It's been a long time having the Stonehenge Memorial on my bucket list to pay a visit to. We tried…read moreto go here a few years ago but tourist season was over and gaining access to the area didn't seem like an option as the gates getting to the memorial were closed and locked. So we reattempted again this summer and made sure it was during a time where the tourists would be out and about. And they were! There were lots of visitors here but not to the point where it was overwhelming or unpleasant. It wasn't a problem getting the timing right to get the pictures you wanted without a bunch of people standing in the way of them. As it says it's a memorial and is dedicated to the lives lost and sacrifices given in W.W. I. So it's a bit of an older memorial but everything is well kept and clean and the Memorial looks ageless as intended. The memorial overlooks the Columbia Gorge so you can get some beautiful views of the river and Gorge in a wonderful panoramic vantage point. Below the the memorial is the small town of Maryhill. It looks quaint and cute but we didn't go down and check it out as we had a reservation we couldn't miss back in Goldendale. The Stonehenge Memorial is indeed a worthy stop and it's a kind of a stop where there isn't much of an excuse to avoid and one big incentive involving that is that there is no entrance fee to enjoy the memorial.

Stonehenge Memorial is a unique monument, constructed to honor the local residence that lost their…read morelives in World War I. There is a smaller memorial to honor those that served WWII, Korea & Vietnam. The views are captivating. You can reach Stonehedge via car or bicycle. I think this review is one best told through photos.

So glad we stopped here! Parking is $10 and the switchbacks go on and on but 100% worth it! Enjoy…read morethe views along the way and the engineering feat to creating the switchbacks. Don't rush to the top so many wonderful overlooks along the way that are even better than the top. Dog friendly but slightly tricky with the narrow sidewalks.

Amazing hikes & views at the park. Beacon Rock Trail, that goes up to the top of the rock, is well…read moremaintained and had gorgeous views the whole way up. Even the drive through the Gorge to get to the park is amazing. I would absolutely recommend visiting! Only issue I ran into was that the parking payment meter in the parking lot was broken and I had to buy a pass online and write the info on a scrap piece of paper like the taped-on signage on the meter said. Many over grown blackberry bushes, but they were not a problem.

Located right in Scenic Highway 30, this little park is the perfect place to stop before or after…read morehiking or touring the gorgeous area. There are picnic tables and benches and you can grab a sandwich at the Mosier Market just across the street or tacos at the adjacent food truck. The Totem Pole is what catches your attention but it's the magnificent view of the Columbia River that gets you to linger, relax, and take in the beauty all around. It's a tiny area, but so pretty! If you are in your way to or from Rowena Crest, stop here to use the restroom as there are no facilities at Rowena Crest and Tom McCall Plateau. Plenty of parking.

This plaza is so great, it is very pedestrian friendly. It is a Safe way to slow down the passing…read morecars, and it has good aesthetics. There are also outhouses to use, if needed. And, there are some picnic tables, so you could bring a picnic or grab food from a food cart or adjacent restaurant and hang out for a bit. This is a really well thought out space, and well designed!

It is such a beautiful and scenic drive each and every time going through the Columbia River Gorge!…read moreIt's something I never tire of and there are so many things to go see both on the Oregon and Washington side of the Gorge. One of the most notable places to stop is Multnomah Falls. It's a highly popular place and it is certainly understandable as to why but it is best to go early. You may even need to look into getting a reservation in order to get a parking space as well... because yes... it is actually that popular all year round. There are so many cute little towns through the Gorge as well. Hood River is a favorite of ours and I believe it's a favorite for a lot of people but Cascade Locks is nice as well and the Washington side has cute towns as well. On the Oregon side is Interstate 84 but don't explore this Interstate or route as a quick, brisk route to get east to west (or vice versa) as you cannot go typical Interstate speed through the Gorge. The curvature of the road and through this long stretch simply doesn't allow you to do that so it would be worth looking into alternate routes as possible if quickness is the only thing in mind otherwise you kind of just have to endure the reduced speeds. The Columbia River itself one doesn't have to repeat how beautiful it is but it's understandable if you do. River activities never fail to mesmerize. Like the group of people we once saw sailing down the river with boogie boards ( perhaps there's another name for it I'm not in the know with that) and the almost other worldly appearance of numerous fisherman on boats once fishing season was in full swig in the early morning. It's something one can never get tired of, The Columbia Gorge and I enjoy it each and every time I drive through it. It's breathtaking and truly one of essential drives to partake if visiting Oregon.

