Yesterday on Crown Point (links)

I drove out to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area yesterday and stopped at Crown Point.

Crown Point is most well known as being the site of The Vista House, opened in 1917,  95 years ago, a rest stop on the western end of thehighway:

It was restored and updated to ADA standards a few years ago to be open to almost everyone. This is Vista House’s north face, from the parking area around it.

Two of my former students in Japan came to visit in 2011, and I took them here for a view of the sunset

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Here’s the Vista House from below and across the Old Highway:

The classic "Columbia River Highway" style can be seen in many places in Oregon – even on US 101 on the coast. This is the only sea-level route through the Cascade Range of mountains, a thousand mile stretch of high volcanic peaks that runs from California to Canada. The Vista House was built as the west end of The Columbia River Highway, construction on which began nearly one hundred years ago. The Vista House went far over it’s budget and people lost their jobs for it – it was derided for it’s beautiful marble bathrooms. Jobs were lost and reputations damaged, at first, but the Vista House proved to be hugely popular, and generations since can fully appreciate The Vista House in it’s beautiful location on Crown Point.

 

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There is a good view eastwards into the Columbia Gorge:

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I’ve seen people sitting out on the far edge of this volcanic dike… and I bet it’s one helluva view too.

But, no cat would ever try it. Not me, anyway.

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Below us is Rooster Rock State Park:

2 summers ago, the river was so low that K* and I could walk out onto the dry sand, seen here as a brownish area past the jetties that stick out into the river. Rooster Rock is a large park, and Eclipse watching parties and meteor parties are held out here, beyond the light pollution of the metro area to the west.

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The original Columbia River Highway once stretched all through the Gorge, a two lane road increasingly unsuitable for Commercial use, and it was largely replaced in the 1970’s by Interstate 84. Two sections of the original highway remain as Scenic Drives, this one here on the west end of the Gorge, and a shorter section on the east end, running into The Dalles.

(a winter day’s drive on the Old Highway)

I took a short drive in the Gorge yesterday; from here I drove east to Bridal Veil Falls State Park and took a few pictures – stay tuned please.

many more pictures of the east end of the Old Highway

A series of pictures on Crown Point I really like

 

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