Oregon: Mitchell Point Overlook

Our last stop along the Columbia River Gorge was at Mitchell Point, viewing Washington across the river. It was windy and I know some places along the gorge are favorites for wind surfing. I was also struck by the number of contrails. Central Oregon is under a well traversed flight corridor. We usually saw two jets overhead, frequently flying in opposite directions.
Before I-84 was built, there were beautiful tunnels at this point. They were destroyed for the new highway. Not much is known about Mitchell other than that he was a trapper who lived in the area.
One can hike to the top of Mitchell Point for stunning views of the gorge.

Oregon: Columbia River Gorge

We drove on the scenic byway along the Columbia River Gorge, one of the seven wonders of Oregon. Our first stop was at the Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint. This was the view looking east. Our next stop was at the Vista House at Crown Point, shown on the right.

Vista House was completed in 1918 as a tribute to Oregon's pioneers. It was begun shortly after construction on the scenic highway, the first in the United States, was started. It offers wonderful views to the east

and the west. It was a hazy day so our view was a bit limited.