Backtracking with Lewis & Clark (at least to Mt. Hood)...

 

From the northern Pacific coast we made our way south to Astoria Oregon, end of the trail for the historic journey of Lewis and Clark.  Crossing the mouth of the Columbia River was breathtaking on the Astoria–Megler Bridge which spans over 4 miles, making it the longest trussed bridge in the U.S.

After settling into our housesit outside of Portland, we continued our journey of exploration along the east banks of the Columbia River.  An experiential realization that has occurred as we move along is that the journey truly is often more impactful than the destination.  How we approach the "road hazards" and "detours" often results in us reflecting on our definitions of self, both personally and professionally. At some point when traveling the country as a lifestyle, ya gotta 'give-up-the-goat' as it relates to blaming others, or situations for not conforming to set predeterminations. 

Ok, so that's a long winded explanation as to why we often travel along the path less taken - which in this case led us to take the Historic Columbia River Highway (Old Route 30) instead of Interstate 84 for our journey to Mt Hood. 

Built between 1913 and 1922 the winding road was the first scenic highway specifically built for the journey instead of the destination. And it was built to last; most of the bridges and walkways date back over a century. Unlike iconic Route 66, this road is lined up with waterfalls and grand vistas of the Columbia Gorge instead of billboards!  Quoting a philosopher who predated this highway by a few years: “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” -Confucius The builders agreed with him!

Our stops that day included visiting the Vista House (fantastic architecture) perched on a commanding bluff overlooking the Columbia Gorge, lunch in Cascade Locks at the famous Brigham Fish Market (try the fresh caught salmon chowder!), a tour of the Bonneville Dam (truly an impressive sight), and Bridal Veil Falls - a hearty hike to get to see those incredible waters! 

Still, one of our favorite stops along Route 30 was the turnoff near Shepherd's Dell Bridge,  which has an adjacent stone walkway leading down to the falls.  We were impressed by the craftmanship of the concrete/stone bridges and stairs that were laid by masons over a century ago. At the bottom of the curved path is a waterfall that bubbled and surged down under the bridge we had just driven over, hidden from the view above. We sat on a stone bench for about half an hour, admiring the surroundings - and forgetting that we still had a mountain to climb!

And courtesy of our trusty Audi Allroad, climb it we did! We made a hard turn at Hood City and headed up to the historic Timberline Lodge via the Mount Hood Scenic Byway (note: we hope to continue backtracking the Lewis and Clark Trail to Illinois by the end of this year!).  

Like many of the national parks and grand lodges, this one, located on the slopes of Mount Hood, was constructed through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program during the late 1930's. In fact, over 8,000 park facilities throughout the country were crafted during the decade that the program was run and it employed over 8.5 million people in various capacities.  The pride in craftmanship was evident at every turn, whether it was the handmade wooden furniture, ironworks, or stone masonry - it was a time when our government ran a program that returned pride and personal esteem to a nation that was withering from the effects of the Great Depression.

May our country, and our people, become reinspired to build on the legacy of our forefathers who constructed many of the grand buildings and roads that connect us as a nation and a community...