Columbia River Gorge - Day 2

We started the day with a one hour cruise on the Columbia River Gorge Sternwheeler. It was a beautiful day to be on the water and fun to see the gorge from a different perspective. While on the boat, we saw more kite surfers and sailed past an osprey nest. 

Waiting to board the Sternwheeler

The Columbia River Gorge

An osprey and nest

Multonomah Falls is the #1 tourist destination in Oregon, but due to Covid-19, it was closed during our trip. However, we found another waterfall to explore which we thoroughly enjoyed. The Tamanawas Falls trail is 3.4 miles round trip that took us along the Cold Spring Creek to the 110 foot tall falls. We saw many people climb up the slippery rocks to climb into the grotto behind the falls.

East fork of the Hood River

The trail to the falls

Tamanawas Falls

On our way back into Hood River, we stopped at several of the farm stands that are part of the Hood River Fruit Loop. First, we bought cherries and corn at the Draper Girls farm stand. Next, we went to the Hood River Lavender Farm. This is a beautiful farm nestled in the rolling hills next to a winery with views of both Mount Hood and Mount Rainier. The Gorge White House was our last stop of the day and was such fun! It’s a pretty spot with a cute farmhouse, farm stand, picnic area for wine tasting, and a u-pick farm. We took several pails and headed into the fields to pick our own blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. They were delicious!

We bought a bag of cherries and corn on the cob 

Lavender plants

View of Mount Rainier from Hood River Lavender Farm

The Gorge White House

Picking blueberries!

Produce from the Hood River Fruit Loop

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon - Day 1

It's a three hour drive from Bend to Hood River along the Columbia River Gorge, but it took us a bit longer as we made a few stops along the way. We had read that Trillium Lake is a picturesque spot (with Mount Hood towering over the lake) that has a short, walkable trail that loops around the lake. When we got to the lake, we discovered this is a very popular lake for swimming and kayaking. The shore was packed with people and very little social distancing was happening. So we found a spot away from the crowds to take a few pictures and decided to skip the trail.

Trillium Lake with Mount Hood in the distance

Up next was a visit to the Timberline Lodge. The lodge sits at an elevation of 6000 feet on the side of Mount Hood. It is a historic hotel that was built during the Great Depression as a way of creating jobs and stimulating the economy under FDR’s Works Progress Administration. The lobby of the Timberline Lodge is open to the public and has several interesting exhibits and a short movie that describe the history and construction of the lodge. Today, many people recognize the exterior of the lodge as it was featured in the movie, The Shining, as the Overlook Hotel. 

The Timberline ski resort is open to skiers year-round - it was strange to see skiers and snowboarders walking through the parking lot wearing their gear when the daytime temperature was in the mid 80’s!

The Timberline Lodge

We continued on our way to the Columbia River Gorge. When I made our camping reservations two months ago, all of the campgrounds on the Oregon side were not taking reservations due to the corona virus. But I was able to secure a spot at the Bridge RV Park in White Salmon, Washington just across the bridge from Hood River. It was a very convenient location except for the fact that the bridge between Hood River and White Salmon is very narrow and RVs are not recommended on it. So with our trailer hitched to the truck, we had to drive 15 miles east to cross the bridge at The Dalles and then drive 15 miles back on the Washington side to get to our campground.

We had read good reviews for the Solstice restaurant along the river, so we headed there after we unhitched. There was a long wait for a table, so we passed the time by watching the wind surfers and kite surfers on the river from Waterfront Park. It was such fun to watch! Once our table was ready, we both enjoyed a yummy wood-fired pizza from Solstice.

Bend, Oregon - Day 2

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has closed a lot of places, we figured another hike would be a great way to spend the day. We headed back to the Cascade Range west of Bend to complete the 9.1 mile Green Lakes Trail. This is not a very difficult trail in terms of elevation gain, but it is a bit longer than what we typically choose. It was another gorgeous hike that followed a river for much of the way with tons of wildflowers at every turn. We made it to Green Lake where we sat along the shore, ate a snack, and enjoyed the view of the South Sister Mountain.

This hike had it all - waterfalls, wildflowers, and mountains!

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Jim wished I had picked a shorter hike

Wildflowers everywhere!

A river crossing

More wildflowers!

Our first view of the South Sister Mountain

I couldn't stop taking pictures of the flowers

Green Lake with the South Sister in the distance

Before heading back to our campsite, we stopped at the High Desert Museum just south of Bend. This museum is very well done with indoor displays covering the Native Americans who originally inhabited the region as well as the Oregon Trail. Inside, there are also several wildlife habitats for porcupines, foxes, turtles, snakes, and fish. Outside, there is a replica of a pioneer village with a sawmill, cabin, and barn. We also walked through the aviary area that houses a golden eagle, bald eagle, and several types of owls.

The sawmill replica at The High Desert Museum

The pioneer village

Bend, Oregon - Day 1

After yesterday’s hike of Garfield Peak at Crater Lake, Jim had a chance to do some fishing near our campground at Diamond Lake before hitching up the trailer and driving to our next destination, Bend, Oregon.

For our first full day in the Bend area, we wanted to do some exploring at Smith Rock State Park. The weather forecast was calling for temperatures in the high 90’s, so we needed to get an early start. We were on the Misery Ridge trailhead at Smith Rock SP by 7:45am. It was 1.1 miles of steep switchbacks to get to the top - well worth it for the views! Instead of returning the way we came, we chose to do the 4 mile loop which winds along the Crooked River. Being in the high desert, we weren’t expecting the lush green scenery that we encountered along the river. As we hiked, it was fun to watch the many mountain climbers attempting the sheer walls.

Smith Rock State Park

We're ready to tackle Misery Ridge!

My view from the top of Misery Ridge

Resting the legs

Interesting rock formations

Such pretty scenery!

The cliffs are covered in mountain climber's hand chalk. See the climber in the middle of this picture?

The next stop was Tumalo Falls in the Cascade Range west of Bend. We walked up the short path to the top of the beautiful falls to take a few pictures. Jim was eyeing the river downstream as a potential fishing spot, so I relaxed with a book in the truck while Jim spent a few hours fishing with great success.

Tumalo Falls

The top of the falls

Prime fishing waters