Accommodations during transition training with Mike Seager?

I am scheduled for transition training with Mike in April. Woo hoo! Mike has recommended the following places to stay. I can?t hardly find any write ups about these places and I was wondering if anybody who has stayed at these places had any opinions:

Rock Creek Inn: I?m not much into the B&B thing. I would much rather be the anonymous guy staying in one of the 5000+ rooms at the MGM Grand than a single room in a B&B. Well, this place has exactly one room and, although I?m sure it?s quaint, cute, and clean, I?m thinking this one is off my list already unless somebody has a review that can sway me. It?s like staying in somebody?s house and YOU are the center of attention.

Old Mill Inn: There are some pictures of this place online and it looks nice. It does have three rooms so at least I won?t be the only guest. Still, it?s in somebody?s house. Kinda weird for me actually. Thoughts?

The Vernonia Inn: I THINK I might have reservations here. I say I think because the guy who answered the phone didn?t get a credit card or phone number from me and he was VERY laid back. I mean, he was a cross between Tommy Chong and?well, no, it was like talking to Tommy Chong! For those of you who don?t know, he?s the Chong in Cheech and Chong. I mean, we had a very weird conversation. He told me that I called too early (9:30 am) but he didn?t know what time it was. He then went on to tell me that he got drunk the night before and slept in, he offered to find me companionship for the night (wink wink, nudge nudge), and said we could have a little smoke when I came up! This would be the type of smoke that surrounds Tommy Chong! Let me tell you, these are some very weird accommodations indeed! He was a nice enough guy though and the comments were in jest (at least partially I would imagine).

On the positive side, this place has several rooms with private entrances so it?s more like a motel than B&B which I like better. I have to say though, old Tommy Chong has got me concerned. Any thoughts??

Vernonia Inn was very nice

I stayed there 2 yrs ago in June. It was very nice. The folks there are very relaxed - but that's the atmosphere of the whole town -- it is a pleasant place to spend a couple of days.

arveeniner, I'm also sending you a PM with additional info.

i staid at the vernonia inn and it is laid out exactly like a motel, 5 or so rooms down the side, and another 5 i think on top all doors from the rooms directly outside. nice town, there was a nice restaurant one block down and there are some trails around the pond if you want to stretch your legs

I would stay in Portland if he is training out of Scapoose.

I normally find him training out of Scappoose. If that is where he is going to do his training I would stay in Portland. 1/2 hour drive at the most. If he is training on the grass at Vernonia, it is about an hour drive. I would still stay in Portland if you have any spare time while you are here.

I stayed at the Old Mill Inn in June, and highly recommend it. It is run be a very nice couple; she provides a great breakfast. You have a private entrance to the rooms, and can come & go without going through their living quarters. You will probably be flying twice a day with Mike. I found it very convenient to be able to run back to my room between flights. If you stay in Portland or elsewhere, you are stuck with living out of your car for each day.

Jim Berry
RV-10

Scappose Creek Inn

If Mike is working out of Scappoose the Scappose Creek Inn is right next to the airport - easy walk over. There is a restaurant in the inn. I stayed there for a few nights - not luxurious but okay - actually a converted old house.

I stayed in Seaside, Ocean front. Kris and I brought one of the grand daughters, they did the beach/shopping thing, while I commuted to Vernonia.

Hillsboro, OR

When you fly with Mike, I think your best bet is to fly out of Venonia with him. Vernonia is a grass strip snuggled in the foothills NW of Portland, OR. He is willing to meet you at Scappoose, but then you're paying for his travel time and you don't get any useful training from that! Flying out of Vernonia, Mike will usually hop across to Scapoose for touch and gos. The flight from Vernonia is good to let you get a feel for the controls, and then plan on a little airwork (stalls, steep turns, slow flight, etc). Then at Scapoose, plan on lots of pattern work. Turns out flying an RV isn't that difficult - given the right training. Finally, you'll head back to Vernonia for a landing on the grass.

My In-Laws live in Tigard, OR, which is about an hour away from Vernonia. When I did my transition training with Mike, I stayed with the in-laws. The one hour drive was on back-country hiways and was very relaxing.

If you want the anonymity of a Super 8, I would recommend that you stay in Hillsboro. It's only 45 minutes from Venonia, and has all the restaurants, theaters, and hotels you could ask for.

When I flew with Mike, He did a morning flight/debrief then a break for lunch, and then an afternoon flight/debrief each day. There are a couple of diners in Venonia to grab a burger for lunch, but the breakfast/dinner menu might be better in Hillsboro.

