9 days later pt8

 From that park at Beacon Rock, we drove east on WA 14 to The Bridge of The Gods at Cascade Locks.

WA 14 hugs the north side of the Columbia Gorge and passes by many of the dams on the Columbia.

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This is Bonneville Dam:

(Oregon is behind the dam in this picture)

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WA 14 is more of a driver’s road than the Interstate is across the river; I often take 14 east if I’m not in a hurry.

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The Toll bridge at Cascade Locks, Bridge of The Gods, is fairly narrow:

Back in June, I started driving a charter bus for a local company, Blue Star. I was afraid of these narrow bridges, because on the Hood River Bridge, further east along the Columbia, I was driving one of the mini-buses (with 27 people aboard) and an on-coming vehicle drifted into MY lane far enough to destroy the driver’s side mirrors on my bus.  Huge explosive noises and passenger panic, but the driver stayed on course and there was no more excitment… except I had no more mirrors to see with.

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Bridge of The Gods is a little wider… but not by much.

And, oh no, there’s a bus coming!!!

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As a matter of solid, true fact, it was a BLUS STAR bus!!!

Ha!  Sweet.  I’m driving my own car and showing off my Gorge, not driving some big ol’ bus.

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A look the other way:

Bridge of The Gods sits very high above the river – ships and barge strings have to pass under it.

We stopped for a while longer at Cascade Locks – a good latte after that oh so harrowing drive was good.

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