Central Oregon Archives - http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/tag/central-oregon/ Mon, 29 May 2017 15:15:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cropped-logo-square1-32x32.jpg Central Oregon Archives - http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/tag/central-oregon/ 32 32 31 Days in Oregon : Central Oregon http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/31-days-in-oregon-central-oregon/ Sat, 11 Oct 2014 19:32:28 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=3881 Central Oregon is full of beautiful sites to see & places to explore. Here’s a list of just a handful of things to see:   SMITH ROCK STATE PARK Located in the high desert of Oregon is Smith Rock. Hiking, biking & rock climbing are popular in this area.   RICHARDSON ROCK RANCH For rock …

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]]> Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

Central Oregon is full of beautiful sites to see & places to explore. Here’s a list of just a handful of things to see:

 

SMITH ROCK STATE PARK

Located in the high desert of Oregon is Smith Rock. Hiking, biking & rock climbing are popular in this area.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

RICHARDSON ROCK RANCH

For rock hounds, Richardson Rock Ranch is a neat place to visit. You can search for your own thunder egg and/or check out their rock shop.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

OGDEN WAYSIDE

If you are headed for adventure at Smith Rock a quick stop at the Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint is a must. The views of the Crooked River Canyon are gorgeous.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

OPERATION SANTA CLAUS REINDEER RANCH

Not far outside Redmond is a reindeer ranch. Santa isn’t there, but he does use these reindeer at Christmas time. It’s another place for a quick stop, as there aren’t any tours or picnic areas.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

SISTERS

A great little western town to visit is Sisters, Oregon. I have no idea why the only photo I could find of us in Sisters is of me in the “Sisters Jail,” but that’s the way it goes. It really is a cute town with fun places to shop & good places to eat.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

ANIMALS TO SEE

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

AREAS TO EXPLORE

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

BEAUTIFUL VIEWS WHILE DRIVING

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

PRINEVILLE RESERVOIR

Located outside the small town of Prineville is Prineville Reservoir. We have enjoyed boating & camping here.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

LAKE BILLY CHINOOK

Outside of Madras is Lake Billy Chinook, another great camping destination.
Update: Click here to see our week on a houseboat on Lake Billy Chinook.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Central Oregon

 

To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

 

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]]> 31 Days in Oregon : Newberry National Volcanic Monument http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/31-days-in-oregon-newberry-national-volcanic-monument/ Fri, 10 Oct 2014 20:35:52 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=3837 Central Oregon’s landscape is very different than that of the Northwest part, where we live. It is considered high dessert, has dry summer’s and snowy winters. The area is dominated by volcanic activity with craters, cinder cones & piles of lava rock. A great place to visit to see all this volcanic action is Newberry …

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]]> Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic MonumentCentral Oregon’s landscape is very different than that of the Northwest part, where we live. It is considered high dessert, has dry summer’s and snowy winters. The area is dominated by volcanic activity with craters, cinder cones & piles of lava rock.

A great place to visit to see all this volcanic action is Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Deschutes National Forest, about 30 miles south of Bend.

 

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

 

PAULINA PEAK

A drive up a curvy, steep road to Paulina Peak rewards you with a 360° panoramic view of the Cascade Range. It is beautiful!

For sure a focal point is the view of the Newberry Caldera, with Paulina Lake, East Lake, Little Crater & the Big Obsidian Flow.

Paulina Lake is the deeper of the two lakes, at a maximum depth of 250 feet. Neither lake have streams flowing into them, so they are filled with water by rain, snow melt & hot springs.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

The Big Obsidian Flow is the youngest lava flow in Oregon and consists of pumice and obsidian.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

Ground level with Paulina Lake
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

PAULINA CREEK FALLS

Paulina Lake has one outlet: Paulina Creek. Not far from the outlet is 80 foot Paulina Creek Falls.

It’s a fairly short hike to the falls.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

LAVA RIVER CAVE

Lava River Cave was formed by molten lava & is over 5000 feet long. It is a cave, therefore it is dark and cold.

One time I went there were people outside telling us about White-nose syndrome that is killing bats. They are trying to stop the spread of the disease. So, we had to tell them we weren’t wearing clothes or shoes that we had worn into other caves before entering the cave.

 

Path to the cave
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

Lanterns or flashlights are a must when entering the cave.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

LAVA LANDS VISITOR CENTER & LAVA BUTTE

Another place to visit is the Lava Lands Visitor Center. From there you can see Lava Butte, which has great views from the top.

Lava Butte is a 500 foot cinder cone.

Bottom Right Photo: Mount Bachelor
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

Inside the Visitor Center
Left: I really enjoyed this representation of the area.
Right: The boys touching a piece of obsidian
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

A spectacular view from the summit of Lava Butte.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Newberry National Volcanic Monument

 

You can view all these sites in one day or spend many days exploring the area more intently.

 

To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

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]]> 31 Days in Oregon: Crater Lake http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/31-days-in-oregon-crater-lake/ Thu, 09 Oct 2014 20:08:25 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=3833 I have lived in Oregon all my life and the first time I saw Crater Lake was about 11 years ago. Farm Kid1 was just a couple months old. It was as amazing as everyone says. Wanting my kids to see this natural wonder at a younger age than I was when I saw it …

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]]> Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater LakeI have lived in Oregon all my life and the first time I saw Crater Lake was about 11 years ago. Farm Kid1 was just a couple months old. It was as amazing as everyone says.

Wanting my kids to see this natural wonder at a younger age than I was when I saw it the first time, we visited it again a couple years ago.

 

The highway to Crater Lake is long & boring. There is not much else around. It reminds me of the drive to the Grand Canyon: a spectacular site in the middle of nowhere.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

The last time we went to Crater Lake was a couple years ago, in mid July. Some areas round the lake still had a couple feet of snow, so much of the rim drive was closed. That was kind of a bummer. But, it was pretty with the snow & it was fun throwing snowballs in the middle of summer.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Crater Lake was formed when Mt. Mazama erupted then collapsed into itself. This created the 5 mile wide caldera. Over time snow, rain & spring water collected in the caldera.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Wizard Island

a volcanic cinder cone
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Phantom Ship

The smallish rock near the back right edge of the lake is called the Phantom Ship.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Steel Visitor Center

We bought & sent my mom a postcard from the post office in the building.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

We pulled off at a picnic area to eat and the kids worked on their Junior Ranger booklets
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Left: The water is blue, really blue. It is one of the clearest fresh water lakes in the world. One day I would like to hike the trail down to the lake. We haven’t done that yet.

Right: Vidae Falls is spring fed. Crater Lake is considered a closed ecological system. There are no rivers running into or out of the lake.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. with a maximum depth of 1943 feet. Average depth is 1148 feet.

The cliffs can reach 2000 feet above the lake water.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

The kids receiving their Junior Ranger badges.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

The Pinnacles

The first time we visited Crater Lake we drove to what are called The Pinnacles. The second time, the road to The Pinnacles was closed due to snow.

The Pinnacles are volcanic spires of sporia and pumice formed during the eruption of Mount Mazama.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake

 

Diamond Lake

We have not stayed overnight in the park itself, although I would like to do that next time. The first time we camped near Paulina Lake. The second time we camped a bit closer, at Diamond Lake. It’s a beautiful lake with a nice campground.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 31 Days in Oregon | Crater Lake | Diamond Lake

 

Crater Lake is amazing in person. It’s definitely worth the drive. Next time I would like to explore more by hiking down to the water’s edge and also taking a boat ride to Wizard Island.

 

To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

 

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