Today we explored the dry upper reaches of the Columbia River Gorge.
Our day began in the Dalles lock, which lowered us 65 feet. As the miter gates of the lock opened, we saw Indian fishing platforms. These plank structures, jutting out from the shore, have been used here for perhaps 10,000 years! Sadly, the most impressive fishing site, Celilo Falls, lay beneath the water just upstream, but here was a token of its former glory. Moments after we left the lock, Mount Hood came into view. It was a magnificent sight.
Soon after breakfast we docked at the city of the Dalles and busses to the Columbia River Discovery Center. This museum has interesting exhibits about the region’s wildlife—both modern and prehistoric—and about the many overlapping layers of history here.
Next we traveled off to the Rowena Crest. We travelled in part on the historic hiway built by Sam Hill in the 1920’s to connect the wet and dry sides of Oregon. The road looped past oaks, Ponderosa pines and bigleaf maples on the way to the overlook. Here the view was beautiful. We looked down onto the Columbia River deep in a cleft of layer upon layer of basalt. Small fishing boats clustered far below us at the mouth of the Klickitat River, hoping to catch a king salmon.
Next we were on our way upstream and to the Washington side of the river. We stopped at Maryhill Winery for a tasty lunch overlooking the river. After eating, we took a tour of this award-winning winery. It was interesting to see the many processes that go into making wine, some industrial, some artistic, and some surprisingly small-scale.
Just a mile away lies the Maryhill Museum. Largely the creation of Sam Hill, wealthy railroad lawyer, the museum reflects Sam Hill’s connections. It has fine collections of Native art, Rodin sculptures, and royal Rumanian furniture! How curious to find such a quirky—but excellent—collection in such an out-of-the-way spot!
And at last we return to the ship. During dinner, we motored downstream to Hood River, ready to begin our next day of exploration.
