Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood and volcanic Oregon 11-13 August

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The Combia River gorge is a must, it is beautiful and a scenic road follows the gorge and brings you to all the nice spots.
The gorge started being formed millions of years ago, but at the end of the last Ice Age quick erosion due to floods, cut deep through the volcanic rock so that most affuents ended up as waterfall.
After visiting the gorge we went to Dufur where we had booked a room at the Balch hotel. This historic hotel is situated in a small country village surrounded by wheat fields.
We very much enjoyed our stay there as the place with its antique furniture was somehow surrealistic in such a rural place. In the morning it was a pleasure to discover that we got a 3 course gastronomic breakfast! Sometimes, you just don't try to undertsand and enjoy it!
The whole region south of the gorge is very volcanic and covered with fields or forests.
Needless to say that hiking was again on the agenda.

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Photos

On the way to Dufur
next to huge forests and their Ponderosa pines, big agriculture fields are to be found in Oregon.

Balch Hotel
This antique hotel is in the middle of nowhere in Dufur, OR. A brave couple saved and restored it to its past grandeur. Mainly used for weddings and other events. It also functions as a B&B with a gastronomic breafkfast, quite surprising.

On the way to bend
We had our picnic in this winter refuge in a National Forest.