And an Interpretive Trail

A bridge on the Columbia River Highway passes right over the falls. Two cascades along sharp rock faces resemble a flowing veil. A winding footpath and a bridge across a creek lead to the viewing area.

Bridal Veil is also the name of a town with its own post office. It’s no wonder that many couples ship their wedding invitations here for the postmark. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

---

Native cultures have called the Gorge home for over 10,000 years. The Columbia River transported people through the mountains

connecting coastal and plateau tribes for extensive trading in this area each summer.

Lewis and Clark opened these western waters to settlers who started arriving in the mid 1800s. Gradually riverboats replaced canoes, roads replaced trails, and rails replaced covered wagons. (plaque on trail)

---

As we return to the car, what looks like an apple falls off a tree in front of us.

On closer inspection, I discover it’s a little pear, perfectly shaped but not ripe enough to eat.

Across the highway is a B&B, part of the original Bridal Veil Lodge built in 1926, as a hotel, restaurant, and auto camp with cabins for tired travelers.