Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Even the ribbon of road is a stunning sight as you pass through the Columbia River Gorge.
11.
Historic Columbia River Highway
On the return trip west, leave the interstate for the eastern section of the Historic Columbia
RiverHighway(Rte.30).Constructedbetween1913and1920,theroadremainstothisday
atestamenttotheskillsofitsbuilders.Switchingbackandforthinsearchofthemostscen-
ic route, the highway is a marvel of design, with panoramic viewpoints, arched bridges,
and beautifully designed stonework
TothewestofTheDalles,thehistorichighwaysoonentersaregionofbarrenhillsides.
These areas became scablands about 13,000 years ago, when they were ravaged by huge
floods caused by melting ice-age glaciers. The growth that occurs today finds its nourish-
ment in the ashes deposited by eruptions in the area.
Traversing the dells and bluffs that rise above the Columbia River, the old highway
between Rowena and Mosier passes into a transition zone—the dividing line between the
arid prairies to the east and the moister forests to the west. Here too you will find one of
the most astonishing segments of the drive—the Rowena Loops, where the road zigzags
wildly up and down hillsides. The highway also passes two natural areas, the Tom McCall
Preserve and Mayer State Park, both of which showcase flowers and wildlife.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF HIGHWAY
While most modern highways aim to get you from point to point with maximum effi-
ciency,theHistoricColumbiaRiverHighwaywasdesignedwithsceneryinmind.The
first modern highway in the Pacific Northwest, it was also the first scenic highway in
the United States, created between 1913 and 1920, for visitors to enjoy the impressive
vistas the area holds.
12.
Cascade Locks
Back on the interstate the drive heads west past farmlands, commercial centers, and miles
of forest before entering Cascade Locks. Over the years the town's name has become a bit
of a misnomer, for its cascade was submerged after the completion of the Bonneville Dam
and, since its locks were built to circumvent the cascade, they too are no longer a distin-
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