The Gorge...

It's been almost a month since my last foray out into the the Oregon wilderness so, yesterday, I decided it was time to change that. The weather here in Oregon can be dicey sometimes, and it can change in an instant. Still, the weather report was calling for it to be partly sunny, so it was worth the shot.

I packed the gear into the Explorer, turned onto I-84, and headed east up the Columbia River Gorge.

The Columbia River cuts through the gorge between the northern edge of Oregon and the southern edge of Washington. It's the only navigable route through the Cascade mountain range, and stretches through the gorge for over 80 miles. I wouldn't drive quite that far on this trip, as the town of Hood River was the "turnaround" point. 

I'm always on the lookout for photo ops when I'm driving. The difficult part about that is, once you identify them, you've missed the exit to get to them. I had no such problems on this trip, thankfully, and made the first stop at Mitchell Point, overlooking the Columbia River:

Looking west down the Columbia River...

A barge being pushed west down the Columbia River...

Looking north across the river into Washington...

Three ways to get through the gorge: Highway, rail (see the tracks?) and waterway...

After Mitchell Point, the next stop was the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Originally named "Hotel Benson", this place is pretty awesome. It was built in 1921 by lumber magnate Simon Benson, and quickly earned an international reputation.

The hotel went through a series of ownership changes from 1925 and 1952, when it was sold to the Neighbors of Woodcraft, who operated it as a retirement home. It was sold again in 1978 and, in 1979, the 42-room hotel re-opened following a $1 million restoration. The hotel shut down due to foreclosure in January of 2009, but was re-opened in October of that year after it was sold by the foreclosing bank for $4 million. The property underwent an extensive renovation between 2009 and 2012. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979:
 

The entrance to the Columbia Gorge Hotel property...

The 42 room Columbia Gorge Hotel...

The backside of the hotel...

A portion of the lobby...

The reception desk, right where it's been for 92 years...

The hotel is also rumored to have been a favorite retreat of Rudolph Valentino, for whom the hotel lounge and attached terrace are named:
 

The Valentino Lounge...

Sign on the wall leading to the outdoor deck...

Actors, politicians and musicians have all stayed at the hotel. Here's a partial list of past guests:

• Shirley Temple
• President William Howard Taft
• President Calvin Coolidge
• Newt Gingrich
• Cornelius Vanderbilt
• Eddie Money
• Tom Cruise
• Burt Reynolds
• Anthony Quinn 
• "Doc" Severinsen
• Olivia Newton-John
• Clara Bow

The hotel sits on the site of a previous hotel, known as the Wah Gwin Gwin Hotel, which was named for the 208' waterfall which is on the property grounds:

Wah Gwin Gwin Falls...

I almost immediately started to consider coming out here for a weekend, but it would appear as though rates at the hotel can be a tad spendy, climbing close to the $300.00 a night price point during the summer months through Labor Day. A better bet might be to drive another 200 yards down the road to stay at the Vagabond Inn:

The Vagabond Inn: Cheap, but in the same zip code...

You can get a suite at The Vagabond for as little as $95.00 a night (leaving you a few hundred bucks to take over to the Valentino Lounge for dinner and cocktails if you need to feel like a high-roller).
 
With the hopes of making fancy hotel reservations quickly dashed, it was time to get back on the road and continue heading east, to the town of Hood River.

Hood River was incorporated in 1895, and sits about 30 miles north of Mount Hood. It's got a total area of less than 3-1/2 square miles, and has a population of around 7,200. For the most part, it's a quiet, cool old town. But it's become a mecca for windsurfers and kite surfers, as the Columbia River offers some of the best conditions in the world for both.

The first thing to do was to get some lunch, and the Big Horse Brewery was the place to go. It was situated on top of a hill, and offered a great view overlooking the town:

The Big Horse Brew Pub...

Cold, tasty frosties await...

The view from the Big Horse Brew Pub, with the Columbia River and Washington in the background...

After lunch, it was time to go walking around this cool little town in search of some cool little town photo ops. The cool thing about cool little towns is that it normally doesn't take long to come across cool little town photo ops:

The entrance to the historic Hood River Hotel; less than $200.00 a night during the peak season...

The Hood River Hotel...

The "main drag" in Hood River, complete with a wine tasting room and a Masonic Lodge...

The Naked Winery...

Hood River City Hall...

One of the reasons I'm already planning a trip back to Hood River is the Mount Hood Railroad. The Mount Hood Railroad offers scenic, four hour excursions into the Hood River Valley, offering views of both Mount Hood and Mount Adams in southern Washington. Think of it as a rolling photo op; a photo op on rails. Whatever you choose to call it, I'm going.

In the meantime, though, the train cars sit idle in the train yard on the banks of the mighty Columbia:

Mount Hood Railroad cars...

Mount Hood #2920...

Heavy metal...

Mount Hood Railroad cars await the beginning of their season...

Going nowhere... For now...

As nice a place as Hood River is, I guess it's no surprise that, despite it's small size, it also has to put up with some of the same issues as larger cities, such as graffiti. To be fair, though, that underpass was the only place in the entire town where I saw anything which smacked of "urbanism".:

Graffiti in Hood River...

An underpass in Hood River, just about the only place in town with graffiti...

One of the cooler aspects of a town like Hood River is how they go about advertising. They don't really have space for billboards in the "downtown" area, so they make due:

"Kodaks"? "Films Developing"? Classic...

Where else can you buy sporting goods, wire rope, paint and bridal gifts all in one place?

After walking around Hood River for a little while, it became apparent that the hour had gotten a little on the late side, and it had gotten quite cold and very windy. While it would've been nice to, say, drive the loop up through Mount Hood and back down into Portland, common sense reigned supreme and a more direct route to Portland was planned. There were more things to see on the drive west (like Cascade Locks, Bridge Of The Gods and Bonneville Dam), but it had just gotten a little too dark a little too quickly. Hell, that just means another trip has to be made!

All in all, the Columbia River Gorge is an amazing piece of pacific northwest scenery, and one that simply shouldn't be missed. Whether you drive on the south side in Oregon, or the north side in Washington, you're likely to see some of the most amazing vistas this part of the country has to offer.

So, if you ever find yourself in the pacific northwest with a little extra time on your hands, try to work in a trip up the gorge. And, if you happen to find yourself in Portland, I'll drive...