My oh my, what a busy day! At predawn, our little ship sailed by Cape Horn, a remarkable basaltic wall, as we entered the magnificent gorge carved by the Columbia River with a great deal of help from the Ice Age floods. As the eastern sky began to glow orange, Beacon Rock, an ancient volcanic neck, came into view. It was here that Lewis and Clark first noticed tidal influence on the river.
By breakfast, we were just below the Bonneville Dam and Lock looking up at Table Mountain and its huge scar which is the result of a massive landslide that dammed up the Columbia River hundreds of years ago. This geological event may have led to the Native American legend concerning the Bridge of the Gods. Over time, the river carved a path through the debris flow, but remnants were left as the awesome Cascades rapid. These rapids were an obstacle to boat traffic. Eventually, locks were constructed that allowed boats to bypass this rough section. But once Bonneville Dam was built in the 1930s, the resulting lake drowned the rapids and the old Cascade Locks.
At Cascade Locks, we boarded our coach for the short ride to Multnomah Falls, at 620 feet, the highest in Oregon. Some ambitious folks enjoyed a vigorous uphill hike while the rest of us experimented with different ways to photograph the falls.
Then, we were off following the historic Columbia River Gorge Highway that was the inspiration of Sam Hill and Sam Lancaster. Once in the town of Hood River, international capital of wind surfing and kite boarding, we boarded our ship for lunch.
Afterwards was a visit to the Draper Sisters Country Farm, where we not only enjoyed tasting their apples and other fruit but got a magnificent view of Mt. Hood, highest peak in Oregon. Then we went to the fantastic Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum. They have the most amazing collection of vintage planes and vehicles. From there, some went to the town of Hood River and others visited the Cathedral Ridge Winery for a tasting of their products.
After dinner, historian Jim Rawls regaled us with tales about Sam Hill and his museum, which we will visit tomorrow.
