On Thursday my husband and I departed Portland, Ore., to make our annual trek to Walla Walla, Wash., to enjoy Spring Release weekend. The small city in the far southeastern corner of Washington is the epicenter of a region producing world-class wines, and we look forward each year to a long weekend of visiting old favorites and new up-and-comers among the more than 75 wineries established there.

The drive from Portland takes at least four hours, but it is one of my favorite excursions here in the Northwest because of the beautiful scenery along the way. Just east of downtown Portland, Interstate 84 enters the scenic Columbia River Gorge, tracing the southern bank of the mighty river cutting through the Cascade Mountain Range on its way to the Pacific. For those seeking a slower, even more picturesque route, 2-lane historic U.S. Route 30 (the Historic Columbia River Highway) hugs the basalt cliffs, climbing up to the scenic overlook at Crown Point on the far western edge of the Gorge. Whichever roadway you choose, you are guaranteed views of waterfalls tumbling hundreds of feet down the sheer rock walls, lush forests, hydroelectric dams, commercial and leisure river traffic, and majestic, snow-capped volcanic peaks.

One can find all sorts of good excuses to pull off the highway and linger along the way upriver. Multnomah Falls provides an opportunity for a long, steep, scenic hike for those wishing to stretch their legs all the way to the top of the 611-foot cascade. You can stop and check out the fish ladders, hatchery and sturgeon ponds near Bonneville Dam; watch (or join) the windsurfers and parasailers in Hood River; and visit wineries and fruit stands along the way.

We chose to make it a fairly direct run to our final destination on our current trip, but that didn’t prevent us from enjoying the drive. The clear, warm day meant we enjoyed bright sunlight glinting off the river and making rainbows in the mist from the waterfalls, running fast and full after a very wet winter with a deep and melting snowpack. Unfurling foliage in every conceivable shade of green softened the dark, rocky cliffs. The electric-green of brand-new Douglas fir tips stood out against their green-black branches as if they were Christmas lights, and the crisp white of native dogwood blossoms gleamed in contrast. Even after we’d passed beyond The Dalles and the heavy forest gave way to rounded hills with barely a tree in sight, the soft coating of fresh, bright-green grasses banished all memory of gray, rainy, winter days.

With such a heart-lightening, lovely start to our journey, we were assured of a wonderful weekend ahead.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor