The weekend after Margie and I went roaming around the west end of the Columbia River Gorge, there was going to be the Gorge Blues Festival. So I bought us a couple tickets. The weather was dicey every day all the way up until the Saturday of the event. But we crossed the Bridge of the Gods, and for luck our fingers, then headed over to the venue in Stevenson, Washington around 1 pm. Turned out that we saw many fluffy white clouds scudding across the sky, but never worried about rain during the trip or at the festival. Did have to contend with a brisk wind most of the day though.
Just after crossing the BoftheGs we take a left on WA-14 heading towards the west, all the while being alongside the Columbia, and took a few pics of the countryside…
Asked Margie to drive for me so I could take pictures.
There’s the Bonneville Dam, built in 1938, just west of the BoftheGs. Just another dam on the Columbia. Here’s a map. It use to be a tremendously wild river, now it’s just a series of lakes. It was an amazing river with a rich history once upon a time.
Doesn’t take long to arrive at the fairgrounds. Here’s Rock Cove, right next to the fairgrounds.
Off in the distance is Oregon. And a gash in the side of a hill that once contributed to a large landslide. This area, nearly 10 miles up and down the Columbia from here, is landslide prone. Not surprising as the entire area often gets earth shaking events. The big landslide that created the nearly flat area Stevenson is built on, probably occurred in historical times. At least the local Indians said so when Europeans arrived. A landslide is known as the cause of the Cascades, where the Cascade Locks are today.
Off in the distance, well past that building, is the venue (picture below). I tried to get a space in the RV park over there just beyond the building, but I was too late and the good spots were already taken. It had rained the night before we arrived and there were wide and deep ruts in the still damp mud into and out of the campground, which is on grass. Lucky that most RV’ers had already arrived and set up before that happened, at least that’s what today’s evidence pointed to in the RV parking area. 
We’re still trying to find an opening in the fence so we can enter. Tried one gate and a nice guard shoo’ed us away. Told us to go around to the big building and enter there.
Ahh, here is the way in. You hand them your printed ticket (paid for it online and printed it out), then wander through this barn. Had numerous kiosks with people selling local oddities. Our ticket also paid for a printed 16 oz beer or slightly smaller wine glass and they handed those to us as we entered. Along with several drink tokens. We both enjoyed visiting nearly all the interesting booths trying to inform or sell something. Who knew there were so many locally made thingies in this area? And a brewery too!
And the threat of bad weather had kept the crowds from Portland down to a manageable number. Works for us.
I wanted to take a pic with this view of nearly the entire tenting area, where beer, wine, food, oddities were, but this guy just stood there. I gave up waiting and took the shot anyway.
Crowds already enjoying themselves and settling in.
Blue grass band getting set up and warmed up on the main stage. 
Even have a washboard player. Pretty darn good they was, I tells ya! I think this was the group Too Loose. A little bluesy, a little bluegrassy. They were great.
Getting some dancers out there.
Between sets, Margie goes over and takes a picture of the secondary stage for some reason.
Their 2nd set…good as the first.
Crowds getting a bit bigger. Nothing like you’d find at the blues and brews in downtown Portland though. I’m enjoying this quite a bit more because the crowd is much smaller.
Still lots of room.
Nice little cooling breeze coming off the water.
This guy had just finished his set and I wandered over to congratulate him on the great job they’d done and turns out he knows my daughter as she’s a blues singer from way back. Has quite the reputation in the Northwest. I forget what band he has…sorry.
And the headliners. I personally thought the other bluegrass band was better.
This retro gal was out there enjoying herself, I thought her 1930’s outfit was the cat’s meow.
We leave the Blues Festival at dusk, and it’s dark by the time we get to her place. I didn’t feel like driving so spent the night on her couch. Next morning we head back to the BoftheGs to have breakfast in my favorite restaurant in Cascade Locks. It’s not called the Char Burger as it was in years past, also has new owners, but it functions like always featuring a buffet style and still has the great view out their large picture windows. Now it’s the Bridgeside. Still has all the antiques & memorabilia here and there on the walls. Tens of Indian arrowheads in glass cases. Funny they haven’t changed their website yet to reflect the new name and owners. They’re running both websites concurrently I guess but the Bridgeside website explains the new ownership and timeline. I love coming here anytime of the year but winter is my favorite time with pounding rain, wind, the river whipped into a frenzy, and me watching it all while all warm and cozy.
Here’s a picture out of their window from our booth seating.
Margie gets her silverware ready…staff brings your ordered meal over for you but you pick out drinks and other buffet items and carry them with you to your seats.
This is the salad wagon for lunch and dinner, for breakfast it holds the coffee pots and condiments on the other end.
Opps, got my thumb in the wrong place.
Nice, huh? Looking North. From the Oregon to the Washington side.
And that’s the end of that adventure. Headed on home and got to work on converting my car to allow it to be towed. If you haven’t already, or even if you have since I’ve added some stuff since publishing, see this article for the write up: Towing
Thanks for visiting!