The Dalles, Oregon

Jill's Journal: Mt. Hood was looking particularly lovely this morning on our drive across the border.

The girls and I spent the entire day in the lovely town of The Dalles (in Oregon). If you think that sounds like an unusual name, you’re not alone. It turns out it means either “flagstone” or “sluice” in French and refers to the basalt rocks carved by the river in the area. The Dalles pretty much rhymes with “the bells.”

Lewis and Clark camped here, as did many fur traders in the years after. In the thousands of years before Lewis and Clark, Native Americans extensively used the area as well. The banks of the Columbia River are steep and unforgiving for miles on end, but The Dalles has easy natural access to the river. The town is set back from the banks and has a population today of around 12,000.

The Dalles is known as the “End of the Oregon Trail,” although it technically wasn’t the very end. However, it did mark a decision point for weary travelers. After traveling by wagon for around 2,000 miles from Independence, Missouri, the 500,000 brave pioneers had about 100 miles to go to get to their destinations in the Willamette Valley. At The Dalles, they could either build a raft and load their wagon and animals on it in an attempt to navigate the treacherous Columbia River or they could go an additional 150 miles around the south side of Mt. Hood on a toll road (built around 1850) that featured unpredictable weather and dangerous terrain. There was no good choice. Either way, they risked their lives. After coming all that way, many died. Others made it but lost all their belongings. And the really lucky ones made it with life, limb, and possessions intact.

These pictures, by the way, are of some of the 12 gorgeous murals in downtown The Dalles. Each of the murals features a proud moment in the town’s history. They’re actually called the “Talking Murals” since several have audio narration.

Look at the size! They’re larger than life.

We stopped in at Klindt’s Booksellers, which was established in 1870 and is Oregon’s oldest bookstore (and actually the oldest bookstore in the Pacific Northwest).

It still has its original wood floors (they’re creaky and wonderful!) and also its original oak and plate glass display cases. The ladies who worked here were delightful and assured me the cool weather we’ve seen in Oregon is far from normal. Sunday was warm, but most days we struggle to even hit 70-75 degrees. They say it’s usually between 90 and 100 degrees in July and August. I don’t believe them.

The girls and I also stopped by “Pulpit Rock.” It’s been preserved in the middle of a street between a residential neighborhood and a high school, but between 1838 and 1848, it was the site of many a sermon. There was a Wascopam Methodist mission here and this was the chosen pulpit. A man could comfortably stand in the “v” at the top/middle of the large rock. One of the regular preachers, Rev. Jason Lee, made several trips between the East Coast and the Oregon Territory. It is believed his fervor for Oregon (which he spoke of in many public speeches on the East Coast) put a great deal of attention on the area and fueled the mass emigration on the Oregon Trail.

We visited The Dalles Lock and Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the country. The dam is 260 feet tall, 8,875 feet long, and drastically altered the Columbia River when it was completed in the 1950s. Celilo Falls, once the hub of all Native American activity in the area and the oldest continuously-inhabited settlement in North America, was sadly submerged by the lake created behind the dam.

The girls enjoyed the Visitor Center at the dam and learned the Columbia/Snake River system is the second-largest water highway in the United States. Erika must have paid particular attention because she took an exit quiz for adults and got nine out of 10 correct. She was pretty pleased with herself!

The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum was last on our agenda for the day. We got up close and personal with a great horned owl and the girls got to feed a raven.

Then it was off to learn even more about Lewis and Clark, particularly about the equipment and supplies they hauled along with them on their travels. This is a replica of their medicine chest. Would you believe they brought 30 tons of crates, barrels, and boxes along with them on their unbelievable journey? Some was to be used as they went along, some was for gifts, and some was for trade. Thomas Jefferson funded their trip from the government’s coffers and they went 200% over budget, a number Jefferson kept under wraps. Like the president, the American public was behind the journey and eagerly waited to hear their tales. Many believed the explorers would find living Mammoths and blue-eyed Indians who spoke Celtic languages.

The girls most enjoyed the “Explorer Room,” where the two oldest were indefatigable on an “archaeological dig”…

…while Victoria preferred to dress up like Lewis and Clark and captain a keelboat.