Oregon

Getting closer to home now. Continuing along US Route 20 we ended up in Burns for the night. Timing was right, but the RV park not so much. The town is small and stuck in time – the grocery store was not very well stocked, and the RV Park, despite the rave reviews, was sorely in need of TLC. I did a couple loads of laundry and then waited for the washroom to be cleaned before showering – the same grime and a hair elastic were still in the stall from when we arrived, and while showering a tiny toad joined me from under the shower mat. I checked out the newer facility at the other end and it was also so-so. They will not be getting a good review.

From you-tubes we have seen we wanted to check out Bend, OR. Arriving in town we realized it is way bigger than we both had thought. We will have to go back and check the videos to see where the attractions are. Too early to stop for the night, we found a park in town called Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint. There is a road and trails up to the top of the butte which overlooks the town with 360 views. We walked up a path, which then took to the road the rest of the way. It winds around the butte on its way up and it was a good workout.

Not far along we came to the town of Sisters, with a much more cottage like vibe and very busy town. We stopped to check out the Creekside campground, but it did not appeal as the sites were not private or well spaced. From Sisters the Hwy climbs into the Willamette National Forest. Finally forest and trees! A welcome change. We saw a dispersed camping area and decided to stay the night at Indian Ford. There were only two other campers. The sites are all very large, mostly level, and well spaced. It was very dry and dusty, but we had a quiet night.

The Hwy through the National Forest is narrow and curvy – at two junctions there is a warning limiting vehicles over certain length to take another route due to tight curves.

Back to the ocean, my happy place, we stayed at Beverly Beach State Park for three nights. Conveniently located close to Newport for shopping etc., it is a large campground with seven loops. We stayed in loop C-07 with full hook ups. There is an office with small store, and a sani-dump on site as well. From our site we had a short walk under the highway to the day-use area and the ocean, where we were happy to see Cedar could run free.