Columbia River Gorge - A Rest Stop on my Travels Home
On our return trip from visiting family on the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range we made a stop at a rest area along HWY 14 in Washington state. This is one of the better rest areas with walking paths and outstanding views of the Columbia River Gorge. The river in this area also serves as the state boundary between Washington and Oregon. So follow along as we stretch our legs and take in some of the sights. 😃
So as I teased in a Snap earlier there was something in the water. Some barges being pushed upriver. 😘 This was taken from the parking area shortly after arriving.
Click images for larger view
I hurried down to the first view point so I could get a few more shots of the passing barges.
Although it was a hazy day overall, the immediate view was quite spectacular. The Columbia River Gorge is usually a pretty windy place but today as you can see it was calm and the river was like glass. A little hard to tell from the photo but the viewpoint here is about 150 feet above the water.
A closer view as the barges finish navigating between the small rocky island and the shore.
And of course if you follow me at all... here is a panorama of the scene. 🙃
A framed shot from the parking lot with just a small glimpse of the peak of Mt Hood over the hills on the other side.
Some of the rock formations above me as I take a stroll on the pathway.
Some views of the train tracks and tunnel below.
At this point I could have used a train going through the tunnel but I was thankful for what I did get to see. 🙂
On the way back to the car I heard some loud calls coming from the tress acoross the road. I was able to get my telephoto lens on and attempt some shots of these bald eagles. Unfortunately the quality of these photos is much less than stellar but thought I would share them anyway.
And one last shot of the barges continuing upriver. The haze and shooting back toward the sun made choosing black and white for this photo easy. Hope you enjoyed the tour!
Please feel free to make comments or ask me any questions about this post.
Photos taken by me, @oldmans, with a Nikon D3300 and some Lightroom post processing.
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I like the angle of this shot. It's very dramatic. It almost looks like the kind of place robbers would hide while staking out the train in the old west.
It is something you are not expecting to see as you walk the path. Very dramatic indeed.
Oh, this is where you were ... and that black and white silver satin touch at the end is EVERYTHING!
I really liked the last shot also. I need to learn to embrace black and white a little more.
Beautiful place, your images are very good. Thanks for sharing the return home after enjoying days with the family. Happy weekend. 🥰
Thank you! I'm glad you stopped by to leave your thoughts. Happy weekend to you also.😀
Very wonderful tour of the rest stop. I agree that a train would have been really neat touch to a photo of the rail tunnel. It is still a really good shot, and like tohers, reminds me of the old west shows.
I'm 0 for 2 on a train in the tunnel there. Maybe next time. :)
I am a sucker for boats and tunnels!
A train in the tunnel pics would have been cool, but hey it gives you an excuse to do the trip again so you can stop and capture a train this time!
This works. I'm always looking for another excuse to travel. Especially in the Columbia River Gorge. :)
It is a stunning area of scenery!
Stunning photos of a picturesque area, @oldmans. Some of the photos look like paintings, so beautiful! I love the railway line running into the tunnel. You'll have to go back and wait for that train to enter the tunnel, which would make a really special photo!
We had been traveling the same direction as the barges so I knew I would have a chance for the photos. Next time hopefully it will be a train. :)
Hello @oldmans,
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You are very welcome @oldmans! it was well deserved. ☀️
Keep up the great work 💪