I went on Easter Sunday with friends. Many people had the same thought, but we had no problems…read morefinding parking. Beautiful wildflowers were blooming. It was such a a glorious sight of balsamroot and lupines! It was much too windy for me, so after walking around for a bit and holding on to my hat, I went back to the car to enjoy the scenery while my friends hiked around for a bit. Definitely come out to enjoy a spectacular wildflower show if you get the chance!

Magnificent views. But yes, hold on to your hats and phone, it does get very windy!…read more Went on Easter. Busy because of the holiday but no issues with parking.

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 very well maintained state park that had incredible views yesterday. The peacefulness of…read morethe rock can be felt as soon as you start walking it. It's very well maintained all the way to the top and there are even handrails. I highly recommend this hike for some peaceful time alone or with others to accompany you. Parking is about $10 by the way. Let the rock refresh your soul and revitalize your spirit as it did mine. There were many moments where I paused and stopped just to take in the the beauty that was presented to me on the trail. The views of the water below are gorgeous you can see from miles and miles from the top.

Amazing hikes & views at the park. Beacon Rock Trail, that goes up to the top of the rock, is well…read moremaintained and had gorgeous views the whole way up. Even the drive through the Gorge to get to the park is amazing. I would absolutely recommend visiting! Only issue I ran into was that the parking payment meter in the parking lot was broken and I had to buy a pass online and write the info on a scrap piece of paper like the taped-on signage on the meter said. Many over grown blackberry bushes, but they were not a problem.

Crown point is the highest spot in the Columbia scenic driveway. There are plenty of parking lots…read moreall around the Vista house building. From the lot, you get to see a stunning view of the Columbia River and its surrounding landscape. The Vista house is a dome like structure, mostly made of stone like material. It is closed during middle of the week. The interior is a small space. To me, the view of the landscape much superior than the building itself.

Amazing views and the building itself is fun to go through. The espresso shop is generous in drink…read moresize but the gift shop is crowded and lacks a lot if its own identity. Bummed the top floor isn't always open but the outside still gives great vantage points.

Dougan Falls is so incredibly beautiful. My wife and I go there at least once in each season. This…read moreFall the water was so powerful and it was pouring outside which was a lot of fun because we like outings in the rain! We were the only ones there but there is plenty of parking even when it's busy. Just make sure you have a "Discover Pass". You can swim there in the summer too. It's just a peaceful beautiful place to be and the drive up the Washougal River is beautiful too.

East to access (not wheelchair accessible tho for going down into the water). There is a restroom…read moreand a garbage bin. I enjoyed my visit but do bring a spare trash bag and help keep it clean. Few bad apples leaving food to rot on the rocks and cans/bottles and doggie bags left behind. Could use more visits for the trash service as the bin was overflowing and folks were not packing out their trash as they should have.

Stonehenge Memorial is a unique monument, constructed to honor the local residence that lost their…read morelives in World War I. There is a smaller memorial to honor those that served WWII, Korea & Vietnam. The views are captivating. You can reach Stonehedge via car or bicycle. I think this review is one best told through photos.

Interesting bit of history in an unusual place. Inspiring to see the "stone walls", they look to be…read morean early concrete mold. Created in early 1900s as a tribute to WW1 soldiers from the Golden Valley WA area. There is also a site of other wars with soldiers for The area. An information sign about the man who lived and built it.

