The Washington Side of the Gorge: Fort Cascades Trail

A nice place to wander to experience the mossy forest, learn about Columbia River fish and a little bit of Pacific Northwest history is the Fort Cascades Historic Site. This shady trail is located one mile downstream (west) of the Bonneville Dam and is reached from the Dam Access Road on Hamilton Island, off of Washington State Highway 14. Parking is free.

Cool, Mossy Fort Cascades Trail

Fort Cascades was an army fort built in 1855 to protect a portage road around the lower cascades rapids of the Columbia River.  The fort burned down in 1856 and the area was abandoned in 1861 and then flooded out in 1894. Pick up a brochure at the kiosk at the trailhead so you can follow the interpretive markers along the trail.

The 1.5 mile Fort Cascades Trail will take you past historic sites (don’t expect to see remains of buildings) where you can look for abandoned wheels and metal equipment among the beautiful mossy rocks, ferns, and woods. The trail eventually leads into the town of North Bonneville if you do not follow the trail looping back.

Remnants of the Portage Railroad

You'll catch some great views of the dam upstream and learn about fish hatcheries and the protection of fish in this area of the Columbia River.
 

Bonneville Dam

It is a lovely flat trail to take on a warm day because of the shade. Pets are allowed on leash. Map

First Annual Vancouver, WA Dining Month Announced: October it's Dine the Couve

I have found some great places to dine in Vancouver, just across the bridge from Portland, Oregon. Among my favs are Willem’s on Main, La Bottega and Niche Wine Bar. They are all offering some wonderful deals during October during Dine the Couve.

Niche Wine Bar on Main
Fine Wines, Small Plates and More

This October, Visit Vancouver USA will present its first annual dining month, Dine the Couve, with 19 participating restaurants, breweries and tasting rooms. Original Vancouver USA eateries will serve three items for $23 (alongside regular menu offerings), while breweries and tasting rooms will have $3 drink specials for the entire month.

“Vancouver USA’s restaurant and brewery scene continues to grow at a rapid pace, providing unique destination assets for both residents and visitors to enjoy,” said Kim Bennett, president and CEO of Visit Vancouver USA. “Dine the Couve is a celebration of what makes our local culinary and brew scene stand out — quality, affordability and a collaborative spirit.”

All participating restaurants will provide diners with a fixed, three-part menu, which may include any combination of soup, salad, appetizer, entree, dessert or craft beverage.

Enjoy the view from Warehouse '23

Participating restaurants include:

•          Beaches Restaurant

•          Frontier Public House

•          Gray’s at the Park

•          The Grocery Cocktail & Social

•          Heathen Feral Public House

•          Jorge’s Tequila Factory

•          La Bottega

•          LUXE

•          Main Event Sports Grill - Downtown

•          Niche Wine Bar & Bistro

•          Tommy O’s Pacific Rim Bistro

•          WareHouse ‘23

•          Willem’s on Main

Participating breweries and tasting rooms include:

•          Doomsday Brewing Safe House

•          Loowit Brewing

•          Old Ivy Taproom

•          Thirsty Sasquatch

•          Trap Door Brewing

•          Trusty Brewing

Just Added: Veraison Wine is offering a 3 for $23 deal that includes two glasses of wine and charcuterie board

Menus for Dine the Couve will be posted online by Oct. 1 at VisitVancouverUSA.com/DineTheCouve. Use #DineTheCouve to share dining experiences on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Vancouver Washington Murals: An Illustrated Walk Through History

Total disclaimer here. I live in Vancouver, Washington. I love the history, the vibrant community and the brightly colored murals. I thought I had seen them all until I did a mapped mural walk with the All Weather Walkers. What I discovered, were more murals, more local history and a great walk on a sunny September day.

The club was set up in the parking lot across from the Columbian Newspaper building. Of course that was my first surprise. I had never seen the newspaper mural! A paperboy delivers his papers as a dog runs behind him. In the background is the history of the newspaper that started out as the Vancouver Columbian.

We walked through Downtown, through Uptown, crisscrossed the route so we wouldn’t miss one (I still did!) and returned to the starting point via the somber Remembrance Wall chronicling the wars and contributions by civilians on the home front. Vancouver was the site of a huge WWII shipyard.

As I walked, I realized that Vancouver is one of those cities where you can walk around downtown feeling safe. New construction and an influx of businesses such as brew pubs adds to the positive vibe of the city.

I looked beyond the grape vines at Cellar 55 and saw, for the first time, a mural celebrating Columbia River life… salmon, huge sturgeon below the water and busy barges above. I’d been to Cellar 55 but always was inside and missed this piece of art.

I rounded another corner and, only because I had a route map, found a delicate painting of dancers practicing at the Barre, a Degas look-alike on the side of a building housing a dance studio.

