Saturday night is a hard time to find a place in the Valley in mid-September, and we were caught with no place to stay, coming into Winthrop over the Cascades. So I called Central Reservations in Winthrop, and they offered the River View Inn at $129 plus taxes. I was told it was contemporary and located right on the river.

What they didn't say, is that it is NOT an inn, but a 'let-yourself-in' 5 unit stand alone, with no common ares at all. We arrived after dark, and there was no light on anywhere; we shone the headlamps on the front door to punch in the lockbox code. Unfortunately, there were 3 lockboxes and it took quite a while and two phone calls just to get inside.

Inside was a quite nice room- near new, decently appointed, with a rear balcony that, yes, overlooked the stream at the bottom of a dreary embankment. Standard 2 star bathroom, very clean.

However, the signs of a not-so-well-thought-out hospitality unit became evident. No reading light by the bed. A small table unsuitable for anything except for resting a cup of tea. No kitchenware, period- even though it was an efficiency unit with mini fridge, micro.

In the morning , the starkness of the surroundings became more evident. Ours was the only unit occupied, which states volumes. The owners live out of town , so it is managed by a company that does bot appear to be hands on itself- They apologized that nobody had come by to turn on lights. The front yard was entirely gravel, right up to the building. No flower beds, no entry patio. the cedar siding, though not more than a couple of years old, unstained and discolored.

We locked the door behind us, put away the key, and were thankful at least, for a roof and a clean place. But go back- naw, I don't think so....