Another scenic overlook before Bridal Veil Falls is the Portland Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint which offers more fantastic views of the river and especially of the Vista House and Crown Point. It is fun to have just been at the Vista House and now get to view it from a distance and see how it sits out on the point.

This scenic viewpoint, formerly known as Chanticleer Point, has an interesting history of being the location of the” world-famous” Chanticleer Inn. Built in 1912, before construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway, visitors had to arrive by train or boat and then climb

stairs..??–yikes!– to the Inn, or take a horse drawn carriage (and later a motorized coach) up a winding dirt road. Since it was considered to be “the best place on earth” to be served a delicious home-cooked dinner and “an ideal place for ladies’ afternoon teas and card parties”, it must have been worth the effort of getting to!  We are pleased with the performance of our ‘motorized coach’—our  VW Camper Bus– on the old Historic highway but can only imagine how the bus would have been with the challenges of the earlier travelers. Once the highway was opened (1915), access became easier and the inn prospered until it burned down in 1930.  The property was then purchased and donated to the Oregon State Parks & Recreation Department by the Portland Women’s Forum.
We are thinking the Chanticleer Inn sounds like a delightful and delicious place to visit and wish it was still a possible destination, especially since we are already there with the ease of driving -even if it is in an old VW bus– and not having to climb stairs from the below!  Dinner is sounding like a good idea. We realize we must be getting hungry and decide to get back on the road and make our last stop at Bridal Veil Falls; then head across Portland to where we know a delicious meal is awaiting us.