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Now we're
driving northwest, heading for the Columbia River and its Gorge.
It's a lovely day here in eastern Oregon, but the forecast for
the Portland area, where we're headed, is not so great.
We drive through
lots of farmland, and it's beautiful.
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The
flood basalt cliffs tell us that we've reached the Columbia Gorge.
They're lovely - craggy and layered. Now we drive eastward, along
the edge of the river. |
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All along
the river are dams. Here's one. There was a stiff breeze on the
river and folks were windsurfing and sailboarding.
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The John Day
Dam is another, and it was here that we stopped for lunch.
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Barges
constantly travel up and down the Columbia, pushed by tug boats.
The decoration on the front of this barge was infectious. :).
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Oh
boy, the sky was getting really ominous now, and drops of rain began
to hit the windshield. Nevertheless, we continued on to the Historic
Columbia River Highway, a 22 mile bypass of the main road, known
for its wonderful waterfalls. |
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We'd barely
begun the drive when boom, there was the first one.
Horsetail
Falls drops 175 feet down a mossy rock wall, almost landing on
the Highway.
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The most well-known
of the waterfalls is this one - Multnomah Falls. It plunges 620
feet in two sections.
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The Benson
Bridge, named after lumberman/philanthropist Simon Benson was
completed in 1914. It's an early example of continuous pour concrete.
It was also
too high for me, even though Tim offered to take my picture if
I climbed up there.
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