A Beautiful Drive Along Highway 14 // Lewis and Clark Highway // in Washington
After our quick trip to Portland a few days ago, Andreas and I decided to take a different route back east. Our usual route took us on I-84 to Eastern Washington where would pass through Hood River, The Dalles, Rufus, and Pendleton. On my drives on I-84, I’d often look across the river and see cars and trucks driving on the Washington side and wonder what the scenery looked from across the river. I told Andreas that we had to see what the other side was like. So after passing Hood River, we crossed the bridge to Washington at The Dalles and found ourselves on Highway 14, also known as the Lewis and Clark Highway, and headed east. In my opinion, the views of the Columbia River are much more spectacular from the Washington side.
< Sunset - Columbia River - from Highway 14 - Mt. Hood in the Background >
There a few spots along Highway 14 to stop and admire the views. Highway 14 runs about 180 miles from Vancouver, Washington, to a bit more north of Umatilla, Oregon at I-82. We stopped at a view point that had a marker that described “The Great Falls of the Columbia.” The spot overlooked the area where the Celilo Falls had once been, disappearing after the Columbia River was dammed in 1957.
< "Great Falls of the Columbia" >
< Celilo Falls Near "The Dalles," Columbia River, Oregon - Postcard >
I actually much prefer Highway 14 a lot more than I-84, in part because there is considerably less traffic on the Washington side. But more than that, however, Highway 14 runs along beautiful scenery: apple and cherry orchards, vineyards, and vast expanses of land and farms. We stumbled upon a beautiful wind farm captured in the video above. You should know there are hardly any service stations on Highway 14 – you will have to cross over one of the bridges to Oregon to get gas. Except for Vancouver and Umatilla (at both ends of the highway), there are no big towns along the highway.
< View of the Columbia River from Highway 14 >
The drive is one of the most scenic drives I’ve taken. I highly recommend doing it.
Do You Live in a Peaceful State?
< The Most Peaceful States in America >
The Global Peace Index has ranked each state from most to least peaceful. And … I live in the very peaceful state of Washington! Washington State Tourism office, take note. Woot!
(Source)
What I See: Telephone Booth
Telephone Booth (2011)
I’m back in Walla Walla, Washington for the next few weeks. This place has almost become somewhat of a second home. There’s something classic about this town … the main street has a very 1950s feel. I love the building that the post office is housed in. Inside there’s even a telephone booth! Occasionally, I will spot someone using it. But more often than not, it just sits there as a reminder of a bygone analog era.
