Columbia Gorge
This morning, early risers were treated to a view of Mt. Hood glowing in the early morning sun down river, a sight welcomed by Lewis and Clark 201 years ago.
We disembarked at the dock at The Dalles, Oregon, to board buses for a visit to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Museum where we enjoyed displays on the geology, botany, zoology, history, and cultures of the Gorge. Of special interest were the exhibits relating to the Corps of Discovery and the cargo they carried with them (all 58,000 pounds!). We resumed our bus trip and traveled on a restored portion of the Columbia River Historic Highway, built between 1913 and 1922 with the leadership of Sam Hill and the engineering talents of Sam Lancaster. It was the first paved road in the Northwest and the first to link the eastern and western portions of the Gorge, and it was a great stimulus to travel by automobile along the river.
After a pause for a photo as the Rowena Crest Overlook, we took either 1.5 or 4.5 mile hikes along another portion of the old highway, including the stretch through the Mosier Tunnels. These tunnels, 400 feet in length, were cut through solid basalt at the remarkable cost of only $37.30 per linear foot. The waning fall colors enlivened our bus trip and our hikes, and we engaged in a friendly competition to find the largest specimens of leaves from big-leaf maples.
We re-boarded the Sea Bird in Hood River and enjoyed a well-earned lunch as we cast off. As we continued down the Gorge, we were amazed at the dramatic transition from the arid basaltic cliffs of eastern Washington and Oregon through the Cascade Range to the temperate rain forest in the west. In just 40 miles, we observed drastic changes in the appearance of the slopes on both sides of the river, and marveled at the power of water to poke through the mountain range.
When we reached the Cascade Lock, we disembarked and traveled by bus down the Gorge to Multnomah Falls and hiked up to the foot bridge or beyond. At 620 feet, Multnomah Falls is the highest in the Gorge and the most visited natural attraction in Oregon. We returned to the ship and passed through our last lock at Bonneville Dam (could we really have made 16 lock passages? No more bumps in the night!). We continued down river, anticipating as did Lewis and Clark, reaching the mouth of the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean.
This morning, early risers were treated to a view of Mt. Hood glowing in the early morning sun down river, a sight welcomed by Lewis and Clark 201 years ago.
We disembarked at the dock at The Dalles, Oregon, to board buses for a visit to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Museum where we enjoyed displays on the geology, botany, zoology, history, and cultures of the Gorge. Of special interest were the exhibits relating to the Corps of Discovery and the cargo they carried with them (all 58,000 pounds!). We resumed our bus trip and traveled on a restored portion of the Columbia River Historic Highway, built between 1913 and 1922 with the leadership of Sam Hill and the engineering talents of Sam Lancaster. It was the first paved road in the Northwest and the first to link the eastern and western portions of the Gorge, and it was a great stimulus to travel by automobile along the river.
After a pause for a photo as the Rowena Crest Overlook, we took either 1.5 or 4.5 mile hikes along another portion of the old highway, including the stretch through the Mosier Tunnels. These tunnels, 400 feet in length, were cut through solid basalt at the remarkable cost of only $37.30 per linear foot. The waning fall colors enlivened our bus trip and our hikes, and we engaged in a friendly competition to find the largest specimens of leaves from big-leaf maples.
We re-boarded the Sea Bird in Hood River and enjoyed a well-earned lunch as we cast off. As we continued down the Gorge, we were amazed at the dramatic transition from the arid basaltic cliffs of eastern Washington and Oregon through the Cascade Range to the temperate rain forest in the west. In just 40 miles, we observed drastic changes in the appearance of the slopes on both sides of the river, and marveled at the power of water to poke through the mountain range.
When we reached the Cascade Lock, we disembarked and traveled by bus down the Gorge to Multnomah Falls and hiked up to the foot bridge or beyond. At 620 feet, Multnomah Falls is the highest in the Gorge and the most visited natural attraction in Oregon. We returned to the ship and passed through our last lock at Bonneville Dam (could we really have made 16 lock passages? No more bumps in the night!). We continued down river, anticipating as did Lewis and Clark, reaching the mouth of the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean.
