GORGEous!

Our last day in Portland took us to the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge! We rented a car for the scenic drive along the Columbia River, which cuts through the Cascade Mountains, with numerous stops to take in the views and gaze at the multitude of waterfalls.

Our first stop is the view from The Portland Women’s Forum…recommended by our Uber driver the day before as the best place to start our sightseeing.
that’s the Vista House on the next mountain over…a memorial to Oregon pioneers and a place of rest for travelers.

Multnomah Falls...the most popular of all the places to stop along the way. (pic by Val)…where you can have lunch or just coffee in a beautiful stone Lodge. There’s a gift shop too. I’d recommend getting there very early, because the parking fills ups pretty quick (we arrived around 11:30 and I waited in the car while Val & Jan ran up to take pics…but I could hear the roar of the water)

We stopped at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery…another rec from the Uber driver…where they raise Chinook and coho salmon. They also have viewing ponds of rainbow trout and sturgeon…pretty interesting place!

notice the new Doc Martens…made in Portland!
feeding the rainbow trout

path to the underwater sturgeon viewing area

Stopped in Hood River for lunch before making our way back to Portland

some really good fries at this place…recommended by a local we had met at the Portland Women’s Forum

Our final meal of the trip was on New Year’s Eve at the rooftop bar, Portland City Grill, with 360 views of Portland and the surrounding areas, as well as distant views of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier. We just ordered wine and appetizers and then stopped on the way home at Afuri…those dumplings are delish!!

Mount Hood (the pics of Rainier & St Helens were too far in the distance for a decent pic)

Portland is also a very artsy area, so here are some cool murals and random sculptures we stumbled upon around town…

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

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