Eastward Bound: Columbia River Gorge, Part I

It was truly a last minute decision that found Aimee,

Aimee's youngest son

and the Small One

headed eastward one warm summer morning.

Destination:

Utah!

Want to come along?

 

 

Taken in the beautiful lush western portion of the Columbia River Gorge--

an area my pioneer forefathers would have been quite familiar with as they traveled the so-called 'river route' (albeit westward) to their new home in Oregon.

 

 

Lots and lots to look at in this area:

trees, mountains, waterfalls, great rock formations

and always the river,

 with its windsurfers, sailboats, barges and more!

It truly is the one of the most beautiful places in Oregon and Washington.

 

 

As you travel westward, the terrain becomes increasingly drier.

 

 

The trees change too and become the type you would expect in a drier, more desert like terrain that you find east of the Cascade Mountains.

 

 

I probably should mention you pass by some towns on this route:

Cascade Locks

(home to the sternwheeler Columbia Gorge that you can travel on from May to October)

Hood River

(very famous for windsurfing and orchards),

The Dalles

(near where the once beautiful Celilio Falls was...

before it disappeared forever under the waters impounded by one of the three dams we would pass)

and some other small communities like Mosier (yummy apricots to be found here) and Biggs.

 

 

Overall though it's pretty desolate...

but, in its own quiet way, interesting.

 

 

More later...

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Links of Interest:

Cascade Locks Info (sternwheeler and more)

http://portofcascadelocks.org/marine-park/sternwheeler-columbia-gorge/

Columbia River Gorge Visitor Info

http://www.crgva.org/

Hood River Tourist Info

http://hoodriver.org/