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Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area

Columbia Gorge - DuPont Forever Young Seniors

The breakfast pastry and fruit table at the Inn of the White Salmon.More Photos

by ecubedwa

A May 2006 travel journal

Last Updated: May 30, 2006

Journal Usefulness Rating 3 out of 5
Journal Usefulness Rating
8
Reviews
4
Photos

Forever Young Seniors 3-day road trip. Highlights were scenic waterfalls along a historic highway, Maryhill Museum, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, and Wasco County Museum.

Eleven seniors, members of DuPont Forever Young, left in carpools from DuPont at 8am on a Wednesday morning and returned the following Friday evening. We met two additional members in Troutdale and proceeded slowly along old highway 30. The ride took us back in time and we thoroughly enjoyed the ride with many stops along the way. We spent 2 nights at The Inn at White Salmon and enjoyed the museums and attractions in the area.

Quick Tips:

I used a handbook to plan the trip and it was very useful. The title is "Columbia River Gorge" by Stuart Warren and Brian Litt, and is in the Moon Handbooks series published by Avalon Travel Publishing in 2002.

Best Way To Get Around:

Travel by automobile is really the only option if you have any kind of a time schedule.
The breakfast pastry and fruit table at the Inn of the White Salmon.
This is a classic bed and breakfast with many antiques and period furniture. All rooms have bathrooms. Our room was about standard size with a full size bed, one easy chair, a large chest with mirror and bathroom with shower only. The TV, which we never did turn on, was a small 12-inch. There is a very nice parlor to relax in, and a nice landscaped patio with a hot tub. The inn faces the street and there is only on-street parking, but that didn't pose a problem for us.

The breakfasts were terrific, with about a half dozen egg selections, and a large table of pastry and fruit. Coffee and juices were also available. I was amazed at the quality and variety of pastries. For egg dishes, I had a Hungarian flauf one morning and an artichoke frittata the next. Both were delicious.

The hotel staff was very accommodating, with a good restaurant suggestion and glasses and coffee provided for us in the parlor.

Overall, a very pleasant experience.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006

Inn of the White Salmon
172 W Jewett Blvd. White Salmon, Washington 98672
(509) 493-2335

Big River Diner

Restaurant

When first planning the trip, I chose a restaurant in White Salmon, but when I tried to make reservations just before leaving I found that it was closed. I called the Inn of the White Salmon, and they recommended The Big River Diner in Bingen. It was a very good suggestion, and we ate both of our evening meals there. There were 13 of us, and we requested individual checks, including both couples and singles. We had a different waitress each night, but both had a sense of humor and took care of us accurately and efficiently. The food was good quality and well prepared. It wasn't fancy, but a good value. The desserts were very good. I had huckleberry pie one night, and a butterscotch sundae the next.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006

Big River Diner
740 E Steuben St. Bingen, Washington 98605
(509) 493-1414

A peacock strolling through the sculpture garden at the Maryhill Museum.
The Maryhill Museum of Art proved to be more interesting than I expected. For a description, their website is a good source. http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/ I spent more time walking around the grounds than I had expected to do, where I enjoyed the many peacocks and hens strutting around and the interesting sculpture garden. We decided to have lunch at the museum cafe and it was a good choice.

Stonehenge—We also visited the Stonehenge site and it was interesting but not a "must see" attraction. One thing I did enjoy was the view of the Columbia river and the original Maryhill community founded by Sam Hill.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006

Maryhill Museum of Art
35 Maryhill Museum Drive Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

This is a well organized, modern museum. Their website is: http://www.gorgediscovery.org/ A lot of thought went into the layout of the museum and it works. You become drawn into the period being displayed in each area and each area has it's own feel so each is new and interesting as you enter. There are basically two buildings side by side, connected by a large, full-length foyer. One side is devoted primarily to the Columbia Gorge, and the other to Wasco County history. I enjoyed the Wasco County exhibit the best because of the variety of artifacts and innovative displays. There is a short nature walk outside with views of the Columbia. We had lunch at the museum cafe and the food was good—with a great navy bean soup.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006

Historic Columbia Gorge Highway / Vista House
40700 East Historic Columbia River Highway Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

Looking up the Columbia Gorge from Vista House at Crown Point
We traveled the highway from Troutdale, OR, to Cascade Locks in the early spring, with cloudy skies and passing showers. It felt just right. We were lucky and it didn't rain with any seriousness until we were safely inside the Bonneville dam visitor center. It really is a beautiful drive, with far reaching scenic vistas and tall cascading waterfalls. The bridges and guardrails on the highway are also interesting and worth checking out.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006
There are several wineries in the Hood River, White Salmon, and Maryhill areas but our time was limited so we only visited the Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River. Their website is: http://www.cathedralridgewinery.com/index000.php It's not a large operation but the tasting room was well appointed with a nice gift shop and attractive grounds. The wines were good and several of us made purchases.
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006

Cathedral Ridge Winery
4200 Post Canyon Dr. Hood River, Oregon 97031
(800) 516-8710

After visiting the Cathedral Ridge Winery, one of our group suggested we visit the Columbia Gorge Hotel. It is an old, famous Columbia Gorge lodging for the well-to-do. It's worth a look. We just wandered around the lobby for a bit and then walked the grounds. It is beautifully landscaped with a stream running through the property to a cliff where it cascades down on its way to the Columbia river. The gardens alone are worth the stop with beautiful, well maintained flower beds, trees, and shrubbery. Their website is: http://www.columbiagorgehotel.com/
  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by ecubedwa on May 30, 2006

Columbia Gorge Hotel
4000 Westcliff Dr. Hood River, Oregon
(800) 345-1921

About the Writer

ecubedwa
ecubedwa
DuPont, Washington

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