Columbia Gorge

Our road trip to Oregon was initially going to be just along the Coastal Route. That changed when our nephew John and niece Jenny suggested we make the effort to head Northeast to the Columbia Gorge, home of close to fifty waterfalls. 

Google photos further encouraged me to change plans and include a couple of days in what turned out one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. And thanks to our friend Doug, who hosted us the first two nights of our journey in Crescent City, we were given expert tips on how to make the most of our stay.

We camped for two nights in Ainsworth State Park, right next to the train tracks which made for interesting night noise. However we were also surrounded by deep forest, the majestic river and a deep sense of peace in all that nature.

Photo by Jen G

We had some fun water time both by falls and on a lake. And my grad school friend Jen was able to join us for a morning hike up to Horsetail Falls (all but Havana were up for a longer hike; she won out because the fuss bugs were not worth fighting that day)

While up on the Gorge, we stumbled upon a blueberry farm and another time a nice couple let the girls have a go on their paddle board. We ate dinner at a local place in Cascade Locks filled with artifacts and history of the original peoples of the area and the scrumptious homemade food left our bellies so full that we sleep like rocks in our tent that night.

I thought the area would be pretty and peaceful but I was not prepared for just how majestic and magnificent it was. Sadly, a few days after we left a reckless teenager tossed a firecracker into the dry, hot forest, setting the area ablaze. To this day the (Eagle Creek) fire has close to 50,000 acres and is only around 46% contained. Any fire is tragic but after having been graced with the beauty of the Columbia Gorge just a few days prior, all of our hearts felt heavy. We were humbly grateful that we were able to witness her grandiosity before she burned.