If you're craving an outdoor escape, there's a serene lake in the Oregon mountains that promises ample recreation opportunities including camping and fishing.

We drove along I-84, through the sunny and windswept Columbia Gorge till arriving in adorable Hood River, where you turn onto Highway 35 and pass apple orchards and scenic farms on Mount Hood.

peaks as far south as Oregon's Mount Hood. According to visitors, the hike is well worth the three to five hours it takes to make the round-trip journey, calling the views "spectacular." ...