battle Ground Farmer's Market, also known as Old Town Saturday Market, will celebrate it's 4th season in 2008. The market will open at SE 2nd and East Main starting April 12th - May 31st, moving to Battle Ground Village Courtyard off Grace and Rassmussen from June 7th - October 18th, 2008.
Camas Farmer's Market opens May 17th and runs through October 4th, 2008. The hours are: Saturdays 9 am - 1 pm, on 5th Street between Birch and Cedar in Downtown Camas.

Camas Meadows Named Top Course - Readers of the Portland Business Journal have recently voted Camas Meadows Golf Club as the number one top public course in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The 18-hole championship course also ranked number one in the categories of “Most Challenging Course” and “Best Course for Tournament and Corporate Events.” Located in beautiful Camas, the club offers a pro shop, practice facilities, professional lessons, banquet facilities, and the Oaks Bar & Grille serving a fabulous breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Blackstone's American Grill Opens in Vancouver - East Vancouver has a new restaurant, Blackstone’s American Grill, which opened it’s doors on September 19th.   The all-new contemporary restaurant is up-scale yet family friendly offering a kids buffet on weekends, live music every Friday and Saturday evening, and a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.  You’ll find over-stuffed chairs in the bar, private seating in the wine room and a menu infused with the fresh, local flavors of the Northwest.  Blackstone’s is located at 3200 SE 164th Ave.

Vinotopia's Top Wine Program Gets Recognition - Rudyard Coltman, founder and owner of Vinotopia Restaurant and Wine Bar and Cinetopia Theater, was recently named On-Premise Wine Marketer of the Year 2007 by Restaurant Wine® magazine.  Vinotopia has over 100 wines available by the glass, dispensed from an Enomatic self-service wine system in its Wine Room.  Customers are able to view each of the labels and purchase the wine an ounce at a time with a pre-paid wine card.  The restaurant also offers more than 500 other wines.  Vinotopia was also voted 2007 Best Wine Bar by an audience of Citysearch.com.  Vinotopia is located within Cinetopia, the Northwest’s only all-digital super high definition multiplex theaters. The upscale restaurant offers live music, wine tasting events and theater dining service.

Big Al's is Knocking 'Em Down with Excellence - Brunswick Bowling & Billiards, a recognized leader in the bowling and recreation industry, recently presented Big Al's Family Entertainment Center with the 2007 Brunswick Center of Excellence Award.  The award recognizes Big Al’s owners, Kirkland & Kirkland, for outstanding business development, strategy and implementation of their world-class, bowling-based entertainment facility.  The 60,000-square-foot facility features 42 top-notch lanes, three private party rooms, an arcade, six billiard tables, and a championship shuffleboard table. Big Al's Sports Bar and Grill provides a full service menu from casual dining fare to full service catering for events.

Raz Transportation is Seeing Green - Groups coming to Clark County have a green option for group charter transportation services with Raz Transportation.  The motorcoach operator was the first in the Pacific Northwest to make the commitment to convert 100% of their fleet to bio-diesel, and earlier this year they converted all of their fleet to using environmentally friendly, bio-degradable antifreeze in their engines.

Vancouver Welcomes La Quinta Inn & Suites - The former Red Lion Inn at Salmon Creek is now La Quinta Inn & Suites.  The owners chose the new flagship after looking at a number of different franchises but ultimately selected La Quinta because of their strong presence in the Northwest and a positive experience working with the owner/operator franchise in the past.  A new sign will replace the old Red Lion sign just in time for Thanksgiving.  The hotel will also receive renovations in the way of a new lobby and breakfast area, new guest room upgrades including new bedding, drapes, carpet and furniture.  The porte-cochere entrance will also be redone and new life will be given to the exterior with added accent colors and colorful plantings.

Gray's Has a Searing New Menu - Gray’s at the Park in the Hilton Vancouver Washington hotel, unveiled an all-new menu last month featuring new steakhouse selections.  The beef which Gray’s is now searing to perfection is purchased from Northwest ranchers in Washington and Oregon through Painted Hills Natural Beef, known for it’s top quality.   Gray’s also recently began offering a daily breakfast buffet offering 100 separate items to choose from.  Gray’s at the Park is located at 301 W. 6th Street in downtown Vancouver.

Portland International Airport Increases Services and Adds New Flights
A new valet parking service at Portland International Airport is giving travelers another parking convenience.  The Gold Key Valet service kiosk, located on the outer lane of the upper ticketing/departures level, is open 24-hours a day.  The cost is $30 a day or $10 an hour.

PDX is also getting a new nonstop flight to Europe.  Northwest Airlines is expanding its international flights with daily nonstop service to and from Amsterdam beginning March 2008. This will be the second direct flight to Europe from PDX; Lufthansa currently offers nonstop service from PDX to Frankfurt, Germany. Portland International Airport is just minutes from Vancouver, WA and serves the greater Southwest Washington region.

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine recently named Portland International Airport best U.S. airport for the second year in a row.  The international travel magazine polled business travelers who rated U.S. airports based on several criteria including location/access, ease of connections, customs/baggage, food/shops/amenities, comfort/design, and perceived safety/security.

SpringHill Suites is Open for Business! - The brand new SpringHill Suites by Marriott opened its doors May 23rd offering 119 all-suite guest rooms.  The hotel is located in the Columbia Tech Business Center Park in East Vancouver within walking distance to many retail and dining options available in this growing part of town.  The hotel features an indoor pool, spa and fitness center as well as complimentary airport shuttle to Portland International Airport.  The stylish yet relaxing suites are all 25 percent larger than most hotel rooms and come with complimentary WI-FI and wired high-speed Internet access.  The hotel also has 1200 square feet of meeting space that can accommodate up to 75 people, and a 300 square foot Board Room accommodating up to 16 people. 

Hilton Vancouver Washington Receives “Green” Certification - Hilton Vancouver Washington, has recently received LEED® Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  It is one of the country’s first green, environmentally sustainable hotels and is also the first Hilton in the world to be LEED® Certified.  This coveted certification recognizes the buildings’ superior performance in areas such as water savings, low-impact landscaping, reduced energy use and indoor air quality.  The hotel has also implemented environmentally sustainable meeting practices including recycling programs, unique ways to handle food waste, and environmentally sensitive purchasing policies.

New Winery Opens in Clark County - A new winery is welcoming visitors with hometown hospitality, special events, and free tastings.  Rusty Grape Vineyard, which opened its doors last October, is located just east of Battle Ground.  The new establishment has a small gift shop offering an assortment of wine themed gifts including gift baskets, hand-painted wine glasses, wine racks and wine stoppers. The owners, Jeremy and Heather Brown said they are currently working on an outdoor amphitheater where they plan to show movies starting early Summer.  Brown said he is also partnering with local Battle Ground restaurant Irby’s to offer an appetizer menu at their free wine tastings which are every Saturday from Noon to 6 pm.

Rusty Grape Vineyard is located at 16712 NE 219th St., Battle Ground, WA, and can be reached at 360-513-9338.