After our time on the Oregon coast, we headed east of Portland to the Columbia River Gorge area. The state of Washington sits on the north side of the river and Oregon is on the south side.
Our campground was up the mountain side, quite remote and very peaceful
We had a large site surrounded by trees
Guess that trip up the mountain was rough on the rig!
He’s learning all the setup and breakdown tasks
Finally!! Plenty of space and good weather for campfires
They carried this local beer at the campground - love the label!
For J’s birthday - we set out on a family mountain bike trail
Ready to roll!
Some of the trail was like this
But most of it was like this! Thick, dense forest with lots of tree roots and rocks - we ended up walking as much as riding
After our very long bike trip, we headed further north and found a pretty river
Skipping rocks
And creating rainbows!
During our drive, we stumbled upon Mount St Helens!
After our day of adventures, he’s reflecting on turning 50! 🤣
His birthday dinner
And dessert! Happy Birthday baby!!!
The Columbia River Gorge is known for a variety of water sports
We saw lots of wind and kite surfers
Most playgrounds are closed in this area but not this music park
With unique sculptures
One day we headed south, over the bridge, to Hood River, OR
We spent part of a day at the waterfront
Swimming area
Kids approved
Video - she’s a fish
The other part of the day took us south on the Fruit Loop. About 20 farmstands are designated on a 20 mile loop selling locally grown produce
We stopped at several - this one had a beautiful view of Mount Hood
There were a few lavender fields on the loop
These fields are so pretty
We were amazed by the constant buzz of the bees!
💜
Presenting Mount Hood
Cutting lavender
We got a bunch to take with us and we still have it in the RV - smells so good
💜
One more stop on the loop - a winery! No kids allowed due to new COVID restrictions so we enjoyed some lavender lemonade instead
And the views
On our way back to the RV, we stopped for a short walk
To check out this waterfall
💙
It did require some steep, slippery climbing to get to it
But worth it!
The next day we got back on our bikes
A short loop ride - found more petroglyphs
Through the forest
Past the dam!
A much better ride than the last one!
The day the kids have been waiting for - ziplining day! They grumbled about masks but still had a blast
No fear!
Just hanging out
Video
Video
Our last day in the area took us to this mountain lake
Very pretty but very cold!
