Columbia River Gorge
Today we would spend the day traveling through one of the most spectacularly scenic areas of the United States. The down cutting of the Cascade Volcanic range by the powerful Columbia River created the Columbia River Gorge. The river has existed in one form or another for several million years. The younger Cascade volcanoes rose during the past few hundred thousand years, but were not able to block the mighty Columbia in its quest to reach the sea. It was able to cut a path that has made a unique corridor from the Pacific Ocean to the high steppe desert environment of eastern Washington and Oregon.
We began at the east end of the gorge in the town of The Dalles, Oregon where we visited the Columbia Gorge interpretative Center, which also houses the Wasco County Museum. The weather was perfect with just a few clouds for composition as the Sea Bird cruised by on the river just below the center as we enjoyed the view.
Later in the morning some of us enjoyed a walk or bike ride on a refurbished section of the Columbia Historic Highway which has been closed to cars. Others enjoyed some shopping time in Hood River, which is the windsurfing capital of North America.
During lunch the Sea Bird continued west down the river and through the last lock of our journey, Bonneville. After that we enjoyed the grandeur of the gorge including the magnificent Multnomah Falls, the fourth highest falls in North America and the most visited attraction in the state of Oregon.
Today we would spend the day traveling through one of the most spectacularly scenic areas of the United States. The down cutting of the Cascade Volcanic range by the powerful Columbia River created the Columbia River Gorge. The river has existed in one form or another for several million years. The younger Cascade volcanoes rose during the past few hundred thousand years, but were not able to block the mighty Columbia in its quest to reach the sea. It was able to cut a path that has made a unique corridor from the Pacific Ocean to the high steppe desert environment of eastern Washington and Oregon.
We began at the east end of the gorge in the town of The Dalles, Oregon where we visited the Columbia Gorge interpretative Center, which also houses the Wasco County Museum. The weather was perfect with just a few clouds for composition as the Sea Bird cruised by on the river just below the center as we enjoyed the view.
Later in the morning some of us enjoyed a walk or bike ride on a refurbished section of the Columbia Historic Highway which has been closed to cars. Others enjoyed some shopping time in Hood River, which is the windsurfing capital of North America.
During lunch the Sea Bird continued west down the river and through the last lock of our journey, Bonneville. After that we enjoyed the grandeur of the gorge including the magnificent Multnomah Falls, the fourth highest falls in North America and the most visited attraction in the state of Oregon.
