High Desert Museum, Bend, OR

The museum has very informative indoor displays,

outdoor attractions,

great sculptures,

and a live owl demonstration.

Deschutes River Trail Hike

We hiked along the Deschutes River from Dillon Falls to Lava Island during a recent visit to Bend.

Some parts of the river are placid while others include white water.

I was surprised to see lava on the east side of the river, from the Newberry Volcano.

A very nice morning hike.

Smith Rock State Park: Reflections

Smith Rock State Park: Rock Climbers

Can you spot the people? One is at the saddle and two are on a peak at the upper left. Close-ups are below.

No, we didn't go up there.

Smith Rock State Park: River Trail

We hiked the River Trail, shown at the lower right.

The river follows a valley hidden from view at the beginning of the trail.

We turned around here, somewhat surprised that we could have eventually circled the rocks.

Heading back to the bridge over the Crooked River.

Smith Rock State Park: Wolf Tree Trail

We descended down to the Crooked River from the parking lot and turned north on the Wolf Tree Trail.

The rock formations were amazing,

as were the views along the river.

Smith Rock State Park: the Vista

Words almost fail me when I try to describe my awe the first time I saw this vista three years ago. I have been to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite and I feel this place is every bit as awesome as those are.

We had only gaped at the view then as we were visiting all the wonders of Oregon. Now, we were spending the morning hiking through the scenic canyon.