Hunt for the Headwaters, Metolius River, Or

When our friends, Ric and Jan, visited us a few weeks ago, we drove to Camp Sherman, a community near the Metolius River in the Deschutes NF near Sisters, OR. Camp Sherman was first settled in the 1880s, growing into a small community over time.

Historic Fish Lake, McKenzie River

Driving along Route 126 west of Sisters, OR, we decided to stop at the Historic Fish Lake Site.  This location has been used by various peoples for many years and has historical records going back to the mid-1800s.

McKenzie Pass – Santiam Pass Scenic Byway

During centuries of exploration and discovery, man has searched for how to get from one location to another.  Traveling from the east side of the Cascades to the west, long before the advent of highways like we have today, was likely a treacherous adventure.

Benham Falls - Deschutes River in Bend, OR

Sometimes a walk to a waterfall is so much more. Perhaps, it was just the day (which was sunny and warm), or the gentle sounds of the water and the birds chirping in the reeds (before the roar of the falls). But, I think it was also special knowing that these falls are where they are because of LAVA. 

Newberry National Volcanic Monument (NNVM)

This national monument, located south of Bend, OR, is so extensive it took us two trips to really begin to understand its significance. Good friends from Seattle, Ric and Jan, came down when we first arrived in central OR to show us some of their favorite spots and this one was on the list.

Smith Rock State Park

We are currently staying in Crooked River RV Park, located on the rim of a deep canyon with the Crooked River flowing far below.  A few miles east this river flows around Smith Rock – a well-known rock-climbers paradise. 

Steelhead Falls

We took a short hike yesterday to Steelhead Falls, a small waterfall on the Deschutes River in the Crooked River Ranch area North of Redmond.  It was a short one-half mile walk along the river to the falls.  The river was beautiful, with several fly-fishermen trying their luck.  The trail was rather steep and we had to be careful of the loose gravel, etc.  But it was well worth the short hike.

Fires, Raptors, and Bulldogs

The Two Bulls fire began on Friday, June 6, near Bend, Oregon, threatened some housing areas and schools in Bend, but is now under control.  We could see the smoke cloud from our park just north of Sisters.

Portland II: Downtown, Japanese Garden and Mt. Hood

The Portland area is packed with choices to fill lots of days, whether your interests lie with out-of-doors activities or in-town museums, shops and galleries.

Portland I – Columbia River Gorge

We arrived in Portland for a week’s stay (our longest for this trip) near the end of May.  Our planned itinerary was a bit “sketchy”, leaving open time to relax and enjoy not being on the road.  Since Gary has been doing all the RV driving, I have made it my priority to drive us around town in the car, while we visit the Portland area. 

Arcane Cellars - Harvest Host in Willamette Valley, OR

We knew we were ready for another night at a winery, and chose this location based on several reviews by other RV Harvest Host members.   Located in the Salem, Oregon, vineyards famous for Pinot wines, we were not disappointed.  And the host, Jeffrey Silva, was ever so helpful and welcoming, as were his staff.