As well as the lookouts over the river and I-84, there were a series of waterfalls. We travelled slowly and stopped many times for little walks. Obviously hiking is a common past-time for the urban Portland folk. Crown Point Vista House and Multnomah Falls are must-sees.
Before the trip we'd checked out accommodation in the city of 'The Dalles'. I'm glad that we didn't decide to stay there as we arrived at the town along the Columbia River before mid-afternoon. By this point, although only 90 miles from Portland the geography had turned dry. We decided to continue up to where US 97 crosses the river and continue along the Washington side of the river.
A large sign on Washington State Highway 14 offered a warning that they're be no services for the next 80 miles. It was fascinating to see the views which included the river, wineries, the Oregon side of the river, trains, and the drier landscape. The maps showed Kennewick, WA would be a place to hunt for a place to stay.
We had picked up a traveller's accomodation guide from an I-5 rest stop. We had quite a bit of difficulty finding the Super 8 we were looking for. This wasn't all bad as we ended up driving around the Tri-city area. The coupon worked well and the motel had obviously been recently updated. We used the hot tub and pool after consuming far too much at an Old Country Buffet which was within walking distance.
We will sleep well.