Saturday was sunny and beautiful and a perfect day for a road trip. So my husband and I and Sammy, our dog, headed up the gorge. We love this drive even if there's no destination in mind because it's so scenic and beautiful.
What is this place? A safari in the middle of nowhere. I had to find out.
But, of course my plan was to happen onto a few antique shops along the way. Can't do a road trip and not stop when you see a sign that says "ANTIQUES". My husband is so patient when it comes to stopping down and letting me shop while he takes Sammy for a walk, plus it gives us all a chance to stretch our legs. But I was so disappointed to find out that all the shops in Hood River, Oregon, are gone! How does such a cute little historical city not have one antique shop! How is that possible. We drove on to the Dalles and found a couple antique shops there but nothing to bring home.
We decided to cross over to the Washington side and head towards home. In the little town of Bingen, I found some great little treasures and a great Mexican restaurant that made the best tacos and marquritas...yum!
And then something else happened...
And then something else happened...
Back on the road and as we're driving, right off the main road, I spot this huge herd of deer, and not just deer but antelope and elk, all clustered together! It was hard to get a picture of all of them from the car but it was quite a sight to see.
This made us curious enough to want to get a better look so we turned off onto the next road that led into something so unexpected...
Buffalo...
Lots of buffalo!
You can see Mt Hood in the background
And Zebras too!
I think this one is pregnant!
All roaming together and roaming free! And guess what else...
Giraffes and Camels too!
My pictures of the camels turned out too blurry and the giraffes weren't within camera shot. It was an amazing sight! We couldn't figure out what this place was. Was it a refuge or a private ranch? There was a sign that said Schreiner Farms and as we drove up the road taking all of this in, there were signs posted saying "stay inside vehicle and don't feed the animals".
What is this place? A safari in the middle of nowhere. I had to find out.
When we got home, I did some research and found out that www.SchreinerFarms is a 12,000 acre ranch that raises 20 species of exotic animals. Located across the Columbia river from the Dalles, in Dallesport, Washington.
Who knew!
It was the icing on the cake to our road trip!
I highly recommend this trip. It's a beautiful drive up there, about an hour east of Portland.
It's a animal lover's paradise! Click on their website to find out more.
Thanks for stopping by!
~Joyce