Another find was on the side of the Leupke Florist building. The Leupke family no longer has a flower shop there but there is good news. A developer purchased the art deco building and plans to revitalize the Luepke building and the florist shop and turn the area into “Luepke Station,” a downtown area with a coffee shop, wine bar or tap room and upscale eatery eventually rounding out the building. A bit of Vancouver history will be saved.

My favorite murals were no surprise. I’ve studied their detail before as I visited downtown.  The Columbia River triptych at 115 W. 7th St. Vancouver, WA has a little  bit of history, a colorful depiction of Columbia River boat traffic and a fanciful mural of recreation on the building. What I enjoy looking at are the details… how the artists incorporated aspects of the building like windows and pipes into the art.

 

I love how the window became a bird!

The murals continue to be painted. The Clark County Mural Society website provides the history, a map of the murals and news on future murals and opportunities for artists.

And it all started with a desire to draw people to central Vancouver. The founders talked about a small town in British Columbia, Canada which had revived its economic fortunes after the local mill downsized by painting murals on every available downtown wall. That town was, and is, Chemainus. Murals have an important role in drawing people to Vancouver’s vibrant downtown and Arts District today.

Cruisin' The Gut: The Cars Take Over Downtown Vancouver Saturday the 16th, 2016

They slow up traffic, they rev their engines and they drink a lot of beer... all in plain sight of the Vancouver Police. The noisy hot rods are welcomed with open arms in Vancouver, Washington once a year. This is Cruisin' the Gut and it's a huge event. This year, come to Vancouver for this fun event on Saturday July 16th starting at 10 a.m.

Cruisin' the Gut was founded in 2009 by Phil Medina who used to cruise Highway 99 as a teenager. The event is now part classic car parade and part street party. People come from all over to show off their cars, share stories, meet old friends or just hang out.

Early Saturday morning last July as I drove south from Longview, I saw them. Interspersed with the normal traffic of new cars and trucks, were flashy hot rods and beautifully restored classic cars. They were headed to Vancouver for Cruisin' the Gut. Early in the day, car clubs set up in parking lots, residents get their folding chairs out and businesses erect pop-up beer stands mostly on Vancouver's Main Street.

It's a festive time. You can walk the streets and find classic cars with their hoods popped open to accommodate the inspection of admiring visitors and friends. You'll find families sitting on camp chairs in a circle on a street corner sharing sandwiches and potato salad from a cooler. And you'll find fifties music blaring from amplifiers. By evening you can hardly walk along the normally deserted sidewalks. It's party time... well into the night.

Vancouver, Washington - Sometimes it's best to vacation in your own back yard

I love covering the West as a travel writer. I've always been intrigued by the beauty and culture of our Southwest and return home to the Pacific Northwest to see snow capped mountains, rushing rivers and, of course, the sea.

This new video of Vancouver, Washington may intrigue you enough to include it in your next vacation. We're only 5 minutes from Portland, Oregon, so there's plenty to see and do on both sides of the river.

Vancouver Washington Walking Tours Hosted by the Clark County Historical Museum Start Today

Vancouver, WA is full of fascinating history. Walking tours, hosted by the Clark County Historical Museum are starting today.

Walks range from 1 to 2 miles and go rain or shine. They recommend walkers dress accordingly.

This year’s tours will feature the following areas: Officers Row, Esther Short Neighborhood, Lower Main Street, Hudson’s Bay Neighborhood, Uptown Village, Hough Neighborhood, Arnada Neighborhood, Middle Main, Shumway Neighborhood, Carter Park Neighborhood, and Lincoln Neighborhood.

Individual tour tickets and season passes are available. Individual tickets are $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Full season passes are $50 for members and $75 for non-members. Please contact them at (360) 993-5679, by email at info@cchmuseum.org, or purchase a ticket on their website today to hold your spot!

Special walking tours this year include a sidewalk garden tour and the return of their Haunted Walking Tours. Private tours can also be arranged at your request for groups of 10 or more.



More Information

Budweiser Clydesales Visit Vancouver, Washington: The Trot Up Main Street Delights Many

The Budweiser Clydesdales pass the Clark County Historical Museum

From Esther Short Park to Uptown Vancouver, Washington, people lined the streets to get a glimpse of the beautiful Budweiser Clysdales.

The Clydesdales passed the Clark County Historical Society mid-way. The Historical Society opened the Clark County Historical Museum on May 24, 1964 inside Vancouver’s 1909 Carnegie Library. It makes a perfect backdrop for these beautiful horses.

Photography copyright: Elizabeth R. Rose

Photos of the 2014 Hough Neighborhood St. Patrick's Day Parade in Vancouver Washington

It was a great parade... so full of spirit. It exemplifies the small town feel of Vancouver, Washington. I've posted the photographs for all to enjoy. If you are in one of the photos, help yourself for personal use. If you wish to use any of the photos for commercial or public use, just ask. They are copyright: Elizabeth R. Rose
Larger sizes are available by request. Enjoy!