Friday, January 27, 2012

Winter Gorge Adventures

Still on our vacation, we figured we would take advantage of some of this beautiful blue sky(minus the chemtrails). We decided to head out to the Columbia River Gorge. We sped past all of the major tourist spots, and went on to our new favorite spot- Rowena Crest. The viewpoint is phenomenal! In the spring and summer there are hiking trails(we have yet to do). We are so impressed with the fact that the deer seem to be pets in peoples yards, and that this place isn't constantly blowing up with people like Vista House, or Multnomah Falls. It is really a sight to be seen.. We plan to go back in the spring when the flowers are in bloom. There are over 200 plant species on the preserve. April or May seem to be the best times to go- So I read. The preserve attracts wildflower enthusiasts from around the Northwest. Alot of photo ops to be had..
"Located in the transition zone between the moist, heavily-forested west side of the Cascades and the drier bunch grass prairies of the east, Tom McCall Preserve comes into spectacular bloom every spring. Lava flows, catastrophic floods and volcanic ash deposits shaped a mound-and-swale topography that perplexes the experts. Earthquake sorting, freezing and thawing, erosion, soil accumulations by plants and wildlife burrowing activities have all been suggested as having caused the mounds."
Now you want to go, don't you? Plan your trip. See our last Rowena Crest trip 2 months ago here.










Source: Here

2 comments :

  1. A little further down the highway are the Mosier Tunnels. They are quite wonderful as well and can be biked. They are best to walk in the winter time, but the views are fabulous for biking in the spring/summer/fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the advice! I will check it out. I hav'nt heard of Mosier Tunnels! I found Rowena Crest in a NW tourist book, always drove right past it.

      Delete