WEEK 2: ACROSS AMERICA

WEEK 2: RUN-WALK ACROSS AMERICA STARTS TOMORROW
Segment 3: Hood River OR to WA
Segment 4: Prosser WA to Walla Walla WA

This week the route continues to follow the Columbia River, crossing into Washington State and heading north.  
 
According to a Wikipedia entry, the “Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Pacific Northwest“ United States which “stretches for over 80 miles” as it flows across the Cascade Mountains.  You can see by the segment maps, that it forms the state-line boundary between Oregon and Washington. 

The entry also says that this “water gap furnishes the only navigable route” through this mountain range, bringing water from drier eastern grasslands, over transitional woodlands, to the temperate rain forest of the western slopes, on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
 
The different climates of these regions lead to dramatic scenery changes over the short distance of 80 miles along !nterstate-84, the highway the route follows, until we make our way north into Washington.
 
Because of differences in atmospheric pressures between these regions, the gorge creates a ‘wind tunnel effect’ that draws windsurfing and kitesurfing enthusiasts as well as other recreational sports-minded visitors. Like us!
 
I googled "movies filmed in Oregon", thinking I could better picture this part of the nation if I had seen a movie that featured its best scenery. There was a long list on Wikipedia, including "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" in the Columbia River Gorge. There were many, many more. The "Twilight" series, more recently in theaters and well known, was filmed in Portland and other OR locations.

The route through Washington into the cities of Prosser and Walla Walla will be taking us into one of this state’s wine making regions, known as the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). According to Wikipedia, this ‘wine country’ is situated within the same latitude lines as the famous French Bordeaux and Burgundy regions.   In this northern location these vineyards receive two hours of added daylight during the summer growing season, compared with the wine regions of California. There are other reported advantages that the area soil contributes to the winemaking process. 

Perhaps a great reason to sample some Columbia Valley wines this week.
 
RUN HAPPY!

NOTE: Check out the NEW ACROSS AMERICA IN PHOTOS page
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Gorge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_shot_in_Oregon

http://www.gotastewine.com/columbia-valley-wineries.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Valley_AVA