It's almost unfair (to those of us who don't live there) that one place could be so beautiful. Those lucky souls who live in Hood River County, Ore., awake each morning to vistas of snow-capped Mount Hood to the south, stately Mount Adam to the north and the gorgeous Columbia River gorge between. Through this beauty flows the Hood River valley with its cliffs and crags and improbably round hills formed by volcanic bubbles.

Man has had a hand in the scenery too. What is prettier than fruit orchards and vineyards marching row upon row up the green slopes? The orchards provide more than beauty. Hood River County lives the good life because of fruits; more than 14,000 acres of apples, pears and grapes produce a cash flow that keeps the economy humming.

Three generations of the Webster family have planted fruit trees in the valley. Brothers Scott and Addison (left, with daughter Sydney) are in charge now and have diversified the orchards and fresh-fruit business to include fruit baskets and gourmet gifts with "The Fruit Company" brand name. Addison's wife, Necole, loves her adopted orchardist lifestyle. "On days when there is going to be a frost, the whole neighborhood is energized to protect the trees. It's such a close community," she says.

But Hood River County does not prosper because of fruit alone. Timber is a major industry. The Columbia River, a floating highway for commerce to and from the coast, also means jobs for the county.

That same river is a playground and a moneymaker for another reason: Nature made the Columbia River Gorge one of the windiest places on the planet. Today, downtown Hood River is packed with newly renovated buildings that house wind-related shops: windsurfing equipment, apparel, kites. Windsurfers have to eat, so there are restaurants and pubs, Italian eateries and sushi cafes.

Only an hour from Portland, Hood River County also draws day-trippers, come to see the green valleys, the mountain views and the windy gorge. But these folks only get to stay for a while. The lucky souls of Hood River County get to stay . . . because they are already home.