It is such a beautiful and scenic drive each and every time going through the Columbia River Gorge!…read moreIt's something I never tire of and there are so many things to go see both on the Oregon and Washington side of the Gorge. One of the most notable places to stop is Multnomah Falls. It's a highly popular place and it is certainly understandable as to why but it is best to go early. You may even need to look into getting a reservation in order to get a parking space as well... because yes... it is actually that popular all year round. There are so many cute little towns through the Gorge as well. Hood River is a favorite of ours and I believe it's a favorite for a lot of people but Cascade Locks is nice as well and the Washington side has cute towns as well. On the Oregon side is Interstate 84 but don't explore this Interstate or route as a quick, brisk route to get east to west (or vice versa) as you cannot go typical Interstate speed through the Gorge. The curvature of the road and through this long stretch simply doesn't allow you to do that so it would be worth looking into alternate routes as possible if quickness is the only thing in mind otherwise you kind of just have to endure the reduced speeds. The Columbia River itself one doesn't have to repeat how beautiful it is but it's understandable if you do. River activities never fail to mesmerize. Like the group of people we once saw sailing down the river with boogie boards ( perhaps there's another name for it I'm not in the know with that) and the almost other worldly appearance of numerous fisherman on boats once fishing season was in full swig in the early morning. It's something one can never get tired of, The Columbia Gorge and I enjoy it each and every time I drive through it. It's breathtaking and truly one of essential drives to partake if visiting Oregon.

This area is an absolute must see if you are in the Portland area. It is really gorgeous. We drove…read moreto the visitor center and from there hiked up toward Multnomah Falls. It is a great way to get your steps in while surrounded by nature at its finest. There a number of waterfalls in this area and if you don't have time to get out and hike, there are some that can be seen from your car while driving by. We spent most of a day driving and hiking to the waterfalls using a map we got from the visitor center. It was raining during our visit, but we still got to see some beautiful scenery. There's a restaurant at Multnomah Falls Lodge in case you are looking for a place for lunch while in the area.

This is a climb! Especially with my two bad knees. I'm glad I took the challenge because the views…read moreof The Columbia River are so gorgeous from above, but it's a one and done for me! Start the climb at the Horse Brew Pub and catch the first of six steep, cement steps. I was there on a sunny day but if you do the stairs in rainy weather, make sure you have appropriate shoes. no flip flops in any weather! The stairs - with hand rails - climb up to the neighborhoods with houses on the bluff overlooking the river. Lucky people! You wind up then gradually loop your way back down. There are some little, and I mean little, neighborhood parks and some have a bench to rest on while enjoying the view and stillness. I definitely had a rest. Once back in Hood River there are countless things to do! So many breweries that also serve hard cider, shops, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, wine tasting, ice cream - all walking distance and concentrated on three main streets, Oak and Cascade the most popular.

What a blast we had going up and down these stairs!! Other folks were friendly. Quite the workout…read moreand the view is wonderful! Can't miss this when you come into town. Makes the shopping or a coffee break all the more worth it

The Fruit Loop in Oregon is such a fun way to get your fruits and wine in. This picturesque route…read moreis lined with fruit stands, lavender farms, wineries, and stunning orchards. There are cherries, apples, pears, and more. many of the stands offer the chance to pick your own fruit. One minute you're sampling farm-fresh fruit, and the next, you're sipping local wines with panoramic views of Mount Hood. The wineries are charming and offer a variety of wines. Fantastic Day!

