More of the Columbia River… WA/OR…
Saturday, August 4th, 2007
Finishing the loop after the tour of the Hydro Electric plant was great… different… Sure, there was a lot of traffic, nothing backed up, but there was also lots to see. Still on the Idaho side we stopped at a couple falls, one being the Multmomah Falls… the most famous one, about 650 feet drop.
The other… well, there are only 25 of them… was the Bridal Veil Falls. We must have all the same pictures I figured… everyone that was there that day anyhow! Great weather, nice breeze… nothing like what we were going to experience a bit later by Hood River…
This sign was on a railway bridge, telling us a bit where we are. I am not used to this!… and as much as I photographed the falls and surroundings, my attention also was on the crowd. Some on a mission… husbands ahead with the boys… mothers behind with the girls… fast pace… lets get done with it seemed like. Others all dressed up… hills, yes… maybe wondering what they were doing here. Tense is the word that I was looking for… it seemed tense as everyone was passing me…
The fun part was bumping into a couple workers the two times we stopped! Ground workers with their white truck, ahead of me. Of course we talked about their job, the tourists, what they do when it rains… and twice as the parking lots were full, they removed a couple cones for us that were reserved for other workers! I get blamed a lot for talking to too many strangers… the workers always interest me. When was the last time a stranger came up to you while working and gave you a compliment?… I love it!
I gave credit for this elderly couple for even be there…
Bumped into a future professional photographer class… you should have seen “their” cameras! They did not appreciate my sense of humor that day… does it show?
And yes… it is nice to be visible on the road… no comments.
We stopped for a while where Lewis and Clark camped… it was now a car lot, but “Ford”, I guess that is okay then…
And we had to cross the Bridge of the Gods who took my 75 cents…
to get to Highway 14, as I was ready to check the wind surfers. The rig was running better than usual… just purring… Spirit was really getting into it! Since the windshield is gone he is like an open airplane pilot… standing forward a bit more, his head straight out with his neck stretched out… still looking at me every 4 seconds, and honestly I crack up quite often!!! I will try to take a picture of him while we are in motion…
So yes, we are rolling very nicely till I noticed that the white caps on the river where also going in our direction… I knew what the return trip was going to be like as we stopped a couple times to watch the action on the water, and I could barely stand up! 30 to 40 mph wind today I was told!
The Mecca of wind surfers!… no wonder. Mostly in their 20’s, but I also noticed a few of the older crowd holding their own. Having sailed for many years I have never been able to grasp “this” concept as the wind surf does “not” have a fixed board or a keel… Not only the sail has to be accounted for, but the board also… Nice to watch… very nice!
Yes, of course we braved the wind on the way back… Spirit lays down… smart… and I know that I am very fortunate that he “is” smart… I never taught him how to ride in the sidecar!… Do you know that he is now even starting to lean a bit!… My buddy!!!
Original 63 Beetle by the way!… I am writing this from a new campground we have arrived today on the Snake River… my homework paid off… I was very emotional seeing the Desert again, the desert is where I belong, it had been a very long time! This is… Heaven! More next time…
You be well…
Ara & Spirit
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Ara Gureghian 853 Vanderbilt Beach Rd #245 Naples Fl 34108
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