Cruising the Willamette

I don't like to be negative on the blog, but even I have to admit the lunch part of the Willamette cruise that Sandra and I took was, with its mediocrity, unforgettable. Putting aside the meal, I have to say that the sightseeing was good.



The Willamette

The river offers a different perspective. It's not just a matter of being low on the water. You see views that you don't see elsewhere, particularly of the many houses that lie along or on the river.



Along the Bank


On the Water

Click on the above montage and you'll see a larger version which offers a better view of the diverse housing on the river.

It was good to be on the top deck to soak in the sun and the scenery on a very pleasant August day. As an extra image, you can click and view on Imageshack Sandra looking ahead.

Only 187 miles long, the Willamette still impresses with its size. At a depth of about 40 feet, the river varies in width from 600 to 1,900 feet in its lower parts and discharges a water volume which ranks the Willamette 19th in all of the United States. Its size and access to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean has led the Willamette to be of major importance commercially and recreationally with the Port of Portland and other industries using its banks for operations.



Shipyard

Centered along the Willamette, Portland is sometimes thought as a city of bridges, with many old structures still in use. One of the more iconic, the Hawthorne Bridge opened in 1910 and is the oldest vertical lift bridge in operation in the United States.



Hawthorne Bridge

A tour of Portland wouldn't be complete without a look at a neon sign. Originally built in 1940 and has advertised numerous companies, the sign has had many names, including White Stag and Made in Oregon. Now the city has bought the sign and it welcomes visitors and locals on Burnside with "Portland Oregon". A tree obscured part of the lettering, but I snapped this photo of the sign:



Portland Icon