Very scenic drive throughout the Columbia River Gorge. We didn't know that the parking exit off the…read more84 for Multnomah Falls has timed-entry to let you cross underneath the bridge and over to see. When we ended up looping back around on one of the inner roads, we saw another paid parking lot that isn't timed but was quite expensive (~$20), so we skipped Multnomah Falls and went to a couple of others with free parking that were easy to get to as well (Horsetail Falls + Wahkeena Falls), then drove up to Vista House before the weather got bad in the afternoon. Vista House has great panoramic views of the gorge, and a restroom!

For sweeping views of The Dalles, Columbia River below, and surrounding landscape stop at Kelly…read morePoint View. Located along East Scenic Drive across the street from Sorosis Park, the views are spectacular, especially at sunset when the entire sky is illuminated in vibrant colors. For those that enjoy history, Kelly Point is dedicated to the memory of Virgil Kelly who made many contributions during his years of service city councilor (1939 -1961) Kelly View Point is also the site of several veterans' memorials honoring those that served our country in various wars, and who gave the greatest sacrifice. Take the time to visit each memorial, read the inscriptions and honor those that selflessly served. The memorials are: the Loren R. Kaufman Monument, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Veterans Memorial, and the Desert Shield-Storm Memorial. This area has its own parking strip so you can pull right up. Perched overlooking the expansive landscape of The Dalles below, it's a beautiful spot. There is a great walking path across the street if you want to enjoy a one mile walk and really take in the sweeping views. There are always people walking and jogging along the path. Across the street is Sorosis Park with a playground for the kids, picnic tables, covered gathering areas and restroom facilities.

Come visit on a sunny day. It's gorgeous! No restroom so…read morecome prepared. Quite windy.

I went on Easter Sunday with friends. Many people had the same thought, but we had no problems…read morefinding parking. Beautiful wildflowers were blooming. It was such a a glorious sight of balsamroot and lupines! It was much too windy for me, so after walking around for a bit and holding on to my hat, I went back to the car to enjoy the scenery while my friends hiked around for a bit. Definitely come out to enjoy a spectacular wildflower show if you get the chance!

We came on a tour to see the waterfalls along the gorge and the Vista House at Crown Point was the…read morelast stop. Located on a hill, the building had a small coffee to go shop, gift shop, museum and most important clean restrooms. There is also a carpark around the building. The views were lovely and can be seen as you walk around the building. The best view is the Gorge. Absolutely breathtaking and a must see when in Portland.

A beautiful observation point on the Historic Columbia River Highway with stunning views of the…read moreColumbia River Gorge and the mountains. It's a great place to stop and enjoy the scenery. There's no entrance fee, but parking fee needed. I've visited in both winter and summer, and the experience was quite different. In winter, it was extremely windy, while the summer (mid June) visit was pleasantly cool with almost no wind, making it much more comfortable to explore. The upper level was closed during our visit, but we still able to visit the basement, there's a small museum, souvenir shop and a café. The staffs were very friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable, making the visit even more enjoyable. Definitely worth a stop if you're driving along the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The Dalles Bridge, a 3,339 foot steel cantilever bridge, spans the Columbia River connecting…read moreDallesport, WA, to The Dalles, Oregon. What I like the most? It's FREE!!! Originally there was a toll but when the bond was paid off in 1974, the bridge removed the toll and it's been free ever since, fingers crossed. While the Bridge of the Gods in Stevenson is a stunningly beautiful bridge, and the Hood River Bridge offers beautiful views, both are toll bridges costing $2 each direction. Whiile $2 is not a lot of money, if you travel between Hood River and White Salmon frequently, it adds up. The Dalles Bridge, built in 1953, is currently under repairs. "Starting the first weekend after Labor Day 2021, The Dalles Bridge will be closed from Thursday nights at 8 p.m. through Monday mornings at 6 a.m. These closures will occur every weekend until Memorial Day 202 weekends, leaving it open during the week for those commuting. " From November through January, the migrating Eagles nest in the trees along the river on the Oregon side. It's amazing to see so many in one place, especially at feeding time. Soaring over the river and land surrounding the water hunting for fish and critters.

