Oregon Wild: City family steps out of its element, into the wilderness

HOOD RIVER, Ore. -- It was a good thing nobody warned me about all those hills and the cars zooming by.

Because if I'd known what the ride from the bike shop in Hood River to a nearby trailhead was going to be like, I might not have tried it. Especially not with my 9-year-old son, whose biking experience consisted of a loop in a mostly flat city park where cars are banned.

But we were determined to include biking on a three-day trip to enjoy outdoor adventures in Oregon, including visits to Multnomah Falls, the Mount Hood region, the Sea Lion Caves near Florence and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. And despite my initial panic about the bike ride, along with another meltdown before I fell in love with dune buggies, all of our outings were terrific.

I'm a city girl, the type who's afraid to camp out in the wilderness because there's no way to lock the tent door. But I try to appreciate the great outdoors, especially on vacation, and Oregon did not disappoint. From the Columbia River to the Pacific Coast, the scenery was astounding. And it cannot be fully experienced through the car window.

First stop for our family (two boys, me and my husband) was Multnomah Falls, which is part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The narrow waterfall is 620 feet high, bisected by a picture-perfect footbridge. A woodsy trail to where the falls begin is a steep mile up Larch Mountain. You'll pass lots of folks resting along the way, but the scenery is worth the exercise.

We overnighted at a hotel in Troutdale, then headed to the bike trail. If you do any recreational biking, you won't find it challenging to bike from the town center of Hood River to the Mark O. Hatfield Trailhead west, about a mile away. I just needed a few minutes to adjust to the uphill climb and the traffic whizzing by as the four of us rode single file en route to the park.

Full disclosure: My bike at home is a Schwinn 10-speed that dates to the Carter administration. This newfangled thing I rented at one of several bike shops in Hood River had more gears than I could count, and I had no idea how or when to switch them. The rest of my family had no trouble, though they had to keep stopping so I could catch up.

Within a few minutes, we were in the park on the 3.5-mile ride to the Mosier Twin Tunnels. The tunnels were closed in the 1950s but reopened in 1996 as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.

Cars are not permitted on the trail, which is mostly paved, making it a pleasure for bikers and hikers. The road winds past fragrant evergreens, but the real payoff comes when the trail opens to stunning views of the wide Columbia River.

Was it worth the uphill pedalling? No question. It was beautiful and exhilarating. But there was more fun ahead.

We picnicked in the park, returned our bikes to the shop and drove out of town on the Mount Hood Scenic Byway (Oregon Route 35). We bought fresh fruit at one of the many orchards and wineries along the way. As we rounded a bend, the snowcapped mountaintop came into view. We snapped pictures.

Powderhounds can be found on Mount Hood year-round, including skiers and snowboarders at summer camps on the upper slopes at Timberline Lodge. But we were there for the nearby Mt. Hood Adventure Park at Skibowl, which opens in early summer when most of the snow is gone.

My boys sampled bungee-jumping on a trampoline, zip-line rides, the rock-climbing wall, go-carts, mini-golf and batting cages. (I watched this all from a safe distance, of course.)

After a night at a hotel in Salem, we arrived the next morning at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Except for movies and TV, we'd never seen dune buggies before, and we had no idea what to expect when we booked a half-hour ride in Florence.

But once I laid eyes on the buggies, I started to feel chicken. "Lemme ask you something," I said to our driver, Joe Cusic, before we got on. "If I change my mind after a few minutes, could you let me out and pick me up later when the ride is over?"

He grinned and shook his head.

"Nope!" he said cheerfully. "It's a one-way ticket. Sorry!"

I put on goggles and the seat belt, zipped my jacket up to my chin to keep out the sand and braced myself. Within a minute, I was laughing hysterically. This was more fun than an amusement park.

Yes, our family is more comfortable on city streets and subways than in the great outdoors. But our Oregon adventures were a blast. Next time, I might even try windsurfing, which Hood River is famous for.

On second thought, maybe I'll let the kids try first.

If you go

Go: To engage in a range of outdoor adventures with your family

No: If you'd rather experience nature on cable TV in the comfort of your family room

Need to know: Oregon Tourism Commission, (800) 547-7842, www.traveloregon.com