Category: Road Trips
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How we found Lost Creek Bridge
Our Thanksgiving weekend was drawing to a close, but we had time for one more outing before my dad and brother made the long drive home to Southern California. Because the predicted rain had not yet arrived, Reg and I suggested a drive into the mountains to grab a bite to eat at one…
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A Wild River and the Wild West
The Klamath River flows 263 miles, from Oregon into California, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Early in the 20th century, construction began on a series of dams along the river. Today, those dams have become a source of major controversy, primarily because they block historical salmon spawning grounds, and are facing removal. Taking advantage…
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Coastal Trail reveals hidden beauty
The Coastal Trail weaves like a thread along the rugged Pacific Coast, stringing together scenic viewpoints, state parks, hidden coves and dense forests. The trail also offers numerous opportunities to stretch one's legs, which is exactly what we did while sightseeing on our most recent camping trip on the South Coast of Oregon. Armed with…
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A California diversion leads to secret World War II radar station
A narrow, one-way dirt road near the mouth of the Klamath River in California's Del Norte County led us to an important World War II site today, perched above the Pacific Ocean. Disguised as farm buildings, the early warning system housed radar to watch for Japanese submarines and planes. Radar Station 71 is the…
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Going Green on the Oregon Coast
When we reserved our Harris Beach campsite last week, the weather report for the south coast of Oregon called for several days with mostly blue skies and temperatures in the mid-sixties. The perfect opportunity to sneak in, what might be, one last trailer trip before winter weather arrives. As promised, temperatures have warmed up each…
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Oregon mountain holds link to WWII bombing
It was a September evening off the Brookings, Oregon coast. Nobuo Fujita strapped himself into the pilot's seat in his floatplane atop the submarine aircraft carrier. His spotter gave the thumbs up and their craft was catapulted from the sub into the air, eventually rising to several thousand feet as they headed toward the redwood…
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Smith Rock State Park – A Commanding Presence
Bursting from the high desert floor, Smith Rock State Park offers outdoor enthusiasts 650 acres of breathtaking recreational opportunities. With its towering rock formations, Smith Rock, 25 miles north of Bend, Oregon, has become a popular destination for rock climbers of all abilities, attracting enthusiasts from around the world. For those of you who, like…
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Colossal Newberry volcano begs for exploration
Oh, what a difference a day makes! We packed our hiking shoes and a picnic and headed for a second day in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. After a 34-mile drive south and then east from Bend, we were greeted by brilliant sunshine and twin lakes that filled an area bigger than Crater Lake. The…
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Newberry National Volcanic Monument Rocks
This was not what we had in mind when we scheduled four days at Tumalo State Park, just north of Bend, Oregon. However, with so much to see and do, we headed out early and hoped the weather report, which called for just a 30% chance of afternoon showers, would be accurate. Silly us!…
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