The Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway runs from Troutdale to The Dalles in Oregon.  Multnomah Falls, one of several waterfalls located along the route, is among the most beautiful in the world.  Popular scenic viewpoints include the Portland Women’s Forum and Rowena Crest Viewpoint.  In the early 20th century, a group of idealists set out to build a road that would connect towns and showcase the raw beauty of the Columbia River Gorge. The result is the Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway, which begins east of Portland, Oregon, and runs up the Columbia River Gorge at the base of Mount Hood, an active stratovolcano. The beauty of the drive is iconic—think moss-draped cliffs and cascading waterfalls. But the scenic byway is also a journey through one of the most ambitious feats of early American road design.  The roadway was built in the 1910s and was, by some accounts, the first highway in the nation constructed specifically for scenic touring.…