Oregon Splendour

We are about to say good-bye to California but we cannot depart without a visit to Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park to see the giant coastal redwoods. They really are very impressive and grow surprisingly close together. This park was used as a film location for Star Wars: Return of The Jedi. It absolutely feels like an unearthly forest.

We leave the park and head north, shortly crossing into Oregon. It all seems more cared for than California. We have a very long drive today. There are vast open spaces and we drive for miles without passing through many settlements. Roadside cafes are few and far between in both California and Oregon. We finally spot somewhere on the highway. Randomly there is lots of old agricultural equipment lined up outside along the verge.

We stop for a beer and share a sandwich. We have learned that portions are enormous and packed with carbs. It is incredibly difficult to find something healthy to eat and this place is no exception.

There are not many campsites in the area that we are planning to stay overnight. We are nervous about finding a campsite so stop at the first one we find off the main road – Rogue Elk Campground. It is a lovely site and just unfortunate that there is some traffic noise from the adjacent road. The river banks are pretty. Wild sweet peas abound.

In the morning we make the short drive to Crater Lake, which sits at 6178ft. As we climb the air cools and snow sits amongst the conifers.

Crater Lake is on our must see list and it does not disappoint. We are so lucky with the weather. Our first view….

…. is surreal and breathtaking. It is difficult for our brains to process what is sky and what is lake. The water is impossibly blue and calm, reflecting the sky perfectly. Wow! We are able to drive around the west rim road. The east rim is still closed due to snow. Each view makes us gasp with its beauty.

As we descend we can see for miles across the high plains which are punctuated by volcanic peaks.

The conifer forests continue for mile after mile. That is pretty much all we see for 100 miles or so.

Eventually the road flattens and we enter drier terrain with some big towns. The traffic through Bend is dire. When we come to Prineville we see an absolutely enormous building. It turns out to be one of Facebook’s databases. I looked it up – it is 4.2 million sq ft and cost $2billion!

Then we continue east to Dayville and the John Day Fossil Beds. This is desert and it is searingly hot. We have our first glimpse of the amazing landscape.

Accommodation of any sort seems non-existent. We were looking for a campsite but in view of the heat, a motel seems more sensible. Google maps shows one place in Dayville called the Fish Inn Hotel. It is quirky to say the least, but has a definite rustic charm. This is reception!

Furthermore we are in luck as they have a room! We are not expecting much but it is really cute, cosy and comfortable. It far exceeds our expectations. We drink beer, followed by wine, cheese and biscuits. Simple fare but perfect sitting outside on the seeringly hot evening heat.

Across the road is this lovely old building which is apparently now an Airbnb.

Next day we visit the Thomas Condon Palaeontology Centre. Along route we pass through desert that is punctuated with irrigated areas that are starkly green against the arid desert.

We watch a 20 minute film which is very interesting. It makes sense of how the rock layers were formed. They contain vast quantities of fossils from plants to carnivores. We visit Foree which is within the John Day Fossil Beds and walk the short trail. There are other much longer trails but it is so hot and only 09.00.

We pass through Prairie City (below)…

on our way to Baker City. Why these places are called cities is beyond me. False optimism by the founders I feel! Most are barely villages.

We were keen to see Oregon Trail Visitor Centre at Baker City. We are not in luck – it was shut. Super annoying but at least we get to see the terrain and the impressive closed gates had to be worth the detour….