Oregon Archives

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Mom – June 2017

Outdoor Mom – June 2017

What a month! We’re still getting acquainted with our new habitat and the weather here in Central Oregon. June started out feeling like early spring to me…cold at night, a few gray days, sprinkles, and the beginning of the wildflower season.

As I was looking at our photos from the first week in June, it seems so long ago! The brittlebush was the predominant flower we saw along the roadsides. There were a few other flowers like the pussypaws and a bit of yarrow.

Now the roads are lined with lupine, daisies, yarrow, and penstemon. We found an awesome patch of river lupine on a walk this last week. There were whole fields full of purple spikes so tall they looked artificial. I could’ve taken a hundred photos! (Make sure to look at our Lupine Nature Study Challenge.)

I can’t describe the feeling of waking up every morning now to a new day. I am eager to throw open the blinds to see what is out on the horizon. Is it a misty morning over the river? Are there deer or elk in the yard? Is it a golden sunrise? Each day has its own gift.

We walk every day in our new neighborhood. My favorite is the sunset walks down behind the house at the river. Over the past month, the grasses have grown from ankle high to pretty much waist high! We can barely see our Labrador as she walks through the grass. The sound of birdsong is a constant feature and I’m trying not to tune it out into the background.

We have a weekly routine of going to Sunriver for a walk and a “date”. It could be a cup of coffee or a lunch on the patio of one of the restaurants or a visit to the nature center. It is all such fun. There are so many walking and biking trails throughout the area that we’ll be hard pressed to walk each section before the summer is over but we’re going to cover as much as we can. This coming weekend I am going to Sunriver for the Central Oregon Wildflower Show! I may try to do an Instagram Live session if possible.

We have been hiking up at Newberry Volcanic National Monument. We drove up to Paulina Falls and then hiked up to Paulina Lake. It was a really warm day but the sound of falling water and the shady forest trail made it so enjoyable. We did some investigating while we were up there and now have a short list of places to hike and a kayak trip planned.

We spend a lot of time in our yard as we see it transforming rather quickly from winter to summer. We are nurturing the rock garden and adding a few new things as we discover what will actually grow in our garden zone. I pretty much find plants that say they are hardy to -20 degrees and figure that should be good enough.

Now that July is upon us, I am anticipating a big trip back east. I was just sent some links to hikes we will be doing in the Hudson Valley of New York and we have a trip to Niagara Falls planned too! As much as I want to go, I am sort of feeling like I would like to stay home to experience a complete July summer in Oregon. I guess that shows I’m beginning to feel more at home here. My husband will be in Oregon and I will have him document the weeks that I’m gone so I can at least see what I’m missing.

I hope you’re having a great summer so far and I look forward to hearing how your outdoor activities have enriched your life.

OHC Wildflower Set 2 @handbookofnaturestudy — Ultimate and Journey Level members can click this graphic to go directly to the library to download a copy of this new ebook. Make sure you are logged in and if you are having trouble with your password, please leave me a comment or send me a direct email to receive my assistance. Email: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com

How Do You Join?

Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Barb — 4 Comments

June 2017 Bird Observations

Moving to a new habitat has renewed my desire to learn more about birds. I now live right on a river that has a grassy meadow that leads up to my house. I also live on the edge of a pine forest and at a high altitude. In addition, I live in a place where I will see migratory birds that will only visit for brief periods of time or for a whole season.

It’s a whole new birding world here in Central Oregon.

I have been keeping track of the many birds that visit my yard or fly overhead during the past month and a half. It can be such a distraction to spot a new bird and feel the impulse to drop everything to grab my binoculars and field guide. But, this is part of the reason we moved here; to have our love of nature stimulated again with new and exciting nature experiences.

The people who lived in our house before us were birders as well so they had their binoculars and field guide at the window when we came to view the house. They also had a seed feeder and a hummingbird feeder set up in the backyard which made my heart happy. We have since added three more seed feeders (two sunflower and one nyjer seed), a suet feeder, an additional hummingbird feeder and two bird baths to the yard.

This list is in no way a list of EVERY bird we have had visit our yard. A few of the birds I am struggling with identifying and if I happen to capture a good image, I will share the photos in the hope that someone will know what they are and tell me.

May and June 2017 – First Bird List from Oregon!

