We are heading west again today, leaving behind the beautiful high desert and dry forests of Central Oregon. We've had high spirits and high temperatures, starry nights and smoky skies. We mostly stayed on a river or lake, and the contrast between the blue water and stark, rocky landscape often took my breath away.
Highlights
A windy paddle on the Columbia River
Swimming in pools, lakes, and rivers
Hiking the Blue Basin Trail in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Lizards, lizards, everywhere
Celebrating our five-year anniversary
A beautiful hike to Steelhead Falls on the Deschutes River
More on our daily adventures
Our Oregon adventures started on Scappoose Bay at the Bayport RV Park and Campground in Warren. We kayaked in the bay and up some of its mysterious side channels where we saw turtles sunbathing on fallen logs. We also spent a day on Sauvie Island's Sturgeon Lake. Sauvie Island is the Columbia's largest fluvial island.
We headed east into Central Oregon and noticed an abrupt change in the landscape as we went from lush forests to dry desert. We actually began our time in Central Oregon at Peach Beach RV Park, which isn't in Oregon at all! We had to make some itinerary changes and this was a lucky detour. We were right on the Columbia River and right next to Maryhill State Park which had a calm, cordoned-off beach for the kids to swim, skip rocks, and practice kayaking (go Isaac!). This is where I got to fulfill a long-time dream of kayaking on the Columbia. Just imaging all the men and women who have used this waterway for nearly 10,000 years...it blows my mind that I can paddle myself and my children in much the same way as the first people of this area did. It wasn't an easy paddling day with all the wind, but we had clear skies and the paddle back was, no pun intended, a breeze. Derek and I celebrated our five-year anniversary here with a delicious lunch high on the plateau overlooking the river at Maryhill Winery.
From Goldendale we pushed farther east still and then south to Monument, OR where we stayed in a developing campground that was more for long-term folks, but nevertheless friendly and right on the North Fork of the John Day River. We were supposed to be here for five nights, but we cut our stay short when we discovered that the bathhouse wasn't quite finished and the camp owners recommended we avoid the water from the hook-ups. No easy water access = not easy to stay more than a couple of days, especially with the heat. Oh, and there were wasps living in the electric hook-up box. We were still glad for the kindness of a small town, the desert's dry heat and minimalist beauty, and a great day trip to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. We hiked the Island in Time trail in Blue Basin (super kid-friendly) and checked out fossils at the Thomas Condon Visitor Center. On our way out of town, we drove up to the stunning Painted Hills Lookout (where we would have done a short hike if it hadn't been over 100 degrees).
With our stay cut short we had to make yet more last-minute changes to our initial plans and ended up at a KOA in Culver. We took advantage of all the KOA family-friendly activities - ice cream socials, breakfast, and especially the pool! Isaac learned to face his fear of putting his head under water and started "swimming" (he still has a swim vest on, but it's just a matter of time now). This is huge for him and for our family, given how much we like to be on and in the water. It was super hot while we were in Culver, but the nights were cool and full of stars, including the Perseids meteor shower. We paddled on Haystack Reservoir, with views of Mt. Jefferson and an opportunity to get up close to a river dam. The algal blooms in the reservoir were, frankly, disgusting so we cut our time short...no swimming here. Yuck.
We stayed in this area of Oregon (Redmond-Bend-Sunriver) for the next two weeks. First we moved into an airbnb outside of Terrebonne while our camper got a much needed tune-up in Redmond. The airbnb was perfect for our family, and we were especially grateful for the extra space (two bathrooms!!) and air conditioning as the temperatures soared and then the smoke from wildfires moved in. While we were here we took day trips to Bend - to get new shoes for the kids at REI (they're growing so fast!), to check out a brewery (Sunriver Brewing - highly recommend!), to kayak on the Deschutes River (oops - nope, got smoked out), and to play in the biggest indoor playground structure I have been to when the smoke got so bad. We also bought a cheap kiddie pool for the kids who got a ton of fun out of this simple toy in the backyard. We saw bunnies, lizards, and deer from our windows, and, when it wasn't too smoky, gawked at the stars from the front porch at night. We were close to Smith Rock State Park, but, alas, smoke kept us away. Next time!
I keep mentioning wildfire smoke, and it was/is seriously no joke here. Central Oregon seems to be this weird spot where wildfire smoke from all directions converges and settles. The big fires near us were (are) the Bedrock and Lookout fires to the west. Smoke from fires in Washington and Canada poured into the area in our last days at the airbnb, and smoke from fires in Northern California blew up into the region with the last of the hurricane winds. The Juniper Creek fire erupted just a few miles from our airbnb right after we left. I cannot thank the men and women on the front lines enough for all they are doing to contain the blazes. Their courage and fortitude are remarkable.
We got back in the camper and moved south of Sunriver to our first Thousand Trails campground. While Bend was still smoky (I had to go back to get a new Starlink - long story), our area south of Sunriver granted us a magical break from the smoke, which allowed us to play outside most of the day - better for everyone. Once again the swimming pool was a highlight, as was the mini-golf course and all the rabbits running around that the kids got to feed. We paddled and swam on the Little Deschutes River. Unlike in Monument and Terrebonne, this campground was in the Deschutes National forest and the trees, while sparse and sort of spindly, were a welcome sight. And Isaac reminded us to put up the hammock. How have we forgotten that gem for two and a half months??
We've just spent the last three nights on Odell Lake on the border of the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests at the Shelter Cove Resort and Marina. It was dumb luck that we got maybe the best campsite (#14) in the whole place - there must have been a cancellation just when we called. :) The campground is adjacent to Trapper Creek State Park which is fun because Trapper Creek, Alaska is where Derek built our remote cabin. Our campground is also a resupply point for thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. We just happen to be here when many of them are coming through on their way north, and man, are they tough-looking! Derek and I also notice how small their packs are compared to when he and I were doing longer backpacking trips. Derek has done some 100-milers on the AT and I've done 50 miles at a time in different areas of Washington, but we've never done something so grand as a border-to-border hike like the PCT.
We are truly back in the woods now, and you'd hardly think of this has the same central Oregon as that of the high desert. The wildfire smoke still comes in around dinner time, but the days have been clear and bright. Each morning the kids pick blueberries around the campsite and when the sun comes out in full force they put their bathing suits on to play in the lake which we can access a few steps away. I facilitated my last class for the summer yesterday, and, while teaching is still probably my favorite part of my work, I will be glad for less time-constrained projects moving into the fall.
Today we head to Westfir, Oregon for five days. I guess we'll still be in Central Oregon, but it feels different with all the trees. From there we'll stay with family friends in Springfield, outside of Eugene, for Labor Day weekend, and then head to the coast where we'll hit our three month mark.
Three months. How did that happen? I would be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows (although it is a lot of sunshine). We don't get a lot of great sleep. We're not crazy about public showers. Derek misses his privacy. I miss having friends. We are on all the time with our kids, and that is exhausting.
But the adventures, the time outside in beautiful places, the key developmental moments (and hilarious moments) we get to witness being with our kids 24/7...we can't believe how lucky we are to do this. So we'll keep going. West now, then south, then before you know it we'll be in California, Nevada, Arizona...then east, east, east to over-winter in Florida. And then it's the homestretch, north to Maine. What once felt like a pipe dream, this trip around the country, is now a dream come true.
Thanks for reading. See you out there!
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