DAY 40 - PORTLAND, OREGON 

JUNE 22 , 2014

Today is day 40 and we have a full day.  We visit Columbia Gorge, Vista House, Multnomah Falls and the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery.  As we head out of town we drive along the Columbia River into the Gorge.  The scenery is beautiful with the steep faced hills.  

Look at how everything is so green

Great day for sailing

We see Beacon Rock which marks the length of the ocean tidal pool, the area where the water turns from brackish to fresh, and it’s 140 miles to the Pacific!  

Beacon Rock in the distance

Beacon Rock and the Vista House

We drive the Scenic Highway and stop at the Vista House.  This monument was built to honor those who constructed this road which drops one mile down the hillside.  The engineers consulted with the Swiss as they already had the expertize in this type of construction.  The bluff that Vista House is built on offers amazing views of the gorge and valley below.

Vista House

view from the Vista House

another view from the Vista House 

Wow!!!  what a view

It’s on to Multnomah Falls, the most visited scenic site in Oregon.  After a wonderful Sunday brunch in the restaurant, we head up to the falls.  The falls are 621 feet high falling in two drops.  The first is over 500 feet!  This is the fifth highest falls in the continental US.  We see two owlets peeking from their nest along the walkway. 

Inside the restaurant at the Falls

Multnomah Falls

Owl in the tree hiding the babies

The final stop today is the Bonneville Dam, fish ladder and fish hatchery.  The dam was a WPA project meant to get people working after the Great Depression and has locks to keep the river navigable.  

Bonneville Dam

Bonneville Dam

Viewing the fish ladder was quite an experience as we saw salmon, chad and lamprey from both above and below the water level.  It takes quite a swimmer to get up the ladder to the spawning grounds.  Some fish travel over 500 miles to their spawning area.  

Fish ladder from the outside view

 Lastly, we go to the hatchery where millions of fish are hatched yearly to restock many rivers.  There we see Herman the Sturgeon who is seven feet long and weighs over 400 lbs.  A tasty dinner for sure!

Yum, Yum, Yum

Herman the Sturgeon

The long day comes to a close as we begin our trip back to the campground.  Reality sets in as we are stuck in Portland traffic.  We can only dream about where our travels will take us tomorrow.  I’m sure we’ll have as much fun!  Only a few more days left – it seems as though we have just begun!

Rig #13 Mark and Janice