August 20 – 23, 2025
From the Olympic Peninsula we had originally intended to go to Kennewick, Washington and visit the wine region. Kind of on a lark we decided that it might be fun to go to the Columbia River Gorge area instead. We had previously explored the wine region but we hadn’t spent any time around the gorge.
We set out from Port Angeles on US 101 which, as it turned south, hugged the bank of the Hood Canal. This portion of the drive was very scenic.
Around Olympia we merged onto I-5 south and continued on I-205 around Portland to I-84 east. In the Portland area, we had quite a fright. We were in the right lane of the interstate next to a merge lane when a firetruck with flashing lights and siren (which we couldn’t hear) suddenly appeared beside us in the merge lane. Bill instinctively changed to the left lane – luckily no-one was in that lane. He didn’t have time to check. Apparently the firetruck was headed for the next interchange where there was a lot of black smoke.
It wasn’t very long after that experience that we exited I-84 in Troutdale, Oregon and made our way to the campground – Sandy Riverfront RV Resort.
Sandy Riverfront RV Resort
Since the Columbia River Gorge area was not on our original itinerary this campground was the only one in the area that could accommodate a rig our size and was not fully booked. We found our concrete site reasonably sized and level. We were instructed to make sure neither the truck nor the RV extended into the fire lane at the front and back of our site lest we be fined. The campground had a path that led directly to the Sandy River, a welcome relief for some campers during our stay as it was very hot. Just down the river from the campground was an active railroad bridge. Luckily the trains were relatively quiet.
Troutdale
In 1872, sea captain John Harlow bought the town’s original land claim, building an expansive estate replete with trout ponds that he called Troutdale. He convinced the railroads to build a depot near his home, and the name stuck. Also called the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge, Troutdale is known for its fishing spots and antiques stores.
Troutdale
We drove through the historic section of Troutdale a couple of times but didn’t have time to explore the town. We did stop to pick up a pizza from Lolo’s Boss Pizza one evening on our way back to the campground.
Our primary reason for staying in this area was to explore the Columbia River Gorge and surrounding area.
Columbia River Sternwheeler Expedition Cruise
We thought that one of the best ways to see the gorge would be from the river itself and made reservations on the Columbia River Sternwheeler Expedition Cruise.
Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge operates dining and sightseeing cruises along the Columbia River with departures from Cascade Locks Marine Park. A popular boat tour less than an hour from Portland for locals and tourists alike, come aboard to experience the breathtaking vistas of northwest Oregon.
Sternwheeler
The M.V. Columbia Gorge is a 145-foot (44 m) sternwheeler in service on both the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. She was built in Hood River by Nichols Boat Works and was launched on August 30, 1983. The motors driving her 17-foot (5.2 m) paddle wheel are diesel-powered. She was partially modeled on the 1890-built Bailey Gatzert and is named for the Columbia River Gorge. She was built for the Port of Cascade Locks, at a cost of around $2.5 million, of which $1.1 million was funded by federal grants secured by U.S. Senators Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood, with a goal of boosting tourism in the area. After some delay in obtaining certification from the U.S. Coast Guard, Columbia Gorge took her maiden passenger voyage on October 29, 1983. The Port’s plans were for the boat to operate on the Columbia River, out of Cascade Locks, during summer months and on the Willamette River, out of Portland during winter months. Her design includes simulated hog chains, described in 1983 by The Oregonian as “upright posts on the top deck [which were] used on vintage boats to keep the hulls from vibrating and the wooden boats from warping”, but which on this vessel are for appearance only. She is certified to carry up to 599 passengers.
wikipedia
The relaxing, narrated Expedition Cruise alternates hourly between the West Loop and the East Loop. Our ticket was for the West Loop but at the completion of that loop we opted to stay onboard for the East Loop as well. (There was no extra charge to stay onboard for as many cruises as we wanted.)
One of the features along our route was the Bridge of the Gods, a steel truss cantilever bridge. It was used in the 2014 film Wild.
