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.

Why We Live Here: Orca Watching in Puget Sound

Orcas in central Puget Sound, October 8, 2012. Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks.

One of the many things I love about living here in the Pacific Northwest is how the stunning beauty and wonder of the natural world overlaps with urban life, often without much warning. Like sighting orcas in Puget Sound from a downtown Seattle highrise, as many did yesterday. And how these thrills bring people together.

After getting a text alert from my sister mid-morning that orcas were spotted heading south in Puget Sound, I grabbed my binoculars, hopped in the car, and sped (yes, broke the speed limit) to Carkeek Park near my home. While I'm a native-born Seattleite and lived here most of my life, these magnificent marine mammals have eluded me in my home waters. 

Until yesterday.

It started with a series of updates on the Orca Network's Facebook page: 

"At least seven orcas were seen by the morning sun at 9 am in Admiralty Inlet, heading south between Mutiny Bay and Foulweather Bluff, headed toward Point No Point."

Mother orca with baby, Puget Sound, October 8, 2012. Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks.

My sis texted me when local Seattle TV stations shared footage of a "superpod" being VERY active near Point No Point and continuing south. A superpod no less! Aerial footage from a chopper showed orcas arcing up out of the water, dorsal fins pointing high, and diving back under in huge splashes. Awesome.

As I parked at the bluff overlooking the Sound at Carkeek, I jumped out of the car and breathlessly asked the guy sitting on the bench:

"Have you seen the orcas yet?"

He hadn't and didn't even know to look for them, but Jeremy and I ended up sharing my binoculars for the next 40 minutes as we spotted many orcas spouting, breaching, and splashing several miles across the Sound between Kingston and Bainbridge Island.

Seasoned orca watchers Alisa and Ed showed up soon after me, with more expensive binoculars in hand. These friendly folks pointed out things I wouldn't have noticed.

"Adult male breaching.  Mother with baby just south of the white sailboat off Indianola. Several now heading into Port Madison."  

Puget Sound orcas with Edmonds-Kingston ferry in distance. Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks.

  As Ed rattled off these sightings, Alisa was sending sighting updates to the Orca Network FaceBook page. They had started up north in Edmonds earlier in the morning, where they watched the orcas near the ferry terminal before heading south.

I followed Ed and Alisa down to Golden Gardens, a few miles south and jutting farther west into Puget Sound. There in the golden glow of an unseasonably sunny and mild October afternoon, we watched more orcas put on a show that no doubt thrilled hundreds or thousands of us watching from the land and boats.  

As a female breached much closer to us than the others, I knew the spectacular image would be seared in my memory forever. The sense of awe and wonder surging through me felt just like each of those shooting stars I saw last summer.

October 1, 2012. Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks.

In addition to a thrill of a lifetime to see these orcas near my home, what will stay with me is the friendliness of the several people I met.  

Forget the so-called Seattle Freeze.  Everyone was as excited and happy as a kid to be in the presence of our resident orcas making an unusual trip this far south.  Heck, I even passed out my business cards and learned about a new restaurant that Brian hopes to open in Ballard next year. Most of us figured out our two to three degrees of separation.

As they used to say, there's only a thousand real people in Seattle and we all know each other.  There's less than 90 resident orcas in Puget Sound, and they no doubt all know each other, too.

Orca off Alki Point, October 8, 2012. Photo by Christina Watson.

How about you? Did you see the orcas yesterday? If not, I hope you're able to see them soon. Check out the Orca Network regularly for sightings.

How to Help
The Puget Sound orcas are endangered and need our help. As of May 2012, the population of the endangered southern resident orcas was 88, 26 in J pod, 20 in K pod, and 42 in L pod. Here's a link to information on the National Marine Fisheries Service Orca Recovery Plan. It remains to be seen if, through our efforts, the population can be stabilized to a sustainable level.  But think about donating your time and $$ to organizations such as the Orca Network, which is dedicated to raising awareness of Pacific Northwest whales and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.

North Cascades Institute Getaway: Great Hiking, Fab Food, and an Environmental Ethos

With more than a half a dozen weekend trips already to the North Cascades Institute's Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake, I'm clearly a fan.  

Besides the tasty, locally sourced meals and beautiful mountain lakeside setting, many other things make the "ELC" a special place. Like the laid back staff (no city stress on their faces), earnest college interns, interesting fellow visitors, and the comfy LEED-certified campus that blends harmoniously with its setting at the base of Sourdough Mountain on the edge of North Cascades National Park.


This past weekend a friend and I were there for a Sourdough Speaker event, where visitors can get a taste of the place (literally and figuratively) with an overnight stay and guest speaker.

We arrive at the center mid-afternoon on Saturday after a leisurely 3-hour drive from Seattle along backroads past Darrington and Rockport, then up the upper Skagit River Valley. Before dinner we get settled in the spacious Pine building on campus and go explore the Sourdough Creek trail through the forest behind the ELC.

Sourdough Creek Trail

 
Early fall in this subalpine locale is cranking up, but we're still mostly ahead of the real fall colors.  

Vine maple on the ELC campus

At least once a season the Sourdough Speaker series features regional chefs, wild food foragers, or farmers who focus on eating sustainably within our local foodsheds. Edible Seattle magazine editor Jill Lightner and Skagit Valley organic Blue Heron Farm owner Anne Schwartz are on hand this Saturday evening to discuss local farm and food policies in our state.

But beforehand as we're gathered in the dining hall, NCI Chef Shelby Slater enthusiastically describes our meal.  

"Your dinner tonight was sourced 98 percent locally," he says, then describes the honey lavendar goat cheese from the Methow Valley and the grass-fed beef, line-caught salmon, and fruit and veggies from Skagit Valley farms. 

The man is as giddy as a kid when he talks of working with local producers and growers.  His passion shines through in our splendid feast.

Usually I'm a bit of a night owl, but tonight sleep comes much earlier than normal in the quiet of a mountain night. I wake up before sunrise, refreshed and free of my usual morning dragginess, and go for a walk down along the lake.

Breaking dawn, Diablo Lake

While there is a naturalist-led hike planned after breakfast as part of the weekend event, we opt instead to hike the Diablo Lake trail from the ELC property to the base of Ross Lake Dam. The current ELC does owe its existence partly to Seattle City Light, which funded much of the facility construction as mitigation for its Skagit Dam hydroelectric project permit renewal.

Don't let the name "Diablo Lake" trail fool you. It's not really a lakeside trail. While much of the fairly mellow trail meanders through forest and over old rockslides well above the lake, we finally catch some spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and the lake/former river canyon far below, over a mile from the ELC.

Pyramid Peak

Pyramid Peak and Diablo Lake

Vehicles being barged up Skagit River Canyon

Instead of hiking all the way down to the suspension bridge just below the base of the dam, we turn around about 1.5 miles into the hike. Three miles is about all we have time for today with a several-hour drive home ahead.

With reluctance, we pack up and head back to the city. But it's always hard for me to leave this place, the North Cascades, and the heady scent of forest and mountain sunshine. 

I'll be back.

How about you? Have you participated in any NCI programs? We'd love to hear about your experience there in the comments below.

When You Go 
There are several more great weekends coming up this fall at the ELC.  Check out their schedule here. Here are directions to NCI from both the west and east side of the Cascade Mountains. Also know that the fee you pay for these programs partially funds the Mountain School environmental education programs for local grade school kids from around the region.

If you'd like to see a few photos of the buildings and learn a little more about it's mission, click here to a blog post I wrote about NCI a few years ago.