Columbia River Gorge

On our second day in Portland we took a tour of the Columbia River Gorge, located around thirty miles east of the city.  It was a cloudy day but the tour was nonetheless scenic and fun.  It included a bit of walking (calling it hiking would be a gross exaggeration!) but was accessible to most and concentrated on the lavish green forest, and most especially the waterfalls.  September is at the end of the dry season, where the waterfalls number at a bit over 200.  During the rainy season there can easily be over 400!  The day alternated between cool and warm and was quite pleasant.  

Vista House, located at the highest point in the gorge, was the unofficial start of the tour.  Built in 1917, it is a museum used as a memorial to Oregon pioneers.  It is also a good place to view the surroundings.  The Columbia River Highway was built over a hundred years ago and was considered quite a marvel at the time it was built.  It is still a good road to travel, if a bit narrow and twisting.
Bridal Veil Falls was our next stop.  The falls require a short walk to the dock built for viewing the falls.  The falls have both an upper and lower portion and are quite lovely.  While some folks climbed down on the rocks, I chose to stay on the dock and snap a few pictures!  Other falls we visited included Latourell Falls, a single plunge falls with a short walk.  I especially enjoyed Horsetail Falls, which was located on the side of the Columbia Highway , involved no walking, and best of all was quite close, much closer than any of the others that we visited.  The star of the tour was Multnomah Falls, 620 feet tall, it included both upper and lower falls, with a bridge built over the lower section.  There was no hike involved in seeing the falls unless one wanted to view it from the bridge.  The trail to the bridge, while short, was a bit steep and not completely paved, making it an unsuitable walk for some.  While it was a lovely location for a view, it is still possible to get lovely views without making the walk.

Our tour took around 4 hours and was well worth the time.  I would suggest it to anyone.  Our next tour will be the Oregon coast.  Look for that review tomorrow!