Even though I visited on a day when they were closed, meaning I could not go into the schoolhouse…read moreor other buildings, I still enjoyed walking around this outdoor museum and marveling at the buildings and farm equipment. It totally transports you back in time to the days when pioneers followed the Oregon Trail and settled in communities to farm and build a new life. Still a farming community, at this outdoor museum in Dufur, you can see several wagons that were used back in the late 1800s and early 1900s by pioneers embarking on the Lewis & Clark Trail. Even a Studebaker wagon! Who knew? The wagons were vastly different than I imagined or had seen depicted in movies. They are much, much narrower and very long. With their wooden wheels and rickety structure, it's absolutely amazing that they carried so many on such a long journey. And underscores how risky the journey was with so many breaking down along the way. The farm equipment and tools were equally amazing. The John Deere tractor, the logo still prominent, was clearly groundbreaking in its day. Pun intended! Each of the buildings, like where the horses were kept and well cared for, the school building, the mercantile, and barns are there to explore. Loved the 2 story, hand built log cabin built by the Schreiber family, completed in 1901. Family members lived in the cabin until 1973 and then, the following year, donated it to the Dufur Histirical Society. All of the buildings and landmarks have information about the history and function. I learned quite a lot and now want to research more. Located right next to the Post Office, you can't miss this outdoor museum. As I was driving through this part of Oregon on a one day drive adventure, I'm so glad I stopped to explore! While in Dufur, have lunch at the historic and beautifully restored Balch Hotel, stop at the market that has lots of curated goods, the coffee shop, and of course, just take a ride and marvel at the unobstructed views of Mt. Hood, whose presence is so grand from this vantage point. Still a dry, wheat farming community, the words "amber waves of grain" come to mind as you drive through miles and miles of golden fields.

It's a spectacular tour if you're interested in where Portland Water Bureau get their water. Run…read moreby the Bureau themselves, it's more of a community outreach than anything else. I doubt our $10 tour fee covers their cost of the nice mini bus (fits about 26 people), the driver and the guide. Both our driver & guide are retired employees. They were VERY knowledgeable about how the system works. It's a very protected piece of land (with an interesting history) which is restricted to the public. There's a 9 mile section of the 2000+ mi PCT that cuts through it, but no one else is allowed to trespass.... except for us :) We even get to walk inside the service tunnel of the dam. We started with a short hike to a water spring, followed by lunch at the cabins next to Bull Run Lake and then visited the Chief Engineer's house near biggest Reservoir #1 and the Hoover Dam-like Dam #1. I can't recommend this tour enough. The only downside is that it's quite popular and the weekend tours will be sold out within a day - you can ask to be added on their mailing list though, then they'll send you an email when they posted new tours.

This is a review of a watershed. Or rather visiting a watershed. Which you can do too. And you…read moremight want to, because it's an educational tour of where and how Portland, Oregon gets its water, its ultra pure water. It is also one of the reasons our microbrews are epic. It all started with citizen volunteers in the 1890's to find a clean supply of water for the City. Think we have a lot of pollution from cars now? Back then it was horses. Horses eat and " ". All that " " runs downhill. To where? The river. So not such a great idea to get your drinking water from the Willamette, or any stream with horses nearby. They found a completely isolated watershed near Mt Hood. It gets three times Portland's annual rainfall, but is independent of Mt Hood glaciers, which someday may be no more. They built pipes and dams, and the rest is history. Recently the Portland Water Bureau started bus tours of Bull Run. (By the way, on the bus they have a small scrapbook of historical photos, including horses used for logging in Bull Run, wearing diapers. I kid you not. They are very serious about keeping that water clean! No " " in those waters!) Leaving from Portland, we traveled toward Zigzag then onto Forest Service roads. Through a secure gate we dropped down into the watershed's steep terrain. We visited the source of the Bull Run River, a substantial spring. Bull Run lake with some very old cabins where original builders lived. The we visited the reservoirs and dams and a beautifully restored home where the dam's chief engineer lived. Throughout the tour, you'll hear about the area's natural history, the unique legal history protecting the watershed, including some presidential proclamations, how the water is treated, and the best thinking on future developments. The trip leaves 8:30 or 9AM and you are back by about 4. Bring a lunch. The bus is very comfy, not your childhood school bus. There are two lunch spots used. Because of the rain we chose indoors at the chief engineer's house which is up to date with a microwave. So if you prefer that to the other lunch outdoor picnic table spot, discuss it with the tour organizers in advance. I recommend the engineer's house for lunch. It is a geeky outing, but because the watershed is closed to campers, hikers and visitors, and guarded, the tour is your only opportunity to see this virgin forest, catching 140 inches a year of pure Cascade rain, connected directly to your tap. The City has 3 videos, with this first, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10wrNwyXmmk, made in 1959!