This travelogue begins along the mighty Columbia River, which snakes it way through much of the state of Oregon’s northern border and which eventually empties into the Pacific Ocean at Portland. The river passes through three dams, including Bonneville Dam, forty miles east of Portland and where fish ladders are provided for salmon returning to their spawning grounds. Further upriver, the salmon have a more difficult task of making it up Celilo Falls, a spot where many native fishermen await. A sight of a more man-made nature can be found just outside of Bend where Rasmus Petersen has constructed a miniature village composed primarily of volcanic rock, semi-precious stone and petrified wood. At Crater Lake National Park, bears are now considered somewhat of a menace, but are still a sight for visitors, who should keep at a safe distance. Crater Lake itself used to be the top of a mountain until the walls of the mountain collapsed. It is now a self contained body of water with no outlet.