Fireworks at Skamania Lodge

Skamania Lodge View of 4th of July Fireworks

Looking for the perfect place to view 4th of July Fireworks? At Skamania Lodge you can have an amazing view of the fireworks. Interested in the history of the tradition of fireworks on the 4th of July? Read Karen Scheider's recap of Pyro Universe's History of Fireworks below.

Did you know that in 1777, on the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, Philadelphians celebrated by lighting firecrackers and otherwise making merry. "The United States was still in the midst of the Revolutionary War and the outcome was still uncertain, but beautiful displays of fireworks instilled a sense of hope and patriotism in the citizens of the young nation," according to Pyro Universe's web page on the History of Fireworks.

SRC: Interested in staying at Skamania Lodge? Learn more or Reserve a room at: Skamania Lodge

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Steens Mountain

Steens Mountain

Rated as one of the 10 best backpacking trips in Oregon by OregonLive's Terry Richard is the Steens Mountain. Chosen for outstanding scenery, variety of terrain and convenient trail access. Read details about this trail below.

Pity the Oregon backpacker who hasn't discovered the Steens. Having part of the national recreation Desert Trail, the southeast Oregon mountain range is one of the most scenic places to hike in the Great Basin. The John Scharff Trail drops 5,000 feet, covering 26 miles from near the summit above Big Indian Gorge, down the Little Blitzen Canyon and on down to Page Springs campground near Frenchglen. Backpackers need to arrange a car shuttle for this one.

SRC: Read more on the Timberline Trail and other backpacking trails at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Chamber Lakes

Chamber Lakes

Rated as one of the 10 best backpacking trips in Oregon by OregonLive's Terry Richard is Chamber Lakes. Chosen for outstanding scenery, variety of terrain and convenient trail access. Read details about this trail below.

The three-day rule is already out the window. Wandering off trail above the timberline between turquoise-colored lakes makes this trip worth a week. Begin at Pole Creek trailhead south of Sisters, hike seven miles and gain 1,800 feet to Camp Lake between Middle and South Sister. Bring an ice ax for use on the mountain snowfields. 

SRC: Read more on the Chamber Lakes and other backpacking trails at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Timberline Trail

Timberline Trail

Rated as one of the 10 best backpacking trips in Oregon by OregonLive's Terry Richard is the Timberline Trail. Chosen for outstanding scenery, variety of terrain and convenient trail access. Read details about this trail below.

If the trail is ever reopened, every Portland backpacker should hike this 40-mile loop around Mount Hood. I did it three times before the storm damage.
Begin at Cloud Cap, Timberline Lodge or the Sandy River, the only places where roads meet the trail. The ever-changing face of Oregon's highest mountain makes the 10,000 feet of elevation change worth every ache and pain. The Eliot Creek crossing just east of Cloud Cap is no longer passable.

SRC: Read more on the Timberline Trail and other backpacking trails at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Guided Group Bike Ride

Columbia River Gorge Adventure from Portland

Departing from Downtown Portland at 9:00 am, this guided biking group makes stops at waterfalls, embarks on short nature hikes, and provides snacks. If you are interested in joining a group biking and hiking adventure to the Columbia River Gorge read more details below.

Travel from Portland to the Columbia River Gorge for a fun biking and hiking adventure! Soak in this beautiful Pacific Northwest landscape as you follow your guide on an easy bike ride and stop at several gorgeous waterfalls for nature hikes. Round-trip hotel transport is included.

SRC: To find schedule details and pricing information visit: Tour Explora.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Brigham Fish Market | Cascade Locks

Brigham Fish Market | Cascade Locks

Brigham Fish Market celebrated the first day of summer and their new store front Saturday. Providing fresh caught fish from the Columbia River Gorge. Read more about this tribal fish market below. 

The Brighams are part of a local family that has fished the Columbia River for longer than they can remember. Their granddad used to fish Celilo Falls, before it was lost in the reservoir behind The Dalles Dam in the 1950s. 

Multiple generations continue to fish on the Columbia today. Their daily catch can be found at 681 WaNaPa St. in Cascade Locks. Store hours are 10 am to 6 pm.

SRC: Read more on the Brigham Fish Market Celebration at: Oregon Live.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Corbett Fun Fest Fun Zone

Corbett Fun Fest Fun Zone

The Corbett Fun Fest Fun Zone is open after the parade, about noon. There will be the 14th Annual Maximillian Mole Contest, Girl Scout field games, pie eating contest, and much more. Read more about the fun zone activities below.

