One Park, One Museum, One Stamp at a Time
Road Trip to PortlandAfter a long semester of teaching 6th graders for myself and of returning to school for my wife, we both decided we needed a nice, long, vacation over Christmas break. We started our trip with a road trip to Portland through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. We made out way south from Spokane until we reached I-84 and headed west. This interstate runs along the Columbia River for the majority of the state of Oregon. It is an interesting drive and well worth the journey if you are in the area. I was five stamps and a new unit short of the bronze level award for the NPTC website and planned our weekend around trying to reach this goal. Along the river, there are a handful of stamping opportunities. I chose 3 stops for our day, Bonneville Dam, Multnomah Falls, and Vista House. The plan was to spend the day along the river, check into the hotel in Portland around dinner time, and get my last new unit of the year the next day at Fort Vancouver. All went according to the plan...until midnight that is. That is when politics got in the way and the government shut down for the rest of the calendar year. This meant I would finish the year one unit short of my goal, better luck next time I guess. Bonneville DamThe Bonneville Dam was a fun stop with far more to offer than I had expected. I find dams fascinating and they usually have visitor centers or tours available so I like to stop and check them out when traveling. Bonneville Dam has a visitor center on both sides of the river, in Washington and Oregon. From the Oregon side, you stop at a check point and go through a quick security screening. You actually get to drive your vehicle across the first set of locks onto an island that houses the visitor center. The center was far more elaborate than I had expected. There was the standard museum style exhibits on the dam but there was also a roof-top viewing deck and a fish ladder viewing area. The lower level of the center had a window into the fish ladder and exhibits on salmon and other fish that call the Columbia home. The complex was also home to a fish and sturgeon hatchery. The hatchery is a hundred years old and, apparently, been a tourist attraction the entire time. They had a walking tour of the hatchery and a sturgeon viewing tank. We wandered around for awhile, saw the massive sturgeon, and fed the ducks and salmon in the pond. Being winter time, the fish ladder and hatchery were not at their peak, but it was a fun stop. Historic Columbia River Highway Shortly after visiting Bonneville Dam, we turned off the interstate and headed off on the Historic Columbia River Highway, a former portion of the old US HWY 30. This narrow and winding road takes you through Ainsworth State Park, past a number of waterfalls, and up to scenic vistas overlooking the gorge. We stopped briefly at Horsetail Falls and then again at Multnomah Falls. We stopped in for the stamps here and looked around the old lodge. We had been here previously and have always wanted to hike to the top of Multnomah Falls but decided a late December afternoon was not the time for a prolonged hike outdoors. From here we made our way to Vista House. Vista House is over a hundred years old and was built to provide a rest stop and place to view the river on the old highway. Today it is a beautiful example of architecture that houses striking panoramic views of the Columbia River Gorge. I had never heard of the Vista House before planning out my route for this trip, but it is a must see if you have the time. The Historic Highway will take at least 30 minutes longer than I-84, probably longer if you stop places, but is beautiful and worth the time. After leaving Vista House, we decided to go check in to our hotel in Portland. We were not going to make it to Fort Vancouver NHP before they closed. It was that night that the government shutdown took effect so we were unable to visit Fort Vancouver in the morning :(. Instead we spent the day wandering around downtown Portland. We got lost in Powell's Books, checked out the Saturday Market, did a Voodoo vs Blue Star Donuts taste test, and grabbed some beers with friends. Breakside Brewery is amazing, just saying. Overall, it was a fun weekend trip to the Portland area. I had only ever driven through Portland and was glad to get a chance to experience the city. New Units Visited: 0
Ice Age Floods NGT - Lewis and Clark NHT Total Affiliated Areas This Year: 24 Total Units: 32
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