Oregon – Paint Your Landscape

Oh Sweet Misery ~ Smith Rock State Park, OR

July 7, 2015June 29, 2015LuAnn

In Oregon’s high desert, near Terrebonne, striking spires rise up from the Crooked River Canyon. Crafted from molten rock and subsequent flowing water, these basalt tufts have been sculpted into what is now known as Smith Rock State Park. This striking setting draws cyclists, hikers, and photographers, and in the mid-1980’s gained the attention of rock climbers, both local and international. Today more than 1,000 bolted climbing routes dot the vertical basalt walls, challenging beginners and experts alike.

After seeing photos in a brochure, I knew we had to make a slight detour and stop to soak in the views and hopefully take a hike. The 3-mile Misery Ridge Trail, incorporating sections of several other trails, was the hike that would take us up high for views of the surrounding Cascades, the Crooked River, basalt tufts, and Monkey Face Rock. Monkey Face is where we hoped to catch sight of climbers perfecting their sport. Taking the route less traveled, suggested by a Ranger, was to be the easier way down a steep, rocky trail. As I watched others with small children sliding down sections of the trail in the opposite direction, I whispered a silent prayer of thanks to that Ranger.

Starting up The Chute and hiking alongside the Crooked River, both sides of the trail offer enticing views and soon we found “beginner” climbers scaling the chiseled walls. As the hike increased in elevation, Monkey Face Rock absorbed our attention as a group of four climbers clung to the vertical face, the lead climber making his way into the mouth of the big ape. After many photos we continued up Misery Ridge.

Around the backside of Monkey Face we soon realized that two climbers were pushing for the summit, high-fiving one another as they stood at the top looking out over the mountain peaks dotting the horizon. What an exhilarating feeling that must be!

We slowly picked our way down the loose, steep trail, back to The Chute, where are feet once again met level ground.

If you are in the vicinity, a visit to Smith Rock State Park should be on your list, particularly at sunset we are told, as this is the magic hour at this stop.

Gateway to the Cascades ~ Sisters, OR

July 2, 2015June 29, 2015LuAnn

You know you’re in for a special treat when the view that greets you as you approach town is an impressive skyline of snow-capped peaks. Welcome to Sisters, where the town’s namesakes, North, South, and Middle Sister Peaks, all towering over 10,000 feet, grace the horizon, literally rising out of her backyard. Complimenting this imposing panorama are Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, Broken Top, and Three-Fingered Jack, quite a sight to behold.

As Oregon’s highways better developed, Sisters became known as the Gateway to the Cascades. She has retained her Old West flair while having a healthy tourist side, sporting specialty shops, antique stores, galleries, coffee shops, and restaurants. Our favorite store was Jeffrey Murray Fine Art Photography. His landscape photography drew us in and we learned after visiting with Jeffrey that many of the photos in his gallery were taken during his 5-year sojourn as a full-time RVer. This talented young artist now calls Bend home. You can check out his artistry here.

Since we began our summer travels on May 1^st, I have marveled at the places we have been able to squeeze our little Fox into, roads we have traveled, and stops we have made that we would not have attempted with our 5^th-wheel. But there are places that even a truck camper should not venture, as we learned during our time in Sisters.

We planned to hike Black Butte and our home was coming with us so decent forest service roads to the trailhead were a must. After only one mile of a 5-mile drive, having been sufficiently bounced around by potholes and constant washboard surface, we reluctantly turned around and moved to Plan B, which became the 82-mile loop drive from Sisters, the McKenzie-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. It sounded wonderful, and it was, with a few little twists and turns. 😉

The initial phase of our drive took us to two beautiful “classic” Oregon Cascade waterfalls, via an easy 2.5-mile hike. The McKenzie River plunges over Sahalie Falls in an angry torrent, twists down a boulder-strewn canyon before once again throwing herself off the Koosah Falls cliff. Both falls are breathtaking and have been used in scenes for several movies.

