Oregon’s Columbia River… And Its Gorgeous Gorge

On a map, the Columbia River is just a wavy line that separates the states of Oregon and Washington, but on the ground, the river and the gorge it created are the centerpiece of a beautiful stretch of the Pacific Northwest. When we visited the area, I was aware that I was saying “Oh wow, look at that” way more often than normal, and my husband found it challenging to keep his eyes off the scenery and on the road. 

The river starts in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia in Canada and ends in the Pacific Ocean — a distance of more than 1,250 miles. It’s the largest river in the Pacific Northwest and the second largest in the U.S. It’s also one of the most beautiful. If you saw Reese Witherspoon trudging along the Pacific Crest Trail with an enormous backpack in the 2014 movie Wild, you’ve seen the Columbia River, as the bridge over the river at Cascade Locks is part of the PCT.

I have to confess that I hadn’t done my homework for this trip, so during our time in the area, I experienced one pleasant surprise after another. The first “oh wow” was Multnomah Falls, which came into view only 30 miles east of Portland. This stunning waterfall cascades 620 feet down a sheer cliff face, making it the tallest waterfall of the 90 or so in the area. A word to the wise: Parking is restricted in this area during the busy summer season that runs from late May to early September, so it’s worth considering shuttling to the falls. Taylor Marean at Waterfall Shuttle does a great job. In addition, The Historic Columbia River Highway offers a slower and more scenic alternative to Interstate 84. The highway, built between 1913 and 1922, is being restored, and visitors can drive, hike, and bike segments of it between Troutdale and The Dalles. 

Ten miles beyond Multnomah Falls, we encountered even more drama at the massive Bonneville Lock and Dam. I was nearly mesmerized by the thundering white water that is part of the largest hydroelectric system in the world. The visitor center here provides beautiful views of the Columbia River, and windows overlook the fish ladder that allows migrating fish safe passage around the dam. 

In contrast to the modern dam, our hotel in Hood River offers a throwback to a much earlier era. The Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa was built in 1921 and great effort has gone into preserving its authenticity. The property, first described in the Lewis and Clark journals, was the site of a lumber mill in the mid-1800s that made staves for whiskey barrels carried by mules from Hood River to the east. In 1921, Oregon lumber magnate Simon Benson invited the world to “come view our beauty spots” and built the Columbia Gorge Hotel for anticipated guests.

These days, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and music from the ’20s fills the public spaces. We loved the sweet gardens all around the hotel and were surprised to see one of the gorge’s four highest waterfalls, Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, in the garden facing the river. 

The three-story hotel’s one elevator must be operated by a staff member, but any inconvenience caused by the ancient lift is more than compensated by the gorgeous view of the Columbia River from north-facing rooms. Regardless of the time of day, we had front row seats for watching daring windsurfers who appeared to have started on the Washington side of the river and sailed across to Oregon. In fact, Hood River is known as the “windsurfing capital of the world,” and windsurfers come in numbers from all over the world to play in the strong wind, especially between June and September. 

I’m used to seeing windsurfers in San Diego, but this was my first exposure to kiteboarders. Apparently, the sport was discovered in 1989 when daredevil Cory Roeseler strapped his feet to stock water skis. With three rectangular colorful kites, he took off across the Columbia River and into a crowd of surprised windsurfers. Today, kiteboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. 

Hood River is also chock-full of scenic hiking and mountain biking trails and at Mount Hood, less than an hour to the south, the ski and snow boarding season is the longest in North America — November through May. In addition to outdoor sports, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum in The Dalles is ideal for families (especially anyone studying Lewis and Clark), and my husband would never forgive me if I didn’t mention WAAAM, the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River. He continues to rave about the hundreds of still-driving antique automobiles and motorcycles and still-flying antique planes he saw. Now he wants to return to WAAAM for “Second Saturday,” when volunteers fly and drive these wonderful old vehicles, which takes place (as one could guess) on the second Saturday of every month.

He’s crazy about cars — and I can only go so long without pizza. So, on our second night in Hood River, we ate at Solstice Wood Fire Café. This casual spot had a warm vibe and, like everywhere else we ate on this trip, the hospitality was remarkable. One gets the feeling in this part of Oregon that locals are as enthusiastic about their dining as they are about their myriad outdoor sports. Dining is more than just eating. It’s about hospitality and community and appreciating local seasonal harvests. I enjoyed my wood-fired pizza and a conversation with our server about Columbia Gorge and all its many assets. It was definitely another “Oh wow” moment.