Mt. Hood is Oregon’s tallest mountain.. The view of Mt. Hood from this area is spectacular and we found ourselves taking the time to make several stops along the way just to admire and photograph the views. There are over 35 orchards, lavender farms, wineries, alpaca farms and several roadside produce stands along the way not to mention the unforgettable scenery along this enjoyable tour of the valley. Be sure to visit the roadside stands for a taste of some of the areas finest fruit, you won’t be disappointed! When looking for lodging in the area you can find deals for any season at Booking.com.

Also, while in Hood River, not far away is the beautiful McKenzie River Trail where you can see 3 major waterfalls.

For a list of the businesses, stands along the way, calendar of events and also a map of the area: Hood River County Fruit Loop

More Places to Explore in Oregon, Washington & California!

Cannery Pier Hotel – Oregon
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument – Washington
Ghost Town of Bodie – California
Alabama Hills – California

Have you driven the Hood River Valley Fruit Loop?
Tell us about you experience, we’d like to know what you thought too.

The  McKenzie River Trail is world known by hikers and mountain bikers who come from all over to experience this trail. Bike Magazine named it American’s #1 Bike Trail in 2008. The bike trail is 27 miles long and  includes several stunning waterfalls. It passes through old growth forest and lava fields. There are also several old log bridges that cross the river along the way. For more information on this famous mountain biking trail check out bendtrails.org.

The Roaring McKenzie River

We found the McKenzie River Trail to be located in one of the most beautiful settings you can image. Although we found many amazing settings in Oregon that had spectacular scenery. We took the hiking trail along the river where you can hike from Sahalie Falls to Koosah Falls along an easy footpath.

View to Another Overlook along the Trail

Sahalie Falls to Koosah Falls is a short enjoyable hike. You can park on highway 126 at either falls, walk to the other falls and back. There are no bikes on this side, the bike trail is on other side of the river.

Koosah Falls along the McKenzie River Trail

Koosah Falls plunges 70 feet in a dramatic cascade of misty, roaring water. Located in the Willamette National Forest approximately 58 miles west of Bend, Oregon or 72 miles east of Eugene, Oregon both falls can be reached by a loop trail and can be seen at overlook points.

We loved hiking along the river, photographing and viewing the falls and surrounding scenery. This is truly one of the most peaceful and scenic areas we have visited. For more information on the trail that connects Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls you can visit the Willamette National Forest site.

You can find lodging deals for any season in the Bend or Eugene area here on Booking.com.

Have you been to Sahalie Falls or Koosah Falls? Let us know in the comments below.

We’d like to hear about your experience too!

The Cannery Pier Hotel is located in Astoria, Oregon on the Columbia River.  It offers spectacular views of the river and its daily activities as well as the Astoria Bridge. On our recent trip to Oregon we spent several days exploring the Columbia River Gorge and many of the scenic drives and hikes in Oregon. We started out here in Astoria at the Cannery Pier Hotel near the mouth of the Columbia River and continued to explore the amazing sites in Oregon. Some of which included our hike along the scenic McKenzie River Trail where we were amazed by the spectacular waterfalls and our drive through the Hood River Valley for a day full of scenic beauty. Then on to view the increible destruction done by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and the amazing comeback of the surrounding area since that blast occured. What a sight!

Cannery Pier Hotel

As the name indicates, the Cannery Pier Hotel was built on the site of a former fish cannery. The hotel is located 600 feet into the mighty Columbia River and next to the Astoria-Megler Bridge that connects Oregon and Washington. This luxury boutique hotel is an excellent choice for relaxation and watching the ships as they come and go along the Columbia River and under the bridge. The rooms are spacious and clean and the beds are comfortable. Rooms overlooking the water offer an exceptional view of the river and the passing ships. There is no restaurant at the hotel but they do offer a continental breakfast. The staff is friendly and helpful offering suggestions for restaurants and entertainment in Astoria. The hotel has a classic car service that will take you to the restaurant of your choice and later pick you up when called to return you to the hotel. Very nice touch!

The Megler Bridge

The Megler Bridge in Astoria is located in the northwest corner of Oregon. Spanning the Columbia River it links the states of Oregon and Washington. The bridge’s main span is 1,232 feet making it the nation’s longest continuous truss bridge. Due to its location spanning the mighty Columbia River, the bridge was designed to withstand some of the roughest acts of nature. Wind gust of 150 miles per hour from fierce pacific storms and whole trees that are sometimes swept along by raging water still present a safety factor to the bridge.

We drove across the Astoria bridge from Oregon to Washington. The view of the Columbia River and the surrounding area from the bridge was beautiful. We really enjoyed our stay at the Cannery Pier Hotel and the drive across this amazing bridge.

This was just the start of our trip and we had many adventures planned for the next 10 days. We will be touring the Columbia River Gorge and stopping to see many of the spectacular waterfalls along the way. We’ll travel through the Hood River Valley, and visit historic Timberland Lodge located on dramatic Mt. Hood,  Mt. St. Helens is also on our list. It’s a busy itinerary and I’m looking forward to writing more on these sights soon.

For lodging deals in the Astoria area for any season check here on Booking.com.

Have you been to Astoria, crossed the Megler Bridge or stayed at the Cannery Pier Hotel?

We’d love to hear about your experience there too.

Let us know in the comments below!