The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Three of my sisters and I recently traveled to Goldendale, near the Columbia Gorge, to learn about the sun and solar system, see the Stonehenge Memorial and walk the grounds at the Maryhill Museum of Art.

The observatory is located atop a 2,100-ft hill at Goldendale Observatory State Park. Admission is free, but a Washington State Parks Discovery Pass is required to park on-site. They are available for purchase at the facility for $10 for a day pass and $30 for an annual pass.

The afternoon program started in the South Dome room, where there was a giant public telescope. It is 24.5-inches in diameter and was recently upgraded with a new mirror and an attached 6-inch refractor telescope. After an informative discussion about the sun, the group of about twenty people took turns ascending the staircase to look at the sun through the telescope.

The group then went into a classroom to learn about dwarf planets, ice giants, gas giants, and more about the sun from an expert staff member's PowerPoint presentation and group discussion.

About 100 people attended the evening session to learn about the solar system in a classroom session and had a chance to see Saturn through the South Dome telescope. Afterwards, they went outdoors to view constellations with the naked eye and through a 12" telescope.

The Goldendale Observatory will be open for special event to view the lunar eclipse which will be visible on Tuesday, November 8 between 12:01 am to 6 am. The Observatory will be open for viewing from 11:30 p.m. on Monday night to 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Visitors are invited to bring their own telescopes and cameras. There will be more information about the event at https://www.goldendaleobservatory.com/special.html.

The next stop was the Stonehenge Memorial which was completed and dedicated on May 30, 1929, by museum founder Sam Hill. It is a replica of the ancient Neolithic structure Hill saw in England in 1915. He had it built in the memory of soldiers from Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country.

Maryhill Museum of Art is located on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River. Walking the trail we read numerous interpretive signs, had great views of the river and saw art sculptures displayed on the grounds. The Museum has four stories of art for people to view.

Another highlight of the trip was meeting the mother of Jessi Combs. Combs was posthumously awarded the title of the fastest woman on land after a fatal crash in the Alvord Desert in Oregon in 2019. The wheel on her jet-powered car failed at a high speed of over 500 mph. Combs' mom stated that she was traveling from Rapid City, South Dakota to Tacoma, Washington to preview a documentary about Jessi. The documentary will be on HBO Max later this month.

Small towns and great adventures. Get outdoors and enjoy life!