We're fast approaching 100 days on the road, and so far, sleeping near railway tracks has been the most disruptive to getting a good nights' rest. Is there a reason why trains need to blast their whistle so loudly and frequently all through the night? Someone please explain (yawns and reaches for more caffeine).
Beacon Rock: A Fun Hike to the Top
Beacon Rock State Park is a recreation area where people can go biking, fishing, horseback riding, camping, hiking and do water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding. We spent the morning hiking up Beacon Rock itself, which is also a popular spot for rock climbing. It's almost 260 meters (848 feet), with a dog-friendly, paved trail that takes folks along a number of switchbacks before getting to the summit. There weren't many places to park at the foot of the rock, but fortunately we were there early enough to find the last space we could squeeze ourselves into.
The hike was really enjoyable, particularly when we got to the windy part of the trail where we could see others below and above us zigzagging their way around. Plus, the views of the Columbia River and the surrounding areas us got better and better. The hike is about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) to the top and back, taking about an hour or so to complete. Once we got to the summit, it was a pretty tiny space for everyone to squeeze in, so we didn't spend too long hanging around as more people started to clog the area looking to step onto the apex. Sheila absolutely loved wandering back down, as she knew what to expect on the hike down and with Michael in front, she kept sticking her head over the ledge to see where he was as we made each turn. It felt great to have completed a hike first thing in the morning--it's the feeling of accomplishment when there's still so many more hours before the end of the day!
Bonneville Lock and Dam: Helping Salmon Swim Upstream
A short drive from Beacon Rock is Bonneville Lock and Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Columbia and Snake Rivers that that's one of the largest in the country and can power about 900,000 homes. It's run by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and has two visitor centers, on the Oregon and Washington sides, and admission is free. We toured the dam from the Washington side, and who knew a dam could be so fascinating?
We took a self-guiding tour at the dam, where we watched a short documentary about the area and its history, and saw 8 hydroelectric generators. When there's a light above them it means they're currently in use, and there were 2 on at the time. There's also a Native American exhibition that details their history and traditions, as well as different technologies over the years that have been used to catch fish.
The area we were most excited to see were the fishways that allow migratory adult fish to continue to swim upstream. There are fish ladders that help guide the fish, including a tunnel that is lit up to help with a safe passage! Also, every spring, young fish also follow the flow of the Columbia River downstream to the ocean. Most of these migrating fingerlings use the spillway as a water slide in the spring and summer.
On the bottom level, there are windows to see migrating fish swim through the fish ladder. A worker counts the species of adult fish that move up the ladder, and it was cool to see which fish are the most populous, which can depend on the season! When we went, according to the unofficial fish count, there were 3,154 American Shad that had passed through the day before, with 6,576 for the year to date. Meanwhile, only 1,389 adult Chinook had swum through, but they beat the Shad tally with 107,847 so far this year. There haven't been any Sockeye, Adult Coho or Coho Jack fish yet this year!
Catching (I Mean, Buying) Smoked Salmon
All this focus on fish reminded us of our last visit to Oregon, about 10 years ago. We made a roadside stop at a tiny store that had been highly rated for their smoked salmon, which we could smell being smoked fresh from outside. It was pricey, but we bought a small slice of it, only to devour the entire piece in the car, and purchase more immediately.
We crossed the toll bridge again to the Oregon side, and at the base of the bridge there were several Native American vendors selling smoked salmon, including in frozen vacuum-sealed packs, in mason jars sitting in their juices, as candied salmon, etc. Lisette purchased a few slices in a mason jar from one vendor, and a vacuum-sealed pack from the vendor next to her. We'll eat the one in the mason jar now, but can keep the other one in the fridge for a while. We tried a bit for lunch, and it was as delicious as we remembered.
Multnomah Falls
Another place we'd previously visited was Multnomah Falls, a 188 meter (620 feet) spectacular waterfall, and the tallest in Oregon. It's one of the most popular tourist sites, and we were lucky to find the only possible spot to park as someone was leaving. It was so crowded, that most of the designated RV or oversized parking spaces were taken up by cars!
We walked the short distance to the base of the waterfall, taking in the view from below. It was a wonderfully warm and sunny day, which was a positive contrast to the grey and rainy weather we had when we were here last time. Previously, we did what most people do and hiked up to the observation deck, to take in more of the waterfall's beauty and look over the falls' edge. It's well worth doing for any first-time visitor.
Vista House
A new spot for us to visit was the Vista House, an iconic, octagonal, grey stone building with a green-tinged dome. Located on Crown Point, it was constructed for travelers to stop and enjoy the amazing scenery of the Columbia River Gorge. Since 1918, Vista House has been a popular spot for people to see the incredible view of the river winding its way to the Pacific Ocean. The House is perched in the middle of a road that circles around it, so that people can look out from every angle surrounding it.
Walking up the steps to Vista House, inside the ground floor is lined with Alaskan marble and mahogany woodwork, with stained glass windows beaming colorful light into the room. Downstairs, there's a gift shop and coffee shop, as well as an interesting little museum that shows the construction and history of Vista House from the early 20th century.
Arriving in Portland, And The Grotto
In our original trip itinerary, we hadn't planned to go back to Portland, since we'd spent a few days there before. But when Lisette mentioned she wanted to be in Seattle on certain days to take a couple of West African dance classes, we figured we could take some time and head to Portland ahead of snaking our way up the Pacific coast for a bit.
Our first stop in Portland was meant to be one of the world's tallest and oldest chocolate fountains (since 1991!) inside the Candy Basket shop, but it closed at 4pm--and we arrived at 4.07pm! Oh well, we have seen chocolate fountains before. Lisette's retail job during her university days was at the Darrell Lea Chocolate Shop in Sydney, and in the storefront window there would sometimes be a chocolate fountain installed to lure customers in. People would often want to have something dipped in the fountain, and Lisette or a coworker would have to even scold people who would try and stick their fingers in when they weren't looking! But here's the thing: not only would the fountain accumulate a ton of dust, the "chocolate" was actually mixed with other ingredients so it wasn't edible, but looked tempting!
So instead of going to the fountain, the first Portland stop was The Grotto, an outdoor Roman Catholic sanctuary with an outdoor chapel (with pews facing the recessed grotto within a carved rock), Catholic shrines and statues, and 62 acres of beautifully tended gardens, including a paid section that goes up into a forested park. It was very peaceful walking through this area, and be surrounded by such gorgeous nature. So many of the flowers were in full bloom, showing off their vibrant pinks, yellows, reds, and other colors. Sheila walked along with us and enjoyed the park too, perhaps even more so when she spotted a squirrel or two scurrying along!
The Great Gas Reminder
One of the biggest challenges with a city like Portland is finding RV parking. Fortunately, Lisette dropped a note to her former teammate, Krystal, who now lives in Portland, to ask for tips on a safe and quiet place, and we were able to park in front of her friend Kayla's house, who was away for the weekend. Thank you again Kayla and Krystal!
We stayed just southeast of Portland, in the nearby suburban community of Milwaukie. We also refilled on propane and petrol in Milwaukie, although when we saw the gas prices in the wider Portland area we were reminded that we were in the city--the variance was significant, $1.50 or so from the cheapest to the most expensive (which was $5 a gallon, ouch)! Traffic was rather hectic, but we arrived in the evening very happy to have a place to relax (and Sheila again got to see squirrels running around Kayla's front yard), with a couple of hours' sunlight to still enjoy before nighttime.