Let's Drive to the Vista House via the Historic Columbia River Hwy.

This video was originally posted in July 2017, six weeks before a massive fire swept through the Columbia River Gorge, scorching most of the area shown in the video.

The Eagle Creek Fire was started by a teen playing with fireworks over Labor Day weekend in 2017. It burned out of control for three months before finally being contained in November of that year. Before it was contained, the fire destroyed 50,000 acres of some of the most iconic and beloved recreation sites in the country. It was only through the tireless, round-the-clock efforts of firefighters that historic buildings such as the Vista House and the Multnomah Falls Lodge were spared. After being close for over a year, the historic Columbia River Highway was finally re-opened to the public in November 2018.

This video now serves as my remembrance of one of the most beautiful stretches of roadway in the country. And as a reminder of the fragility of our natural treasures, over which we are merely the custodians for future generations.

Original Video Text
I can think of no better place to take in the incredible beauty of the Columbia River Gorge than at the Vista House, just 25 miles east of Portland, Oregon. Sitting atop the rocky Crown Point promontory, over 700 feet above the Columbia River, countless sightseers have been enthralled by this shrine to the natural beauty of the Gorge, and one of Oregon’s most awe-inspiring views. As you drive to the Vista House along the Historic Columbia River Highway, you're taken through a lush, deeply shaded oasis, where one waterfall after another tumble from steep cliffs to the roadside below.

The Vista House was built in 1918 as a place for travelers to rest and refresh themselves as they made their way down the magnificent Columbia River Highway. Designed in the German Art Nouveau style, the 55-foot-high octagonal structure is encased in gray sandstone, and is crowned with a domed, green ceramic tile roof. The interior rotunda, including the hand-carved drinking fountains, is extensively finished in marble, with brass fixtures throughout, and large, amber-green windows of opalescent glass. Stairways lead to an elevated viewing platform at the base of the dome, and down to a sub-level as well, which houses a small museum, gift shop, and restrooms.

I hope you enjoyed our quick drive to the Vista House. If you'd like to see more videos of the Pacific Northwest, please click subscribe. Until next time, safe travels.

Music:
"Corporate Guitar Theme in A" by Andy Blackwood is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial (3.0) license. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: https://www.jamendo.com/track/1327947...
Artist: https://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/469...

Photo Credits:
"Eagle Creek Fire, September 2, 2017," U.S. Forest Service
Source: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/pho...
"Fire actively burning on the night of September 4," U.S. Forest Service
Source: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/pho...
"Multnomah Lodge surrounded by smoke on September 5," U.S. Forest Service
Source: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/pho...
"Night back burn-off of I-84 west of Cascade Locks," U.S. Forest Service
Source: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/pho...
"Oneonta Tunnel," U.S. Forest Service
Source: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/pho...
"Fern Re-sprout," U.S. Forest Service
Source: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/pho...
"At the bend in the highway," Kirt Edblom. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) license. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/vi...
"Vista House," Oregon Parks and Recreation
Source: https://1859oregonmagazine.com/explor...