Exiting Bonneville lock we had 2 options. Go far up to Hood River Port or stay local. We decided to try our luck in the tiny marina of Port of Cascade Locks and to our surprise found the guest dock totally empty. That had to be our sign to stop for the day.
From Bonneville up, the mighty Columbia river is suddenly a lake, so we had a lot less current than earlier in the day, almost none. Almost all small fishing boats were gone too, which made for much easier navigation. No fighting the current while slaloming in between boats.
Within a stone throw of the lock, after the first bend we reached the Bridge of Gods.
We went around the old lock and associated island, and tucked just behind found the entrance to the marina. The entrance is absolutely tiny with rocks on both sides. On top of that the guest dock is right there and you must do a tight 90 degree turn to dock. Without sending your stern in the jetty of course. Easy in mild conditions but I can see how dicy this might become in high winds.
As you can see we're rather big in that marina.We moved a little further ahead than I would have liked to make sure boats in the nearer end of the marina can still squeeze by us. No electricity, simple water spigot for cleaning the hose at the pumping station and not much more.
There is a restaurant at the top of the ramp, unfortunately the food selection was poor, just a few sandwiches, expensive and rather disgusting. Oh well, can't win them all! At least we got their WiFi access and since our boat's antenna is powerful we got something good out of our meal.
We went for a long walk along the waterfront. It's very pleasant with lush green grass, well tendered flower beds and plenty of public parks and spaces. Princess had a ball running around, rolling in the fresh grass and being away from the noisy, vibrating boat.
The downtown is a short walk away and reminded us a little of Mohab in Utah before it became too famous. The place clearly is geared towards tourism, with a few brewery, inns and other tourist ventures. There is also a small groceries, and a couple burger and pizza joints, so we might make it a stop on the way back down too.
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