After the best night's sleep of the trip so far, in the creepy old hotel, we headed back into Oregon for breakfast and a couple of hikes. We had a big breakfast in Hood River at Egg River Café. After fueling up we made our way to Horse Tail Falls on Historic Route 30 (Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway). Horse tail falls was beautiful and visible from the road, but the long, steep hike leading up the mountain rewarded us with the upper falls, known as "Pony Tail Falls". The trail we were on actually led us under and behind the falls. From there we continued up the mountain and experienced breathtaking, and dizzying views from the cliffs overlooking the Columbia river. The hike was longer and involved a lot of hills, but the stream and river views, along with all the waterfalls made the trek well worth the effort. After making our way back to the car we headed over to the more accessible Multnoma Falls, which tumbles over 600 feet in two drops. The lodge was beautiful and after taking in the falls we headed in for a beer by the fireplace. A great way to recharge before the drive to the Vista House Lookout. The drive took a while up the twisty mountainside road, but the views were outstanding. We took the opportunity to snap a few pics, take in the view and have some lunch on the trunk of the beemer. We decided mid-drive to make the trek to Mt. St. Helens, so we boogied down the mountain and made tracks back to Washington.

We drove through the wilderness, passing very few houses and cars, and started gaining altitude. Shortly after we passed the3000 ft. marker the trees opened up and rewarded us with a view of the valley and mountain range that St. Helens is a part of. The drive was incredible and by far the scariest I have ever been on. As you're driving along the road drops off hundreds of feet on one side, and all you see is the valley floor far below. The mountain itself was spectacular, from the Johnson Ridge Observatory you are looking directly into the crater, and it's amazing to see how much of the mountain is missing. Evidence of the eruption is all around you as the earth is barren for miles and dead trees are laid down in orderly rows from the blast 30 years ago.

We made our way down the pass and back to the road towards Kurt Kobain's home town of Aberdeen. Upon arriving in the old logging town we could see why his music wasn't exactly bright and cheery. We moved on to Ocean Shores to find more suitable accommodations.