Perspective: When we have guests who want to see the best of Oregon, but they're only here for a day, we drive to exit 31 on I-84 and walk under the tunnel and across the road to the Multnomah Falls Lodge. I always walk them to the viewing platform and suggest they should climb at least as far as the bridge. We get back on I-84 eastbound and take the exit for Ainsworth State Park, heading west on the Columbia River Gorge Historic Highway. Our second stop is Horsetail Falls. Back in the car, we continue east. We slow down as we pass Multnomah Falls again, so they can get another glimpse. We don't stop here or at Wahkeena because the parking in both spots is always terrible. But you'd be surprised how frequently we find the parking area at Bridal Veil Falls practically empty. And the restrooms here are almost always clean. It's a longer walk than at Multnomah, but the first section is paved, and the rest of the way is gravel. So our friends (who mostly don't pack boots for vacations in Oregon) can still make the walk without getting muddy. If they're hungry at this point, we drive toward Portland (and Korean barbecue or bún bò huế). But if there's time, we'll make one more stop at Latourell and maybe one more after that at Vista House. From May 26 to September 4, there's a parking fee, time limits, and very large crowds. So this trip is one we save for the wet season 😁