We spent most of our two week vacation road-tripping in Southeastern Oregon. The one word description of the area is "Vast". It is large in size and small in population.
There are many hidden treasures for road-trip adventurers. Places to see and things to do -- you just have to drive a lot of miles to get to them. I will have more information about those we visited in other posts, but today I wanted especially to remember the sense of open space. (And also, to be honest, I don't have the pictures labeled yet, so it is easier to show an assortment of pictures taken at different times during the two weeks.)
Eastern Oregon is mostly high desert country -- part of the Great Basin. Its climate and terrain is very different from the western part of the State. Sixty percent of the State's population lives in the Willamette Valley, the portion of western Oregon where we live. So we get a strong sense of being somewhere else without leaving the state. But it's such big country -- we put 1700 miles on our car during this trip, with only about 100 of them being out of Oregon (more in another post). For a sense of the size of our state, Oregon is the ninth largest state in area and is, according to Wikipedia, slightly larger than the United Kingdom.
Some of the miles we traveled were on good roads -- the Oregon Scenic Byways shown on the sign above. But many miles were covered exploring by backroads. (Before traveling those roads, we had unhitched the trailer at the RV Parks where we were staying.) On some of those travel days, we would see no other cars or people at all until we returned to our "home away from home."
One of the special places we discovered was Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge. There was still good spotting, even though it was a little late for the best migrating birds. April and May are the best months according to what we read, but it was cold enough in mid-June for me -- snow wasn't long gone. I am not an avid enough birder for winter weather watching.
Big country -- narrow winding roads. Lots of sagebrush and big sky!
There would be space for a lot of people -- if only there were water! What there is space for is cattle. It is said it takes 100 acres of this sagebrush land to support one cow, but there are lots of acres. It's open-range cattle country and that led to some interesting experiences.
Pictures down the left column are of a roundup that came through early one morning right behind the RV Park where we were staying. That was some alarm clock! Middle column pictures are a "cattle jam" -- taken through the car window on a secondary highway we were driving. These cattle were just walking down the road all by themselves to another pasture, paying no attention at all to our car. On a different day, we were out exploring when we encountered the herd on the right. We had just driven 20 miles and reached a locked gate across the road that was not marked on any map. These cows were very interested in watching us turn around so we could head back over the rocky, narrow, 4-wheel drive road.
There were many dry-lake areas. Water is scarce and geo-political battles over its allocation have been going on for years and continue.
Shade trees are rare on the desert. Very different from the forests around where we live. We are fortunate to live where we can experience these contrasts -- there's a different kind of beauty in both parts of our State.
To further highlight the contrasts, here are a couple of pictures of the places where we book-ended our excursion:
This is Crescent Lake, where we stayed the first night away from home. Brought back lots of memories, as we used to camp there often in our previous life.
This is Crater Lake near where we stayed on the last night. It is the deepest Lake in the US and is Oregon's only National Park. We enjoyed visiting the high desert country of Southeastern Oregon, but it felt good to be close to home again.
LINKING this week to the following sharing opportunities: Thank you to the hosts.
MOSAIC MONDAY; NATURE NOTES; THROUGH MY LENS; TRAVEL PHOTO SOUVENIRS; OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; MY CORNER OF THE WORLD; SIGNS SIGNS; THANKFUL THURSDAY; SKYWATCH FRIDAY; FRIDAY BLISS; and SATURDAY CRITTERS;
Hello my friend...long time not on here for me. It has been such a long year and also 15 months total and I am still having a hard time reclaiming me. I have always known the Oregon coast line and it is interesting to see what it looks like on the other side. We drove through it twice, but I don't remember too much. Take care~
Posted by: Mary Howell Cromer | June 26, 2021 at 03:25 PM
Stunning views - vast and open. I have never experienced anything similar. In western Finland (Pohjanmaa) there are open, cultivated fields but here in the south nothing similar. Such a contrast with those deep blue lake views. Big and beautiful state you live in!
Posted by: riitta k | June 26, 2021 at 04:58 AM
Such an awesome series! I enjoyed watching them all, there are many interesting ones.
Posted by: Shiju Sugunan | June 26, 2021 at 03:59 AM
Hello Sallie,
Beautiful photos of your trip! I enjoyed seeing the different scenery, the cows and all the birds. If I am ever in Oregon again I would like to visit the Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge. The lake view is lovely. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.
Posted by: Eileen | June 26, 2021 at 02:13 AM
That's my kind of place, no people and lots to see :)
Your pictures are just gorgeous, love the scenery and the critters.
It's nice to see your link this week at 'My Corner of the World'!
Posted by: My Corner of the World | June 26, 2021 at 12:42 AM
I grew up in the Great Basin area of Nevada, and I have always thought the desert holds a special beauty of its own. Your photos are very interesting. Nice that you are traveling about. I can count my true vacations in my life on one hand, but was fortunate to have traveled many day trips.
