If north-end folks don't want to caravan down to Gladstone then I'm going to go to this earlier in the day. Anyone else interested in joining me? These guys are great!

http://prius.meetup.com/136/calendar/5694287/

When:
Saturday, May 19, 2007, 10:30 AM

Where:
Multnomah Falls Lodge
53000 Historic Columbia River Dr
Bridal Veil , OR 97010
503-695-2376

Description:
If it's the third Saturday, it's time to get together and talk Hybrid Synergy Drive, among other things. It's time for another casual meet up for drivers, and would-be drivers, of Toyota HSD Prius, Camry, and Highlander vehicles to get together and chat.

This is going to be a great meeting! We'll rendezvous at Lewis & Clark State Park and caravan to Multnomah Falls. Take I-84 East and get off at Exit 18, just east of the Sandy River. There's a big parking area on the right. We'll meet there from 10:30 a.m. and leave the rendezvous point sharply at 11 a.m. for a 15 minute (at 65 MPH) drive to Multnomah Falls, Exit 31 (left lane). Park in the first spaces you come to on the left. If you want to try your coördinate nav system, set your destination as N 45°34'44" W 122°7'9".

We have reservations at 11:30 a.m. in the Lodge Falls Room, where we'll have a view of the falls while we eat and chat. Here's a link to the menu.

After lunch, if you're in a hurry you can leave the parking area and go back toward Portland and Vancouver on I-84.

If you're up for a bit more adventure, I'll be heading east on I-84 to Exit 35 and taking the Historic Columbia River Highway back (map detail). The Historic Columbia River Highway was one of the first paved roads intended for automobiles in the northwest. George Clason, in his "Oregon Green Guide" of 1920, wrote "This road, following the beautiful Columbia River, is one of the scenic roads of the world, a road that will stand for all time a monument to the enterprise of Oregon."

The historic scenic highway takes us past Horsetail Falls, Multnomah Falls again, Wahkeena Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Latourell Falls, and Vista House at Crown point.

Vista House was restored last year to its 1918 grandeur, described then in the Oregonian, "It is to be simply a great rest-house for the sightseers traveling over the wonderful road and also a place from which can be had the most beautiful view on that great scenic highway." In addition to the fabulous views, you can get a coffee or soda or browse in the gift shop.

Continuing on the highway, you wind past the Portland Womens Forum State Scenic Viewpoint, the town of Corbett, and finish up back in Troutdale. If you go straight at the Stark Street Bridge, and don't cross it, you'll go back to Lewis & Clark State Park, winding up again at I-84.

If you want to make more of a day of it, you could also continue east on I-84 to Bonneville Dam, Exit 40, or Cascade Locks, Exit 44, where you could take the Bridge Of The Gods to Stevenson, Washington, and have a different scenic drive back to Vancouver on US 14.

Put the May meeting on your calendar now, and RSVP as soon as you can. Everybody's welcome!

 

You're breakin' my heart, Corey Ann. When I was a wee one, Multnomah Falls was one of my abfab places to visit, and in the last 35 years I've seen it precisely once. But I don't think I'll be going. I'm sure you'll have an amazing time, as the the whole Columbia gorge is an amazing place to be.

 

gotta love the gorge, need to go climb the falls again, been a few years, nice walk, excellent view, wish I had the time this weekend.