Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Memorial Weekend-Central O


I never have plans on Memorial Day. That's seems like almost a travesty and usually I think it is. How I'd love to be invited to go camping or BBQ with friends or the like. Instead, I slept, slept and did more sleeping. I did do a lot of thinking about what this day means, so it wasn't a complete waste of brain space.

My roommate had her best friend from Kentucky in from out of town, Tina. They were chalk full of plans: Beach on Saturday, Mt. Hood area Sunday, Central Oregon Monday. She's not seen her for about a year now and I know how that goes if I've not seen my bf for a year: I want her all to myself. So as much as it sucked to not hang out with them (cuz the roommie and I are pretty cozy and each others' wing woman in times of hiking and dancing) I totally understood. But then the roomie asked if I had plans on Monday. With a certain someone and his "perhaps" of a hang out looming in the air unresolved, I decided to take her up on it. She invited me to go with her and Tina to the Painted Hills in Central Oregon, Mitchell to be exact.

So off we went. I took A TON of pictures, but I'll only include a few. It's lovely to travel with the ladies cuz one or all three of us always need a pee break at some point ;)

Here we are at a rest stop almost there. You can see the terrain start to change.





Here we are at a res stop AT the painted hills. Man, its breath taking.





Finally, we drive up to the Painted Hills view point and this is what we see:





I, in all of my 30 years (almost 29 more days, yay!), have never seen anything quite like this. I felt like I was not only in a different state, but on a different planet. I was in awe. Sadly though, it was raining during most of these photos but we took it like champs. Here we are at the trail that explains the painted hills. I was too busy trying to stay dry and take pictures, as were the girls.





That there is Morgan, doing her best to hide.

Our next stop was the indoor John Day Fossil Museum then back home.

We decided to take a different route back than the way we came in and so glad we did. Apparently through Condon, Oregon there is are wind turbine farms. I have been this giddy since Jurassic Park came out when I was 13. I'd never seen anything like it, especially up close! It's my new favorite thing. It's such a contrast between serene landscape and technology. It's just so awesome.











Back at another rest stop in Biggs. Across the river is Washington and to the left is Portland. We're on our way home!




Finally, a beautiful sky to such a wonderful trip!



*click to enlarge photos.

2 comments:

Kristin said...

I can't wait to go! Your pictures are beautiful!

andrea said...

Thanks!