What's new with Kim, Chris and Lily

Back in Western Oregon

The last two days of our trip we spent a lot of time catching up with family and friends. We also did a few more touristy things and had a great time. The camp fire was going at the Cremers and we had a small family reunion complete with smores on the camp fire. Not a bad gig.

More beautiful Oregon scenery

On our next to last day we spent more time metal detecting and just generally hanging around campsites. Then on our way home the last day the sky finally opened up so I got some great pictures of the Three Sisters and Mt. Washington on our way home.

Paulina Lake

Top of an obsidian flow (thought to be the largest obsidian flow in the world). See all the shiny black rocks...

MacKay Falls

View of the Three Sisters

Mt. Washington

Newberry Crater & High Desert Museum

On another day of being tourists around Bend, we got to go to the top of this little mountain and see Newberry Crater which erupted only 1300 years ago and spewed lava all over the valley below it (see the black rock in the second picture below). You could actually down to the crater where the volcano erupted. The top of the mountain was also a great place to view the surrounding mountains. Beautiful country.

Top of Newberry Crater

See the black lava beds between the red crater and the tree line in the valley

The chipmunks were incredibly friendly on top of the crater. This little guy ate Wheat Thins right out of Venita's hand and then waited until she gave him another.

Lily sitting on top a bronze elk in front of the high desert museum. The museum was very cool (lots of birds of prey and even some cougars.

Lily (aka Daniel Boone)

Smith Rock and Crooked River Gorge

One day we headed an hour outside of Bend, past Redmond, and onto a Native American resort area called Kahneeta - complete with natural hot springs. The resort used to have a casino and was a happening place, but sadly the casino moved closer into town and the resort is nearly vacant now. Sad to see this happen. We would have hit the hot springs but unfortunately it wasn't quite warm enough. So instead we had some great Indian Fry Bread for lunch. If you have never had fry bread... you really should seek it out sometime. MMMMM.....

On the way to Kahneeta we stopped at Smith Rock park and hit Crooked River Gorge. Some amazing scenery. Lots of mountain climbers are usually on Smith Rock but on this particular day there were only but a few as the wind would have carried them away.

Smith Rock

Crooked River Bridge (about 10 years ago a lady shoved her children off this bridge because her boyfriend apparently didn't want them... it was all over the news)

These deer continually found their way to the backyard of the house we were staying in. They liked eating the leaves off the aspen trees.

Metal Detecting (aka scour camp grounds for other people's lost change)

My family is very much into metal detecting. Why is beyond me. Moving some beeping thing across the ground with a beeper beeping at you constantly and then digging in the dirt to find pennies is not exactly my idea of excitement, however.... it did get us out to some wonderful campsites and scenery. On this particular day we hit some camp sites on the Deschutes River, saw Wickiup Lake, and the "head" of the Fall River. Yes, our second river that you could actually see where it originated. Fall River was also the clearest river I have ever seen. Wow, was it awesome.

Campgrounds along the Deschutes River

Wickiup Lake

Head of the Fall River (look how clear that water is... wow!)

Fish Hatchery & Metolius River

On our first sightseeing day we headed to the Metolius River and the fish hatchery on the Metolius. The entire family enjoyed the hatchery. Trout reading for stocking in nearby lakes all over the place. And they had fish food to feed them. Lily was in heaven. We also got to walk out and see the "head" of the Metolius. I've never seen where a river actually starts. It was really cool and opened very quickly into a large stream at the head. Of course we also got to feed some greedy hungry chipmunks.

Memorial Day week in Oregon

We got the chance to spend Memorial Day week in Oregon with family and friends. It was an excellent trip despite the lack of sunshine (go figure). We spent the majority of the time over in Bend, OR and had just a wonderful trip sightseeing all around the Bend, Redmond, Sisters and LaPine area. Lots of metal detecting as well. Lily is about $3.60 richer as a result. It was so great to spend time with family and friends. Definitely miss them already, but glad to be back in some warmer weather.

Lily's new favorite relative Courtney