On the Road Again June 30, 2010

June 30, 2010

The beginning of our latest adventure. We left Eugene yesterday at about Noon. We had a few things to finish up before we took off and our trip was only going to be about 200 miles so it was alright to leave late. A trip up I-5 to Portland, around the 205 and then east on I-84 got us to the Columbia Gorge. It had been a long time since we last traveled through that beautiful area. It brought back some good memories too. We decided on the name for our younger son at one of the waterfalls not too far from Multnomah Falls. Take some time and drive the scenic highway so that you can stop at the many waterfalls and also Crown Point. It is worth your time.

We arrived at Biggs Junction which is at the junction of I-84 and Hwy 97 at about 5:30. The campground at Maryhill State Park across the river was full so we pulled in to Deschutes Crossing State Park which is in Oregon. The campground is very nice with lots of trees and grass. The A loop is set up for RVs and has water and electricity at each site. The B Loop is more for tenters with no hook ups and large spaces of grass in which to use. Because it was only for one night we parked in a nice flat grassy spot with the rear of the trailer about 20 feet from the Deschutes River.

During the 1840s and 1850s people were using the Oregon Trail to get to western Oregon which an emigrant of 1852 called “the Garden of the World” The overland route was called by some, “the landscape with no earth” because of the rocky conditions encountered. Each succeeding group had to travel a slightly different path on the “trail” because the previous herds would have eaten and tramped the vegetation into dust and/ or mud. When the parties finally reached the Columbia River and proceeded along the south side, they came to the Deschutes River. Depending on the time of year, crossing the river at the mouth could be quite treacherous. Brave souls forded the river themselves sometimes using Native American guides. Others paid the $15 to ferry their group across the wide river. Looking at the river this morning I can’t imagine trying to walk or even ride a horse across that wide body of water