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Columbia River Gorge
April 2007
OR
posted by Explorer49
For the third time in two years I drove through Columbia River Gorge today, each time I seem to be on the way somewhere else and am usually running behind schedule. I did take the scenic route today, stopped a few times and even hiked for a couple hours near a few of the falls.
The Gorge is one of those places you should make a point to see if you are ever even near the area, the south bank (OR side) is the most beautiful and most visited. The wet climate of the area creates thick, lush forests and hundreds of waterfalls along a 30-something mile stretch of Highway 84. It is advisable to take the few different scenic routes (old highway 30) that parallels the main road. There is a network of hiking trails that can be just a short walk or a week-long adventure. Most of the main attractions are well marked and maintained and because this was our nations first East – West route (Lewis & Clark 1800-something) it is fairly rich in history.
I spent the afternoon in Hood River, OR a small community that has over the past couple decades has become a hang out for adventurers, free-thinking, artisan type people, many custom clothing shops and art galleries occupy the 100 year old buildings. The guys at Mountain View Cycles sold me a map with a list of biking and hiking trails that is pretty lengthy – its worth spending some time here. Because of its close proximity to Portland it is pretty crowded on the weekends but don’t let that stop you, there are good reasons so many people go there.
Personally I plan to someday make it my destination and not just a stop on the way to somewhere else.
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