Saying Goodbye (for now) to Oregon

Before I say anything else, I want to express our deep compassion for all who  have suffered losses from Helene and Milton.  May you find the strength to recover and rebuild.  We are happy to do anything we can to help when we return. 

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We've spent the last few weeks in and around Bend after reluctantly leaving the Oregon coast.  A local resident warned us that "the rain starts around October 15" and he proved likely correct as we looked at the approaching forecast.

Our last two weeks on the coast were spent near Florence, Oregon, another nice small city on a harbor.  The beaches here were guarded by huge dunes that stretched south for 40 miles--the largest temperate coastal dune area in North America and one of the largest in the world.  The dunes made it challenging to get our bikes over to the beaches, but we did manage to do a few rides nearby.

We found some wonderful hikes in the area that included amazing lighthouse settings, old-growth forests, wide beaches littered with driftwood logs and dramatic coastal vistas. We are determined to return to the Oregon coast to continue our exploration, maybe even on next year's trip.

The Oregon coastal forests are lush and majestic

The trail up from Hobbit Beach

Heceta Head

Heceta Head Lighthouse

We even got our first lifetime view of the Aurora Borealis one dark night!

Back in Bend for our last few weeks in Oregon, we spent it with our family and exploring some of the beautiful scenery around this high desert city.  Fall colors were at their peak and being here brought some fond memories of the beautiful autumns we experienced in New England.  Bend is located on the high desert just east of the Cascade mountains and has the substantial Deschutes River flowing through the center of town.  The area has much evidence of volcanic activity and recreational opportunities galore.  Our son and his wife love living here.

Fall color on the Deschutes River

The Deschutes River with a lava flow in the background

Smith Rock State Park

The Crooked River flowing by Smith Rock

This lava flow is called the Big Obsidian Flow and occurred as recently as 700 years ago

A hot spring caps off the hike along Paulina Lake

The scenes here were all within 10 to  50 minutes' drive from Bend and we barely scratched the surface of what is available.  We will for sure be back!

Well, that caps off our Summer 2024 travels and, after a week or so in the SF Bay Area visiting family, we will be returning (by plane) to Tampa and our beloved community at FCM.  Thank you for following our journey and I hope it has been entertaining and inspiring to see the beauty of the natural world in our country.