Oregon - Hood River Valley and Willamette Valley Vineyards

Brent and Brianne's wedding was in Bend, Oregon last weekend.  Brent's a good college buddy of Jared's, so we jumped at the chance for a long weekend together to celebrate with them.  Neither one of us had ever been to Oregon, and we were so excited to explore new places.  All week I had stressed about the forecast in Oregon.  Everything I looked at showed rain the whole time we were going to be there.  What are you gonna do, though?  Pray!  Guess what, God decided that we deserved a little bit of sunshine, so that's what we got.  After landing in Portland at 11am, we got our rental car, and set out in search for a good lunch place on the water.  

A nice guy from Oregon, who we met on the plane, recommended Salty's for some fresh seafood and a good view.  He was spot on!

After lunch, we headed down to the marina to get a closer view of the Columbia River.  Gorgeous!

It was a beautiful start to our trip.

Next stop, Multnomah Falls.  Wow!  According to Native American lore, Multnomah Falls was created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place to bathe. Although you can see the top portion of the falls from the highway, to view both tiers you have to walk to the viewing area located in a carved-out opening in the rock face.

We were seriously impressed with Oregon and it's majestic beauty.

Such a cool place, just minutes off of the main highway.

About a half hour later, we had arrived at our hotel for the first night.  Our balcony looked out over the Columbia River.  Hello, Washington!

The temp had dropped about ten degrees, making it perfect fleece weather.  We had a drink while enjoying this fabulous view outside our hotel, and watched bald eagles soar over our heads.
So memorable.

Cheers to us!

We made ourselves go get ready for dinner on the river and had a fabulous time at a little restaurant down the road.  

The next morning, after grabbing coffee and a small breakfast, we ventured next door to the nationally historic Columbia Gorge Hotel.  

It had even more breathtaking views, and we enjoyed learning about it's history.

Simon Benson built it in 1921.  He was also responsible for building the original scenic highway, that runs along the river.  He felt like travelers should have a beautiful place to stay during their travels through Oregon.

I think it's safe to say, he knew what he was doing!  This unassuming river runs through the hotel grounds...

and then turns into a gigantic waterfall on the hotel's property!

View from the bridge.  So pretty!

It really felt like we were walking in the Secret Garden.

Our journey continued to Panoramic Point County Park.  The air is so clean and crisp...

and on a clear day, you can see Mt. Hood very well in the distance.

We didn't have time to wait for the clouds to move out, but a few hours later when we arrived at Willamette Valley Vineyards, the sun was shining brightly!

This might have been our favorite place of the whole trip.

For only $10 we got to sample 5 different wines and sit on their terrace.  With this view.

My date upgraded to the $15 wine flight, and found a winner with the Hannah Pinot Noir.

This place should be on a Top 10 things to do in Oregon list.

Friday afternoon on a vineyard?  Yes, please!

When we realized that our final destination was 2 1/2 hours away, we hopped in the car and began driving up the mountain to Bend, OR.  Again--stunning scenery.  We made it there just in time for dinner with friends.  The wedding festivities were in full effect.  Stay tuned for more good times.