The bridge was completed by the Wauna Toll Bridge Company and opened in 1926 at a length of 1,127 feet. The higher river levels resulting from the construction of the Bonneville Dam required the bridge to be further elevated by 44 feet in 1938 and extended to its current length of 1,858 feet. The bridge is named after the historic geologic feature also known as Bridge of the Gods. Onlookers in September 1927 saw Charles Lindbergh fly the Spirit of St. Louis from Portland low over the new bridge and then, in a bit of barnstorming, make a 180 degree turn and fly back under the bridge, continuing to the Portland Airport, then on Swan Island.
wikipedia
Although the scenery was pretty, it was not as gorge-like (with towering rock walls) as we expected. It was actually more like a wide river.
Infinite Oregon Tour
After experiencing the gorge from the river, we also wanted to explore more from the land. For that we decided to take the full day Columbia Gorge Waterfalls and Mount Hood Loop with Infinite Oregon Tours.
Although the tour technically started in Portland, since Troutdale was on the route, our driver/guide agreed to pick us up at a Starbucks in an outlet mall very near the RV park.
Our first stop was at the Vista House at Crown Point (constructed as a rest stop – Million Dollar restroom – for travelers along the gorge highway) but it was closed. Bill was able to get a photo of the inside through one of the windows.
The history of the Vista House is directly linked to the rise of the automobile industry in the early 1900s when the Ford Motor Company industrialized the manufacturing of the automobile, creating a demand for more and better roads. At the time, most roads were dirt, making for dust in the summer and mud in winter. The state of Oregon responded to the demand by creating the State Highway Commission in 1913 to coordinate highway building policy statewide. That Commission resulted in a county-state partnership backed by wealthy Portlanders to take on the daunting task of constructing a thoroughfare stretching approximately 75 miles from Troutdale to The Dalles. The project began in 1913 and was completed in 1922. Upon its completion, the highway was hailed as a “tremendous feat in highway construction,” reflecting the visions of its builders to reconcile nature and civilization. It was the first planned scenic roadway in the United States.
It was one of the architects of the highway who first proposed building a comfort station for travelers on the new highway. As he described it, the Crown Point promontory was the ideal site for “an observatory from which the view both up and down the Columbia could be viewed in silent communion with the infinite.” He suggested the new building be known as the Vista House.
Edgar M. Lazarus, an American architect who was prominent in the Portland, Oregon, was selected to design the Vista House in 1915. Construction began December 29, 1916. Originally budgeted at $12,000, Lazarus’ expanding design goals caused costs to balloon to $100,000. Multnomah County picked up the bulk of the expense.
The octagonal building stands 733 feet above the Columbia River. The structure is 44 feet in diameter and 55 feet high. The exterior is gray sandstone. The roof, which for almost 50 years was capped with copper tiles, now has its crown restored to the original matte-glazed green tiles.
Inside, Tokeen Alaskan Marble was used to surface the floors and stairs in the rotunda and as wainscoting on the basement walls. The upper windows are greenish opalized glass. The rotunda windows are also greenish opalized glass with clear glass in the viewing areas. The inside of the dome and its supporting ribs were painted to simulate the marble and bronze details. Attached to the wall just below the dome, eight busts of four unidentified Native Americans are aligned so that each mirrors its own likeness.
Vista House
From our perch at the Vista House, we descended via a winding road to Waterfall Row – a 12 mile stretch with numerous waterfalls. We obviously didn’t have time to stop at them all so our guide chose the 3 – 4 best. The first one was Bridal Veil Falls with a brief detour to the post office at Bridal Veil, Oregon.
In Bridal Veil, around 30 miles east of Portland along the Columbia, lie the remnants of a once-bustling lumber community. The mill, school, and church, all of which once served some 150 residents, are long shuttered; all that remains is a cemetery, and, surprisingly, a post office. This 10-by-10-foot wooden outpost is one of the smallest post offices in the country but still does big business, catering to thousands of betrotheds every year who send in their wedding invitations for a much-coveted Bridal Veil postmark.
Bridal Veil
After Bridal Veil we stopped at Latourell Falls.
Then we continued on to probably the most well-known of the falls – Multnomah Falls.
