April 20: Never too Many Curves
More, more, more! Twisting and turning, shifting my weight back and forth to navigate down the steep grade from Rowena Crest Viewpoint to the Columbia Gorge, all I could think was, “I’ve got to do this again!” My heart was overflowing with joy as I felt the sun on my back, breathed in the cool morning air, and gazed out at the blue waters stretching into the horizon.
After working our way northeast from Gladstone, Leo Guzman Fernandez and I headed east on the Historic Columbia River Highway, a route constructed between 1913 and 1922 to take motorists along the most breathtaking sections of the Columbia River Gorge.
Our first stop at the Vista House at Crown Point provided stunning 360 views of the Gorge from our perch up above the river. With high winds out in full force, we struggled to walk upright and elected to use a selfie stick instead of a tripod to take a picture, laughing as we tried to keep loose items from blowing away.
Heading east from there the road curved back and forth following the river as we passed a series of magnificent waterfalls cascading down from the mountains on our right. As we rode past patches of snow, we caught glimpses of Wahkeena Falls, Horsetail Falls, and finally Multnomah Falls, tumbling over 600 feet from the cliffs above.
We traveled further east on interstate 84 and then rejoined the historic highway in Mosier, making our way up past fields and wildflowers to the Rowena Crest Viewpoint. The view from there of the horseshoe shaped road below never fails to take my breath away.
After a series of delicious curves down the mountain, all I could think of was how much I felt like riding the road again. Fortunately, Leo must have been reading my mind. Stopping for gas, he suggested we make our way back west for lunch by retracing our route up to the viewpoint.
Our lunch at Solstice Pizza in Hood River was everything I could have hoped for. Our “Hot Momma” pizza had a crispy and slightly charred crust, fresh marina sauce, perfectly toasted pepperonis, and a smattering of hot peppers. The home-made marshmallow, melted chocolate, and crispy graham cracker crust desert was so good I almost stole a bite of Leo’s half.
Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, Leo suggested we take the long way home, winding our way along the backside of Mount Hood and following highway 26 into Oregon City, making it back just before the rains hit. What an amazing day!
