Hood River, OR
Early this morning as we continued our downstream adventure on the Columbia River, the sun shone pink on snow-capped Mount Hood. After breakfast the Sea Bird tied up in the port of The Dalles and we boarded coaches for a visit to the Wasco County Museum and Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Wandering through the exhibits, we gained an excellent understanding of the natural and cultural history of the Columbia Gorge. Before we arrived at our next destination, we placed our trust in our driver’s hands, and the motor coaches wound their way up, up, up, along a narrow, windy, curving section of the old Columbia Highway. Coming out of the final turn, we found ourselves atop Rowena Crest, high above the Columbia River, looking out over a vast and beautiful landscape.
After listening to a fantastic piece of recent history from Jerry Igo, we came to appreciate the special spot even more. In the mid-1960s, a young woman named Barbara Robinson from Chicago was making her way to Portland for her freshman year of college. On the train ride west, she awoke in the Columbia Gorge, fascinated with the beauty and drama of the land. Her first weekend of school, she biked all the way from Portland back to the Gorge. She spent many weekends that first year camping up on the crest overlooking the river. Upon learning that the land was to be sold and developed into a motor bike race track, Barbara appealed to her family, and somehow raised enough money to purchase the land away from the developers. A few years later, young Barbara turned the land to the Nature Conservancy. With help from the Oregon State Parks, Barbara and the Nature Conservancy were able to preserve the 234 acres atop Rowena Crest.
We were allowed more spectacular views later in the morning from another section of the Columbia Highway. Biking and walking along the “Paradise Road,” we were treated to the scenic splendor of the highway that follows the contours of a ridge overlooking the mighty Columbia. Lined with gary oaks and ponderosa pine, this trail gave us an opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest. Steller’s jays and nuthatch serenaded us as we made our way up and down the gentle hills. The highway was designed and engineered in the early 1900s by Sam Hill and Sam Lancaster, two men determined to construct a road that would make the gorgeous Columbia Gorge more accessible in a new era of transportation. More than half a century later the “Paradise Road” is still introducing folks to the natural beauty of the Gorge. Now, however, with automobiles having long since abandoned the historic highway for the modern super-highway, visitors are able to make their way leisurely along the preserved section of highway.
As we cruised through the Gorge in the afternoon, perhaps our thoughts returned to what we had learned this morning – Sam Hill and Sam Lancaster and their “Paradise Road” and young Barbara Robinson on Rowena Crest – and the difference just one person’s dreams can make.
Early this morning as we continued our downstream adventure on the Columbia River, the sun shone pink on snow-capped Mount Hood. After breakfast the Sea Bird tied up in the port of The Dalles and we boarded coaches for a visit to the Wasco County Museum and Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Wandering through the exhibits, we gained an excellent understanding of the natural and cultural history of the Columbia Gorge. Before we arrived at our next destination, we placed our trust in our driver’s hands, and the motor coaches wound their way up, up, up, along a narrow, windy, curving section of the old Columbia Highway. Coming out of the final turn, we found ourselves atop Rowena Crest, high above the Columbia River, looking out over a vast and beautiful landscape.
After listening to a fantastic piece of recent history from Jerry Igo, we came to appreciate the special spot even more. In the mid-1960s, a young woman named Barbara Robinson from Chicago was making her way to Portland for her freshman year of college. On the train ride west, she awoke in the Columbia Gorge, fascinated with the beauty and drama of the land. Her first weekend of school, she biked all the way from Portland back to the Gorge. She spent many weekends that first year camping up on the crest overlooking the river. Upon learning that the land was to be sold and developed into a motor bike race track, Barbara appealed to her family, and somehow raised enough money to purchase the land away from the developers. A few years later, young Barbara turned the land to the Nature Conservancy. With help from the Oregon State Parks, Barbara and the Nature Conservancy were able to preserve the 234 acres atop Rowena Crest.
We were allowed more spectacular views later in the morning from another section of the Columbia Highway. Biking and walking along the “Paradise Road,” we were treated to the scenic splendor of the highway that follows the contours of a ridge overlooking the mighty Columbia. Lined with gary oaks and ponderosa pine, this trail gave us an opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest. Steller’s jays and nuthatch serenaded us as we made our way up and down the gentle hills. The highway was designed and engineered in the early 1900s by Sam Hill and Sam Lancaster, two men determined to construct a road that would make the gorgeous Columbia Gorge more accessible in a new era of transportation. More than half a century later the “Paradise Road” is still introducing folks to the natural beauty of the Gorge. Now, however, with automobiles having long since abandoned the historic highway for the modern super-highway, visitors are able to make their way leisurely along the preserved section of highway.
As we cruised through the Gorge in the afternoon, perhaps our thoughts returned to what we had learned this morning – Sam Hill and Sam Lancaster and their “Paradise Road” and young Barbara Robinson on Rowena Crest – and the difference just one person’s dreams can make.
