One-Year Anniversary

Originally printed in The Weekender

It was a hot July afternoon in 2006 when David Dierck decided to visit White Salmon for the first time. He had been out fighting several wild land fires though out Southwest Washington and living out of the back of his 4x4 truck. What he found was not the quiet little town he had expected, but a downtown full of hundreds of people. Musicians were found on the street corners, artists and food vendors on the sidewalks, and a town with a warm sense of community. He had arrived during the White Salmon Arts Council’s annual “Art and Wine Fusion.” Luck was on his side — or was it destiny? — as he looked for a room to rent at the Inn of the White Salmon. Someone had just cancelled their reservation, so he got the last available lodging in town.

The next morning he asked the owner of the Inn, somewhat jokingly, “is this place for sale?” and she told him it was. Upon returning home he told his wife Dennice about his find, and the rest is history. . . .

The Diercks owned and operated a Christmas tree farm in Northwest Washington. David had just retired as a Battalion Chief with the Marysville Fire District. Dennice was a manager for Starbuck’s Coffee Company. They were both ready for a lifestyle change. They had not considered being Innkeepers, but the charm of White Salmon seemed to siren a call. They contacted their friends in Germany, Flo and Nicole Niemesch, and invited them to join them in the adventure of being Inn Keepers.

In the spring of 2007, both couples moved into the Inn, and began to learn the art of Innkeeping. On June 1, less than a year after David’s first visit to White Salmon, the Diercks were the new owners of The Inn of the White Salmon.

The vision they had was to take the 70-year-old hotel back to the “Craftsman Era” that it was built in. Victorian antiques were replaced with natural tones and handcrafted furniture. The former parlor was transformed to the “Columbia Family Room” boasting a fresh paint palette and period dated woodwork. The lobby and downstairs halls were painted a warm cream color, track lighting installed, and the “Hallway Gallery” was created . . . a place to showcase the works of local artists.

With the influence of Flo and Nicole’s European and International travels, one of the two-bedroom suites was turned into “The Alpine Hostel.” This dorm style room features custom bunk beds made by a local woodcrafter and offers an economical option to travelers.

Even the breakfast that the Inn was known for changed. Calorie-filled, sugar-laden desserts were replaced by healthy, local, organic, and sustainable choices that promise to carry guests through their day.

The passion that the Diercks and Niemeschs carried with them was to contribute to their newfound treasures of the Gorge: the arts, wine, recreation, and landscape. Their support of the arts is evident in the new Hallway Gallery and the fact that they host the local arts council meetings at the Inn.

Local wineries and musicians were showcased on selected Saturdays beginning last fall and continuing through spring. The “Warm up with Wine” events were enjoyed by guests of the Inn as well as people in the community and are planned to return again next fall.

Last winter, they bought a 4-wheel-drive van and named it after the Inn’s first snow recreation package (Bed-Ride-Ticket). The BRT van transported guests to Mt Hood for snowboarding and snowshoeing, offering safe passage to winter recreation, while at the same time reducing the carbon footprint. The BRT packages will continue year-round with wine tours (Bed-Ride-Taste), white water rafting and kayaking (Bed-Ride-Thrill), and snowshoeing (Bed-Ride-Trek).

Perhaps the greatest treasure of all is the landscape of the Gorge. It seems to be the link that liquefies the art, wine, and recreation in concert with one another. The Inn helps to preserve the landscape with its comprehensive eco-friendly programs. All updates to the Inn include use of green methods, including modern low-water-usage plumbing fixtures, products made of recycled paper, and organic cotton linens. A recycling station in the Inn’s office area redirects hundreds of pounds of consumable waste. David continues to safeguard the landscape by fighting wildfires during state mobilizations, leading and directing resources as a Strike Team Leader. It seems the flame that brought the Diercks and Niemeschs to White Salmon continues to burn brightly.