OUR BLOG
Q & A with John Stearns, Squad Suite Bunk Creator
1. How did you get started in woodworking and construction? John: Originally, I started building things when my oldest boys were young and we saw the price of furniture. I thought, "I could do that a whole lot cheaper and better!" 21 years later, I probably have...
The Tale of Kelsey & Her 30th Birthday at the Squad Room
The top perk to being a blog writer for The Independence Hotel is the ability to stay there every chance an opportunity arises. So when my good friend Kelsey turned 30, I knew immediately where I wanted to take her to celebrate. Not only The Independence Hotel (like...
A Weekend of Wellness at The Independence Hotel
The term “Wellness” is thrown around a lot. Upon embarking on a “Wellness in the Willamette Valley" stay, I wanted to dive into an all-encompassing definition of wellness. I knew it centered on taking care of oneself, whether that be through food, exercise, diet,...
Spotlight with SaraMae Hollandsworth
With the New Year just beginning, wellness is on a lot of our minds, but sometimes it’s hard to know where a healthy approach to wellness ends and where unrealistic expectations or judgmental assessments about ourselves begin. How do we challenge ourselves to live...
Make a Habit Out of Getting to Wine Country
January is often associated with resolutions……. The New Year is a marker in time that can inspire us to assess where we are and if there are any changes or new goals we’d like to incorporate into our lives. However, there is also an unspoken pressure to center those...
8 Questions with Taylor Pfaff of Left Coast Estate
Left Coast Estate is a total gem of a winery! Not only are their wines delicious and exciting, their passion and dedication for winemaking and for the land are palpable. Driven by a devotion to sustainability of the land and to production, with care and patience, of...
8 Questions with Carole Van Haaften, our Interior Designer
1. What made you want to get into interior design? And what would you say is the role of an interior designer working on a hotel project? Carole: I was encouraged to pursue interior design by my parents. My mother inspired me at a young age, with her buying junky...
Q and A with Erika Seirup at Chintimini Wildlife Center
We at The Independence Hotel were lucky enough to have a chat with Erika Seirup at Chintimini Wildlife Center. After all, we don’t think there’s a better time than now to take pause and consider the role of human behavior on the natural world, both for the good and...
Artist Spotlight at The Independence: An Interview with Jenny Gray
Oregon-based artist Jenny Gray has us swooning! Her art is showcased throughout the hotel, with several prints located in our guest rooms and numerous oil works featured prominently in our restaurant, Territory. We find Jenny’s work to be exuberant and joyful, yet...
7 Reasons to Visit Wine Country in Winter
Oregon Wine Country is often photographed throughout the summer, displaying the incredible views of the valley as the sun shows off its time to shine. For those of us who live in the PNW, however, we understand that winter is when the magic happens. Winter, also...