Posted by: Yvonne | June 25, 2021 at 10:16 PM
Hello. Wonderful serie of photos. Thank you for sharing.
Take care.
Posted by: Anu | June 25, 2021 at 09:37 PM
Wonderful! Looks like my kind of place (big open space and not many people). Great skies too!
Posted by: Peter B. | June 25, 2021 at 03:15 PM
Greetings and Salutations! Oregon is on my "bucket list." Oh so vast! Oh less people. Oh so beautiful! I enjoyed your cyber tour of Oregon. Now, I know I have to go someday.
Posted by: JM Illinois U.S.A. | June 25, 2021 at 08:27 AM
If one could claim a benefit from COVID it is that we have all been compelled to discover our local areas in greater depth, and I suspect that for many of us it has been a bonus. I know it has been for me. And based on this wonderful post, Sallie, I am sure that it has been for you too.
Posted by: David Gascoigne | June 25, 2021 at 05:57 AM
Looks like a beautiful place! Your cow jams remind me of the sheep jams in the Scottish Highlands!
Posted by: craftygreenpoet | June 25, 2021 at 12:24 AM
Beautiful scenery
Posted by: Nanda | June 24, 2021 at 08:57 PM
Great shots.
Posted by: Jim, Sydney, Australia | June 24, 2021 at 03:56 PM
I've never been to Oregon, well, the whole West coast. I need to remedy that. Next summer we're heading back to the Utah area. I guess I'm stuck and can't get past the Southwest!
Posted by: Sharon Wagner | June 24, 2021 at 08:06 AM
Love road trips! So nice to get out of town and onto the open road.
Posted by: Amy Franks | June 23, 2021 at 04:03 PM
this is my cup of tea, would love to explore that beautiful landscape.
Posted by: klara | June 23, 2021 at 01:10 PM
Great post with so many wonderful photos. Those cows are very cute! Enjoyed all the scenery and wildlife. We have been talking about taking a tour of the south east of Oregon. It's on the bucket list, which is growing longer as each day goes by. Enjoy the rest of your week Sallie :)
Posted by: DeniseinVA | June 23, 2021 at 09:26 AM
Lovely, huge skies that you can get lost in!
Posted by: Lady Fi | June 22, 2021 at 10:57 PM
What an amazing journey! Glad you had a great time. Sallie.
Loving your beautiful photos as always.
Posted by: Veronica Lee | June 22, 2021 at 09:14 PM
When you see the big lakes it's hard to believe the not so far away high desert. Great byways and back roads.
Posted by: Gaelyn | June 22, 2021 at 07:17 PM
...a part of Oregon that I have never seen, thanks!
Posted by: tomthebackroadstraveller | June 22, 2021 at 06:19 PM
One of my best friends from Bangkok returned to Portland Oregon, so this has been really interesting for me. I certainly had no idea how vast it was. One day I hope to come visit and do this same road trip as you!
Have a lovely week.
Wren x
Posted by: Little Wandering Wren | June 22, 2021 at 07:53 AM
Hi! Visiting from Our World Tuesday.
These are great photos.
I especially like the cattle roundup and the striking contrast of terrain in the different areas of Oregon.
Posted by: The Literary Lioness | June 22, 2021 at 07:37 AM
What a lovely trip, and the photos are delightful to show the region at best. I am glad it was so enjoyable. (Apologies for little to show from me just now.)🌞
.
Posted by: Hazel | June 22, 2021 at 07:21 AM
Hi, it is such a beautiful country, makes you feel small, don´t it? That is actually a feeling I like. When nature is so vast and still untuched.
And what wonderful birdlife you found.
Crater Lake is beutiful!
Take care! And thanks for sharing.
Posted by: NatureFootstep | June 22, 2021 at 04:34 AM
So wonderful! Wish we could travel again, also.
Thank you for sharing this, it´s like a mini-vacation :-)
Posted by: Iris Flavia | June 22, 2021 at 02:53 AM
The two lakes are lovely but it is worrying about all the dryness and lack of water generally. Oregon to me is the west coast and the sea slapping dramatically and beautifully along the shoreline. This post is a reminder that there is much more to the state and the state of our planet.
Posted by: Penelope Notes | June 22, 2021 at 02:24 AM
Interesting post. The lakes are beautiful.
Posted by: Linda W | June 21, 2021 at 09:36 PM
Your first photo and that last photo are stunning. Such an interesting area of Oregon. Looks like the perfect time to visit Crater Lake. I didn't realize that Crater Lake was the only National Park in Oregon. That was some different kind of traffic to encounter for sure. Glad you could take this trip!
Posted by: ellen b. | June 21, 2021 at 09:22 PM
So great to live in such a diverse state. Similar to Washington with a vastly different Western side and Eastern side. Love them both
MB
Posted by: MaryBeth Schwartz | June 21, 2021 at 08:14 PM
Oregon sounds like a great place to explore. I have only been there briefly, and hope to return some day.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Posted by: mae | June 21, 2021 at 08:13 PM
Siempre quise conocer Oregon geniales fotografias . Te mando un beso
Posted by: Citu | June 21, 2021 at 07:51 PM
Amazing place. Great post.
