Rollin' on the River

Hi there, want to go on a cruise on the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge with me?  On Thursday we took our grandsons and joined fellow volunteers from the Friends of Multnomah Falls, Friends of Vista House, Portland Women's Forum and State Parks on a two hour cruise out of Cascade Locks, Oregon.  We boarded at 1:30 pm and soon we were paddle wheeling upriver to the East.  

It was a PERFECT day to be on the river!  Sunny and warm and delightful!

We took the boys up into the pilothouse to "drive" the boat and were thrilled to see an old friend of ours as Captain!  When we first got our sailboat we moored it in Cascade Locks Marina for the first two years and we spent almost every weekend there.  Mike had his wooden sailboat there and we got to know him pretty well.  Caleb got to sit in the captains seat for a bit, then Hayden did.  Boy heaven!

There was a small sailboat race going on and I snapped this photo on the way past.  

The pilothouse.

There are three levels of the boat, we're on the top level and this is looking forward to the bow.

Looking aft and West.

The best shot of the paddle wheel is from the third level.  Isn't this a cool image?

The Columbia is a working river - barges take goods up and down the river.  A common sight.

Here is what is behind the barge - a nice big tugboat!

A sailboat passing by - I remember how lovely it was to silently glide up the river with the jib out like a butterfly.

This is a shot of the racers, these two are passing close by each other!

Grandpa and grandma and their precious grandsons.  They were hard to keep up with!

The boat then turned and we headed downriver to see Bonneville Dam.  Here is the Bridge of the Gods - Charles Lindbergh flew UNDER the bridge when he flew up the gorge and back to Portland.  This was in September 1927 after his trans-Atlantic flight in May.

After we pass under the bridge, we can see the sun sparkling off the river and Bonneville Dam in the distance.

You can see Beacon Rock on the other side of the dam.  The navigation lock is on the left.  We took our sailboat Stargazer through the lock once downriver to a weekend gathering of boats when we belonged to the Columbia Gorge Yacht Club, then back through the lock to take the boat back to it's dock in Cascades Lock Marina.  That was exciting!!

This photo shows the old juxtaposed with the new.  The Historic Columbia River Highway clings to the cliff from days gone by and the freeway that replaced it is below.  The old highway was once the only way to get from Portland to The Dalles and parts east.

To our right there were a few little islands and this California sea lion was sunning itself after dining on Salmon.  This rascal came through the locks when boats were going through.  There is a huge problem with seals and sea lions eating all of the salmon that we raise in fish hatcheries and the native salmon.  Sometimes they only take one bite out of the fish and then another, decimating the fish population.  

We then cruised by a fish camp - local Indian tribes have treaty fishing rights here and this is one of the most elaborate ones.  One of the Indian women brought out a big salmon to show us.  I just found out they've opened a nice fish shop in town, now I want to go buy a salmon for us to grill!

These Cormorants also dine on the salmon.  

After we disembarked from the sternwheeler we drove around to the boat beach where the small boats launch.  This is the marina where we spent so much time on our boat.  Our slip was the one on the right on the second dock back.  See the sternwheeler at dock on the right?

Then we took the boys down to the playground to have fun on the play structure.  It's in the shape of a sternwheeler and there is a little sailboat or sailboard, too.

I just wish I had a fraction of their energy.  :-)

Up and down, around and around they go.. isn't this a magnificent park?  They take excellent care of it.

We then drove over the Bridge of the Gods to find a fun new place for dinner - we ate at the Big River Grill in Stevenson.  It was good!  Then we took the boys down to show them the park where the windsurfers rig up and sail out of -- we passed over the railroad tracks and saw this big train on the siding waiting for another train to pass.  

And you know, as grandparents, we cannot miss buying the boys an ice cream for dessert. :-)

And today?  We're resting.  :-)  Dayle is watching awful old cowboy movies and I'm about to finish the edging on my crochet pillow.  And then.. who knows?  Have a super summer weekend!!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)