The Columbia Gorge has many attractions. It is in the top ten places to wind surf on the planet. There are probably more extreme sports enthusiasts living there per capita than any place I have lived. And as a wanderlust from a military family it is the place where I have lived the longest and it hurt to leave because of its photographic majesty. I kept a camera in the car all the time, because the views were not just notable, they could be overwhelming. I was still shooting film when I moved there, and driving down the gorge was both dangerous and expensive. I could not resist putting the camera up to the window hoping I would get a decent shot of something that burst into view. I got lots of blurry trees and road signs, but occasionally a keeper. Digital cameras made it less expensive, but just as dangerous.
The Gorge is a photographer’s dream. Thousands of views; rivers, mountains, canyons, wild life, clouds, snow, a constantly changing panorama. I wished I had exercised the courage to just dump my day to day existence and take up my camera from morning til well after dark. I would have never run out of worthy pictures.