Posted by: rupam { xhobdo} | June 21, 2021 at 06:34 PM
Looks like a great trip you had a great trip with lots of beautiful images, Sallie. We visited Oregon on our cross country trip 3 years ago and made it a point to go to Crater Lake for the reasons you stated here. It was a beautiful site. Thanks for bringing back a happy memory.
Posted by: Beatrice | June 21, 2021 at 04:45 PM
Wow! ~ Amazing vastness ~ and cattle walking down the road ~ found that in Ireland too but with goats ~ much smaller than cattle gratefully ~ Gorgeous country and photos, Sally Xo
Live in the moment,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Posted by: A ShutterBug Explores | June 21, 2021 at 03:22 PM
Looks like you had a wonderful trip. Crater Lake is beautiful and one place that we visited years ago. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos from this adventure. Have a great week.
Posted by: bill burke | June 21, 2021 at 02:53 PM
What a serene place, love it.
Posted by: Bob Bushell | June 21, 2021 at 01:06 PM
Lots and lots of open country in Oregon it looks like. I've only been to the coast. The area you were in is more like the west that I grew up in. Lots and lots of cows.
Posted by: Alan | June 21, 2021 at 12:24 PM
Thank you for the background info on Oregan. I had no idea it was so big. I cannot think of anywhere in the UK where you would see vast spaces like that. I wouldn't have been happy about the cows though! The lakes look beautiful. Look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Posted by: Fun60 | June 21, 2021 at 12:16 PM
Hi Sallie
It is amazing for me to see so much open undeveloped space because I still see Colorado in a development boom where such areas are fast disappearing. Water rights have always been a stressful situation in the west. I doubt it will be resolved any time soon with the continued drought and overdevelopment. Colorado's western slope is in extreme drought and affects so many other states because the Colorado River is low. W e have yet to visit Oregon and it is definitely on our list of places we want to see!
Posted by: Pat | June 21, 2021 at 10:50 AM
Great to read your posts once again! Sounds (and looks like) a great trip. Great pictures.
Posted by: Sharon | June 21, 2021 at 08:57 AM
Hi Sallie :) The photos are beautiful, what a nice trip! That Crater Lake...wow. how blue that water is, it's just gorgeous! Vast is right!
Posted by: Rain Frances | June 21, 2021 at 07:23 AM
Welcome back Sallie. Gorgeous photos, Of course it's nothing like what I'm used to seeing here in Florida. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Crescent Lake sure is beautiful!
Posted by: Martha | June 21, 2021 at 07:18 AM
I love seeing Crater Lake. There sure is a lot of beauty in those wide open spaces. Fewer people? Sounds perfect for me! Enjoy your week! It's HOT and humid here. Surprised? heehee!
Posted by: Lavender Dreams | June 21, 2021 at 06:22 AM
HI Sallie, welcome back. I really enjoyed your post, Oregon is an awesome place so diverse as you said. I did cover pretty much each region when I visited but it's been way too long ago.
Look forward to the rest of your trip posts. TC
Posted by: Sondra | June 21, 2021 at 05:32 AM
I really enjoyed this post, Sallie. It's a whole different world than my wetland.
We watched Nomadland, which me some sense of it. So different to travel with amenities, and money.
Posted by: Jennifer Jilks | June 21, 2021 at 03:56 AM
Hello, Sallie
Sounds like you had an awesome road trip, 1,700 miles is a lot of miles and countryside. It is interesting to see the eastern side of Oregon, I have only been on the coast and along the Columbia river area. The wildlife refuge sightings look great, I love the Stilt and Avocets. The view of the lake is gorgeous. Take care, have a happy new week!
Posted by: Eileen | June 21, 2021 at 03:43 AM
Happy Monday. Lovely photos and mosaics. I am at #11 onthelinky today
Much💛love
Posted by: Gillena Cox | June 21, 2021 at 03:23 AM
Happy to read you again, Sallie, and to know your trip was beautiful and interesting ! Space : it's the big difference between US and Europe : we have no space. Sometimes its not space at all, like in Netherlands, sometimes it's a little space, like in France. But we never can seen those big skies and lands. Have a nice week !
Posted by: Annie | June 20, 2021 at 10:01 PM
Sallie - you already know that I love wide open spaces, so these pictures got right to me! The sky photo with the blue clouds is very special. Your comment about water was interesting given what is going on in the West these days - Lake Mead at record low levels, etc. Loved your pictures of the cows. When we first moved to Montana, I was fascinated to learn that if you want to keep cattle out of your property, it is your responsibility to put up fences!!! Crater Lake is stunning! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
Posted by: Angie | June 20, 2021 at 09:46 PM
Western states like Montana are the exact description of vast I think. Beautiful photos today.
Posted by: Caro | June 20, 2021 at 03:14 PM