OREGON’s MOUNTAINS...

As you can tell, we've been without internet for a while (as we are home now - 7/11) so I'm posting the rest of the journey today from home. As we left our overnight at the Best Western in Gov/t Camp OR at the base of Mt Hood we thought we had taken our last look, but this magnificent mountain showed itself in the clear blue sky with many other peaks in the Cascades: Mt Jefferson, Three Sisters, Three Finger Jack, Mt Washington, Mt Bailey and craggy Mt Thielson. The last two hugged Diamond Lake (just north of Crater Lake) where we stopped for two nights at Diamond Lake Resort.

Sites along the 235 mile journey, which took us all day, included many mountain “shots” along hwy 26 and 79, plus a few back road adventures which made us glad we were not hauling the 5th wheel, since we would have missed all those unique opportunities: Warm Springs OR to the Pelton Dam/Lake Simtustus area and then Lake Billy Chinook (both whose namesakes were indians who were guides for the US government in the mid 1800‘s). Stopped at Round Butte Overlook Park to learn more about the dam at Lake Billy Chinook which is a place where our gov’t spend 130 milllion dollars for a fish transfer station!!! The little park on the Crooked River, named after the explorer Ogden was well worth the stop to look at the old highway bridge, the new one and a great ole train trestle. We revisited Smith Rock after 20 yearsand found it just as impressive. Many geocaches were also found in very unique places and we’re transporting several travel bugs to CALIFORNIA.