Roadside Oregon

Colors viewed from an entry to a parking area along the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail. The riverbed here is dry for the summer months as the water level has “lowered” so much that it is actually in the porus lava beds. It makes a reappearance at the Tamolitch Dry Falls.

I like the very black dried mosses on the river (lava) rocks and the colors of the vine maple.

This is about five minutes south of Hwy 20 on Hwy 126 (which goes from the Santiam Pass area to Eugene. There is also a great view of the Three Sisters Mountains from the lava fields here.

You can see the area here at Google Maps.

This was taken at the water lily and koi pond at the parking area of Peterson Rock Garden.

Petersen Rock Garden is located at 7930 SW 77th St. in Redmond, OR. The Peterson Rock Garden is an interesting place to visit, although I think it was in its prime about 30 years ago…

You can find it on Google Maps here.

One evening at the coast as the waves were a little rough and the sun was setting at Depoe Bay, I just had to take a photograph.

Depoe Bay is the site of the world’s smallest navigable harbor (six acres or 2.4 hectare) and a place to see water shooting through the rocks at high tides. A great little town, it is a fun place to spend some time.

You can see the location of Depoe Bay on Google Maps here.

This could have been taken anywhere, but it was here in our backyard. It is here because I thought you might like it, and because it was taken in Oregon…

Smith Rock State Park is 651 acres (263 hectare) of year around climbing surfaces of up to 550 feet (168 meter) high. Comprised of welded tuff (compressed volcanic ash and columnar basalt, there are more that 1,500 climbing routes from easy to 5.14c.

Smith Rock State Park is considered to be the the birthplace of modern sport climbing. On some routes the hardware is left in place for the next person to use. In other areas clean equipment like chocks and camming devices are recommended.

The park has been seen in many movies including: The Postman, Mission Impossible II, Swordfish, Rooster Cogburn.

You can see a Google Map of the area here.

I stopped at a SnoPark along Hwy 22 in the Cascades for a little break during my drive over the mountains. The SnoParks are places where people can park for cross country skiing, snowmobiling, tubing, show shoeing or other winter activities. There are several of these around the state, this one was along Hwy 22, here on Google Maps.

I think the photo just makes you think of a cold clear winter day, and it was…

Just some ducks.

They could be from anywhere in the state, but these were in the Cline Falls State Park. The park is between Sisters and Redmond in Central Oregon. You can find the park here at Google Maps.