We took a road trip today to some interesting places toward the eastern end of the Gorge. Our destination was Hood River about 40 miles east of Troutdale. The objective was the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM). I know what you’re thinking, another Dan place. Well, you’d be right. I’m fortunate that Lynn puts up with this. This museum had a huge collection of mostly early 1900s aircraft and cars from the late 1800s to mid 1900s. It is located on airport grounds in Hood River and almost everything in there works and is taken out on occasion and flown or driven. So these are not just restored; they are functional. The place was a little dim in light so did not get many usable pictures, but a couple follow.
We then turned south into the country, what they call the “Fruit Loop”. So named for all the roadside markets selling fresh fruit. We stopped to buy some peaches, pears, and cherries. They were yummy. It is amazing the difference in taste of truly ripe and fresh fruit. Upon recommendation, our next stop took us to Timberline Lodge. This place sits about halfway up Mt. Hood. It was built in the 30s as a WPA project for skiers. It has been restored and is like stepping back in time. A couple of pictures follow.
August 17, 2013 – Saturday
Another road trip; today to The Dalles. The correct pronunciation is like “the-dells” but with an “a”. The name came from the French La Dalles meaning narrows and falls. There is a large dam there, bigger than Bonneville. We learned there were 10 miles of falls in this area that required portage of goods. The Celilo Falls were used by the Indians to catch Salmon and this dam covered them up, which did not and still does not sit well with them.
In the early 1800s a fort was built in the area called Fort Dalles. It was intended as an in-between for Fort Vancouver and Fort Laramie to keep an eye on Indian threats and for people coming into the area via the Oregon Trail. It saw little or no action and was abandoned when the Civil War broke out. The only building left was the Surgeon’s Quarters. The others burnt down. This remaining building houses a museum along with a homestead moved to provide history related to the way of life in this area. Somewhat disappointing was the fact that all the stuff related to the fort were taken when the soldiers left. The rooms contain artifacts from around The Dalles during the period.
What made this place special was the docent who has lived in this area her entire life. She brought an interesting perspective and lived during completion of the dam and its impact on the people here. She was also very knowledgeable of the families and way of life in the early years in the area. We figured an hour tops, instead we spent several hours!
The last stop was to St Peter’s Church, actually now a landmark as a new church was built. There we also had an extended conversation with the docent. In both locations, we were the only folks visiting. It was great! A picture follows.
Following are some picture looking down on The Dalles from an outlook above the town. Also a pretty cool view of Mt Adams.
We made a quick stop on the way home at the outlook over the Gorge not far from the campground. It will likely be the last picture of the Gorge.
August 18, 2013 - Sunday
We have some grocery shopping to do and there is a car show in town, so guess where we're going? Today is our last day here, then we head to the Coast and Ft Steven State Park in Hammond, OR. We will not likely have WiFi for a while so this may be our last post for a few days. It has been interesting, but truthfully, there are places we've been that are prettier from a scenic standpoint. We hope you are having as much fun following as we are doing it!
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