Old Mill

I stayed at the Old Mill when I was there. I highly recommend it. The rooms have a separate entrance, so it's not like you have to waltz through the front living room to get to your space or anything. The room was comfortable, and of course had a separate bathroom for each room.

The best are the breakfasts! I think I gained 5 pounds from my couple days there, and light lunches were in order.

The proprietor is very nice and accomodating as well.

Give it a shot... it might change your mind about B&B's!

Scappose Creek Inn

I'll second the Scappose Creek Inn. I like to hang around airports...

Old Mill

I flew with Mike back in August 2010 out of the Vernonia Grass strip and stayed at the old Mill House. As I was over from Australia and had my wife with me, I needed to be sure the accommodation was suitable for us both. We ended up at the ole Mill House and it was a treat. We rarely stay in B&B's though enjoyed the privacy in terms of access to and from our room and the social aspect with the cooked breakfasts with Brook. I flew with Mike at 10am and then again at 3pm each day. Returned back to the B&B for the break inbetween flying which was only a 10 minute drive from the Airfield. We had dinner in nearby Hillsboro and Scappoose both a short drive away. I even managed to stay on the right side of the road most of the time

Hope this supports your decision,

Greg, (Melbourne - Australia)

Vernonia Inn

The trip to Vernonia and the stay there was a very special experience for me. It is as far from the LA and Orange County environment as you can get and I took that as a real adventure. I was listening for "Dueling Banjos" and I was constantly on the alert in this wilderness environment - it was a test. I felt very good about the experience sort of like when I drove into Manhatten for the first time - I was apprehensive but I felt good about it once it was over. You have to think for yourself and make things happen as an individual just like the strong self-sufficient natives. I wouldn't want to have missed it for anything. The Vernonia Inn was fine.

Bob Axsom

Did it a little over a month ago. If you're cheap like me and don't care much about the B&B experience and a fancy breakfast, the Vernonia Inn is your best bet. He gives a discount to people flying with Mike (was $60/night for me).

-Rob

Thanks for the replies so far. Mike says we will be flying off of the grass strip and I'm on for 10 am and 3 pm for two days.

Sounds like there are no big negatives. It's definitely going to be a different experience for a city boy like me. I'm looking forward to it.

I can't believe I'm finally at this place in the build. Now I have to get 'er done!!

Do yourself a favor...

ArVeeNiner said:

Thanks for the replies so far. Mike says we will be flying off of the grass strip and I'm on for 10 am and 3 pm for two days.

Sounds like there are no big negatives. It's definitely going to be a different experience for a city boy like me. I'm looking forward to it.

I can't believe I'm finally at this place in the build. Now I have to get 'er done!!

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...if you have never been to Portland, at least take an extra day or evening and venture into the City. It is well worth the time. Small town feel with big city amenities. Vernonia would be a very nice quiet place to live. I could not imagine it as a destination when you have one of the best cities in the world an hour away.
Congrats on getting to this point. You will like Mike's simple stepped approach to flying an RV. None better.

Transition t in Vernonia

I do my training in Vernonia now days so you will need to come here. I visited the Old Mill house Inn this morning and I highly recommed it. It has a locked private entrance and each room has its own private bathroom. The rooms are made up very nice and everyone that has stayed there has bragged about what a great time they have had and the wonderful breakfast. You can even ask to have breakfast upstairs if preferred.

Kelly, I wouldn't recommend the Vernonia Inn so you are taking your chances. We will have fun flying, hope your room is ok. Mike

The saga continues

So, just an update. I called the Vernonia Inn a couple of weeks ago just to make sure that I really had a reservation. This time, the guy tells me, and I'm not making this up, "Can you call back later? I'm trying to hook up with a chick." I swear on a stack of RVs, that's what he told me!!! In fact, I had him on speaker phone so my wife and oldest daughter could hear. We all verified what he said and couldn't believe it. Remember that old Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs kept summoning the genie but ended up interrupting his bath, his dinner, and his "hooking up with a chick?" I'm just about experiencing all this less the magic lamp and the rabbit!!!

So I decided to try him again this afternoon. Well now, the phone is disconnected! Maybe he hooked up too well with his chick and forgot to pay the bill.

I've now enacted Plan B and have a reservation at the Old Mill Inn. So far, so good. The guy answered the phone, asked me my name, and got my phone number. He's way ahead of the Vernonia Inn.

