The title says it all.
This is yet another one of our “accidental findings”. The person doing the wine tasting at Natalie’s Vineyard heard us talking about having some time between our tastings in Natalie’s Vineyard and Adelsheim Vineyards. He recommended stopping by Bald Peak State Park which is practically on the way from one to the other.
We met this couple and they recommended going to Stonehenge. But we’re in Portland, OR?
So if 1) we didn’t have time in between wine tastings, 2) we hadn’t asked for recommendations for something to do in between, 3) they hadn’t given us that specific place, 4) we had chosen another place to go instead, and 5) once deciding to go to the park, if we hadn’t struck up a conversations with people we’d never met before (Denver and Sally), we probably would have never known about Stonehenge in WA State.
Completely unscripted, completely unplanned, but an incredible experience. This is especially interesting, considering we were steered by numerous people to go to Multnomah Falls. Only one couple we spoke to even knew about Stonehenge. Similar to The Ancient Spanish Monastery in Miami, FL, most of the locals hadn’t even heard of it.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is actually a memorial. A World War I memorial. The first WWI memorial dedicated in the United States to honor the individuals of Klickitat County, WA. It was dedicated in 1918, only 29 years after Washington became a state.
And it’s impressive. As inferred in the name, it’s fashioned out of stone similar in size and layout as the original Stonehenge in the UK. Leading authorities on archaeology, astronomy, and engineering were consulted to make the structure as authentic as possible.
By the way, like many great views in Oregon, this one has stunning views as well. From the memorial, you can see almost a mile of the Columbia River and the valleys below. The blue skies certainly add to the beauty, however, it would still be impressive in any weather.
On the other side of the parking lot, there’s another beautiful tribute. This one is for local fallen soldiers of Klickitat County, WA in wars subsequent to WW I. From left to right as your facing the memorial, there are names of individuals from WW II, Korean War, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Practical Details
Getting there is pretty easy, Google Maps© takes you right to the location. Note that like getting to many other features to visit in the northwest, plan on it taking some time. Even driving to Crater Lake itself was about 15 minutes once you get to the south gate. For reference, Stonehenge is a little under 2 hours from Portland, OR, and about an hour and a half from Yakima, WA.
But well worth it! Also, it’s a good day trip as you can add Multnomah Falls and other falls on the way there or back.
Parking is free and there’s a lot of it. As this location seems like the “middle of nowhere” and hardly anyone is familiar, it’s hard to tell what the traffic would be like peak season.
Oh yeah, the couple we spoke to also recommended for us to go wine tasting at Maryhill Winery, which is literally only about 5 minutes away. Always ask a local.