Our day started in Hood River, a community famous for windsurfing, craft beer, and local food. We boarded coaches and set out for Draper Girls’ Farm, a mother-and-daughter orchard and small farm in the Willamette Valley. We enjoyed fresh cider and apples, flowers, and goats and learned about their irrigation system, which flows directly from Mount Hood, the iconic glacier-clad volcano shining in the distance.
Our second stop was the Western Automotive and Aeroplane Museum (WAAAM), a massive building filled with restored vintage aircraft, autos, and motorcycles, mostly from 1900 through World War II. While this might seem an odd topic for a tour of the Columbia River, many of these vehicles owe their existence to the dams and aluminum plants along the river.
In the afternoon we visited Multnomah Falls, which cascades down from the rugged basalt cliffs on the south side of the river. It was a beautiful walk and an outstanding opportunity to photograph this highly scenic waterfall. We then sailed downstream through the Bonneville Lock, which carries ships past Bonneville Dam. One of the first of the major dams on the Columbia, Bonneville was completed in 1937 and was the inspiration for Woody Guthrie’s famous song “Roll On Columbia”.
The landscape is quickly greening and maples and firs are now growing on the hills surrounding the river. We are transitioning from the dry Palouse Prairie habitat into a wetter climate. By tomorrow we will be in a rain forest!
