May 10 – 24, 2023
Years ago, our oldest son, Michael, moved to Portland, Oregon. Mike and I took a quick trip to see him one weekend, leaving from our home in Casper, WY. It was a long and tiring drive until we drove along Interstate 84 and the Columbia River Gorge Highway 30. I was revived because it was fantastic scenery. Mountainsides of two states flank either side of a magnificent river, with railroads and highways running parallel to the river. I’ve dreamed of returning to explore the area since that short trip.
Finally…. we made it!
Part 1 – First week exploring Columbia River Gorge – and camping on the Oregon side of the river.
On the Oregon side, traveling along Interstate 84, we passed The Dalles, then the exit onto State Highway 30 for the famous waterfalls.
Water plunging down the mountainsides into pools makes a natural environment for animals, fish, amphibians, and plant life before entering the river. We couldn’t stop since we were pulling the camper, but we promised ourselves that we would return once we found a campsite and could unhook.
That is until we had a surprise. Along the highway, we saw the column of Horseshoe Falls catapulting 176 feet down basalt rock.
The parking is ample enough, so we pulled in our van + trailer. Seeing Horseshoe Falls up close allows visitors to feel its power.
You can feel the soaking spray standing at the base and beyond the barrier.
Rufus Corp of Engineers Campground near John Day Dam, across the bridge from Rufus, Oregon, and near The Dalles, Oregon, was just what we needed.
It is a boondocking campground on Celilio Lake alongside the Columbia River.
Campers can park anywhere on the gravel lot. We were able to park right along the river. It’s a free campsite, and visitors can stay up to seven days. It would have been great to stay longer.
We relaxed and had fun for six days. Most of the time, we sat outside our camper watching the river world go by.
Tugboats were busy pushing wares up and down the river day and night.
Wildlife on the River
Friends
Bike Ride
Riding our e-bikes is one of our favorite activities. We rode from the campground to the Dam one morning, watching the river activities. We hung around the Dam, watched the cruise ship, and noticed there may be more campgrounds on the other side of the river. We would explore them so that after our time at Rufus campground was over, we could move and still be on the Columbia River.
A Beautiful Evening
On Mother’s Day evening, we decided to treat ourselves to Dairy Queen ice cream. The nearest one was across the river in Goldendale, Washington. We crossed the bridge at Rufus and made our way north on Washington Highway 97 to Goldendale.
Along the way, we had to stop. Mike had sunset views to photograph. As the minutes ticked by, the scenes became more beautiful. Draped in clouds, Mount Hood hung over the lush farmlands with blinking red lights on windmills lit the sky.
By the time we reached Dairy Queen, it was closed. We forgot that sometimes the businesses in little towns close early. After all, it was later than 8:30. Instead, we stopped to purchase other treats of the adult beverage kind. Back at camp, we sipped our treats and discussed the evening’s delightful river views and the sunsets we saw. We were enticed to visit the next day in daylight.
Exploring the Washington side
So, the next day, we crossed the bridge back into Washington and turned right onto Washington Highway 14. As we rode along, we passed the windmills we saw turning in the day and blinking at night.
The place where Mike took the sunset pictures overlooked rolling hills of farms, vineyards, ranches, and orchards.
What looks restful and serene to me, I know, betrays the hard work and worry felt by those working the land.
Emergency water jugs if a vehicle overheats driving up the mountain.
We believe these are the mountain names depicted in the image. Locals told us that observers could glimpse Mt. Rainier on a clear day.
We took the road leading down to the river. It led to the tiny, picturesque town of Maryhill, WA.
The road wound under the railroad tracks and took us through an orchard of bright green trees laden with lush fruit. Cautiously, we turned around because we didn’t want to trespass through the private property of a winery.
Back on Highway 14, we headed toward the John Day Dam, turning off once to explore an interesting attraction, ‘Stonehenge.’ A car show event was taking place, so we didn’t stop.
Looping around to the side of the Dam, we ventured as the road turned from asphalt to gravel. Crunching along, we thought it was a road we could camp on but soon realized it was too bumpy to bring our camper. Several turn-offs of the road had camping spots that could only accommodate tiny campers or tents. Nevertheless, the rock formations were fascinating.
The river was on one side, and rock walls loomed above us on the other. And then, we came to a sign identifying what we were looking at.
Mike was considering finding a spot to turn around on what seemed to be a one-way road until we noticed fishermen parked the front part of their truck facing us. There must be another way in. When we stopped to talk to the fisherman, he said yes, there was, “through the winery!” (which we had turned around). Sometimes, not knowing where you are going reveals unexpected finds.
An Evening at the Campsite
We spent another afternoon outside on our chairs at camp, watching the river activities. Camping people let each other have their own space but strike up friendly conversations when the time is agreeable to each neighbor. This afternoon, visiting with Kim and Tom from the next-door camp, the talk turned to fishing, camping (of course), and a little about both couples. They visit this campground about once a year and, on this day, invited us to join them at the little beach they discovered nearby. After a while, we met up with them on the beach. It was a little private, with cool, shallow water over smooth rocks. After a little more visiting, we headed out to explore other areas around the campsites.
The afternoon was fading into evening. We found an inviting little sandbar on the other side of a rocky hill. Mike had to try it out.
