September 1, 2012

Vista House, Columbia Gorge


Vista House, a scenic spot atop Crown Point originally built in 1917 as a rest stop for travelers, oozes with the history of Oregon's earliest pioneers. Located at an elevation of 733' above our freezing river, it greets approximately one million visitors per year. Heavily influenced by modern German architecture Vista House is graced by floors and stairs of quality Tokeen Alaskan marble, giving the building a very graceful and clean look. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places back in 1974; and it made it into National Geographic "Save America's Treasures" book in 2001. The house is open daily from 9am - 6pm and group tours are provided by volunteers with prior notice.


Now that we got that out of the way, I wanted to say that I liked this place. It's a small house, 44' wide and 55' high, but the views are par to none. The most beautiful rest stop I've been to by far. I feel like the Friends of the Vista House (FOVH), an organization that maintains the building, does a great job of keeping it pleasing for the public. I wish I knew more about the significance of such historic sights because then I'd be able to evaluate it accordingly, but alas, I don't know much about these places so I have nothing to compare it to. It's lovely to see, and I'm glad I had the chance to visit.

Enjoy the pictures.



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