We continued east onto Highway 242 and soon saw signs strongly advising against continuing over McKenzie Pass in vehicles longer than 35 feet. Terry hesitated, but being well within the limit we chose to carry on, and this is where things got rather interesting.

The road began to narrow, with several sharp turns, but before too long we arrived at our next stop, Proxy Falls. An easy 1.25-mile hike took us to the base of one of the most photographed spots in Oregon. This spectacular waterfall is nestled in a deep, heavily shadowed forest that seemed to evoke ancient myth. Many photos later we continued our slow crawl up the mountain.

The road leading up to McKenzie Pass continued to narrow, with no shoulders and hairpin turns so tight the road seemed to nearly fold back on itself in many places. Vertical rock formations edging the road added to the thrill. At one point a cyclist came flying down from the opposite direction, barely missing our bumper. If that wasn’t exciting enough (and it was), moments later a skateboarder, sans helmet, propelled himself down and around a turn, with a car right on his backside. Did I mention there are few guard rails on this road?

You can imagine our relief when we saw the sign for the pass, our final planned stop. On this windswept site sits Dee Wright Observatory, which offers a sweeping panorama of the Cascades and the lava flows that dominate the pass.

The remaining drive back to Sisters was uneventful. Needless to say, our second hiking choice along Highway 242, Black Crater, was crossed off the list as well. Scenic or not, we would not be venturing up that road again.

When we settled into our campsite, Terry pulled out his Mountain Directory book to read their interpretation of McKenzie Pass. “The “highway” on the west side of this pass is so narrow that in many places a regular-sized vehicle, such as a pickup or van, will be over the center line….A small motorhome might make it over this pass, but there is risk of damage”. This stretch of highway was aptly named Deadhorse Grade.

The hike we finally chose was more sedate than our drive, but no less thrilling, the Tam McArthur Rim trail. This 5-5-mile out-and-back hike, with 2400’ elevation gain, provided lovely views of Three Creek Lake and ended at the base of Broken Top Mountain. The vistas at the top were magnificent.

Our Sisters’ visit, like many, seemed far too short. We would love to stop back in the fall sometime for the nationally renowned Folk Festival. We hear it is an event not to be missed.

Biking, Brews, Waterfalls and More ~ Bend, OR

June 28, 2015LuAnn

I am woefully behind on blog posts and catching up with my blogger friends. Staying in National Parks often leaves one without cell and internet service but provides such grand vistas and fabulous hikes that I cannot complain. I will attempt to catch up as time permits.

Leaving Ashland we pointed our rig north and turned our attention to our next destination – Bend. We were anxious to see this Oregon city but first, a few sights along Hwy 62 were begging to be seen.

Mill Creek Scenic Waterfalls

An easy one mile hike will reward you with views across the river of two lovely waterfalls, Mill Creek Falls cascading 173’ into the Rogue River and multi-stepped Barr Creek Falls, with an impressive 242′ drop.

Avenue of the Boulders

Built from the power of volcanic eruptions and the powerful force of water, the Rogue River drops some 75 feet and makes for a truly spectacular sight. These boulders were thrown all the way from Mt. Mazama when Crater Lake was formed, more than 20 miles away.

Natural Bridge Falls

This is one of nature’s many wonders, where the wild Rogue River (aptly named) disappears into an ancient lava tube and reappears 200’ downstream. You can stand above the inlet and watch this mighty river vanish, taking 30 seconds to travel 200’ to the outlet, where it forcefully bursts through the lava tube.

Our little Fox snuggled into a site among the tall pines

Camping was not to be found near Bend when we arrived as this was the second weekend in June and the Sisters Rodeo was in full-swing. Thankfully LaPine State Park, 20 miles away, had sites available. The South Loop was the place to stay, most recently renovated, and the Fall River Falls 5-mile trail made for a nice hike on a cool morning.

