Today we ventured outside of Portland to see some of the natural beauty that’s less than one hour away. We knew we wanted to start at Multanomah Falls and do a little hiking, but the 100 degree temps completely thwarted our plans! The heat and uphill stride were a little much for Ruby, so we cut things short. We still were able to get some sights in and enjoy the Falls for a bit though!
Too hot! That’s a wrap :(
We decided to hop in the (air-conditioned) car and continue driving north towards Hood River to take a little break. We decided to stop at the Bonneville Dam to see what that was all about. It actually ended up being quite interesting — the dam is massive and we also got to see the fish ladder that was constructed to help the salmon and sturgeon swim upstream without being harmed. There were also fish hatcheries and a big old Sturgeon named Herman! (Bonus points for the air-conditioned Visitor Center.)
Bonneville Dam:
Looking at the fish swimming upstream from underwater:
Weird looking Lamprey with their “teeth” on display!
Huge sturgeon putting on a show
After we left Bonneville, we drove to the adorable town of Hood River. The town is very quaint and the view of the Columbia River was absolutely stunning. Carrie’s 1st college roommate lives there and wanted to meet up, so we met for chips and salsa and caught up after 20 years!
Just for kicks, we crossed the bridge on the way home and drove home on the Washington side of the river. It was a gorgeous view as we paralleled the Oregon side.
We’ll be heading off for Washington in the morning for real this time — 4 days, starting tomorrow!