Sep 3, 2012 - On the road again

The Dalles is an incredible area as well as highway 84 being scenic and a fun drive. The most amazing sight was Mt. Adams. One can see this mountain from the Taylor's home. Then 2 hours away one can see it along the Columbian river. Finally, in Portland, Mt. Adams stands out and is a part of the skyline. The city of The Dalles has a motto: "By working together, we will provide services that enhance the vitality of The Dalles." From Wikipedia: The name of the city comes from the French word dalle (meaning either "sluice" or "flagstone" and...

Aug 26, 2012 - Columbia River Gorge, WA

After our long day at Mt. Rainier we decided we needed a more relaxing day. It was Sunday afterall. We were near the Columbia River Gorge so we drove part way on the Washington side and crossed over to Oregon over the Bridge of the Gods. Not sure why it is called that but maybe it was a prayer to the gods to keep us safe while going over the wide, high expanse. On the Oregon side we stopped at Vista House which is situated high on top of a huge rock overlooking the river. The view of the river and miles around was incredible. It was a...

Apr 8, 2011 - The Dalles, Oregon

Almost there. The remainder of today was spent making up time for the two days lost in Wells, Nevada. My goal was to be back in Portland by this weekend. My secondary goal was to get past the Meacham Pass – otherwise known as Dead Man’s Pass – before dark. Today. Fortunately, 93 going north was in good shape. Although the speed limit was 70 mph, most people were staying down around 60, and there wasn’t really a good way for me to pass, so I just stayed in line and took it easy. My original plan would have taken me up through Oregon, either...

Aug 27, 2010 - The Dailes OR to Crater Lake and then the Oregon Coast , . . .

Friday - Update on Kyle - got results from x-ray today on his knee - all is good and nothing is broken. Still in quite a bit of pain from all the swelling. More ice and rest!! Back to the doctor on Monday., now onto David, Bradley and Deans' trip: Left The Dailes this morning and headed towards Crater lake. Good riding today and the weather is nice. Got to White Springs Oregon for a break, then onto Bend, Oregon where they stopped for lunch. Going to continue on to Crater Lake and then to Roseburg for the night, staying at the travel lodge....

Apr 16, 2010 - Last Day in Oregon

Last night we heard trains rolling down the tracks not far from our campsite in the state park. There is only one set of tracks and the trains seemed to always be going from west to east. It got pretty quiet as the night wore on and we were not really bothered by the sounds of the trains. One does get the impression that commerce via freight trains is doing just fine through the Cascades. The trains we saw today had shipping containers on them, the ones that also go on ships. One theory would be that the trains that go from west to east...

Sep 7, 2009 - Columbia River Gorge

Saw the Columbia River Gorge today - beautiful! We drove east on highway 30 and I84 (only road in the area) in Oregon making several stops to see waterfalls and overlooks in the rain. It seemed like every time we got out for a short hike the rain would get harder. Finally, we gave up and saw the last waterfall from the vehicle - we will have to go back later to get a better look since that one Multnomah Falls. That one is really nice with a nice falls at the top of the hill then a 620 foot drop just before it hit the ground near the road....

May 5, 2009 - Columbia River Gorge

When viewed through the dreary, continuous rain of the NW, the Columbia River Gorge remained spectacular. It is 80 miles long and up to 4000 feet deep in some places. From the pictures note the change in terrain. There is an absence of thick forest growth but not the lush green color. Even before we new of the multiple power generating stations along the Columbia River, our eyes saw the might power. We toured the COE Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery. I-84 parallels the river, views are great. In the fifty miles covered, we have come across...

Oct 4, 2008 - The Dalles, OR - Another Rainy Day

(Ron Writing) It rained all night and was still raining this morning. We noticed webs starting to grow between our toes and decided it was time to leave western Washington! We headed south on I-5 to Kelso and Kalama along the north side of the Columbia River. At Woodland we took Hwy. 503 west. Hwy. 503 is a rural highway that runs along the Lewis River, Lake Merwin, Yale Lake, and the south tip of Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. It then enters into the Pinchot National Forest and becomes Forest Road 90 winding along Swift...

Jul 24, 2008 - Renewing old friendships

In the late 1960's, Tim's Dad, Willard, bought 65 acres of land on the side of a mountain near Camas, Washington. He had a lovely home built there that faces Mt. Hood and has a gorgeous view of the entire forested mountains that surround them. A few of his nine kids also built homes on this land. One of them was Tim, my BFF, Barb's, husband. Tim built his home with the help of family. It, too, is a lovely, lovely 3 story home. John and I had the privilege of parking "Annie" on Willard's lawn and thoroughly enjoyed the breathtaking view out...

Jul 10, 2008 - We made it to Oregon!

We made it to Oregon! We left Fruitland, Idaho around eleven this morning. We had our final all day drive ahead of us but had one stop to make about an hour over the state line. We could not miss out on the opportunity to visit the Oregon Trail Interpretive Museum in Baker City. We thoroughly enjoyed the museum and the lifelike displays. To see and hear the exhibits and read about their journey left me with an overwhelming urgency to count my blessings. After leaving there, we stopped at a roadside picnic spot on I-84 between two mountain...

Jul 9, 2008 - Portland, OR to The Dalles, OR

Wow, we made it thru Portland - AAA kinda let us down here as to the correct exits. But we managed to find the right one & was soon on our way E. Stopped in Troutdale for gas ($4.15/gal) - Yeah!!! Who would ever think we'd be celebrating gasoline at $4.15!!! We are in the Columbia River Gorge, the weather is very changeable here - but it is known for extremely high winds. The average annual rainfall decreases about an inch per mile between Cascade Locks and The Dalles, with an average of 75" to a mere 12" from one point to the next! Best...

May 9, 2008 - Columbia River Gorge, OR

We could not leave Oregon without a visit to the Mount Hood and Columbia River Gorge areas. After a careful look at the weather, we picked Friday as the most likely day for sunshine, a much needed factor for maximum enjoyment of these areas. And the weather did not disappoint. Despite the fact that we left Portland behind enshrouded in clouds (I seriously do not know how people live in a place where the sun shines so few days – I think the weather has impacted my mood lately), we were treated to clear, blue skies once we hit the core of the...