Bend loves bikes and everyone who rides one so we traded in our hiking boots for two wheels and took to the streets. Downtown offers unique shopping, wonderful coffee shops, and lots of restaurants. Drake Park, one of over 70 verdant public parks, is a great place to stop for a picnic lunch when you have pedaled your way to an appetite. And if the retail bug strikes, a spin out to the Old Mills District along the Deschutes River will provide ample shops where your hard-earned money can be spent. Once home to two large lumber mills, it now houses lots of shops and restaurants, including REI. Bike the trail there or take to the river and rent a paddleboard or raft for an afternoon of fun.

Another area to bike is the Deschutes River Trail near Sunriver to beautiful Benham Falls, as you wind along open meadows, lava rock formations, and thick-scented forests of pine.

Have you worked up a thirst yet? Bend has been dubbed the microbrew capital of the West so you should have no problem finding a way to quench those flames. Bend has so many breweries that some clever marketing master created the Bend Ale Trail, where you can spend your days traveling from one brewery to the next, getting your ticket punched. We ran into three fellows who had already frequented 6 pubs and were not finished with their day. None of them appeared to be the designated driver…yikes!

Here are the three brew pubs we sampled in as many days ;):

1) 10 Barrel Brewing Company came recommended by our barista/tour guide at Bluebird Coffee Shop. Twin brothers segued into the craft beer world after a successful downtown Bend restaurant. They may have another success on their hands. We liked the Sinistor Black Ale.

2) Fairly new to Bend, 3-year old Crux Fermentation Project is what you get when you marry a brew master with a marketing guru. This small-batch brewery has an industrial feel and packs a punch with 15 taps. The winner for us was Nitro Stout.

3) And for a different twist on breweries, try Rat Hole Brew Pub, an unusual name for this inviting little pub. Les, co-owner with his sister, considers this a “nano-brewery”, very small compared to the others. The brewery itself is housed in his barn, “nothing more than a rat hole”, his sister declared, and the name stuck! Surprising to us, we liked the Lemon Wheat and Rotation Red.

Visiting Bend was not complete without a visit to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, where a 9-mile lava flow can be seen. Approximately 7,000 years ago Lava Butte erupted, creating this surreal landscape. Lava Butte is just one of over 400 cinder cones found at Newberry.

Newberry Volcano, a shield volcano, is one of the largest volcanos in the lower 40 states. It has created massive lava flows covering 1200 square miles in its 400,000-year history. In the 1960’s astronauts came to train on the Newberry lava for their mission to the moon.

There is so much more to see in this area than our time allowed, nothing that a return visit won’t cure. We learned that Bend has also been named “one of America’s most romantic cities”. Perhaps love will be in the air for our next visit. 😉

Next Up: Sisters, a town with an Old West flair

A Welcoming Vibe ~ Ashland, OR

June 19, 2015June 20, 2015LuAnn

Since we visited the Oregon coast three years ago we have dreamt of returning to explore more of what has become one of our favorite states. Ashland has long been a city on our must-see list, with several friends agreeing that it was a special place. Knowing that our RV buddies Laurel and Eric (Raven and Chickadee) were there when we arrived made it that much sweeter.

Once we settled into our site at Emigrant Lake Recreation Area, my first request was a visit to urgent care to ensure that Terry’s shortness of breath and near constant pain was nothing more than bruised ribs from an earlier fall. Thankfully that was the diagnosis so now we could move on to having some fun, albeit at a slower pace for a while. A lovely dinner that evening at Laurel and Eric’s home set the tone for a very relaxing week.

Although unexpected circumstances like bruised ribs and unseasonably hot weather that settled in later in the week changed our plans, as in no hiking or biking for several days, slowing things down a bit allowed us to become the typical tourists and enjoy some quality time with friends.

Laurel and Eric were gracious hosts to their home city, taking us on a lovely hike through Lithia Park, a beautiful city park that I would love to revisit in the fall when the maple trees are at their peak colors. Laurel also shared some of her longtime girlfriends with me, inviting me to a day of arts and crafts where I took away some colorful artwork to brighten up our little Fox.

