Today we entered the Columbia River Gorge with a bang. Just before we hit the Gorge itself we stopped at a place in Troutdale, OR called McMenamin's Edgefield. This may be the height of drinking establishments. McMenamin's is a Portland based brewing company that buys up old real estate and converts it into awesome bars. This one in particular was a a farm house, turned nursing home, turned spooky house on the hill before they converted it into a hotel with 9 seperate bars on the grounds. We had a drink at the Little Red Shed, a tiny, cozy little affair that may have been a drying or smoking room or other small outdoor building from the farm days. It had a fire place, and was just the essence of quaint.
Fortified with fine drink we entered the Columbia River Gorge along the Sandy River, and from mile one, we knew it was going to be phenomenal. Small water falls were everywhere, spouting out the sides of the bluffs above us, and we were surround by the green of the continuing rainforest. Climbing the big hill of the day brought us first to the Portland Women's forum overlooking the Columbia River, and then to Vista House. Vista House was constructed early in the 20th century as a reststop of travelers along the Columbia River Scenic Highway, and it certainly offers respite with a view. The Columbia River Stretches in both directions, and on clear days you can see for 30 miles.
Descending from the Vista house on a fast, windy road brought us into the falls zone. Every couple of miles is the opportunity to see a spectacular waterfall. We stopped at Multnomah Falls. At 600+ feet it is the second longest Falls in the Continental US. It is glorious. The falls have carved the volcanic basalt into and ampitheater covered in vegetation. As you stand on the bridge above the crash pool the thundering of the water, amplified by the rock, drowns out the traffic on the highway below, and the whole world seems to melt away. I've could have stood there in awe for hours. After tearing myself away from the splendor of the falls, we rode a couple more miles to Ainsworth State Park, where we camped amidst the Rain Forest itself.
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