Traveling Square Dancers: A Drive through the Columbia Gorge

Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Thursday, August 12, 2010

A Drive through the Columbia Gorge

A drive through the Columbia Gorge is a destination in itself with rewarding views around every curve. The Columbia Gorge contains the Columbia River forming the state line between Washington and Oregon.

In 1913, U.S. Highway 30 was designed to showcase the many natural wonders of the Gorge. It was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the modern age. Running roughly parallel to the river, parts of the highway still remain. We chose to travel Highway 30 as much as possible today.

Our first stop was at the top of the Rowena Plateau, where a winding road leads to a great viewpoint above the Columbia.

Driving U.S. 30 is more leisurely than taking I-84, far below at river level. The Cascade Locks has an impressive Visitor Center. Fish ladders are installed at each of the dams on the Columbia to enable the fish migration. This is the ladder at Cascade Locks viewed from the top,

and through the window in the Visitor Center.

The most visited site in the Columbia Gorge is Multnomah Falls. At 620 feet, it is the tallest falls in Oregon. There are many legends surrounding the beautiful waterfall. For one of the most popular stories, CLICK HERE.

Several other falls grace the Gorge, including Latourell, Wakeena, and Horsetail.

It is said the view from Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint is the best of the Gorge, but I think that’s subjective. There are too many magnificent viewpoints to choose just one. The building situated at the left center of the picture on the 733 ft tall bluff is Vista House, a memorial to Oregon’s pioneers, that serves as a rest stop for travelers. Built in 1916, it’s a beautiful work of German inspired architecture.