On our way west to the Columbia River Gorge, we spent one night in Huntington, OR on the bank of the Snake River. The Snake River is the largest tributary into the Columbia River.
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| Sunset on the Snake River |
The next 3 nights we camped on the bank of the Columbia River at the wonderful city park in Boardman, OR.
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| Sunrise on the Columbia River |
The day before we left Boardman, we saw a sign for "Fresh Columbia River Salmon". That got our attention! We found the fisherman campground and were told we were about 4 hours too late as they were all sold out, but to come back tomorrow at 11 a.m. and they'd have more fish. The next day we got to the fishing camp at 11:05 and the only salmon they had left was a monstrosity that would have fed an army. We said "thanks, but no thanks". Bummer, no fresh salmon for dinner tonight...or so we thought.
MEMALOOSE STATE PARK - Sept. 27 - Oct. 1
Staying in Oregon, we drove along the Columbia River and entered the gorge area. The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. The headwaters are in British Columbia, Canada and the river flows 1,243 miles to the Pacific Ocean, defining much of the border between the States of Washington and Oregon. The scenery is spectacular with the river cutting through rock and forming islands, gorgeous vistas, rock formations, and lush forests.
We arrived, by luck and no help from our GPS, at Memaloose State Park which is a spit of land between I-84 on the south, and a railroad track and the Columbia River to the north. Memaloose means "land of the dead" in the Chinook Indian language. Lewis and Clark discovered many Indian burial vaults on the islands in the river.
SALMON FOR DINNER
Joe and Linda, the couple camping next to us were here to fish the river for several days. When they arrived back at camp with their boat we went over to introduce ourselves and see if they had any luck fishing. Linda had caught one beautiful salmon, and after we "ooed" and "aahed" over the fish, they both insisted we take it. We said "No, we can't take your only fish". They assured us that they had more fish than they needed and were going to give it away; so in that case, we gratefully took the fish. Joe loaned Jim his fillet knife and we not only had REALLY fresh delicious salmon for dinner, we put enough in the freezer for 3 more meals. Thank you Joe and Linda! ATTENTION WALLEYE FISHERMEN: we were told there is no limit on walleye taken from the river as there are too many and they eat the baby salmon; they just want those pesky walleye out of there. Just might have to check out that rumor.
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| Jim: "I got my apron, now I just need your fillet knife, Joe." Joe: "Nice apron, Jim". |
Saturday, we drove 5 miles to the town of Hood River for the Hood River Hops Fest where 42 local and regional breweries serve up some of their fresh brews made with hops grown in the region. We got to the festival gate and they wouldn't let me in because I didn't have an ID with me. Really, are you kidding? I walked 6 blocks back to the car to get my ID and was allowed to enter the festival. I would have been flattered, but NO ONE got in without an ID. It was a fun time beer tasting, eating some great food from local restaurants, and people watching.
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| Town of Hood River |
RAIN & SNOW
It's been raining almost non-stop since we arrived. The locals say it's unusual to have this much rain this time of year. Sunday, we drove through the Fruit Loop (an area of orchards, vegetable farms, and vineyards) to Timberland Lodge on Mount Hood. We never did see Mt. Hood because the clouds were so thick. The rain turned to snow and Jim had to put the Jeep into 4-wheel drive to get around an RV stuck in the snow on the highway.
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| Dang, I didn't pack my skis. |
WASHINGTON GENEROSITY
On our way to visit the Columbia Gorge Falls Area, we took a side trip over the Hood River Toll Bridge to White Salmon, WA. We stopped at the Riggleman Produce Farm to get some fresh fruit and veggies. As we walked in, the delightful owner said "Oh, I'm sorry we aren't open today, but come on in and look around. I see you have a Wisconsin license plate; are you really from Wisconsin?". We said "ya sure, you betcha". As we visited with the owner and picked out some apples, onions, and potatoes, she said "everything is free today!". We said "WHAT? No, we want to pay you". She insisted she was not going to take any money, so we gratefully accepted her generosity. Thank you Mrs. Riggleman!
FALLS
The most visited site in Oregon is Multnomah Falls; the tallest waterfall in Oregon. The water thunders off the cliff in 2 steps, with the upper falls dropping 542' and the lower falls dropping 69'.
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| Upper Multnomah Falls |
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