Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Accommodations
Owned by the original family that built it in 1926, the
Bridal Veil Bed and Breakfast
(across the street from Bridal Veil Falls, 503/695-2333,
www.bridalveillodge.com
,
$139-149) stands as the only lodging establishment right in the Multnomah waterfall district. Right across the parking
lot from Bridal Veil Falls, this antique-laden inn serves full breakfasts that include dishes such as Dutch babies or quiche. Many of the period
furnishings have been passed down the generations by the family and there's even a photo album featuring post cards to and from the home's first
occupants to peruse over coffee.
A midcentury home built using largely recycled materials and to emulate Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural style,
Brickhaven Bed and
Breakfast
(38717 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy., 503/695-6326,
http://brickhaven.com
, $100-125) lies perched upon a hillside overlooking
the Gorge, just east of Corbett. All the rooms have views of the river and a public-area sitting room features a heart-stopping panorama from an
oversized floor-to-ceiling window.
CAMPING
Set on the easternmost end of the Historic Columbia River Highway,
Ainsworth State Park
(17 mi. east of Troutdale at Exit 35 off of I-84,
503/695-2301,
www.orgegonstateparks.org
, mid-Mar.-Oct.) offers a range of camping opportunities within day hiking distance to the Multnomah
waterfall district. RVers will enjoy the dozens of full hookup sites($20), half of which are pull-through sites to accommodate bigger rigs. There's
even a site for campers with disabilities and a handful of walk-in tent sites ($17) for those who'd like to sacrifice amenities for solitude. The camp-
ground offers bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers, and there's an amphitheater that hosts interpretive programs. So what's the catch?
Well, all sites are first-come, first-served, so summer planning can be tricky when the throngs arrive.
Food
With big skylights looking up toward Multnomah Falls, the
Multnomah Falls Lodge
(50000 E Historic Columbia River Hwy., 503/695-2676,
www.multnomahfallslodge.com
, 8 A.M.-9 P.M. daily) dining room feels a bit like an oversized, homey greenhouse. Servers are extra friendly
here, always willing to take a snapshot and quick with the orders. Food is fresh and above par compared to other similar destination restaurants,
if a bit overpriced. But you're paying for the view, so put a smile on and enjoy it for what it's worth. In the summer the reservations can get tight,
particularly for dinner, so plan ahead. Also, don't be fooled by the name. Though the historic building was originally built for accommodations,
this “lodge” only operates as a restaurant.
With so few dining options around these parts,
Corbett Country Market
(36801 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy., 503/695-2234) is a wel-
come sight for hikers or travelers dying for something to eat or a nice sip of something warm. For the better part of a century, the little country
story has been pumping gas and offering up comestibles to road-weary travelers. In addition to coffee, muffins, packaged snacks, and the like, this
store sells some delicious homemade beef jerky and local produce.
Information and Services
The U.S. Forest Service runs a
visitors center
at Multnomah Lodge, where you can pick up trail maps, books, and other information about the
area.
If you don't plan on taking the scenic route the whole way through from Troutdale, there are a number of access points from I-84 to shortcut
your way through to the points that interest you. Exit 22 will bypass the Troutdale and Sandy River areas and deliver you directly to Corbett near
the Women's Forum Overlook and the Vista House. Exit 28 will deliver you to the Bridal Veil area and Exit 31 will drop you directly to Mult-
nomah Falls. If you'd like to take the whole route east to west, get off at Exit 35.
Beyond Troutdale, public transit from Portland drops off. If you'd rather enjoy the drive as a passenger,
EcoTours of Oregon
(
www.ecotours-
of-oregon.com
)
offers an all-day Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls and Mount Hood Loop Tour for $69.50 per person.
Before the Columbia was tamed through a series of dams, the area around Cascade Locks was a roiling tumble of whitewater that was enough to
put gray in the youngest of sailors' beards. The Cascade Rapids descended about 40 feet through a narrow two-mile chute that had to be bypassed
by sternwheelers using a locks and canal system that gave the town its name when it was built in 1896. Just over 40 years later, the Bonneville
Dam flooded out the rapids and most of the locks, but the town kept its name and still celebrates its early role in river navigation. You can still
see a portion of the locks at the town's biggest riverside park, from which a sternwheeler fittingly sets sail each day for a scenic river tour of the
Gorge.
