It was cold in Pendleton, Oregon last night at the Wild Horse Casino (now there's a coincidence). Beautiful, but cold. This is the first time I've seen frost on the grass since I've been on this trip. Winter's a-comin'.
The drive from Pendleton down Highway 395 to Burns (Wild Mustang Country) was spectacular. It was all High Desert with gently rolling hills and yellow grassy plains, sprinkled with a variety of trees -- some still green, but others showing off their beautiful fall colors.
I'll have to make this trek again, in a smaller vehicle, for there were several towns would easily be missed if you so much as blink an eye. And, that's not much of an exaggeration either. One little "town" had only 5 buildings: an empty church, a barn, two houses, and what looked like a garage. Were there room to stop, you'd see some great shots of a truly Vanishing bit of America. But, as it was, the town was so close to the highway, there was nowhere to pull off without getting the RV in the shot. Definitely a stop for next time around.
Most of the little towns weren't this small, though, but they were small enough to get that "Mayberry" feel. This town, on the left, was all by itself in the middle of this huge valley off the 395. There wasn't another town for miles. It seemed so isolated, but yet, so cozy, nestled in among the hills.Tomorrow, it's off to the BLM lands (Bureau of Land Management) to track down some Wild Mustang herds. Keep your fingers crossed. This could be something special...
3 comments:
The small town you referred to with five buildings is Fox, Oregon. And the pictured town is Long Creek. My family lives in both. Glad you enjoyed their little part of the world. Very nice blog you wrote about it as well. Painted a very nice picture of the simpler life.
Hello from Fall River Mills, population 600. My husband and I spotted your bus going south over Big Valley Mountain as we were going north to take a leisurly Sunday drive (10-28). Great project you have going. Hope you have time to stop and visit a bit. A must see for sheer beauty is Burney Falls. Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park which is only accessible by foot or boat is a wildlife preserve.
My partner and I actually saw you standing on top of your RV, taking this great picture of Long Creek. Our daughter is the one who commented you about the names of the town. Just a little more fun history for you......my partner has lived his WHOLE life in these two towns. He grew up in Fox, then moved to the bigger city of Long Creek as an adult. It's where we live now. He and I now own and operate the repair shop/garage you saw in Fox. Believe it or not, there is also a beauty shop in Fox, and I think the number of full-time residents in "Fox Proper" is currently 11. This area of Oregon is so unique and the remoteness makes it even better. We may have to drive 20 miles for gas and 40 miles for a Big Mac, but thank goodness we have to drive 20 miles for gas and 40 miles for a Big Mac!! I hope you'll come back this way again soon and spend a little time enjoying our way of life.
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