Visiting Multnomah Falls, a 611-foot-tall roaring, awe-inspiring cascade of icy water, lets you experience the power and beauty of nature up close and with ease. From the parking area off of I-84, a 5-minute walk is all that separates you from the exhilarating spray at the base of the falls.
According to Native American lore, Multnomah Falls was created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place to bathe. Although you can see the top portion of the falls from the highway, to view both tiers you have to walk to the viewing area located in a carved-out opening in the rock face. Tilting your head up in the narrow rocky confines of the steep cliffs, you get a mind-boggling perspective on the sheer magnitude of the falls.
For an even closer view, walk another several hundred feet up the paved trail to reach Benson Bridge, which spans the falls at the first tier’s misty base. Standing on the bridge you have a perfect view of the top tier’s full 542-foot height and a knee-wobbling vantage point over the second tier’s 69-foot drop! The bridge is named for Simon Benson, a prominent Portland businessman who owned the falls in the early part of the 1900s. Before his death, Benson gave Multnomah Falls to the City of Portland, which later transferred ownership to the USDA Forest Service.
To make the outing complete, visit the Multnomah Falls Lodge which was built in 1925 to serve throngs of tourists who came to view the spectacular sights of the Columbia Gorge. Today, the historic structure (made of every type of rock found in the gorge) houses a gift shop with plenty of postcards, a restaurant with Northwest Cuisine and unbeatable views of the falls, and a US Forest Service Information Center where you can find trail maps.
Multnomah Falls
After Waterfall Row, our next stop was Hood River – a quaint walkable town (if you like hills) known for being one of the top 3 places in the world to kite-board and windsurf. It also boasts incredibly easy access to mountain biking, class 4 and 5 whitewater kayaking and rafting, skiing, hiking, fishing, birding, and sailing.
Our guide drove through town while highlighting points of interest and some of the microbreweries, winery tasting rooms, restaurants, and cafes available for lunch. Bill and I selected Bette’s Place as our lunch spot. Our guide had warned us that the portions were large at this restaurant and he was right!
With our bellies full, we climbed back aboard our tour van and headed south on OR-35 into the world famous “Fruit Loop”. Here the landscape changed to rolling foothills full of orchards and vineyards. This area is the #1 Anjou Pear producing region in the U.S. and prides itself on growing sumptuous apples, cherries, berries, apricots, wine grapes and many other agricultural delights. We stopped at Packer’s Orchard and Bakery to sample (the white peaches were delicious as were the jams), shop (cinnamon rolls with marionberry jam were a hit), and enjoy a view of Mount Adams.
From Packer’s we continued on OR-35 S until it merged with US-26 W. Then we turned onto Timberline Highway until we arrived at Timberline Lodge.
Constructed in 1937, Timberline Lodge stands on the south slope of Mt. Hood at an elevation of 6,000 feet. This beautiful 55,000 square foot structure rises out of a pristine alpine landscape and is still being used for its original intent – a magnificent ski lodge and mountain retreat for everyone to enjoy. Legendary and awe-inspiring, it’s a tribute to the rugged spirit of the Pacific Northwest. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977, Timberline Lodge is one of Oregon’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing nearly two million visitors every year.
Timberline Lodge
Some of you might recognize Timberline Lodge as it was used for the exterior of the fictional Overlook Hotel throughout the Jack Nicholson film The Shining. We were given some time to explore the lodge and adjoining grounds. There is a replica of the ax used in the movie at the front desk in case you were wondering. No, I didn’t let Bill touch it.
All that was left of our tour was the long 1 1/2 hour ride back to our starting point. The ride actually took longer since we encountered the teams participating in the 196 mile Hood to Coast running relay race. (Teams consist of 8 or 12 members. Each runner runs between 14.15 and 18.27 miles depending on your number of teammates and specific legs assigned. The relay spans 24 to 36 hours). I was honestly amazed watching these runners as it was over 100 degrees that day.
Back at the campground we completed our usual evening preparations so that we would be ready to leave the next morning. Next up – Utah with an overnight in Idaho on the way.
