I have not been keeping up to date with my blog posts, and thus it is August and I’m still posting from June. That’s ok. At this rate I’ll have the warm summer images to keep me company while I post this winter, still catching up. Ha ha! One fun thing is that I’m writing this in the roasting weather of a heat wave and wildfire smoke combined, and I’m looking at images of wet, cool days with clean clear air and us wearing hoodies to keep warm. If only…
Our final day with visitors from Texas was a tour of the Columbia River Gorge. Pedro was able to take the day off work and join us, which was awesome. We did the most famous tourist thing of all to do when in Portland: drive out the Historic Highway, and see some waterfalls.
Connor and I were captivated by the wildflowers, in full display the first week of June.
We stopped and ate at Multnomah Falls Lodge before even viewing the waterfall, because we were so hungry. The lodge is gorgeous, the food is always great, and we felt restored. Then, of course, the main event for tourists:
We drove to another falls before heading across the Bridge of the Gods into Washington state.
Greg was interested in the history of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the Corps of Discovery Expedition. That makes Beacon Rock a fun stop because, as the group followed the Columbia River on their way to the Pacific Ocean, both men noticed this rock and wrote about it in their journals.
For my part, I am delighted by the crazy switchback trail that takes climbers all the way to the top of an incredible view of the gorge. I’ve posted about it multiple times, and did not include more here, but click this link and it will take you to more.
That was the last one from our friends’ visit. Not a heckuva lot more happened in June, other than what I have already posted about. So I guess next up is a summary of July. It’ll be stuff like, the cat, the garden, and the final stage of our raised beds that I showed you already. I’m currently in Boston, celebrating with friends, and I guess you’ll hear about that sometime in October – ha ha ha.
Conscious Engagement 
That is interesting that Multnomah Falls is the #1 tourist spot. It’s amazing and I guess it is rather accessible to visitors of Portland. Makes sense. Looking forward to reading about your travels to Boston in October haha!
I’m glad you have seen it! It is amazing, and your guess is the same as mine: it’s so easy to access from I-5. Even if people aren’t planning a stop anywhere, it’s a quick stop from the Interstate. I think that explains the super high visitor numbers. Also, it’s an iconic landmark and very Instagrammable.
Wonderfully refreshing photographs
It is nice to see these images from early summer before the fires and the baking heat.
Waterfalls are magic…
Clark and Lewis passed there? Neat.
Be good Crystal…
I agree about waterfalls. Lewis and Clark not only passed through here, but this was a main part of their journey. Most of the waterfalls in this post are visible from the Columbia River, and their Corps of Discovery group traveled along the Columbia till they reached the sea, so L&C would have seen these waterfalls, as well as Beacon Rock, while on ships on the river.
I like the idea of historical characters seeing the same thing. “Discovering” it for non-Original nations’ eyes.
Mee tooo – I get excited about the idea that “so and so stood here once.” I was feeling that big time at the site where it is believed John the Baptist baptized Jesus. I am an atheist, but I do believe these characters existed, and it was so very long ago, and I may have stood where they stood. That is astonishing. 🙂
Agreed about atheism (so am I) but you’re right: those characters probably existed. And the “Holy land did see at least the apostles whose lives have been documented. It’s where it all happened.
One of my favorite Gorge hikes is Hamilton Mountain. The trailhead is just across the highway from Beacon Rock and it’s a lovely spring hike.
oooh! Thanks for the tip. I love going out to Beacon Rock, so it would be easy to add Hamilton Mtn.