Breathtaking Falls    

Exploring the Columbia Gorge Historic Highway      

How many places can you enjoy a club sandwich while you watch water plummeting at 150 cubic feet per second off a 620-foot cliff? Only one that I can think of:

The Lodge at Multnomah Falls.

This is exactly what I was doing a few weeks ago, at the climax of a driving tour on the historic Columbia Gorge Highway. I was about to earn that side of fries, by slogging the 2+ mile round-trip hike to the top of the Falls. Note: the first mile is up, all up. You'll see travelers of all bent: young outdoorsy types, athletes, little old Chinese ladies, families toting children, children skipping, children whining, hip rock musicians, middle-aged women with desk jobs, like me, and a surprising number of dogs, some with startlingly short legs and stout bodies. Note: bring water.

But first, the journey: Five spectacular falls tumble through the old gorge highway and I wanted to see all of them. Flowers bloomed all around and snowmelt gushed downstream, swelling the falls to dramatic heights. Read More.

Photo: Sheppard's Dell Waterfall

Courtesy of Wasco County Historical Society.      

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