National Geographic has given us a nod.

The publishing giant launched its Central Cascades Geotourism Mapguide in
January and the Mountain garnered plenty of attention.

From Welches to Timberline, local businesses and tourist sites are scattered
throughout the Web site and in the Mapguide.

Among those recognized was The Rendezvous in Welches, with NatGeo citing
the natural, fresh, organic, products sustaining and supporting local and
regional farmers, fisheries and hunter-gatherers.

Kathryn Bliss, chef and co-owner of The Rendezvous, was flattered by the
attention.

“I work very hard to create that environment,” Bliss said. “I’m out and about
once or twice a week for veggies – hitting growers and farm stands for things
you just can’t always get from distributors. I certainly support organic, but it’s
also important to sustain local growers. And there’s nothing like fresh produce
from the ground that very morning.”

Tom Anderson, co-owner, was equally impressed with the Rendezvous’
mention.

“It’s very cool,” he said. “After 15 years it’s satisfying to know we’re in that
league.”

Also making the NatGeo map was Mt. Hood Roasters coffee business in
Rhododendron as an example of experiential tourism combining elements of
historical, cultural, agricultural and culinary tourism.

“There are only eight of these maps that National Geographic has completed,
there are more to come,” said Rick Applegate, owner of the coffee roasters.
“But of the ones completed, we are particularly proud of the fact that we are
the only coffee company listed.”

The publication is dedicated to sustainable travel – a cornerstone of
geotourism – highlighting forms of travel that aim to sustain or enhance the
geographical character of a place, including its environment, culture,
aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.

“On a personal level, this has the potential to get our message out in a way
we could never have imagined,” Applegate said. “Rhododendron pops out (in
the Mapguide) and this should do a lot for establishing a new and broader
identity for all of us.”

Rhododendron scored highly with notice being given to several sites,
including:

Buggy Trail Lane with 17.5 acres of preserved land, plus American Indian and
pioneer historical sites.

The Laughing Bear cabin built by the Steiners in the 1920s with original
furniture, bear locks, bent wood and Dutch doors.

Enola Hill on south side of Zigzag Mountain which boasts a sacred area for
American Indians for vision quests, ceremonies, huckleberry picking, medicine
gathering and other activities.

The stately pair of bigleaf maple trees on each side of the replica tollgate that
marks the westernmost tollgate operated on the Barlow Road.

Other Mountain sites noted by NatGeo include:

The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches that is dedicated to the principles and actions
of sustainable fisheries long before the concepts “green” and “sustainability”
became mainstream.

The Doublegate Inn, Welches, built in 1919 by the Anderson brothers who
started a limousine service from Portland to Welches and the enchanted old
home continues to provide a place for visitors to stay in one of the oldest
private estates in the area.

The Barlow Trail Roadhouse dates back to 1926 and was built by the
legendary cabin creator, Bill Lenz, originally to serve as a general store and as
the legend grew it became an inn known for the “Best Food on the Loop to
Timberline” downstairs and the “Best Girls” upstairs.

National Geographic was attracted to Oregon because of its ongoing
sustainable travel initiatives. Since passing America’s first bottle deposit law in
1971, Oregon has been a trailblazer in both land preservation and
sustainability. In 2003, the Oregon Tourism Commission initiated research on
national and international best practices to tourism to shape a set of
sustainable tourism principles to guide local tourism planning. These principles
have been refined by the Oregon Sustainable Tourism Advisory Committee.

The entire NatGeo Mapguide can be viewed on the Web site at:
http://thecentralcascades.com.