A full line up of music, field games, a talent show, elephant ears, inflatables for kids big & small, a water slide, a mechanical bull, vendor booths, a generational queens court and other great entertainment for everyone plus the only fireworks show in East county. Directions here.  Vendors will be open and ready to sell at 11:00 am. |  FunZone for kids and adults: Noon – 8:00 pm.

SRC: View the full schedule for this 4th of July at: Corbett Fun Fest.


Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Corbett Fun Fest Parade

Corbett Fun Fest Parade

The 2014 Corbett Fun Fest Parade will be starting at 10 a.m. July 4th. This year it will be a "Celebrating Our History!" Parade with Grand Marshals Phil and Judy DuFresne. Read more details below. 

The parade starts with the Car Cruise at 10:00 am and it follows along the two mile route from Springdale to Corbett. The Historic Columbia River Hwy. closes from Stark Street Bridge at 9:30 am. The Corbett Hill road off Hwy 84 (exit 22) closes at 9:30 am on Friday July 4th. The roads will re-open at 11:30 am after the cruise and parade. Select here for forms if you are interested in being part of our parade. All bicycles must be registered for the parade with a number to be on our closed highway. Parade participants must stay In middle of highway or they will be dismissed.

SRC: View the full schedule for this 4th of July at: Corbett Fun Fest.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Corbett Fun Fest Breakfast

This year 4th of July Corbett Fun Fest is a two day event. Starting out July 4th is the Pancake Breakfast. Located at the Corbett School District MPB, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Read more about this fun breakfast below. 

Columbia River Gorge Kiwanis Scholarship Pancake Breakfast 7:00 am to 10:00 am at the Corbett School District MPB, 35800 E. Historic Columbia River Highway. ( REMEMBER THE ROAD CLOSES AT 9:30 ) All you can eat breakfast including pancakes, sausage and eggs. $6 for adults and $3 for children. ( Kids under 5 eat free! ) All proceeds go to scholarships for Corbett High School seniors. Sylvia Maly 503-577-5136. This is an independent event run by the Kiwanis Club of the Columbia River Gorge.

SRC: View the full schedule for this 4th of July at: Corbett Fun Fest.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Happy Hour in Wood Village

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza in Wood Village

In Wood Village you can catch happy hour at The Rock, located in the Fred Meyer shopping center. With a discounted bar menu, beer and wood fired pizza you can't go wrong. Happy hour is weekdays 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close. Read more about the recommended deals available at  The Rock below. 

The deal: Discounted bar menu from $3.99 (mozzarella bread) to $7.99 (specialty pizzas); $3 draft beers; $7.50 "buckets" -- small plastic buckets (over 30 ounces each) filled with a "blend of five premium rums" and mixers. Limit two per person. Good gracious. 

SRC:  Read full article about The Rock's Happy Hour from: The Oregonian.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Virtual Vacation through the Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge Episode from Oregon Photo Adventure on Vimeo.

Looking for a quick escape? Take a virtual vacation through the Columbia River Gorge. The video above follows Mark Metternich through the gorge and you don't even have to wear a life jacket. Read a description of this video below.

Explore the greenery and scenery of this natural wonder. Mark Metternich take you into the punchbowl at Punchbowl Falls and to Elowah Falls. A couple of interviews provide a sense of history for this singular geographic treasure.

SRC: Look for more video's featuring the Columbia River Gorge like this one at: Vimeo

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Hood River's Best Non-Trail Outdoor Activity

Hood River | Big Winds

OregonLive readers have voted on their favorite places in Hood River. The winner for Best non-trail outdoor activity is stand-up paddling. Stand-up paddling provides about a third of Big Winds business, they also provide for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Read more about Big Winds below. 

He has one of the largest sales and rental shops for stand-up paddling in the United States, if not the largest. Each sport provides about a third of his business these days, but stand-up paddling is more on an upward trajectory.
Paddling can be done by a wider range of participants than wind sports, and it has a much higher female participation than big wind sailing.
Big Winds rents about 60 boards at its shop, in downtown Hood River at 207 Front St. (bigwinds.com, hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer), with another 80 boards available seasonally down on the beach. That's where Gates runs his water sports school, at the Hood River Event Site.

SRC: Read full article Hood River's Best of the Best by Terry Richard at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Hood River's Best Pub and Pizza

Hood River | Double Mountain Brewery

OregonLive readers have voted on their favorite places in Hood River. The winner for Best Pub and Pizza is Double Mountain Brewery. Double Mountain Brewery offers artisan brick oven baked pizza and keeps 10-18 of their beers on tap. Read more about Double Mountain Brewery below. 

