Oct 8 - across Oregon to Idaho

Today we are heading east for the first time in nearly a month. Our first stop on the route through Oregon to Idaho was at Mitchell Point. This is a beautiful view of the Columbia River Gorge along Interstate 84. We learned that this had been a historic point in Oregon. The plaque stated “The rugged terrain of the Columbia River Gorge posed a tremendous challenge to the engineers responsible for construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Here, at Mitchell Point, John A. Elliott faced a sheer rock wall and conquered this challenge to create a work of art. The Mitchell Point Tunnel, also called the “The Tunnel of Many Vistas,” was one of the most spectacular and celebrated features of the Historic Highway. Influenced by the great roadways of Europe, Elliott designed five windows in the north wall of the 390 foot long tunnel that provided light, air, and a breathtaking view of the Columbia River. Sadly, the tunnel was blasted away in 1966 to make way for Interstate 84.” That is what we call PROGRESS! SAD. Then as we got to the Hood River area, we saw a lot of tents in a field by the interstate – so, we just HAD to stop! It was a St. Bernard DOG SHOW! (I had hoped it was a flea market!) The dogs were beautiful but I noticed in the obedience testing that some obeyed similar to Maggie and Mia – NOT! The further we went eastward, the more arid the conditions became. We stopped at a store and asked about the apparent desert-like conditions. We were told that the western side of the state (by the coast) got lots of rain but that the rain did not come east of the Cascade Mountains. They stated this landscape was very much like a desert! As we entered Idaho, we spotted the designation of the “Oregon Trail” and we learned that the valley of the Snake River was a primary route for travel since the days of Indians and fur traders. Specifically the Oregon Trail forded the river at Old Fort Boise on the Snake River. This was a really long day – over 400 miles – but we certainly saw some very interesting sights. We have now exceeded the 6500 mile of travel!