Northwest Fall Road Trip: Maryhill and east Columbia River Gorge

View from top of Horsethief Butte

October is a wonderful time for roadtripping in the Pacific Northwest. I asked my friend Mary to do a guest post after I saw her beautiful photos from  a recent overnight trip from the Seattle area to The Dalles, Oregon.

Our getaway down to the eastern Columbia River gorge was so much more than I expected. This trip made me very happy!

The Drive:  We started by driving east from the Seattle area on Interstate 90 across Snoqualmie Pass past Ellensburg, south on Interstate 82 to Yakima, then south on Highway 97 to the Columbia River through Goldendale, and west on I-84 to The Dalles. 

Where We Slept:  We stayed at the Celilo Inn, which sits on a bluff with spectacular views of Mt. Hood, the Columbia River, and The Dalles. This inn is newly transformed from budget motel into a boutique hotel catering to the wine-touring crowd. I've never seen such a cool motel. [On October 16, Groupon offered a two-night package at the Celilo Inn! It might still be available today if it didn't sell out already.]

The view from our room was lovely, the bed was heavenly, and we enjoyed a swim on a warm fall day in their outdoor pool. In the evening, we were treated to wine and cheese on the patio as we relaxed by the fire and listened to a local musician while watching the sunset on the river.

The recently renovated Celilo Inn in The Dalles, Oregon

Dinner in The Dalles:  We had dinner at the historic Baldwin Saloon, which originally opened in 1876.  We enjoyed fresh, local halibut along with a Pheasant Valley organic Pinot Gris. Only Northwest wines are served at the Baldwin, with house pours from local wineries. For dessert we shared a generous piece of carrot cake. Just perfect.


Our Favorite Stretch of Road: After a light breakfast at Celilo Inn, we were ready to hit the road again. We crossed the Columbia River via The Dalles Bridge and then headed east on State Route 14, a wonderful road with so much to do and see along the way. 

Our first stop was Columbia Hills State Park to view the petroglyphs on the  Columbia River basalt along the river. This particular collection of over 40 petroglyphs and pictographs is bordered by a paved trail. While the carvings and paintings are sacred to the local Native Americans, they are open to the public.

Petroglyph near Horsethief Butte

 

And For Some Good Exercise:  Horsethief Butte in the Columbia Hills State Park is just awesome.  We noticed a hiking trail on the map  near the butte, so decided to check it out. We started not really knowing what to expect. The trail is very short, so basically the hike is a climb or scramble over the rocks to the top of the butte. 

Horsethief Butte

I wasn’t sure I could handle the climb because it looked steep, but my husband Michael convinced me to give it a shot. I'm so glad I went for it! The views were incredible in every direction. The top of the butte was cluttered with rock climbers, all decked out in their colorful climbing gear. We explored the many nooks and crannies at the top and  enjoyed the spectacular landscapes that completely surrounded us.
 

Yes, the view from atop Horsethief Butte is ahhhhhhh-some.

Rock climbers on Horsethief Butte

The Main Attraction:  Our main reason for taking this trip was to visit the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington.  Their new $10 million wing opened in May 2012. The original structure is a beautiful Beaux Arts style mansion built by railroad executive and entrepreneur Sam Hill. 

Maryhill Museum

I was so excited to arrive at the museum. The original mansion, the new modern addition, and the spectacular setting of the Columbia River and its banks was just so much beauty to behold. I was truly thrilled to be there and I hadn’t even stepped inside yet. 

The new Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing includes an education center, an outdoor plaza overlooking the river, a cafe and outdoor terrace, and the modern, all-glass Mt. Hood Gallery. The museum’s collection includes many sculptures and watercolors by Auguste Rodin, a large Native American collection, religious icons, a collection of chess sets from around the world, an outdoor sculpture garden, and much more.

On the terrace, Maryhill Mary and Bruce Stevenson wing

  
We had an excellent lunch at the museum’s cafe sitting outside on the terrace taking in another work of art, the Columbia River. Magnificent!


Another Must-See Stop: Maryhill Winery, on a bluff above the Columbia River and Gunkel Vineyard, is one of the oldest and most established vineyard sites in Washington.  We stopped and did a little wine tasting, and since everything we sampled tasted fabulous, we ended up walking away with a few bottles to take home.

View from Maryhill Winery 

And Before Heading Home: Just 3 miles east of Maryhill is the Stonehenge Memorial,  a replica built by Sam Hill and dedicated to local Klickitat County servicemen who died  during World War I.  Before we arrived at the war memorial I wasn’t sure what to think about a faux Stonehenge, but it turned out to be a powerful experience for us. 

Stonehenge Memorial, Goldendale, Washington

 We want to go back and tour more of the wineries in the area. Next trip!

When You Go.  A Washington highway map showing the areas we visited are sections 15 and 16 at this website. While this is a 3.5-hour drive from Seattle, it's less than a couple hours from Portland.