Columbia Gorge: Try Bingen & White Salmon
The Columbia Gorge is well-known for it’s windsurfing, kiteboarding and scenic drives. Most people though are a bit more familiar with the Oregon side of the river, specifically Hood River, Oregon. For a change of pace, try heading across the river and check out these two little towns. Bingen has a great bed and breakfast called Joslyn House. It’s a 150-year old house that bosts a number of guest rooms that are very comfortable. Of course, they include breakfast and will be happy to point you in the direction of several good restaurants. When I was there several years ago, the owners took me out to see some of the petroglyphs that were painted and/or carved into the rocks high above the Columbia River.
This area is also close to Mt. Hood if you want to go skiing and the Amtrack Station is right in the middle of town. I took the train down here from Seattle and it was a nice ride. The next day, I took the train into Portland to explore and it was great to get away from my car for a couple days. Of course, if you’re traveling by train you’ll need to be prepared to relax, because the trains run on their own schedule, and it is not always exactly on with what is published. Relax and bring a book or something to pass the time and you’ll have a great experience.
The area is located at in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic area and a drive up the highway on either side of the river will show you scenery changing from the wet coastal rain-drencched slopes of the Pacific into the drier, sage-brush country of Eastern Washington.