Sunday, September 8, 2013, Revisit to Multnomah - Plus Four Falls , Columbia River Gorge, CO

Another beautiful day in a beautiful area. We headed back to Multnomah Falls (along the Columbia River Gorge, CO) again, thinking we would do some of the hiking we missed earlier. We got there pretty early (maybe too early) and found it was a bit foggy and a little cool. Joani had hoped to get some nice pictures of the Lodge without the crowd, but people were already setting up for a small arts and crafts fair.

Even with the fog, the falls were spectacular!  

There was a path from the falls parking lot leading under I-84 to a rest stop. How cool is it that traveling down an Interstate highway you get to see a waterfall like this?

This was a walkway through a tunnel under 1-84.  It was tiled with a reflective surface.

We both decided we could skip the hiking to the top of the falls in favor of continuing our drive along the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway. What we didn't know was that every few miles there would be another turn-out with a short walk to yet another beautiful water feature.

Wahkeena Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Shepperd's Dell Falls

The wall next to the trail was beautifully built.  I took this through one of the little arches (about 18" tall) in the wall.

You can barely see the Latourell Falls in the lower right corner.

 You were allowed to walk behind the falls, but only if you were willing to get pretty wet from the mist.

 A sunbeam was shining through the top of the falls!

Very peaceful and completely hidden from sight.

Vista House is on a cliff that is 733 feet above the Columbia River and was built in 1918 costing $100,000. Above ground is a domed rotunda that is 55 feet high and 44 feet in diameter. The 64-foot diameter base is underground and houses a tiny museum, restrooms, snack bar and gift shop. An interior staircase leads to an exterior balcony that encircles the entire building.

The views from the balcony were fantastic.

Look at that smile!  David is smiling, too.

I enjoyed the museum and snapped a few pictures from the exhibits.

That says it all!

Early "car camping" appeared to be a bit rough compared to today's standards. People would drive down the gorge highway, have a picnic and sleep over on bunks in these tents.

Back in town, we visited "The Grotto." It was a Catholic Church set against a rock bluff surrounded by beautiful grounds and gardens. The quiet solitude was a great end to the day's sightseeing.