Out of Woodburn after breakfast with Elmer (restaurant). We are headed east, then north. Maybe we can find some fruit to take home. One thing’s for sure, we will not retire in a city! We have outgrown our patience with it!
Head on 214 to Mollala and Estacada, then 197 into Maupin. Maupin is a rafter’s destination and we are following the Deschutes River as it winds through the Deschutes Canyon. There are lots of companies operating on the river today, and lots of people. We enter the Warm Springs Tribal lands and there are no rafters from this point.
We find a couple people fishing and a native fishing platform in some rough water.
The map we are using shows the road going all the way through to the Columbia, but being a 20-year old map there must have been some changes.
The canyon walls are basalt and outstanding twists of rock, mineral colors, and some really unique forms. Great drive through the canyon – twice – with river, land, and geology all special.
Back on 216, the 97 toward The Dalles. We go through beautiful grain fields on the plateaus, and then Grass Valley. Steve sees something stretched across the road and has to back up. Yep, a rattler and now he is coiled and rattling so loud! But Steve wants him out of the road and just in the nick of time, too! He would have been road stew! In Moro we see a cute motel and decide that we need to stop, 7pm. Great decision! Turned out Steve was quite close to the manager’s family as a youngster, he being 5 years older, and they had lots to reminisce about.
Tomorrow we head into Washington. Great day!
Crockett Peregrination 