Wednesdays and waterfalls

So, Wednesday started off just like all the others so far.  Wet although not as bad as it has been.

Bound and determined not to let the weather stop us from enjoying our trip, we decided to head out for the day.  On the way to one of the local fruit stands we got a very small glance at Mt. Hood again.  These meager views just keeps teasing us--we know it's there but we just can't see it. Ugh!!

We also took a quick side trip through the campground we stayed at with the Boyz in Parkdale.  There were only 2 RV's in the whole campgrounds--what a change from when we were here last.  The Hood River runs through the park and with all the rain and recent snow melt it is really running high.

Our first stop for the day was at the Bonneville Dam and fish hatchery.   We had hoped to see a lot of fish going through the fish ladder but only saw a couple steelhead, a salmon and some shad.  Oh well, at least that was something.

Next we headed over to the fish hatchery.  We had always bypassed this before figuring it would not be very interesting.  What a mistake.  This place was quite cool, even in the rain.  A word of advice, never bypass something just because of what you think it will be--the worst that can happen is you just say "well, don't need to do that again".  They have a sturgeon pond that houses several sturgeon including a 12 foot monster named "Herman".  Unfortunately he was not being very cooperative for the camera so this was all we got.

There are also several ponds and tanks where they keep Rainbow trout.  We purchased several handfuls of food to feed to the trout.  Man, do they go crazy!

The ducks hanging around the pond were also not shy about wanting their share of the fish food and had no problems eating right out of our hands.

Then it was off to the waterfalls along historic Hwy 30.  This a beautiful winding 2 lane highway that goes past some of the most spectacular waterfalls.

The first falls is Horsetail Falls.  Again, the recent rains and snow melt has made the falls even more amazing.

The leaves on the ground are almost as pretty as the leaves on the trees.

Next was Multnomah Falls.  This is probably the most popular stops along this route and it's easy to see why.  I could take a bazillion pictures here (and I almost did!).  It never gets old and there is always just a little different spot to see it from up the stairs or around the next tree.  I think this is the first time I have been able to get any pics without having people in them.  Guess the rain is good for something.

We did hike up to the bridge you can see crossing the falls.  It is a very creepy feeling for a clumsy person who is afraid of heights but it does give some additional perspective.

The last falls we could get to was Wakeehna Falls - the rest of the highway was closed for repairs.

Heading back to Hood River, we decided to cross over The Bridge of the Gods to the Washington side of the Gorge.  For any of my fellow Twilight fans, this is the bridge shown in the first Twilight movie when Bella first goes to live with her dad.  Sorry it is not in Forks.

Washington looks much the same as Oregon but you can get some really good shots of the Columbia River Gorge from the Washington side or crossing over the bridges between the two.

The weather did clear significantly by the time we got back to Hood River which was nice for the Trick or Treating they had planned in town.  They close Oak Street to traffic so the kids can Trick or Treat at the shops and businesses that line the street.  We went out and found a bench along the sidewalk to sit on and just people watched as all the kids (and adults) (and dogs!) came out in their costumes and walked along collecting their goodies.  There was a giant pumpkin which someone said weighed about 1300 lbs on display along the street. And the real entertainment came when a group of people all broke out into a mini flash mob and danced to LMFAO's Party Rock and then Michael Jackson's Thriller right in the middle of the street.  It was quite a show.

Happy Halloween!!

Not sure what the plan for tomorrow is - supposed to still be rainy so likely either shop around town or go for a drive somewhere. Stay tuned to see what happens!