Till now we had just travelled one side of the loop and it was time now to explore the other side of it. One side where we saw the vastness and high reach of the mountains and the beautiful valley, on the other side we were going to see something different but surely full of beauty.
So what do you think lies on the other side ??
Yeah !!! The very gorgeous Columbia River flowing with so much elegance and its serene beauty glistening through the Columbia River Gorge. This Gorge is the largest National Scenic Area in the US and spans about 80 miles and about 4000 feet deep as the river flows westwards through the Cascade Range.The river also forms the boundary between the Washington and Oregon states.
We headed North towards the river via Hwy 35 and crossed the Columbia River. All the beautiful waterfalls lie on the Oregon side of the but we decided to cross the river so that we get to drive along the scenic highway along the river.
It was an awesome drive. Enjoyed driving in the rains. Then crossed the famous Bridge of the Gods.
There are quiet a few scenic points that can be visited in this area but definitely there can be a lot of factors that can limit your visit and view as well. As it was a very cloudy and rainy day and luckily we were able to visit the beautiful water falls along the Gorge amidst the mist that engulfed the gorge.
There are several waterfalls on the scenic byway off the Interstate Hwy 84. We took the byway to enjoy the three beautiful ones. They are also connected via trails and you can spend a day of hiking and enjoying the various other fall in the vicinity. It was not our day for hiking due to the rains and kids :D . So here are the gorgeous ones ...
This was the first one and the Horsetail Fall Loop hike also begins here that would lead you to the other falls that we visited.
So what do you think lies on the other side ??
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| Pic Courtesy : www.mikeputnamphoto.com |
Yeah !!! The very gorgeous Columbia River flowing with so much elegance and its serene beauty glistening through the Columbia River Gorge. This Gorge is the largest National Scenic Area in the US and spans about 80 miles and about 4000 feet deep as the river flows westwards through the Cascade Range.The river also forms the boundary between the Washington and Oregon states.
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| Hood River Bridge |
It was an awesome drive. Enjoyed driving in the rains. Then crossed the famous Bridge of the Gods.
There are quiet a few scenic points that can be visited in this area but definitely there can be a lot of factors that can limit your visit and view as well. As it was a very cloudy and rainy day and luckily we were able to visit the beautiful water falls along the Gorge amidst the mist that engulfed the gorge.
There are several waterfalls on the scenic byway off the Interstate Hwy 84. We took the byway to enjoy the three beautiful ones. They are also connected via trails and you can spend a day of hiking and enjoying the various other fall in the vicinity. It was not our day for hiking due to the rains and kids :D . So here are the gorgeous ones ...
Horsetail Falls
This was the first one and the Horsetail Fall Loop hike also begins here that would lead you to the other falls that we visited.
Multnomah Falls
The most beautiful of all the three these are about 611 feet high. You can hike to reach the Benson bridge (built in 1914) that gives more scenic views of the river flowing through the gorge and also the complete upper part of the fall that is about 542 feet. Another 1 mile hike takes you up to the top of the falls. This would definitely give you some breath-taking views of the gorge.
A different trail also connects you to this waterfall if you started your hike from the Horsetail Falls.
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| Multnomah Lodge |
The historic Multnomah Falls Lodge ( built in 1925 ) that is located right at the base of the waterfall, offers some great dining options and a great gift shop too. After enjoying this beautiful place we moved to the next waterfall.
Wahkeena Falls
This 242 feet waterfall is not tall as Multnomah Falls but cascading flow of water. Also connected to Horsetail and Multnomah falls by a trail, this is another spot the tourists love to stop by and enjoy.
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| Wahkeena Falls |
Apart from the beautiful waterfalls, if you would like to adore the beauty of the Gorge, you can visit the Crown Point. It offers you immensely beautiful views of the gorge. The historical Vista House also can be visited, which is an observatory at the Crown Point. It was built in 1916.
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| Vista House at Crown Point Pic Courtesy : www.oregonstateparks.org |
This was a great day of our #AwesomeRoadTrip. We moved towards our stop for the night that was in Vancouver, Washington. But before that we were lucky enough to take a peek at the sunset :) on the Columbia River. Not a full view but yeah whatever the clouds permitted.
With a new day we will start a new exploration of a new place. Till then Happy Reading ...
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