Black-headed grosbeak
Mourning doves
Canada goose
Brewer’s blackbird
Red-wing blackbird
Tree swallow
Cliff swallow
Mountain chickadee
American robin
Mallard duck
Osprey
House finches
Northern flicker
Steller’s jay
Common raven
Turkey vulture
Great blue heron
Red-breasted sapsucker
Rufous hummingbird
Bull bat (common nighthawk) – heard early morning

You may be interested in reading this entry about keeping a bird “life list”. There are several suggestions for your family to get started with this satisfying project: Keeping a Bird Life List. It has a free printable list!

If you are looking for a fantastic set of bird notebooking pages that includes all of the birds in the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford-Comstock, this is THE product to have on hand.

I have used these pages with my children and in my own nature journal over the years. Please note that I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com and will receive a small commission if you purchase any of their products. I highly recommend this set for your bird nature study. In fact, they go perfectly with my new Learning About Birds ebook challenges!

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Journal Examples – June 2017

Weekly Nature Journal Project

June 2017

I’m trying to keep up my nature journal page a week goal and some weeks it is not easy. This time of year I am spending lots of time outdoors both having adventures and working in the yard. I struggle to make myself sit down and actually pull out the nature journal. But once I have it out, I am eager to make a page. Discipline!

This was actually done on the last day of May but it didn’t make the May blog entry. I created this as a follow up for the Poppies and Buttercups Outdoor Hour Challenge. We have plenty of buttercups in our backyard to observe so this was part of my learning more about the things we have right outside our back door. I am a huge fan of learning as much as you can about your local area’s plants and animals. Since moving, I have a lot to learn!

As part of my on-going self-education, I am learning about plants according to their plant family. I created a page for the pea family this month and listed the outstanding features of plants in this family as well as a list of plants I have seen in the past and want to look for in the future.

Wildflowers seem to be a focus for me right now as I explore my new habitat. Three flowers made it into the journal this week: Silverleaf phacelia, Meadow forget-me-not, and Rosy pussytoes. They are all so pretty in real life.

I keep a spiral notebook with pretty much daily notes that record anything I observe of interest. This month I decided to put the highlights from those notes on a recap page in my actual nature journal, first crating colored boxes for some visual appeal.

Some of the page ideas this month can be found on my Once a Month Nature Journal Project Pinterest Board. Pop over and get some inspiration!

Don’t forget that I am sharing a nature journal page each week on my Instagram account if you want to see the pages as they unfold. Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. And, if you want to create a page and share it on your Instagram for me to see, use the hashtag #OHCnaturejournal

Please note that I am an affiliate for NotebookingPages.com. I have used these pages with my own family over many years. They are truly a simple way to get those nature journal pages done!

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Smith Rock State Park – Tips and Images

Smith Rock State Park

Terrebonne, Oregon

This is an amazing place to visit if you’re ever in the Bend, Oregon area. We had a free day when our daughter was visiting from New York and we were searching for a place to do some day hiking. Smith Rock State Park isn’t far from our new house so we packed up some lunches and water and set off fairly early on a Saturday morning. The weather was sunny and warm so lots of other people had the same idea of getting outside to enjoy the day.

The parking lot was nearly full but we did manage to score a slot in the grassy area. There is a day use fee of $5 that you can pay at the self-serve station in the parking area.

Here is a link to the home page for Smith Rock State Park.

We visited the information center before choosing our hike. We were hoping to find a trail that took us along the river and where we could get a good look at the canyon. The ranger showed us just the right trail! You can check out the brochure before visiting: Climbing and Trail Guide.

Not only did we hike down to the river and then alongside it, we were able to see a lot of people rock climbing just off the path. According to the website and brochure, there are over 1,000 climbing routes at Smith Rock. We observed people of all ages climbing up the steep rocks using ropes. I’m not at all interested in rock climbing but it was a treat to stop a few times and watch the truly amazing things people can accomplish as they spider their way up the rocks.

Smith Rock State Park @handbookofnaturestudy — Flax

I love wildflowers and now that we are in our new habitat, I can start learning about the flowers that are found here. The flower above is Lewis flax. Isn’t it an amazing color? Since spying this at Smith Rock, I realized there is a patch just around the corner from my house so I’ve been better able to study it up close since this initial discovery.

