I had to visit Ashland, not only because it is an adorable little town smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, but also because my sister went to college here 50 years ago. I remember going to Ashland with my parents to drop her off. We were about to move to Bangkok, and it was sad to leave her behind. How hard that must have been for her to leave home for the first time with her family so far away. At least she had friends from high school with her in this beautiful town.
We had a stunningly gorgeous day to explore Crater Lake National Park. Crater Lake is in the caldera of a volcano, Mount Mazama, that erupted 7700 years ago. Once the magma chamber inside the volcano was empty, the mountain top collapsed into the chamber creating the caldera. Rain and snow filled the caldera over the centuries to form the lake; there are no rivers, streams, or springs that flow into it. At 1943 feet deep, it is the deepest lake in the United States and the ninth deepest in the world. The extreme depth accounts for the sapphire-blue water.
Here’s a tip: When you enter the park, whether it’s from the north or southwest entrance, drive along the East Rim Drive first. For some reason, everyone wants to see West Rim Drive first, despite heavy traffic backups. We had the East Rim almost to ourselves.
Here’s a sampling of what we saw.
We left the gorgeously green Columbia River Gorge to head south into the desert. Yes, Oregon has a desert. The Cascade Mountains serve as a barrier to all that wet on the Pacific side (west) of the mountains and creates a “rain shadow” over eastern Oregon. In all our travels to Oregon, we have never ventured into the desert, so here we are.
into the desert
Mt. Hood from the east side
Mt. Adams in Washington
Rafters on the Deschutes River
This is Oregon???
For our first hike this trip, we climbed up to Tom McCall Point in Mayer State Park. (Tom McCall, governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975, was a champion of Oregon’s environment.) Mayer State Park is located on the river midway between Hood River and The Dalles and allows for fabulous views of the gorge and Mts. Hood (in Oregon) and Adams (in Washington) from the upper elevations. We hiked up to the Point from Rowena Crest, on the Historic Columbia River Highway, gaining almost 1000 feet in altitude. Great exercise. Great views. Perfect weather.
We began our five-week tour of Oregon with a trip into the Columbia River Gorge from Portland. The Columbia River is the state line between Oregon and Washington and was the destination of Lewis and Clark back in 1805 when they were searching for a water passage from the United States (east of the Appalachian Mountains at that time) to the Pacific Coast. They knew of the Columbia River–the mouth had been discovered by Europeans in the 18th century. They were searching for a way to get to the Columbia from the Mississippi River.
This is my first time exploring the Gorge since reading about Lewis and Clark’s expedition in Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage, and I am excited. The river is a lot calmer now than when the expedition navigated it. Gone are the multiple rapids and waterfalls they had to contend with. The many dams built during Franklin Roosevelt’s administration make the river appear more like a lake.
The topography is exceptional. The melting glaciers in Idaho and Montana (Missoula Floods) during the last ice age have carved out an incredible gorge in the layers of basalt left by erupting volcanoes prior to the glacial period. Interesting that the Oregon side is so much greener than the Washington side. Turns out the southwest orientation of the layers of rock cause the Washington side to erode into the river. They lose valuable layers of topsoil, while the Oregon side stays pretty much intact. Beautiful country!
Gateway to the Columbia Gorge–Troutdale, just east of Portland.
The Gorge, looking east from Chanticleer Point.
The Bonneville Dam, the first of FDR’s New Deal dams on the Columbia.
Lunch at Thunder Island Brewing in Cascade Locks. All that history and gorge-ous scenery works up a thirst!
Bucket list item realized last night: Bonnie Raitt in concert! We sat for three hours in a steady rain (Oregon!) and got drenched to the bone, but it was worth it. McMenamin’s Edgefield resort in Troutdale was loads of fun, if a bit muddy. I’m glad I allowed for a day off in our itinerary today. We’re cleaning up the mess and doing laundry.
Bonnie Raitt at McMenamin’s Edgefield Resort
Don’t let the brightness fool you. It rained steadily all day.
This event was six months in the planning–a great excuse to come to Oregon.
Yellowstone National Park
I’ve been to all but eight states in the United States, and seven of those are along the border with Canada.
We loved our tour of Scotland in 2013 and would love to return to Inverness to stay for an entire summer.
Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
Ayers Rock