Historic River Highway

Currently in Gig Harbor, WA near Seattle
Will be here for over a week then on to National Parks


We visited the Columbia River Gorge a couple of different times on our visit to the Portland area.  Historic Highway 30 was built as a scenic highway in the early 20th Century using prison labor.
Eventually the highway was replaced by I-84, but they run together for a bit.

Our first stop was Multnomah Falls, a total of 620 feet long.  They claim to be the second highest year round falls in the United States, but there is some doubt about that.  The bridge about halfway down in the photo is called the Benson Bridge and was built in 1914.

There is a really cool old lodge at the Falls that was built in 1925.  I love the old stonework (hard to see here).  It now houses some retail, but of course was originally a stop for travelers along the highway.

All of the hiking trails along the old highway were closed, so we were not able to hike up to the Falls.  Last September there was a horrible fire near the top of the Falls started by a teenager throwing firecrackers.  We heard the story from many people in the area.  Parts of the area are still closed as they repair the road and trails to make them safe for the public.
So we took a quick walk along the Bridalveil Nature trail and got a couple of nice views.  You can see the historic highway in the second photo.

We got a wonderful view of the whole area from the Vista House that opened in 1918.  It's original purpose was also as a comfort station for travelers across the highway.  It is now a museum to Oregon's Native Americans and pioneers.

Here is the Columbia River Gorge from a higher vantage point.  You can see the highway in this one too.  It was a cloudy day!

It really is absolutely gorgeous along here.  Lots of state parks and recreation area for water activities.  In addition to the scenic surroundings, we visited the town of Troutdale which is right off the highway.

They were celebrating "first Friday" which included some outdoor music and special offerings by several vendors.   We enjoyed some window shopping and a couple of wine tastings, as Oregon is has become known for their wines.  Delicious.
Below is a mural dedicated to their pioneer spirit!