Rides, ramblings and rants on a motorcycle.
- We are scientists, too!
12.11.2010,10:49 PM
Oregon, Ho!: Columbia Gorge II
The one thing about Oregon rivers are that bridges are few and far between, except for spanning the Willamette River in Portland (where there are many bridges). These are bridges across the Columbia (not near Portland).
I love this bridge. It reminds me of the locks on Lake Erie near where I grew up. I loved watching them raise up for freight ships, one of which my grandfather was an asst. captain. Funny how seeing this one took me back to when I was an excited kid watching the ships navigate on the Great Lakes.
So it is no surprise when I got all excited -like a little kid- when we drove past a couple barges. Tidewater company is the largest transporter on the Columbia River. Note the smiley faces on their barges. I would LOVE to be a passenger on one of these barges as they navigate the river. Hmmmm..... that gives me an idea for the next visit.........
Not obvious from the photograph below, but a group of people are on one of the decks waving. I want to be one of those people.
Fewer logging mills are left now in Oregon. This one is across the river in WA.
Oregon is a grandstand, a living museum, and an open text book for geology. The variety and diversity is overwhelming. Take Big Bend and stretch it out by hundreds of miles and you get a sense of how much interesting geology is here. And much of it is new, in relative geological age. Sometimes we just stopped, slamming on the brakes (on the bikes, at least I did), and gawked at the specimens. Here are a few samples along the River.
And, of course, some of the youngest mountains and quiescent volcanoes on the N Am continent: the Cascades. I forgot just how big and beautiful they are until I saw this:
A lot of wildlife visit and live along/on the river, too. Even pelicans.
One last stop of interest before hitting the rat race near Portland.
I love this bridge. It reminds me of the locks on Lake Erie near where I grew up. I loved watching them raise up for freight ships, one of which my grandfather was an asst. captain. Funny how seeing this one took me back to when I was an excited kid watching the ships navigate on the Great Lakes.
So it is no surprise when I got all excited -like a little kid- when we drove past a couple barges. Tidewater company is the largest transporter on the Columbia River. Note the smiley faces on their barges. I would LOVE to be a passenger on one of these barges as they navigate the river. Hmmmm..... that gives me an idea for the next visit.........
Not obvious from the photograph below, but a group of people are on one of the decks waving. I want to be one of those people.
Fewer logging mills are left now in Oregon. This one is across the river in WA.
Oregon is a grandstand, a living museum, and an open text book for geology. The variety and diversity is overwhelming. Take Big Bend and stretch it out by hundreds of miles and you get a sense of how much interesting geology is here. And much of it is new, in relative geological age. Sometimes we just stopped, slamming on the brakes (on the bikes, at least I did), and gawked at the specimens. Here are a few samples along the River.
And, of course, some of the youngest mountains and quiescent volcanoes on the N Am continent: the Cascades. I forgot just how big and beautiful they are until I saw this:
A lot of wildlife visit and live along/on the river, too. Even pelicans.
One last stop of interest before hitting the rat race near Portland.
Labels: Oregon
