Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
BONNEVILLE DAM
Located four miles west of Cascade Locks, the Oregon side of the Bonneville Dam will give you a look at the dam's first powerhouse and spillway,
as well as the dam's navigation locks and the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, which has a big viewing area for steelhead and salmon spawning in the
fall, plus a tank that's home to Herman the Sturgeon, an enormous 10-foot, 450-pound white sturgeon who has called the Columbia his home for
70 years. Start your tour at
Bradford Island Visitors Center
(541/374-8820, 9 A.M.-5 P.M. daily, free).
See
STURGEON
HISTORIC LOCKS AND MARINE PARK
Tucked into the manmade watery alcove that made the town what it is today, the
Cascade Locks Marine Park
overlooks remnants of the historic
locks that once bypassed Cascade Rapids on the Columbia today. While much of the locks structure was submerged once the Bonneville Dam was
built, park visitors can still see evidence of the locks, and just over a pedestrian bridge, serene little
Thunder Island
remains as a byproduct of
the canal that was built as part of the 1896 boat-moving project. Today, Thunder Island and the rest of the grounds on the main shore are a great
place to take a stroll and enjoy the scenery of passing sailboats and pleasure craft cruising by.
While you're at the park, take a minute to pop in to the
Cascade Locks Historical Museum
(noon-5 P.M. daily May-Sept., free), set inside
one of three century-old locks tender's house that stand at the park today. Featuring an old Oregon Pony steam locomotive, memorabilia, artifacts,
and photos, the museum provides perspective on the history of the Gorge and the role of sternwheelers and steamboats on the river in the town's
bygone era.
If you want to get a little more hands-on with your appreciation of paddleboats, hop aboard the triple-decked sternwheeler
Columbia Gorge
(503/224-3900,
www.portlandspirit.com
,
May-Oct., $28 adult, $18 kids), which boards several times a day from the park. The cruise aboard this
craft will present views of the steep basalt cliffs up and down the river during a two-hour narrated tour.
SODERBERG BRONZE
The first bronze foundry opened in the U.S. by a woman,
Soderberg Bronze
(101 Wanapa St., 503/803-9414,
www.heathersoderberg.com
,
10
A.M.-6 P.M. Thurs.-Mon.) is a studio and foundry run by Heather Soderberg, a one-time child sculpting prodigy and now well-respected artist
who sculpted the town's
Sacagawea, Pomp and Seaman
centerpiece over in Marine Park. The foundry offers daily tours. Call ahead for the
schedule.
Entertainment and Events
NIGHTLIFE
Throw back a pint, share trail stories with PCT through-hikers, and play a little video poker at the dark and cozy
Pacific Crest Pub
(500 WaNaPa
St., 541/374-9310,
www.pacificcrestpub.com
). Housed in a century-old building, the tavern caters to hikers, offering brochures, maps and other
information, and keeping a lively PCT register to chronicle all of the intrepid trekkers who pass by making the Mexico-to-Canada journey.
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Held each June, the long-running
Sternwheeler Days
(
www.cascadelocks.net/sternwheelerdays
) festival at Marine Park celebrates Cascade
Locks' riverside history with a sailing regatta and demonstrations from mountain men.
From opening day of boating season in June through its close in September, the locally based
Columbia Gorge Racing Association
(
ht-
tp://cgra.org
) hosts a range of sailing regattas and clinics in Cascade Locks.
In early September, the Pacific Crest Trail Association holds
Pacific Crest Trail Days
(
www.pcta.org
) at Marine Park, where through-hikers
gather to camp at Thunder Island, meet old friends they made on the trail, hear about new outdoor products and do a little maintenance on nearby
segment of the PCT. Later in September, the
Festival of Nations
(541/553-4883) is a celebration of local Native American heritage that coincides
with the spawning of the salmon. Also held at Marine Park, the event hosts children's crafts, tribal performances and a mini-Pow Wow.
Shopping
Featuring a little of this and that right next door to the Pacific Crest Pub,
The Cottage Gifts & Antiques
(502 WaNaPa St., 541/374-5414) sells
from a varied collection of art, antiques, and even gemstones. Similarly eclectic,
Lorang Fine Art & Gorge-ous Gifts
(96 WaNaPa St., 541/
374-8007,
www.lorangfineart.com
) displays and sells oil, acrylic, pastel, and watercolor work from 40 different artists, plus wood and basket
pieces, Native American masks, glass art, and jewelry. The real highlight of the shop is the owner's steel and bronze sculptures.