Hood River is my happy place and that includes the wonderful Fruit Loop, worth driving in every…read moreseason to take in the incredibly stunning vistas! The 35 mile loop in Hood River Valley is peppered with farms and vineyards, many with farm stands or tasting rooms so you can sample and purchase the heavenly fruits, jams, pies, wines, hard cider, flowers and treats along the way. For me the ride is as exhilarating as the farm stands. Around every corner you catch glimpses of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, depending on the direction you're heading, snow capped and standing tall and proud against a bright blue sky with rolling hills and vineyards in the foreground. As you head up 35, Mt. Hood becomes so large it spans the entire windshield of your car. Pull over on the side shoulder for some magnificent snapshots. During spring the hills are white and pink from the fruit tree blossoms creating incredible landscape images that are instagram worthy! The Cider Festival in April is worth the trip, pick up the map and visit the various cider houses for flights or pints. In the summer, visiting the lavender farms is a must! Rows and rows, acres and acres, of purple waves making for a wonderful backdrop. Blueberries, Marionberries, strawberries and cherries can be picked at many farms. Late summer, the sunflower farms are just stunning. Fall brings the Harvest festival with barrels of every varietal of apples and pears imaginable, and all things made from them! Of course there are pumpkins, gourds and corn as well. Most vineyards and stands have picnic tables outside so you can purchase and enjoy a meal and drinks right in the gardens and vineyards, perfect right now during Covid-19 times. Allows you to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature, safely. As you leave downtown Hood River you will see a sign for Panoramic Point. Turn and make this your first stop. The gates are currently closed so you can't drive your car up the hill, but it's worth parking and walking up the hill for the aptly named panoramic vista you will encounter. Next, visit the Gorge Whitehouse, my favorite and a must stop. The big White House with black shutters is located on a magnificent piece of property. The hills in muted shades of green and gold with fields of flowers and apple & pear orchards in the foreground is so stunning it almost looks like a painting. Get a pint of their pear-lemon cider and some snacks from the food truck and sit at a picnic table and just relax, enjoy, take it all in. Make sure to buy fresh picked cherries to take home! And a growler of the cider because you can only buy it there. You will thank me. A little further down the road is a Packer Orchards for fresh berry pies, cookies, jams, syrups and ice cream. Stop at Draper Girls Cider for delicious small batch ciders. In Parkdale, Solera Brewery has one of the best views of Mt. Hood from the picnic tables out back. Get an adult beverage and enjoy their pulled pork bowl, which is basically pulled pork nachos, and enough for two. There is always something spectacular to do and see along the Hood River Fruit Loop. It's a place I visit several times a year and never tire of it. Each season brings new vistas and bounty. The drive out there is just as gorgeous making it a pleasurable day trip or weekend. Go. Eat. Drink. Photograph. Enjoy.

Visiting Hood River is a must on its own!! But you cannot…read morebeat what you're going to get at the waterfront park !! A small cove cut out for the beach , kite surfing or watching, beautiful water views, Mt. hood, beautiful people watching, playgrounds, it's all here and worth the visit! A couple of things to keep in mind, the bathrooms are very clean and accessible spread throughout . They have a lifejacket lender station !!! It was so nice to be able to let the kids just hop in the water and swim freely! (because I sure as heck I'm not gonna pack lifejackets on my trip who does that?!) Within walking distance, there are so many food options. We always visit Solstice (see that review if you're looking for some great pizza in town).

Known as the 'Windsurfing Capital of the World', Hood River is a small city in Oregon, on the banks…read moreof the Columbia River. It is known for its concentration of craft breweries in the downtown area, and the ability to consume alcohol publicly on open sidewalks and parks. My wife, mother-in-law, and I drove intentionally to see the city during our visit to the Gorge, and stopped by the famous Park next to the River. It was drizzling and cold this day, so finding free street parking was easy. We found a place to sit, and admire the brave souls surfing. There is a small beach area, and children life jackets to share. And a nice grassy area with playground equipment.

A necessary bridge to get from Washington (Salmon River area) to Hood River. We try to avoid I-84…read moreon the Oregon side of the Columbia River because of all the semi truck traffic and the condition of the road itself. And now that a permit is required for the Historic Columbia River Highway, we take Hwy 14 most often now. It's such a beautiful drive, and since we reside in Vancouver, it's closer. There are beautiful views from the bridge...if you're a passenger. The bridge is pretty narrow, and with the grates, it's also pretty noisy. You can see Mt Hood in the distance and windsurfers near the Hood River Waterfront Park. Not sure I'd recommend driving over this bridge. I wouldn't say it's a 'fun' bridge to drive over. It's more of a convenience bridge. It costs $2 each way to cross. So worth it for us, in comparison to Oregon's I-84.