It was actually quite warm in the sun as we hiked but the sound of water in the river made it much more bearable. Our dog took several opportunities to jump in and swim to cool off.

We had a picnic sitting on a rock when we found a viewpoint about a mile and a half down the trail. We watched a duck pair and their babies as they paddled in a small eddy along the river. Earlier we were able to get a good look at an eagle, its nest and its baby. There was a ranger with a spotting scope that shared this incredible sight with us. He was there all day…we know because we saw him on the way in and then on our way back. What a great opportunity for so many hikers to see the eagles thanks to this patient ranger.

We all declared this a fantastic hike and we look forward to doing it again soon! My daughter even said it’s in her top favorite places to hike now, which made me so glad that we made the effort to get out and do this hike together.

I love living in Oregon!

You can read more about our Oregon State Park adventures in this entry:

Oregon State Parks – Diverse and Beautiful

Posts from Other Oregon Parks

Harris Beach State Park
Harris Beach State Park – Tidepools of Wonder
Oregon Coast Trail
Nature Study is Not a Drill (featuring Oregon Coast nature study)
Southern Oregon Beaches (featuring several state parks)
Crater Lake National Park (not a state park but a destination in Oregon)

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Nature Journal Examples – May 2017

Weekly Nature Journal Project

May 2017

It was a mad rush at the end of April and the beginning of May to get our house packed up and ready to move 450 miles north to our new Oregon river house. I made time to purposefully enjoy our California yard those last few days. It was important to me to write some last thoughts about the amazing front yard habitat we had built to encourage wildlife even in our small little space.

This is the two page spread I completed to put those memories in my nature journal.

We had four days of being homeless and we spent those days at La Pine State Park camping. It was a fun family time that made the page special as I recorded some of the highlights of those few days together at the Deschutes River.

At last we were in the new house! The house feature that stops everyone in their tracks is the rather large window looking from the family room out to the river… the view! It was a perfect first Oregon river house page.

There are many birds to observe and learn about in our new place. The first bird to make it in my nature journal is the tree swallow. It has quickly become a new favorite bird as it swoops and glides right by my windows in search of flying insects to eat. I have been caught just standing and watching the swallows when I should have been doing something else but I can’t help it. They are so beautiful and graceful.

I love keeping my memories in my nature journal.

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom – May 2017

Outdoor Mom – May 2017

Are you ready for my first Outdoor Mom journal entry from our new home in Oregon? This place is amazing! We had a period of time that we had to be “homeless” as we transitioned from living in our old home until we moved into the new one so we took advantage of those few days by going camping with two of our older children. The weather was perfect and we hiked a bit and had some awesome evening campfires. It was so very relaxing after a whirlwind of packing and transporting our household 450 miles.

Now that we’re settling into the new place, we realize how much wildlife we have living all around us. The most notable animals are the Rocky Mountain elk that graze in the land right behind ours. They make their way slowly by our fence line both at dawn and dusk. So far the largest group we observed was eight elk. Last night, one of the elk was brave enough to jump our fence and eat at the birdfeeder. What a treat to see these magnificent mammals close up!

We have enjoyed the early morning birdsong and many mornings there is a swirling mist rising up over the river. I wake up now and jump out of bed to look out the window to see what there is to see. I let my dog outside early this morning and a few minutes later I spied her sitting at the fence watching a group of four elk. She just sat and watched, sniffing the air. It made me laugh….I can only imagine what the Kona dog was thinking.

I have started a bird list, adding each bird as it makes its appearance. I have a pair of binoculars at the ready near the window just in case a new bird decides to visit the yard. It’s going to be a fun summer of bird watching and learning my waterfowl for this area of Oregon. I think I’m up to the challenge.

I have a really nice neighborhood for walking. It is a flat mile if I walk in a loop. As I walk, I’m making mental notes of any plant emerging that looks like it may be a wildflower. It is still very early spring here and many of the trees are just getting their leaves. I am hoping to learn my Oregon wildflowers one flower at a time, just like I did in California when I first started out with nature study with my children. I realized already that I need new field guides and a really good hiking guide book. I will be researching them on Amazon over the next month or two.

We took our first hike since moving at Smith Rock State Park. My daughter was with us which made everything more fun. I will share more about this awesome place in a future post.

