Oregon Territory

Benham Falls

Gordon and Debby — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:12:13 +0000

Benham Falls is located on the Deschutes River several miles south of Bend, Oregon.

Dramatic Sahalie Falls

Gordon and Debby — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:36:53 +0000

Spectacular 120-foot high falls on the upper McKenzie River, in west central Oregon, about an hour from our home. There are scores of beautiful waterfalls in Oregon, where there is of course plenty of rain to nourish them!

Tranquil Metolius River Scene

Gordon and Debby — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:30:21 +0000

A mellow place along the banks of the beautiful Metolius River at the eastern foot of the Cascade Mountains near Bend in Central Oregon. Gordon has a long history with this river and it’s one of our favorite places anywhere.

Three Sisters Mountains

Gordon and Debby — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:52:00 +0000

The beautiful 3 Sisters Mountains (the third one is hidden at this angle) are among several currently dormant volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range, near our Bend home.

Smith Rock State Park

Gordon and Debby — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:21:00 +0000

Central Oregon’s breathtaking Smith Rock State Park, a popular rock climbing and sightseeing location 40 minutes north of Bend.

Upper Rogue River Gorge

Gordon and Debby — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 19:20:00 +0000

About 2 hours south of Bend is the incredible Upper Rogue River Gorge, many thousands of water per second pounding its way through this narrow gorge cut through volcanic rock.

Picturesque Oregon Coast

Gordon and Debby — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:57:00 +0000

The dramatic Oregon coast; this view is taken from near the picturesque Yaquina Head Lighthouse, just north of the harbor town of Newport. It seems views like this are practically around every bend on Highway 101.

Awe-Inspiring Crater Lake

Gordon and Debby — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:10:00 +0000

Awesome Crater Lake truly is truly a natural wonder; one of the clearest, deepest and bluest lakes in the world. A must see on any visit to Oregon, it’s up to 2000 feet deep and fills much of the caldera of an enormous volcano. Most of Crater Lake National Park is near or above 7000 feet elevation and is closed in winter, so you’ll want to plan your visit between late spring and early fall. Note: The road to the top from the north entrance is not for the faint-of-heart driver; enter from the south for a more relaxing trip to the lodge on the rim.

Upper Rogue River Gorge

Gordon and Debby — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 21:08:00 +0000

The upper Rogue River of southern Oregon thunders at the rate of 400,000 gallons of water per minute through a deep gorge as narrow as 25 feet (upper photo). The gorge is cut through relatively young lava laid down about 7000 years ago by the mammoth eruption of Mt. Mazama, which also resulted in the creation of breathtaking Crater Lake. In the lower picture, the river emerges from a cave at the end of a several hundred foot long lava tube, forming a natural land bridge.

McKenzie River Volcanic Area

Gordon and Debby — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 23:54:00 +0000

The McKenzie River Scenic Highway’s National Volcanic Monument provides a stark testiment to the Cascade volcanoes which formed much of central Oregon. These lava beds are about 13,000 years old and include flows from the Three Sisters and neighboring mountains. The top picture shows, well, a whole lot of lava, as well as a few scraggly trees that have managed to grow in the many centuries since. Two of the Sisters are shown in the middle photo. The lower photo shows the stone overlook at the Monument, which includes a paved 3/4-mile walking trail through the lava fields. This highway and monument are closed in winter due to snow, so you’ll want to visit preferably sometime between May and October.