We left foggy, cool, breezy Newport, OR yesterday afternoon, drove 200 miles east and south, and arrived at LaPine State park just south of Bend, Oregon. It was in the mid 90s when we got here about 3:30 p.m.-- quite a shocker after being chilly.
Then this morning about 6 a.m. our heater kicked on. When I got up to shut it off, the temperature gauge inside the rig read 53 degrees. Welcome back to the high desert.
LaPine is a big park in a flat, heavily forested part of the state. When Jim worked for the Oregon Department of Forestry, he fought fires northeast of LaPine (near Sisters, Oregon) and said fire fighting is a little easier here because the flatness and lack of under forest (heavy shrubs and bushes) provides good visibility.
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| The Upper Deschutes River, about a quarter mile from our camp site. |
Despite, my legendary knowledge of Oregon, (Geographical, Historical and Current Events) I had no idea where Bend, Oregon was. Fortuitously, since I've been reading your blog, I've kept the Rand McNally road atlas beside my computer. There it was, right in the middle of the state. Who knew? I do hope, while you are there, you'll find out wherever they came up with such a senseless name for their town. I'm sure there is going to some river that runs through town that "bends". But honestly, what river doesn't? Why can't they just use normal names like we do in Ohio. Don't think you can find anything to criticize about Wellington or Lancaster. Or what about those towns with great and meaningful names like Shade, Roundhead, and Seventeen. I think Oregon has a lot it could learn from Ohio. Hope your visit to Bend was both inflating and informative.
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