Well hopefully you’ve had a great month of nature time as well. Share a comment or a link to your blog entry if you want me to pop over and take a look!

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Tumalo State Park – Oregon: Tips and Images

Central Oregon is our favorite new place to explore. Our trip last August (and this entry: Oregon State Parks) made us anxious to return and we made it happen in October 2016. We pulled our travel trailer and enjoyed staying in both La Pine State Park and in Tumalo State Park. The season was winding down for the campground at Tumalo but it was still a full house every night we were there. In the autumn the campground has only one loop open so we were happy to score a spot even for three nights.

The park is not far off Hwy 20 (just off Hwy 97 which is the main road going north/south from Klamath Falls to The Dalles at the Columbia River. It is also not very far from downtown Bend, Oregon. In fact, its location makes it the perfect spot to explore Central Oregon, the Deschutes River, the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway and more.

There is a large expanse of lawn and many picnic tables in the day use area that is situated right alongside the river. I can imagine this is a hopping park in the summer because of the easy access to the water and hiking trails. There is also a swimming area and fishing for trout is also noted in their brochure.

The campsites are ample in size and not too close together…just what we like. There is a picnic table and campfire ring in each site. There are showers and restrooms on every loop.

We spent parts of each day on foot as we walked along the trail first up river and then down river. This time of year it was very quiet and we saw very few other hikers. It was peaceful and gorgeous.

The views of the surrounding mountains was amazing and the terrain was interesting with rocks, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers to keep us entertained. Most of the trees were junipers like you see in the image above. I loved the blue berries!

The weather was conducive to being outside most of the week we were there and we took advantage of it. We had been in Eugene, Oregon right before this and it never stopped raining the whole time we were there. Sunshine and warmer temperatures made Tumalo a great experience!

Tumalo Falls is a short drive ( about 15 miles southwest of the state park). Be aware that it only open seasonally and there can be limited parking during busy months. In October, we had no trouble with either parking or crowds. The weather was a little misty for the short walk to the falls viewpoint and then another about a quarter mile hike up to the top of the falls for a different perspective. I highly recommend hiking up to the top.

There are many trails taking off from this same parking lot up river to see more waterfalls. Make sure to consult a good map (I tried to find one online but wasn’t successful).

Other Tips:

Tumalo State Park campground has yurts to rent if you don’t want to haul around your camping equipment.There are universal access campsites for reservations as well. Use the website to reserve your spot in advance which I highly recommend doing at this popular campground.
There is a day use fee both at the state park and in season at Tumalo Falls parking lot.

At Tumalo Falls parking lot there is a restroom and several picnic tables.
The last couple of miles to the Tumalo Falls parking lot are all gravel.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (California)
Devils Postpile National Monument (California)
Oregon State Parks – La Pine, Silver Falls, South Beach, Jessie M. Honeyman, Valley of the Rogue (Oregon)
Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)
Tumalo State Park (Oregon)

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Posted on November 23, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Newberry National Volcanic Monument – Tips and Images

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

We were visiting the Bend, Oregon area and on a whim we decided to explore the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We looked up on the internet and saw that the Lava Lands visitor center (just off Hwy 97) opened at 10 AM so we made our way there just after they opened. (Their season ends on 10/31 and they open again 5/1.)

It was a rather small center but the volunteer docent that was working that morning gave us the pertinent details to make our trip educational and enjoyable. It was a big help! It is always amazing to me how learning from someone who is passionate about something makes it twice as interesting. He made the information practical and knew just how much detail to go into as he explained what we would see and what we could experience.

We started off by driving up to the top of the Lava Butte in our car. You are required to have a car pass at this time of year but in high season you need to ride the free shuttle to the top because of limited parking. There is a short trail that takes you around the crater’s rim and you can visit the working fire lookout. We were intrigued by the red road that wound its way up to the top of the butte.

It was sunny but near freezing temperatures the day we visited so we bundled up before our hike. The views of the surrounding landscape and volcanoes and peaks was awesome. After the wonderful explanation by the docent at the visitor center, we could recognize the natural features he had shared with us using the model.

Here is a view as we drove up the road and looked towards the Cascades.

Our next stop was to drive the short distance to the Benham Falls parking lot. These were not really “falls” but rather a series of rapids in the river. It was a really nice day for a hike so we enjoyed just seeing something new.

