Road Trip 2012: Monday 10/8

300 miles, and camped back in Cory's driveway in Roseburg, Oregon

La Pine State Park to Smith Rock State Park to Roseburg

We woke this morning to 18 degree temperatures.  Yikes.  No wonder the furnace ran a lot during the night.  That's the high desert for you, warm days and cold nights.  We head out just about 8:00 AM.  We decided to take the Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway on the way to Bend, and eventually Smith Rock State Park.

For much of the way, the route follows the Deschutes River, the same river that runs through La Pine State Park.  The highway travels through pine forests, and offers stunning views of the Three Sisters Mountains.  Most of the mountains in this region are of volcanic origin, and lava flows and ash deposits are common sights.  We stopped several times let the dogs run.

Ponderosa Pine forests, with South Sister Mountain in view.

South Sister Mountain.

Another view of South Sister Mountain.

The scenic highway ends in Bend, Oregon.    Bend is another one of these bicycle and dog friendly cities found through out the northwest.  Bend is located on the Deschutes River, and hosts several microbreweries, none of which we had time to visit.  :-(

We arrived at Smith Rock State Park about 11:00.  By now the temperatures had warmed to a pleasant 70 degrees.  Smith Rock State Park is a beautiful collection of rock formations and is considered the birthplace of sport climbing.  Cory has come here to climb on occasion.  The Crooked River meanders through the park.  We ended up hiking about four miles on various trails.

We left Smith Rock about 1:00, and stopped at the Cascade Lakes Brewing Company in Redmond for lunch.  After a brew and snacks, we headed back to Roseburg, via Eugene.  From Redmond, we took the Mckenzie Pass Highway.  What a road!  It is a slow, winding road that passes over the Cascade Mountain Range and through lava fields with breathtaking views.

We arrived back at Cory's house about 6:00.  Molly showed up with pizza, and we spent the evening eating pizza, sampling wine, and viewing old travel photos on my computer.  It was a great day!!