Double Mountain is named for the two big volcanoes seen from Hood River, Mount Hood and Mount Adams. The address is Eight Fourth St., downtown; doublemountainbrewery.com. During summer it is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., plus an extra hour later on weekends.
The sidewalk tables are popular in summer, while the inside has expanded over the years to add a second bar, lots more seating and a music stage (with entertainment most Thursdays and Saturdays).

SRC: Read full article Hood River's Best of the Best by Terry Richard at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Hood River's Best Fine Dining and Wine

Hood River | Nora's Table

OregonLive readers have voted on their favorite places in Hood River. The winner for Best fine dining and wine is Nora's Table. Nora's Table uses fresh local ingredients and has the Gorge's only wine list devoted exclusively to Columbia Gorge wines. Read more about Nora's Table below.

Chef/owner Kathy Watson named Nora's Table after her mother, when she opened Memorial Day Weekend in 2007. The restaurant is part of the farm-to-table movement, benefiting from the bountiful local agriculture.
In a few weeks, the only produce the restaurant will use will be local, until after the harvest this fall. Meat is also sourced locally, when possible, including Mountain Shadow beef from the Dufur Valley and chinook salmon from the Klickitat River. The morning breakfast has become very popularsince it debuted two years ago.

SRC: Read full article Hood River's Best of the Best by Terry Richard at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Hood River's Best Coffee

Hood River | Dog River Coffee

OregonLive readers have voted on their favorite places in Hood River. The winner for Best Coffee is Dog River Coffee. Dog River Coffee serves the delicious Stumptown Coffee that comes from Portland. Read more about Dog River Coffee below.

The coffee shop is owned by Nate DeVol. Seating nooks line the front window, where guest use Wi-Fi to keep up with the world and their eyes on the street to see what's going on in Hood River.
The store is filled with 1950ish furniture, much of it donated by customers. Don't worry, it's still is good enough shape to be homey and comfortable.

SRC: Read full article Hood River's Best of the Best by Terry Richard at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Hood River's Best Burger Joint or Deli

Hood River | Boda's Kitchen

OregonLive readers have voted on their favorite places in Hood River. The winner for Best Burger Joint or Deli is Boda's Kitchen. This delicatessen has only been around for two years and is the only full-service deli in downtown Hood River. Read more about Boda's Kitchen below.

Matt and Sirota Johnston own and operate Boda's Kitchen, which takes its name from her childhood nickname. They started two years ago with the idea of keeping it "fresh, local, fun and happy."
It's on the upscale side, selling hot food, soups, sandwiches, wraps, salads, local bread, locally roasted coffee and packaged goods to take home. Wine is mostly from the gorge, with some less expensive imports to consume on the beach with a picnic.

SRC: Read full article Hood River's Best of the Best by Terry Richard at: OregonLive.

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Coumbia River Gorge Enchanted and Beautiful

Follow the journey of Sean Thomas as he makes his way from Angels Rest Trail Head to the highest point in the gorge, Mt. Defiance. Step by step with his descriptions and photos you can follow his journey, but be warned you may be inspired to get out there and hike it yourself. Read a piece of his journey below.

The short segment along the famed Multnomah Creek was full of green as well, doing its best to represent the lush and thickly vegetated stream side habitats the western gorge is known for. Especially this time of year, the annuals that pop up in spring and the crystal clear water really scream "you're in the gorge":

SRC: Read Sean Thomas' entire adventure at: Portland Hikers.org

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here

Columbia Gorge area a Smorgasbord of Fishing Opportunities

The Columbia River Gorge is a fantastic place for fishing. This time of year the temperature is rising so the bass are going into spawning mode, a great time to get out on the water with your pole. For tips on times, locations, and strategies for great spring time fishing read more below.

There are spring Chinook available in the Hood, Wind, Deschutes, and Columbia rivers.

The Deschutes has its annual salmonfly and stonefly hatch that has gained a reputation worldwide.

Summer steelhead are starting to trickle into the Hood and Klickitat rivers. Needless to say, options abound for a springtime angler.

Look for gently sloping bottom structure with small rocks or gravel.

Bass typically spawn in less than four feet of water and you can often see their spawning beds as a dark circle that is 1-4 feet in diameter.

If you are wading, be careful not to step on these beds as you may inadvertently kill off the next generation.

SRC: Read full article on Finding some bass in the Spring from The Dallas Chronicle.

 

Looking for lodging near the Columbia River Gorge? Check out Lodging Here