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was a nice sunny day so we decided to get outside and hike around
some to warm up. We drove farther east into the gorge than we've ever
been before and it was amazing how much the leaves had changed since
last Sunday. The brilliant yellows are turning rust and brown, with
the leaves abandoning the trees at a rapid pace. We hiked up an old
historic highway that was built when Model A's were the kings of the
road and is only open as a hike and bike trail now. The man who designed
it was deeply inspired by the beauty of the gorge and it was his wish
to make it accessible at its best vantage points. His goal was to
create a "poem in stone" and in my opinion, he succeeded.
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There
are numerous turnouts where you can stop and admire the view and
the guardrails are arched stonework ledges that contribute to the
beauty of the panorama rather than detract from it. The Twin Tunnels
in Mosier are unique in that there are arched "windows"
in the side of the mountain as you go through the tunnel so you
can see the outstretched views across the river to Washington.
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It was
a picture perfect day and the brisk weather actually added to its
enjoyment. As we walked along, the golden crispy leaves got tired
of hanging on, so they'd drift down floating on the air in front
of us, leaving a crunchy trail for us to walk through. With the
bottom of the gorge and the river shimmering far below us on one
side and the jagged colored mountains on the other side, it was
one of the prettiest walks we've enjoyed so far.
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We continued
driving east and the road descends into the Rowena Loops, a pretty,
narrow road with sharp curves that you see a lot in car ads. On
the way back, we crossed the Hood River Bridge into Washington and
stopped at Skamania Lodge, which I was drawn to because I read it
had a fireplace that would hold six-foot logs. After a day in the
brisk air, the warmth of the large fire was so welcoming, but it
was too crowded to sit at, so we headed on home to the warmth and
coziness of flannel heat, happy with the way the day was spent.
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