“The scenery in Oregon is varied, romantic, picturesque and grand. There is certainly nothing to equal it in North America.”
—Overton Johnson and William Winter (1846)
Cecile and I and the Byes spent the day in The town of "The Dalles,” Oregon, a relaxing retreat along the banks of the Columbia River that serves as the eastern gateway to the Columbian Gorge National Scenic Area. Native populations had used the area as a trading center for a least 10,000 years.
After breakfast our American Empress bus driver drove us to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum that is located in a beautiful and unique ecosystem native to the area. From there the next stop was the National Neon Sign Museum that focuses on the evolution of light from the light bulb signs (1880-1920) to the introduction of neon to the United States in 1923 and the unique role advertising and signage has played in American history business. It was a very entertaining and dynamic presentation featuring familiar named brands like Mobilgas, Borden’s Ice Cream and Cadilac Service to name a few.
In the afternoon we were taken to the Maryhill Museum, an elaborate artistic dream of eccentric millionaire Samuel Hill that is perched high atop the bluffs overlooking the meandering Columbia River. It included an eclectic collection of local, indigenous people to international works of art including 80 works of Auguste Rodin, objects from the palaces of the Queen of Romania and more. Prior to our bus ride to the museum our guide directed our driver to show us Sam Hill’s reconstructed Stonehenge positioned on the edge of the gorge. Built in 1918 to resemble the Neolithic original as a memorial to those who perished in World War l.
Our afternoon was concluded at the stunning family owned Jacob Williams Winery, a picture-perfect location with bright red umbrellas to sample their award winning and locally made wines. We sat back and enjoyed the incredible views of Mt. Hood, the Columbia RIver Gorge, orchards, vineyards and the rolling hills of Washington. Our guide, who had announced on the bus she was of Sicilian heritage (like myself). She sat with us for about twenty minutes. She had an impressive resume including serving 20 years in the military that included a stint in Afghanastan working as an advanced Intelligence Interrogator, and 20 years of teaching. Retired now from both, she works as a tour guide. In her spare time she kayaks daily with her three dogs.
