Columbia River Gorge 2011

7-4-11
We are at the Gateway Elks Lodge in Portland, Oregon. It was a short trip from Centralia.
The motorhome was not acting up today. Everything was normal.
Before we left Centralia we went to a truck cleaning bay and gave the motorhome a fast cleaning.
Since it is the 4th of July, and a lot of people are on the road, we did not go sightseeing. A Winco store is just around the corner. It is a good place to restock our refrigerator and cupboards.
We did just that. Across from Winco is a Fred Meyer store. Doreen had never been to Fred Meyer, so we paid them a visit.
Doreen noticed that they have free WIFI throughout the store. Later, I came back with my computer and did my E mail.
The rest of the day we relaxed.

7-5-11
In the morning we went to Kaiser Permanente to have Doreen’s blood drawn. This is a monthly ritual.
From Kaiser we drove up the Columbia River Gorge. This is a spectacular drive. On one side is the wide river and on the other side are high bluffs and several waterfalls.
At Mosier we left Interstate 84 and drove the old highway 30. This highway is at a higher elevation and one has a fantastic view along the river valley.
Just before The Dallas we returned to I-84.












At Maryhill we visited the Stonehenge Memorial. Sam Hill, a Pacific Northwest entrepreneur, had it built after he visited Britain. It is the same size as the original, but built like some people envision as it was before it fell apart.
We ate our lunch here. Lunch with a million dollar view. It can not get any better.
Mt. Hood is in the back.













Our next stop was the Maryhill Museum of Art.
It was built as a house for Sam Hill and his family. He had bought 5000 acres of land along the Columbia River to establish an agricultural community. When this failed the house became a museum.












On the way home we stopped at the Bonneville Dam and watched the fish jump up the ladders, through windows and outside.













They have an old turbine on display.












The lavender at the power station was beautiful.












When we came back to the motorhome we were pretty tired. Donna Huffer and Bob Parker are now also at the Gateway Elks. We visited with them for a short time. Curt was there too.
They are friends from the WIN's and it is always nice to see them.

7-6-11
We had a super day today. Donna and Bob came with us on our little ”Historic Columbia River Highway” tour.
We started in Troutdale driving on highway 30. At the Chanticlear lookout we could see the Vista House.
In the distance it was slightly foggy.














The Vista House is a jewel. It is a beautiful building and has a lot of marble for wall coverings. The view from the Vista House is also fantastic.


















Our next stop was the Latourell Water Falls. We visited several of the water falls along the river.

















The most visited natural site in Oregon is the Multnomah Falls and for good reason. It is a 620 feet double waterfall. A picture can’t show how impressive this natural wonder is.













A lot of beautiful structures were destroyed when Interstate 84 took over sections of highway 30.
This tunnel survived but is not used anymore.













At Cascade Locks we had lunch at a small café. We were sitting outside, next to the river. Life could not be better.











On the way home we drove over The Bridge of the Gods, to the Washington side of the river.

7-7-11
The sun was hiding today. It was ten degrees F. cooler than yesterday.
I took the MAX train to downtown Portland. Doreen still has problems walking.












At the Pioneer Courthouse Square I went to the Visitor Center and got information about the city.













I had bought a daily pass for $ 4.75 and was able to take all the public transportation in Portland.
I took the train to Washington Park. It is similar to Balboa Park in San Diego, but smaller.
At the park I took the Park Shuttle.
My first stop was the Japanese Garden .It is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan.
















From there I walked to the International Rose Test Garden. The garden has more than 9000 plantings of 560 varieties.
















I jumped on the shuttle again and went to the Portland Holocaust Memorial. The memorial is very plain, but still gets the message across. A violin, a broken suitcase, and a child’s toy are laying on the road leading to the monument.











From this memorial I walked to the Lewis and Clark Memorial.











The bus took me then to the World Forestry Center- Discovery Center. Here they have a lot of displays and videos of forest uses. I was impressed with the giant machine for cutting trees and lifting them, and putting them on a truck.













I learned that the cacao tree has its fruit on the trunk, not on the little branches.