May 27 - 30, 2023
John Day (Mount Vernon), Oregon
We're surprised to hear rain overnight, and to have it continue into Saturday afternoon. While I feel bad for the holiday campers, for us it's lovely to have the cooler, wetter weather this late in May! It's also perfect for a relaxing country drive on our weekly avoid-others-day. The lilacs are in full bloom, and small gardens show off irises, poppies and daffodils.
The third unit of the national monument is Painted Hills, about 70 miles west on Hwy 26. We'll drive most of it when we leave on Tuesday, but the area we want to visit is not RV friendly. Much warmer, it's still another great day to be out exploring.
Brunch at Dayville Cafe is a treat with the best biscuits and gravy (I try a bite of Bill's), and friendly servers.
We do find a lot more people on this Sunday day trip, but are still able to find parking spots where we want to stop. The little town of Mitchell is hosting several dozen motorcycles - part of the Memorial Day Ride for POWs and MIAs - and it's packed!
The national monument has no fees so it's surprising there aren't more crowds. Yay!
Tuesday morning there's a long line at the dump which is available free to anyone - a nice service for passing campers but a pain if you're staying here. Still, we're just moving on to another beautiful place and not returning to a work schedule!
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| Ezra saves a lady bug from the ravages of yard work :-) |
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| Big M getting a ride. |
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| Little M gets his turn. |
Beautiful. Those wildflowers sure do add to the scenery.
ReplyDeleteThey really do add a beautiful layer!!
DeleteFor sure Utah does not have a monopoly on red rocks! Ah the beauty of John Day is so obvious in you photos. M&M are having fun on the pony rides, as Ezra demonstrates his ability to attract the ladies.
ReplyDeleteIt's a glorious area this time of year in the river valley. We loved the Painted Hills around every corner!
DeleteWhat an explosion of incredible scenery…oh those rocks and wildflowers and green grass and barns and worn out fences…all my favorite things. We can have lots of favorite things can’t we? And to think the day began with biscuits and gravy…a perfect kind of glorious day! I have always thought lady bugs were special and worth saving too Ezra!
ReplyDeleteAll my favs too!! What is it about an old fence that is so pretty?? Ezra was so pleased that he was able to keep that one safe :-)
DeleteJohn Day is such a beautiful surprise in Oregon (which is, of course, a gorgeous state, but the Painted Hills aren't something one expects there). You captured the beauty so well in your photos!
ReplyDeleteOops that was me (Laurel)
DeleteThanks Laurel, it was a pleasure to save and share all the beauty we saw. Oregon has a lot more diversity than we ever thought before our travels.
DeleteGorgeous photos, I'm marking the map for our Oregon trip coming up!
ReplyDeleteHope you can catch a couple of these places. We didn't do the Kam Wah Chung house this time, but it's an exceptional experience (doesn't take very long either).
DeleteWe loved everything about the Painted Hills area of John Day. We have that same photo of the Painted Basin taken from the Overlook!! So glad you had as much fun the second time around. Another set of neat grand photos!!
ReplyDeleteI thought we'd gone to Painted Hills last time, but this was the first time and what a great place!! The Basin reminds me of Rainbow Valley at Valley of Fire - so much color.
DeleteOh....you're making me miss the west! the vistas, the colors, the rocks oh my.... It's been awhile since we visited that particular area, looks like spring might be the best time. Dave swooned over the lilac photos....
ReplyDeleteFlowers for his birthday :-)) When we're in the east there's always someone traveling in the red rocks and amazing geology (sometimes it's you!) that makes us miss the west. I definitely recommend Spring for this area.
DeleteBeautiful pictures of such a gorgeous place. How did you get Blogger to do that great flower collage? There is almost not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the fact that I do not have to go back to work and feel sorry for those who do.
DeleteI use PicMonkey to make collages then just save in photos to post. With things like flowers I love being able to put them all together. Watching people come in with lengthy set ups only get one whole day, then have to pack it all up again makes me very grateful for the amount of time we have!!
DeleteI remember the stunning Painted Hills. Nice to stay in one place over holiday weekends.
ReplyDeleteWe're big fans of staying put over the big travel weekends!
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