Oregon Trails...

Cannon Beach, Oregon

The state of Oregon, full of discovery & adventure, has quickly become one of our new favorites!  Of course who could resist when you have places like Cannon Beach, Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge (complete with all it's glistening waterfalls), and Crater Lake to explore.

Even the high desert regions, with it's painted hills, many buttes and specular canyons was a sight to behold.  (I didn't even cringe at the winding roads through the buttes & canyons because the view was so breathtaking).

Our exciting trails begin by leading us first through Fort Stephens State Park, (in Warrington, Oregon).  Amazingly, the first thing to catch our attention is a large herd of Elk feasting along the free-range road.  (The herd was much larger than these pictures portray).

Continuing down the path - we come to an historic jetty where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Our trail eventually takes us to Cannon Beach, Oregon.  A cozy sea-side village with lovely cottages, colorful gardens, and shops & restaurants overlooking the ocean.

And, oh my what ocean views!  "Haystack",  a boulder formation jutting from the Pacific Ocean, is certainly the main draw and we can definitely see why.

We could sit and just watch these views for hours...

Of course we do not lack for plenty of entertainment to keep our attention as we quietly stroll Cannon Beach hand in hand. . .

We come upon a couple getting ready to launch 23 kites tethered together.   After talking with them, we stay & watch - mesmorized by the graceful beauty - as the kites dip and soar in sync through the air (for what must be thirty minutes or more...)

(Check out the pictures in the link below to experience this magnificent flight of kites)

Soon, our trail continues to Astoria, Oregon where we explore the historic Astoria Column which overlooks the Columbia River.  The 125 ft column is impressive with it's beautiful, artful mural wrapping around the outside of the column.   The mural displays 14 significant events in the early history of Oregon, including Captain Gray's discovery of the Columbia River in 1792 and the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

After snapping several pictures, we tentatively venture inside to ascend... yes, the 164 step spiral staircase to an observation deck at the top.  Reaching the top, we catch our breath and marvel at the views.

We then launch our $1 balsa wood glider, (which includes our names, date, state & email address), into the wind.  (Apparently, there are many adventurous souls who love to scout around for the numerous planes flown from this perch).

All too soon it is time to once again hit the Oregon trail... so we saddle up and head towards our next destination - -

Portland & the Columbia River Gorge.   We had booked seats on a small, (12 person), tour of the Columbia River Gorge from Portland.  On the day of the tour, we were fortunate to discover that we were the only ones scheduled for the tour that day.   We rode in a new, comfortable van with our personal tour guide, Peter - truly one of the best tour guides we have ever experienced.  He was accommodating, engaging, and extremely knowledgable - not only on the sites we toured - but all things Oregon!!

Horsetail Falls (Keith & Peter dramatizing the pose)

The City of Portland, with it's stunning architecture & bustling businesses is truly a happening place.  Unfortunately signs of violence, drugs & homelessness (which plagues many of our cities today) also appear to be ramping up in this beautiful, vibrant city.

Of course the main highlights of the tour were all the waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge.  We visited four different waterfalls, including Multnomah Falls (pictured below),  as well as Horsetail Falls, Wahkeena Falls, and Latourell Falls.

Multnomah Falls

While Multnomah Falls is certainly spectacular, truth be told, Latourell Falls was probably our favorite.  Not only was the view simply amazing - the sound of the water falling was absolutely musical.

Additional Columbia River Gorge vistas include the Bridal Veil Post Office and the Vista House with surrounding views of the river & gorge.

The Bridal Veil post office is the only surviving commercial business in this once bustling, small community of Bridal Veil.  So what is the main reason this small, hometown, business continues today??

Bridal Veil Post Office

It is solely because romantic brides across the U.S. want to ship their wedding invitations from this aptly named Post Office, which still hand posts each invitation.  (Isn't that awesome!  Just goes to show that naming is everything!)

As we move further South along our Oregon trail, our adventures take us to Crater Lake, one of the most stunning and photographed wonders we've yet to behold!!

Crater Lake, Oregon

Even though pictures can't truly display it's magnificent beauty, we couldn't help but snap picture -  after picture, of this truly serene scene.

Even ordinary pictures look like "prop" backgrounds.. because the natural beauty seems unreal

Of course, there were many other treasures as we hiked several trails in the nearby National Forrest.

Lastly, a special shout-out to the "Flycasters RV Park", in Shady Cove, Oregon  - where at the end of each day, we found ourselves just relaxing outside and watching this peaceful view of multiple rafters unloading.

Oregon is a beautiful and diverse state with an abundance of natural features to visit and enjoy.  Definitely a state that we plan to return to (God willing) sometime in the near future.

So, if you haven't already...please plan to travel your own Oregon Trail through this wonderful countryside in the Northwest.

Click here for additional pictures of the great state of Oregon