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As we drive along the Historic Columbia River Highway, we stop at the Vista House. My sister-in-law Jan discovers the gift shop at the Vista House. The best on the trip she says!
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We had a neat half-mile hike up to the bridge across the Falls. On the way we saw a spotted leopard.
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We hiked up to this distant bridge across the Multnomah Falls to gain a closeup view of the falls. After our return hike, it was lunch time and we ate lunch in the Lodge at Multnomah Falls.
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Stopped at the Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles, Oregon, to explore the history of the area especially the Oregon Trail.
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For those who have not seen a sturgeon, they are big! They live in the Columbia River and grow to be twelve feet long!
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At the Gorge Discovery Center, you can stand in front of a video camera and pretend to be wind surfing as your image is composited with a video of wind surfing on the Columbia River.
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At the Bonneville Dam Visitors' Center one can take an elevator downstairs and watched the fish climb the fish ladders. Visitors can view the fish swim by within inches of you. We had great views of salmon and trout several feet long as they swam upstream.
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Since the Bonneville Dam raises the Columbia River 72 feet on the eastern side, boat locks are needed for commercial as well as pleasure craft. We were lucky to be at the Visitor Center just as a tug with four barges was entering the locks going down stream.
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Since Scott had never seen a lock, he said it was awesome to watch the tug and 4 barges rapidly lower in the water. Before the gates were opened, the water level was at the yellow paint line above the brown wet area on the sides.