On Sunday morning, Kenneth and Melinda joined the eight of us for a trip on the old Columbia River Gorge. We all piled into the Willie and headed back toward Troutdale. We found out why the road was going to be closed. A car show in the middle of the road. Luckily, the detour was easy to take, and we were back on our way in no time.
First stop: Vista House. Built as a rest stop for travelers in the early 1900's, it was usually frequented by the elite who owned cars and could get away from the city. Now, it now serves as an observation point for the Gorge. This was the first of several times during the day where we lucked into a parking spot. One thing we have noticed is that Oregon does not have excessive parking for RV travelers.
Narrow, curving and winding roads were not what we expected on this trip, but it is what we got. But that was ok, because it was stunningly gorgeous. We stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, and indeed they look like a bridal veil.
Latourell Falls, with its bright chartreuse moss and interesting geologic rock structure,
and Multnomah Falls, which plunges over a ledge left by the Columbia as it carved the gorge.
Each one had a short hike, but at Multnoman Falls, we had an opportunity to take a hike to the top of the Falls. Betsy, Kathleen, Kenneth, Melinda, Don and I took the challenge to get to the top. It was a steep climb, and when we came to the first marker - 2 of 11 Switchbacks - we wondered if we were crazy. But we counted off each switchback, stopping as necessary, and soon we were at the top.
Unfortunately, the view was not nearly as rewarding as the journey was! But I am glad we did it, even if it was only because my Fitbit told me we had gone 110 flights of stairs.
We also had great luck parking the RV, especially at Multnomah Falls. We found a bus spot, parked in it, and by the time we returned, there were so many cars, we would never have found a place to park.
By the time we finished our hot hike, we were ready for some lunch. Off to Hood River!
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