On this day, we had the trail and river to ourselves. Besides the solitude, I think my favorite thing about this hike was the peaceful river and the volcanic rocks. If we have packed a lunch, we would have hiked further but we will have to do that another time.

For a spur of the moment trip, this turned out to be a very enjoyable day.

Things we need to do on subsequent visits:

Visit the Lava Cast Forest.
Visit Paulina Lake and Paulina Falls.
Ride bikes on the multi use trail.
Visit the Obsidian Flow Trail.

Tips:

There is an entrance fee. If you hold an annual pass from the national park service, this will get you in!
Check the website for the visitor center hours before you visit.
Restrooms at the visitor center.
Closest towns are La Pine and Sunriver.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (California)
Devils Postpile National Monument (California)
Oregon State Parks – La Pine, Silver Falls, South Beach, Jessie M. Honeyman, Valley of the Rogue (Oregon)
Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – October 2016

“Bright yellow, red, and orange,
The leaves come down in hosts;
The trees are Indian Princes,
But soon they’ll turn to ghosts;
The scanty pears and apples
Hand russet on the bough;
It’s autumn, autumn, autumn late,
T’will soon be winter now!”
Allingham

I think October is a very surprising month. It never is the same from year to year as far as weather and mood. October 2016 has been another busy outdoor month in our family because the weather has been fairly mild with some rain but all of that at once over the course of a weekend. This allowed for getting out and experiencing a little fall color in our area.

During the first week of the month, a friend and I hopped in the car on a bright sunny day to take a drive up in the high country and look for some pretty trees. There were some aspens with golden yellow color but not as many as usual. I think our “normal” is changing along with our weather patterns. Still, it was a wonderful outing and we were able to fit in a nice day hike up at Lake Tahoe.

Then, mid-October, we took off in our truck and trailer to visit Oregon again. We had some places to check out and friends to meet up with so although the weather wasn’t ideal for being outdoors the whole time we were in Oregon, we did manage to sneak in a few hikes along the various rivers. Our first few nights we stayed in the Eugene, Oregon area along the McKenzie River.

We camped at Tumalo State Park in Bend, Oregon...a new favorite spot! The camping was so enjoyable even with sprinkles from time time. The hiking along the Deschutes River was peaceful and we went in both directions along the river’s edge starting from the bridge at the campground. There is a wonderful day use area at this state park too and I imagine in the summer it is a busy place! But in October it was empty and quiet.

We also strolled along the Deschutes River right in the town of Bend at Drake Park and Mirror Pond. This particular autumn day was colorful with storybook houses along the riverbank and the snow capped mountains in the distance. Just perfect.

The high point of our trip was a hike to Tumalo Falls outside Bend. It was a misty morning but we still wanted to take advantage of our time in Bend by experiencing this popular hike to the top of the waterfall. The parking lot was empty when we arrived and we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We extended our hike up the trail paralleling Tumalo Creek. Amazing!

We were also able to squeeze in a visit to Newberry National Volcanic Monument. More about this in a future post!

Back at the homefront, our garden was starting to show signs of fading for the season. We did a big clean up before our Oregon trip and left just the few things that might produce a bit more (being hopeful).

Now begins the slow slide into winter here in my neck of the woods. This is the time of great activity in my yard, the leaf raking kind of work that just always seems to be calling me. Thank goodness I have two grown men in my house to help gather and dispose of the great heaps of leaf death. Sigh.

I miss the long autumn walks with my kids but they send me images of their autumns for me to enjoy.

Hudson Valley Hiking — Hudson Valley hiking October 2016-from my daughter

So what have you been up to this month? Join me here by commenting or leaving me a link to your blog entry.

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Barb — 3 Comments

Oregon State Parks – Diverse and Beautiful

This past August we took an awesome loop driving trip in the state of Oregon. We have slowly been exploring this beautiful state from the view of our truck and camping trailer. There are so many awesome campgrounds in Oregon and it truly is a great way to spend time as a family. In the past, we have camped on the Oregon coast with our boys. They love the ocean and that was our focus. We are no branching out into Central Oregon and Southern Oregon. In this entry I will share five of our Oregon State Park experiences.

