Sauvie Island and Gorge: Sunny days with friends

On Sat we were on our own and it was the first sunny fall day.  My preschooler has been hard to motivate so I thought a hike involving a pumpkin farm might be just the thing!







We headed to a farm on Sauvie Island and spent some quality time playing in the hay.







Amy got a beautiful face painting as sister watched.  She enjoyed bouncing in the bounce house.







Then we went into the corn maze...Now if you must know my sense of direction has a reputation for being rather poor.  I figured Amy would help us find our way out!  We wandered for quite some time and eventually found the exit.







Leaving the farm we enjoyed the Portland Voodoo Doughnut truck and drove out to the hike out to Warrior Rock Lighthouse.







Mount Saint Helens across the river was beautiful, covered in fresh snow after our colder rainy week.







At Amy's request, we took the "low route" along the beach, climbing over muddy outcroppings.  Fortunately we were on top of one of these outcroppings when this huge barge came by and made an enormous wake that just barely missed us.







On the way back we enjoyed building and demolishing a sandcastle.







Baby Analise ate some dirt and all three of us were quite covered in mud.










The next day we picked up our friend, Celebrity, and headed up to show her the gorge.  We enjoyed the beauty of Multnohmah Falls first.







My mom had taken the train up to join the fun.







After our stop at Multnohmah Falls we met up with friends at Latourell Falls.  The kids immediately started rock climbing







We hiked past Latourell Falls and spent some time playing and visiting at Guy Talbot Park.







We stopped at Vista House to take in the river/ gorge view.







Baby Analise enjoyed some serious stair climbing at Vista House.







Next we headed up to the top of Larch Mountain to hike up Sherrard Point.  The panorama of mountains surrounding us was amazing.








Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount Jefferson were all out in full glory!







My soul was fed by the community of friends and the amazement of these wonderful Columbia River spots.

Winter Sauvie Island Adventure

Sauvie Island is one of my favorite close to home adventures but I had never experienced it in winter.  So, in late Feb, during a lull in snowshoeing, and on a cloudy rainy day we thought we would give it a try.

It was great to see the green moss and the mist over the water.  Amy had a blast exploring the muddy trail.

We took time just to enjoy the wetland view and experience the damp beauty found there.

There were many ducks and birds and frogs to listen to and watch.

There were marshy fields, a lake, and the Columbia River.

Every time I cross the Sauvie Island Bridge I feel I have entered a special place, close to Portland, yet quite unique and separate from Portland life.

The only drawback to Sauvie Island is the parking fee, quite steep, but I figure I save the money in gas by not venturing to a farther destination, and the shorter drive time also makes a trip to Next Adventure possible!

We completed a loop- continuing to enjoy the trees, water, and mud.

At the beginning/ end of the loop was a picnic shelter, so we were able to enjoy our warm soup and bread without getting wet, an extra special treat!

It was a nice leisurely hike.  We are sure to be back when we need a break from the riggers of climbing mountains and a close to home retreat.