First Friday found Terry and I wandering the downtown streets to explore interesting galleries, talk to the artists, and listen to the joyful music of Zimbabwe performed by Sonic Kaleidoscope…great fun! We enjoyed dinner and drinks at the Standing Stone Brewery, where Steel Cut Stout won for favorite brew.

A talented young musician

We returned to downtown Ashland several more times, visiting the Saturday farmers’ market, the artisans’ market, and the Ashland Co-op. From the quaint coffee shops we visited in the Historic Railroad District, to the farmers’ market, the artisans’ market, and the wonderful Ashland Co-op, the welcoming nature of the locals confirmed our belief that there was something special about this lovely city. And the folks at Mix make some darn fine gelato. I loved the chocolate truffle and Terry the salted caramel but we both agreed that mixing the two was heaven in a cup!

Ashland may be best known for its Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which runs nine months of the year. We hoped for last minute tickets for the show Pericles, which we were told was a must-see, but unfortunately there were none to be had. What we enjoyed instead was a free performance at the Green Show, the last performance of the season by Sonic Kaleidoscope. It was a joy to watch these talented grade school and high school kids playing the marimba for their final performance of the season. The only downside was the temperature was hovering around 100°. One last stop to sample a flight at Caldera Brewery seemed to be what was needed to slake our thirst on a hot Ashland day. The Pilot Rock Porter seemed to win the taste-test for both of us.

The best part of our week, the gift that fed both body and soul, was enjoying a lovely dinner our last night in Ashland with Laurel and Eric, at friends Ted and Katherine’s home. We had met Ted and Kath at Anza Borrego this past winter and they are delightful.

Their fabulous home has breathtakingly expansive views, beautiful gardens, a lovely little vineyard, and some of the most spectacular sunset views right off the deck. Their generosity was so heartwarming, making our time in Ashland special indeed.

Reflecting Back on 2012

December 29, 2012LuAnn

This year is quickly coming to an end and what a whirlwind of a year it has been for us! We were blessed with a myriad of new adventures, visits with family and friends, and had a few setbacks along the way, just to keep things real. Our year has been chock-full of travel (just what we nomads need to feed our souls) and our landscape has been painted in broad brushstrokes of colors and textures, by way of deserts, mountains, a nice mix of big cities and cool little towns and jaw-droppingly gorgeous coastline. Biking, hiking, kayaking and long strolls on the beach have filled our days and allowed spirits to take flight.

Our wandering took us through the western part of the US, where we feel the most fulfilled and the flames of our passions were brightly fanned. A medical concern for Terry early in the year diverted us away from plans to re-visit Yellowstone National Park but we were able to hike through several other national parks in lieu of the granddaddy of them all. A trip back to the midwest to visit family rounded out the mix for us, making for a most rewarding year.

We began our year in Arizona, where we spent many of our working years, then continued on to Southern California, camphosting at San Elijo State Beach for several months, into Northern California, then lazily making our way up the Oregon coast, which was beyond breathtaking. We crossed over into the state of Washington to take a peek at Mount St. Helens, and on the way back down south spent a few days in Nevada. As we continued south we drove highway 395 in California (amazing), stopping to revel in the beauty of the Eastern Sierras, searching for ghost towns and Methuselah. We met up with friends who introduced us to boondocking and when the fiery reds and golden glow of fall moved into the pronounced chill of winter, we came full-circle and returned to San Elijo State Beach, where we will stay until the end of January. It was so good to hook up with friends we had previously met on the road and wonderful to meet a few new folks.

I’ve had my camera by my side almost every step of the way so I thought I would provide a glimpse of some of the beauty we have seen along the way. If you have never been, hopefully you will be inspired to check out the breathtaking vistas of the Wild West. Enjoy!