Columbia River Gorge August 2006

My husband and I had the opportunity to spend three nights in the Gorge area in August. It%26#39;s just beautiful! (Wish I could figure out a way to make a living out there so I could get away from Hurricane Alley down here in Florida!) What we found really interesting was the change of scenery as you move east from the mountains. Once we got east of The Dalles, we thought we were looking at the kind of terrain in a John Wayne movie. We even saw a tumbleweed!

We stayed at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort (actually in Washington state) and thought is was really nice. It%26#39;s a very good hotel, but not cheap. I didn%26#39;t have time to use the spa services, but if we ever get to go back, I%26#39;ll be sure to do that. The indoor lap pool gave me a good workout before breakfast. They have a sauna available, but I%26#39;ve never been keen on them myself. There%26#39;s a small cool water pool next to the sauna, and also a regular warm whirlpool. With the spa and all, the hotel seems to be a popular ';girls%26#39; weekend'; spot for ladies living in the Portland area. Its biggest drawback is that it%26#39;s off the beaten path. You%26#39;re not in the middle of a town, where you can take a stroll past shops and such.

We took the Romance Package for two nights with a Hot Tub room. It came with free movie rentals (if you can make time for a movie) and a bottle of sparkling wine. You also get vouchers for the restaurant. With the Hot Tub room you get this huge balcony looking into the woods (privacy) and a big hot tub filled with mineral water. That was really great after a day enjoying the fabulous hiking in the area. The restaurant is nice, but not gourmet. That was okay with us. We were really concentrating on the sightseeing, and came back hungry and a little tired, so we appreciated not having to go off-site for a decent meal.

On Friday night, we switched to their Wine Tasting Package. They do a weekly wine tasting hour featuring four local wines, along with cheese and fruit trays. You don%26#39;t have to buy into the package to attend. A ticket is $15 at the front desk. It was a really nice ';happy hour'; before dinner.

We booked a six-hour Wine Country tour with Hood River Tours. I would highly recommend doing this for anyone spending time in the area. They are a small operation, but just as friendly as can be. We were taken to five different local wineries, most of them very small, or ';micro.'; While every wine we tasted may not have been to our particular tastes, there wasn%26#39;t anything bad in the bunch. Christi took us to some places we never would have found on our own, and not just wineries. There%26#39;s somebody out there who%26#39;s got a ';resue ranch'; for exotic animals. We drove by and saw giraffes and zebras and such. We weren%26#39;t expecting that! (The point being she%26#39;s lived in the area her whole life and knows all about it.) Just tell her what you%26#39;d like to do, and she%26#39;ll work up an itinerary for you. Of course, the best part is that we could taste wine all afternoon without having to worry about driving. We could just relax and enjoy the scenery, and the wine.

We hiked Beacon Rock and Multnomah Falls our last day. Beacon Rock has the better views, by far! Just fabulous. Get there early so you don%26#39;t feel rushed taking your pictures at the top. Multnomah Falls is beautiful, but the views from the top are really not much. What a steep hike! All the signs say it%26#39;s one mile, but it really felt longer! We had lunch at the restaurant there after the climb, and it was good. Boy, that attraction does get packed! We were there on a Friday. I%26#39;d hate to see it on a weekend!

We stopped in Hood River for a while, and talked to the folks at the local fly shop about the fishing in the area. They recommend October for the best fly fishing.

All in all, we had a great time, and would like to figure out a way to return. Really, we have been talking about a move, and my husband might never have considered that part of the country until he saw it. Now it%26#39;s on the list of possibilities, since we know there are a ton of recreational opportunities. Unfortunately, the day trip I had planned to Mt. Hood had to be scrapped because of forest fires which closed the main highway to the mountain. Another reason to go back!

I hope this helps anyone planning a trip to the Columbia River.

Columbia River Gorge August 2006

Thank you for posting your detailed report. It%26#39;s helpful for others who have never enjoyed the NW much less the Gorge. ';Birdergirl'; suggests you are a birder. If yes, some of the best birding in the country is in this region, especially as we enter the fall migration and then the winter hawking.

Columbia River Gorge August 2006

Thank you fo sharing. Your report reminds us of why we love it here so much! I had to giggle about the tumbleweeds...when I was little, we lived in WA, in that general area, and we had some HUGE tumbleweeds come barreling down our street during wind storms.

Glad you had a driver for the wineries too. The exotic animal farm sounds really interesting.

Sounds fun! Welcome to the Tripadvisor Forums, birdergirl. We were out at the Gorge this summer on a day trip before heading over to the Oregon Coast and enjoyed Multnomah Falls very much. We got a lot of cool photos there for our digital Christmas cards we send out each year. :)

Thank you so much for sharing an excellent report!

I live here and have not seen as much as you did :)

( I know what you mean- we moved here from Fl last year.)

You are braver than I, I still cannot climb up to the top of Multnomah Falls lol..

I am sure your report was very helpful, for those planning trips and newbies too. Thank you.

Nice report. You made good use of three days in a variety of things.

That is a long hike to top. Once we hiked down to Crater Lake. It was 1 mile, was ok, trip back up seemed like 3 miles.

Last time we were at top of Multnomah we hikde up from Wahkeena and across the top. then down at Multnomah. Seemd better for some reason, guess because up from Wahkeena there are some less steep paerts and some stairs.

And the changing terrain is one thing that makes Oregon a great place to live.