Parks Included in this Entry:

La Pine State Park (near Bend, Oregon)
Silver Falls State Park (near Salem, Oregon)
South Beach State Park (near Newport, Oregon) + a mention of Brian Booth State Park
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park (near Florence, Oregon)
Valley of the Rogue State Park

La Pine State Park:

This state park along Hwy 97 is situated along the Deschutes River. There is a day use area with a small sandy beach with picnic tables and a restroom. We waded in the water on a hot summer afternoon but it was cold! There were some rafters pulling their boats out here and they had floated along the swiftly moving water before ending their day at La Pine.

The campground is made up of three loops and was full the whole time we were here. The South Loop had full hookups and was packed to the gills with trailers, families, bikes, and quite a bit of noise. We were very happy we were on the North Loop where the sites were larger and farther apart (no hook ups). We enjoyed walking the trails within the park and along the river, especially in the evening. There are yurts here to rent if you don’t have all the camping gear or want an easy vacation.

This area is full of interesting things to do like the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, the town of Sisters and Sunriver, the city of Bend, the High Desert Museum, and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Read more detailed information on their website: La Pine State Park, Oregon.

Silver Falls State Park

We read on the internet that Silver Falls State Park is the “crown jewel” of the Oregon Parks System. We hadn’t heard of it before so we did some research on their website and decided that a park that has hiking to ten different waterfalls was somewhere we definitely wanted to visit. It is a very busy park and we could only get two nights at the campground in August. Tip: Plan accordingly and book your campsite as far in advance as possible. The park itself is very pretty and has many tall trees alongside the creek. I highly recommend the 7.2 mile Canyon Trail to view all of the waterfalls. The park also has lots of wildflowers even in August.

There was a small cafe in this park, an off leash pet area, nature trail with a bird blind, and lots of fresh air and magnificent trees and waterfalls. The month of August is probably not the best time to see the falls at their peak but still very pretty.

Read more detailed information on their website: Silver Falls State Park.

South Beach State Park

On the coastal part of our loop trip, we opted to cut across to Lincoln City and then down to Newport. We had stayed at South Beach State Park before and loved it. This time the place was packed and it is a huge campground but we didn’t find it crowded or noisy. This is a pretty laid back atmosphere and with so much to do in the local area, we were happy to adventure out to see what outdoor fun we could find. I am not going to feature it in this entry but we took our kayaks for the day to Brian Booth State Park which is just south of Newport. It was the perfect sunny day to spend on the water at Beaver Creek and then out to the ocean in our kayak. I highly recommend it.

Newport is a wonderful spot to have as a home base for this part of the coast and South Beach State Park has walking and biking trails as well as beach and dune access. It is very convenient to town if you need picnic items or anything else. Oh, almost forgot! The Newport Aquarium is a favorite from our trip here a few years ago with our boys. Don’t miss it!

We went every morning for a long walk along the Old Bayfront in Newport. Sipping fresh roasted coffee, we would stand and watch the sea lions who were sleeping and playing on the floating docks. What a noisy bunch but so very entertaining!

The end of every day was spent on the accessible platform as the sun was setting. Like a postcard and what a memory!

Read more detailed information on their website: South Beach State Park, Oregon.

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park

Further down the Oregon Coast, most people come to this state park to visit the dunes. The dunes provide a playground for those that love their sand sports like riding in quads and sand rails. We are much more of a people powered adventure sort and loved the fact that there are two lakes to kayak on in Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park.

We spent one of the most enjoyable days ever kayaking on this lake but many people were canoeing, fishing, and swimming there as well. What a great place to bring your family!

The campground is large and popular so you will need to make reservations for to guarantee a site. We happened to book one of the last spaces available and enjoyed our time under the tall trees. The weather wasn’t all that warm and the skies were gray but we still found plenty to do on our visit. The town of Florence is near-by and we enjoyed walking their little main street district and farmers market along the Siuslaw River.

Read more detailed information on this state park here: Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, Oregon.

Valley of the Rogue State Park

This is our favorite overnight camping spot between our home and places we visit in Oregon. There isn’t much here to do but it is a clean and pretty park along the Rogue River. We enjoy the convenience of it being close to I5. This trip we drove into Ashland, Oregon (Home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) for dinner at one of the many quirky little eating spots near Lithia Park.

Read more information on this state park here: Valley of the Rogue State Park, Oregon.

We love Oregon and if you ever get a chance to travel in this state, make sure to look up any state parks along your route.