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The summer solstice fast approaches.

View of Portland and river from the sky

Ahhh…summer.

Corey Rust here for Envi Adventures.

Summer’s a time for watermelon, homemade lemonade, and sweaty pits. It’s not all glamorous, yet we can’t get enough of the season. Especially in Oregon. If you’ve never experienced an Oregon summer, you’ve been missing out. Now, I know people in Wisconsin, or Nevada, or Thailand will all say, “Well, hold on. Oregon summers are in NO WAY better than our summers!”

To that I say, “Chime down, friend.” Here’s proof.

I mean, seriously, look at the view. There is no way that you get something like that in Eau Claire, Wisconsin or wherever.

Oregon summers are blissful. It get’s hot, as in over 95•F a few times per year, but for the most ​​part, it’s a very temperate climate in the 80’s, which makes for fantastic evenings out with friends and family on the river, in the park, or…wait for the shameless plug…a flight with Envi Adventures of course.

With the fantastic weather we’ve had lately, we have had the opportunity to take some magnificently beautiful flights when the light makes everything glow. The warmth of the setting sun has made for some serious smiles as our friends on the flights will attest to.

I’ve lived in Troutdale or Gresham my entire life, so the gorge has always been immediately accessible to me. When I started sporadically flying back in 2002 and finally getting my license in 2007, my favorite time of day and time of year to fly was late spring into summer when the sun starts getting lower.

I’m not going to say that I get emotional when flying through the Columbia River Gorge or by Mt. Hood during those times, but honestly, it is incredibly special every single time. There is a slight feeling of euphoria or a mental fizz that makes you want to keep flying until you run out of gas. That’s what I love about it here and I never grow tired of it. There’s always a new angle to see things from and I promise you that you’ll love it too.

-Corey