Summer trip to Oregon to enjoy the natural beauty of the region. Lots to see for the nature lover. I flew into Portland and as my flight was landing was greeted with a view of Mount Hood. Looks like a the introduction into a Paramount movie.
Columbia River Gorge
Stayed at Holiday Inn Express in Troutdale for 2 nights. Troutdale is a small city east of Portland and is the western gateway into the Columbia River Gorge. The Historic Columbia River Highway starts in Troutdale and runs through the gorge. I did a bike ride along the highway, starting in Latourell Falls and ending at Horsetail Falls - visited five waterfalls during the bike ride.
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| Vista House, which serves as an observatory. It started as a rest stop for travelers and serves as a memorial to Oregon pioneers traveling along the Columbia River. |
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Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint |
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| Latourell Falls |
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| Shepperd's Dell Falls - upper part |
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| Shepperd's Dell Falls - lower part |
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| Bridal Veil Falls |
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| Horsetail Falls |
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| Visitor center at Multnomah Falls |
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| Multnomah Falls. People can climb to the bridge for a different view. |
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| Downward view of Multnomah Falls from the bridge |
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| Upper Multnomah Falls, on the pedestrian bridge |
I returned to the gorge the next morning to hike the Wahkeena Trail. Saw three more waterfalls plus a view of the Columbia River. I went back to Multnomah Falls that morning - very peaceful experience at that waterfall with only a few people there.
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Wahkeena Falls
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| Necktie Falls |
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| Fairy Falls |
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| Lemmons Viewpoint |
Mount St Helens
Drove to Silver Lake Resort and spent the night there. It is a perfect place to watch the sunrise with Mount St Helens in the background. The mountain is an active volcano. The 1980 eruption changed the shape of the mountain and the surrounding landscape. The effects of that eruption remain visible today.
Drove on Spirit Lake Highway towards Mount St Helens. There are several scenic spots along the highway. At the end of the highway is Johnston Ridge Observatory which has displays about the mountain, a short movie, and panoramic views.
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| Hoffstadt Creek Bridge, on the edge of the blast zone |
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| Castle Lake Viewpoint |
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| Coldwater Lake |
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| Mount St Helens prior to 1980 eruption. It was shaped like a conical volcano and resembled Mount Fuji. |
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| The eruption in 1980 caused the summit to collapse, creating a big crater partially filled by a lava dome and a glacier. The eruption caused an avalanche on the north side. |
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| Close up view of the crater |
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| Clouds starting to form over Mount St Helens. Or is that gas? |
North Oregon Coast
After enjoying Mount St Helens, drove to the Oregon coast. Passed through Astoria and crossed the Astoria-Megler Bridge which connects Washington and Oregon over the Columbia River. Ended the day at Cannon Beach.
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| Astoria-Megler Bridge at the Washington side |
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| Astoria-Megler Bridge at the Oregon side. Looks steep from the viewpoint in Washington. |
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| Astoria-Megler Bridge at the Oregon side - that slope isn't as steep as it looked in the previous photo. |
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| Entrance to Hallmark Resort Cannon Beach. |
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| View from my room at Hallmark Resort. The room has a spa - your personal hot tub. |
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| Haystack Rock. |
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| During low tide, star fish are visible. |
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| One of many seagulls hanging out near Haystack Rock. |
The next morning, visited Ecola State Park. Some scenes of The Goonies movie were filmed here. Lots of scenic views of the coast and Haystack Rock.
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| Indian Beach |
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| People surfing in the cold ocean water |
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| Tillamook Lighthouse |
Central Oregon Coast
Continued driving along the Oregon coast - several scenic views on highway 101. Arrived at Whaler Inn in Newport, where I would stay for two nights.
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| Yaquina Head Lighthouse |
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| Yaquina Bay Lighthouse |
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| Yaquina Bay Bridge |
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| My room at Whaler Inn faced the ocean. Perfect spot to watch the sunset. |
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| Devil's Churn |
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| Close view of Devil's Churn |
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Thor's Well at low tide
| Cape Perpetua
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Visited Sea Lion Caves, a preserve offering views of the sea lions. This time of year, the sea lions hang outside the cave on the hills near the ocean. However, I saw one sea lion inside the cave.
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Heceta Head Lighthouse, from inside the sea lion cave
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Visited the Oregon Sand Dunes. The ocean waves bring sand on shore. Winds dried and blew the sand further inland. The sand collects in pockets and build over time, forming dunes. Lots of hiking opportunities at the dunes. I chose a path that went through the forests and ended at the beach.
On my way to Portland airport, stopped in Salem to see the Oregon capital and the Oregon World War II Memorial. The gold statue on top of the capital is an Oregon pioneer.
