The Journey Continues

Columbia Gorge

The gardens at Bonneville took my breath away. Oh how I miss the weather; all the rain makes everything so green!

I thought this was so neat, an American Flag in flowers!

Fish Hatchery at Bonneville

This is a turbine, it is what moves the water causing energy to then be turned into electricity. This is why they have fish ladders, that way the fish are protected as they migrate and do not get turned into ...well you get the picture!

This is not Hermon; must be a distant cousin of his. Hermon is a 90 year old Sturgeon that is 10 feet long! Hey Mom pucker up butter cup!

Mom, Steven, and Charlie in front of the hotel we stayed at.

Steven and the Bridge of the Gods on the Columbia River.

Barge and Tug Boat

I love this picture because it looks like the fish just told a funny joke and Charlie is laughing! Actually this fish kept swimming back and forth trying to figure out what Charlie was!

Fish ladders. There were Shanock Salmon running. Meaning this is the time they migrate to the Ocean, it was fun to see all these huge fish. Out of 5 million eggs a salmon lays only two will ever make it to adult hood. The lesson, eat Salmon that are farm raised, please!

A look into the fish ladder

So I have just a few more things to share about Oregon. We love driving through the Columbia Gorge, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth in my opinion. This time however we decided to stay in Cascade Locks; a town that is right in the heart of the Gorge. It is also next to the beautiful Columbia River. In fact the hotel we stayed at, overlooked the river, only a few yards away. Charlie loved watching the barges being pushed by tug boats, slowly making their way up or down the river.

We went to the Bonneville Dam so we could see the fish ladders and the 90 year old Sturgeon, Herman. I remember when I was a small girl going to see these places and it is always fun to take your own child. It was a very enjoyable day and it even rained! I miss the soft refreshing rain storms of the west side of Oregon. It almost felt like we were on the Oregon Coast. That will for sure be another vacation destination; the Coast!