So if anybody runs into the guy from the Vernonia Inn, tell him that I've cancelled my reservation...if I really had one. I'd call him but, well, you know the story.

ArVeeNiner said:

So, just an update. I called the Vernonia Inn a couple of weeks ago just to make sure that I really had a reservation. This time, the guy tells me, and I'm not making this up, "Can you call back later? I'm trying to hook up with a chick." I swear on a stack of RVs, that's what he told me!!! In fact, I had him on speaker phone so my wife and oldest daughter could hear. We all verified what he said and couldn't believe it. Remember that old Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs kept summoning the genie but ended up interrupting his bath, his dinner, and his "hooking up with a chick?" I'm just about experiencing all this less the magic lamp and the rabbit!!!

So I decided to try him again this afternoon. Well now, the phone is disconnected! Maybe he hooked up too well with his chick and forgot to pay the bill.

I've now enacted Plan B and have a reservation at the Oak Mill Inn. So far, so good. The guy answered the phone, asked me my name, and got my phone number. He's way ahead of the Vernonia Inn.

So if anybody runs into the guy from the Vernonia Inn, tell him that I've cancelled my reservation...if I really had one. I'd call him but, well, you know the story.

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I stayed at the Vernonia Inn in December when I did my training. While I had a largely uneventful stay, let's just say I'm not in the least surprised by your post

ArVeeNiner said:

snip? and I'm not making this up, "Can you call back later? I'm trying to hook up with a chick." I swear on a stack of RVs, that's what he told me!!! ...snip

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Gold Jerry! Gold!

Vernonia Diggs

Mr. Kelly you are going to be listening to Mike Seager very carefully when you get there, and having stayed at the Vernonia Inn myself the same time Danny did, I recommend you listen to Seager carefully now.

Brooke.

ROFL...

DeltaRomeo said:

Gold Jerry! Gold!

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.....exactly what I was thinking

Best,

Old Mill House Inn gets an A+ from me

I just returned from some excellent training with Mike Seager. Well worth the trip.

I stayed at the Old Mill House Inn and couldn't have been more pleased. My room was nicely furnished, clean as it could be, quiet, and comfortable. The rooms are upstairs and each has its own private bathroom. Breakfast was outstanding.

Vernonia is a quiet little town and the Bed and Breakfast format is perfect for the mission. Having to not go far(Downstairs) for breakfast is a great convenience. There are a couple good places to eat lunch/dinner, not fancy, but the food and service was good.

It was a very nice experience for me.

Haha, memories....
I stayed in the Vernonia Inn a while back as well.
No joke:
"g'day mate, I think there's a fuse blown - none of the lights work..."

Reply
"yup"

That and the bonfire in the paddock next door made for an uneasy few nights sleep!

Done with my training

Well, I'm sitting here in PDX waiting for my flight and just exhausted after my two days of training with Mike. I have to say, I'm humbled. Now, I haven't flown many different types of airplanes but every low performance Spam Can that I've been checked out in has been fairly simple for me to get the hang of.

Not so with the RV. For me, it was like learning to fly all over again! I'm so glad I took the training and if you are on the fence about getting the training, bite the bullet. It's well worth it.

Anyway, I have to say that deciding to stay at the Old Mill House Inn was THE way to go.

I paid a very short visit to the Vernonia Inn and all I can say is that for me, I made the right choice. PM me if you want details. 'Nuff said.

Where to eat in Vernonia...

I'm headed to Vernonia pretty soon for my training with Mike (8/24 - 8/26). My wife may abandon me so she can go exploring. Is there anyplace on or close to the field where I can get lunch? I don't mind hanging out at the airport between training sessions, but it might be nice to get some chow.

Jim Bower
RV-6A
First flight done (by flight advisor)

there is nothing at the airport or within walking distance. But I brought my lunch with me and hung out there everyday. Walked around and took a nap.

Vernonia report

Just to let everybody know...I just finished transition training, and it was gerat. Grueling, but very rewarding. As for accomodations, I couldn't have been happier with The Old Millhouse Inn. Brooke and David are great folks and very easy going. Breakfast is fantastic, and was different every day. The rooms are all nice, but watch your head if you get "the lily pad". My favorite lunch place is the Black Bear. Great food, and cool decor. I hope everybody's experiences are as good as mine.

jimbower said:

watch your head if you get "the lily pad".

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Been there, done that! Ouch!