We continued our exploration of the Columbia River scenic area as we headed for The Dalles. The National Geographic Sea Bird was greeted this morning with an excellent view of Mt. Hood as it glowed in the early sunrise. We arrived at The Dalles, and were loaded onto motor coaches that transported us to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. The CGDC is a beautiful facility displaying numerous exhibits explaining much of the local history. There was also a chance to gather for a presentation that introduces raptors common in the area. Mid-morning, there were options to explore the grounds of the CGDC with one of our naturalists; a chance to have a one-on-one explanation of the town’s history with our historian; or enjoy a five mile bike ride along the river front trail, taking in the beautiful scenery and Native fishing platforms lining the river’s edge.
After a wonderful lunch, our afternoon awaited as we loaded up on motor coaches and continued to the Maryhill Museum. Maryhill Museum is a three-story European, beaux-arts style concrete mansion created by Sam Hill, and has a wonderful overlook of the Columbia River and vineyards. The museum, has many Native American artifacts, pieces from Rodin, Romanian furniture, a large display of chess pieces, and haute-couture fashion dolls from the 1950s.
After the museum, the group split into two categories; one group visited the Stonehenge memorial, and the other visited the Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and Winery. Those who visited Stonehenge were accompanied by our historian who gave a brief description of the piece created by Sam Hill. The other group had a chance to visit the award winning Cascade Cliffs Vineyard and Winery for a guided tour of the grounds and several tastings of their delicious wines. It was a beautiful day exploring The Dalles.