My Quest Of Bridge's…read more Went to pick up some family kind of out of the way and ran upon this beauty. The Dalles Bridge was opened on December 18,1953 and is a steel cantilever truss bridge that spans the Columbia river between the Dalles,Oregon and Dallas Port , Washington. It carries the traffic of US Route 197. The bridge had a toll from its opening until November 1, 1974 when the construction Bond was paid off.

It's a spectacular tour if you're interested in where Portland Water Bureau get their water. Run…read moreby the Bureau themselves, it's more of a community outreach than anything else. I doubt our $10 tour fee covers their cost of the nice mini bus (fits about 26 people), the driver and the guide. Both our driver & guide are retired employees. They were VERY knowledgeable about how the system works. It's a very protected piece of land (with an interesting history) which is restricted to the public. There's a 9 mile section of the 2000+ mi PCT that cuts through it, but no one else is allowed to trespass.... except for us :) We even get to walk inside the service tunnel of the dam. We started with a short hike to a water spring, followed by lunch at the cabins next to Bull Run Lake and then visited the Chief Engineer's house near biggest Reservoir #1 and the Hoover Dam-like Dam #1. I can't recommend this tour enough. The only downside is that it's quite popular and the weekend tours will be sold out within a day - you can ask to be added on their mailing list though, then they'll send you an email when they posted new tours.

This is a review of a watershed. Or rather visiting a watershed. Which you can do too. And you…read moremight want to, because it's an educational tour of where and how Portland, Oregon gets its water, its ultra pure water. It is also one of the reasons our microbrews are epic. It all started with citizen volunteers in the 1890's to find a clean supply of water for the City. Think we have a lot of pollution from cars now? Back then it was horses. Horses eat and " ". All that " " runs downhill. To where? The river. So not such a great idea to get your drinking water from the Willamette, or any stream with horses nearby. They found a completely isolated watershed near Mt Hood. It gets three times Portland's annual rainfall, but is independent of Mt Hood glaciers, which someday may be no more. They built pipes and dams, and the rest is history. Recently the Portland Water Bureau started bus tours of Bull Run. (By the way, on the bus they have a small scrapbook of historical photos, including horses used for logging in Bull Run, wearing diapers. I kid you not. They are very serious about keeping that water clean! No " " in those waters!) Leaving from Portland, we traveled toward Zigzag then onto Forest Service roads. Through a secure gate we dropped down into the watershed's steep terrain. We visited the source of the Bull Run River, a substantial spring. Bull Run lake with some very old cabins where original builders lived. The we visited the reservoirs and dams and a beautifully restored home where the dam's chief engineer lived. Throughout the tour, you'll hear about the area's natural history, the unique legal history protecting the watershed, including some presidential proclamations, how the water is treated, and the best thinking on future developments. The trip leaves 8:30 or 9AM and you are back by about 4. Bring a lunch. The bus is very comfy, not your childhood school bus. There are two lunch spots used. Because of the rain we chose indoors at the chief engineer's house which is up to date with a microwave. So if you prefer that to the other lunch outdoor picnic table spot, discuss it with the tour organizers in advance. I recommend the engineer's house for lunch. It is a geeky outing, but because the watershed is closed to campers, hikers and visitors, and guarded, the tour is your only opportunity to see this virgin forest, catching 140 inches a year of pure Cascade rain, connected directly to your tap. The City has 3 videos, with this first, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10wrNwyXmmk, made in 1959!