The Hood River Bridge connects Interstate 84/U.S. Route 30 in Hood River, Oregon, with Washington…read moreSR-14 in Bingen, and White Salmon up above. This metal truss bridge is the second oldest road bridge that crosses the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. So although is narrow, loud, and costs $2.00 to cross, since I'm in this area frequently, it's an absolute necessity. Views are beautiful! On a clear day Mt. Hood stands tall and proud. On windy days, lots of wind surfers and sailboats in the marina and river. I'm bummed if I'm the one driving as it's hard to take in the beauty on such a narrow bridge where I need to focus on the roadmit self, especially with large vehicles coming towards me in the other lane. The bridge is in need of repairs and to prolong the inevitable, the Port of Hood River has reduced the speed limit to 15mph from 20 effective 5/26/22. It seems impossible to drive 15 mph, not to mention the traffic this causes during peak times, but with the threat of issuing tickets, I'm doing my best. This is a toll bridge and for vehicles, it is $2.00 each way. It used to be a $1.00 but like everything, prices have gone up. They take cash and credit cards. To offset the cost and speed things up, pun intended, set up a Breezeby account and the toll is just $1.00 each direction. A round trip for $2 is way more feasI left than $4.00. You need to keep a balance of $10 in the account at all times so I established an account with $20. When I drive through, it reads a sticker on my windshield and the toll is automatically deducted. Truly a breeze! There I go with the pun again! If I'm going wine tasting further east in WA, I cross via the Dalles Bridge which is free. But if I need to be in White Salmon, Bingen or Lyle, I take the Hood River Bridge.

Hood River has hiking, outdoor areas, lodging, shopping, food, breweries, orchards and more…read more It's a gorgeous place to visit. And the visitor center is an inviting place to come and find some help and answers to local questions.

From the owner: Hood River Visitor center. All you informational needs about Hood River and the surrounding area.read more

Such a fun and educational experience! The founder is regularly at this spot and there are a lot of…read morevolunteers to help answer any questions you may have. They have a ton of different events they host throughout the year. Definitely will be back again!

There is a great selection of planes and automobiles in this collection. They have one of the…read morelargest collections of still flying Airplanes and running cars. Large amount of things to look at and could spend a bit of time there. I live in the same town and take my son there numerous times a year. There are many events planned each year. Worth stopping in for a visit if you're visiting for the day or while on vacation.

Keith was wonderful! He created an all day tour that fit our personal preferences. He was so…read morepatient as we reviewed our options and made changes. He was orompt. Kept us on schedule while allowing us the opportunity to take the interesting detours that he suggested. He has incredible knowledge of the area and shared it with us. All in all, a great experience..

Keith provided wonderful shuttle service for our wedding it was very smooth, everyone got there on…read moretime and everyone was able to get a ride back. We really appreciate the care and effort that went into making sure everyone was able to get a ride from the venue to our other destination. Really went above and beyond, highly recommend using this shuttle for a wedding.

Happy employees. Lots of kindness and smiles. Think "Disney Land"!…read more It was a real treat to ride the train. Everyone was nice. We even sat next to "Flintstone" fans. My kind of people. The train stopped at the Fruit Factory gift shop. There were lots of choices for a souvenir or gift. Also in the same location is a winery. I used their bathroom sink to wash my hands and ..,.. the faucets were so cool. The site to see is that you are standing between Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. While riding the train, we saw lots of nature, trees, rivers to see along the way and back. The train ride is a must. I would love to go again.

This was our first time on the Mount Hood Railroad and we took the Polar Express ride with a 3…read more1/2-year-old and it was beyond amazing! I highly recommend this for anyone with little ones, but honestly there were more parties of older folks, including seniors who were taking this and all seemed to enjoy it. They give out a hot chocolate and a seasonal cookie to all on the train so I found having a table seat to be very helpful, but to save money you can sit on one of the cars without tables. There are also dates when they're not as busy that will save you some cash. Near the end of the ride (~1.25 hrs) Santa and his elves came on board the train and interacted with everyone, delighting the children in particular. They have an on-board photographer and will email you pictures you can purchase if you desire. Highly, highly, highly recommend this at Christmas time .

$25 for 5 samples. The tasting room is kind of a weird setup with one long communal table. Service…read morewas great! Friendly staff.

I really enjoyed our visit here this summer. The wines were good, the atmosphere was really chill…read moreand the staff members were friendly and inviting. They have a wide variety of wines to choose from, so everyone in our group got to try something they enjoyed. Our favorites were the roses, which was perfect for the summer day we went. The bottles felt a little pricey, but worth it for a great Hood River experience.