7-18-2025 Sisters, OR

We arrived in this little town and decided to have dinner at the Sisters Saloon and Ranch Grill.  It was the right decision.  For one thing, the food was overly-generous and Josh, our table tender, was friendly in the extreme.  For another, however, this building was built in 1912 and is the oldest commercial establishment in town.  Yes, it is was a hotel, however it was also a whorehouse!  We were free to wander up the steps to the “hotel rooms,” where apparently, a lot of fun was had by all.

Upstairs rooms at Sisters Saloon

Oldest commercial building in this area, 1912

The copper stamped ceilings
are not original but 
certainly are period and beautiful.

MISTER Buffalo to you.

The beautiful backbar.

Everything is gorgeous and perfectly restored.  The woodwork is original and the backbar is spectacular.  Fast forward for just a moment:  We had dinner here again the next night.

 

Now, back up the truck.  Rob, my research consultant, found a loop we could take, 82 miles around on the back roads.  At first, the route wended through miles and miles of forest fire devastation.  It was astonishing.  Thousands of acres of skeletons that were once trees stretched as far as we could see.  Then, there was a sea of, “lava fields.”  Some are dated 2,000 years ago, some 3,000 and some as far back as 17,000.  What a turbulent part of the world this must have been in the early days when the earth was a cooling ball of fire!  The sea of lava in this area covers 65 square miles.  The map called out the Dee Wright Observatory.  We thought we would encounter a fancy building with telescopes and so forth.  Instead, it was an open-air lava rock structure.  Begun in 1927, it was completed in 1935 and is constructed with local lava rock.  We climbed to the top and went inside and were amazed.  There are windows and peepholes aimed at the various peaks on the horizon and beneath each peephole, chiseled in the rock plaques, are the names of the peaks you see.  How cool is that?!

Rob on the lava path to the observatory

The tiny peepholes are aimed at
specific mountains.

I'm that little tiny pink spot on the path
up to the Dee Wright Observatory.

Dee Wright Observatory 1927-1935

Mount Washington

Lava fields for-semingly-ever

Among the burned out forests.
It went on for miles.

Atop the observatory with North
Sister and Middle Sister in view

Yikes.... 

 

The quaint town of Sisters (pop. 3,000) is nestled at the feet of Three Sisters, mountains that loom large (all 3 over 10,000 ft. elevation) on the horizon.  The original settlers had named these three peaks Mount Faith, Mount Hope and Mount Charity.  After a particularly heavy snowfall in 1883, a surveyor, Albert Rogers, thought the mountains resembled nuns with flowing veils and named them The Three Nuns.  In 1886, the name was changed again to Three Sisters by a geologist, explorer and surveyor, George Dawson and this time, the name stuck.  The mountains are part of the Cascade Range and although they have not erupted for a few thousand years, they are still classified as active volcanos.

From left to right, South Sister,
Middle Sister and North Sister

 

We continued on the narrow road as it twisted with sharp switchbacks for 50 miles through corridors of conifers hundreds of feet tall!  The road is so winding that vehicles over 35 feet in length are prohibited.  The little Jeep was our trusty, reliable buddy today.  It took about 5 hours to drive the loop, over two passes and along beautiful, turquoise blue lakes.  There are resorts on the shores of these lakes and local swimmers, kayakers and paddleboarders abound.  Once the long cold winter with deep snow turns to Spring and Summer, the humans come out of hibernation and head for the beaches, no matter how cold the water is.  The water temperature at Suttle Lake and Clear Lake ranges on average 45-50F.  Oregonians may be related to polar bears.  Or emperor penguins.

Yup.  Narrow twisty roads
through endless corridors of pines.

Suttle Lake

Clear Lake (not intended for
77 year-old humans)

 

Our next stop is Salem, OR, where we will spend some time with # 2 son, Mike.

Bend Sisters Garden RV Resort - lovely!

7-16-2025 Burns, OR

In the minutia category:  Diesel fuel is $4.50/gallon.  I saw $5.50 somewhere nearby.  Also, if you buy groceries and you actually want to put them in a sack, you have to pay for the sack here in the People’s Republic of Oregon.  Also, the temperature has been in the range of 105F+/- in the sun.  (And we left home why, again?)

 

Burns was established in the 1880s and the economy of the little town was based upon cattle ranching.  In 1889, it was incorporated and became the county seat of Harney County.  An early settler, George McGowan, named the town after the Scottish poet Robert Burns.  Later, in the 1920s, the Edward Hines Lumber Company moved to the area and built a railroad and this had a significant positive impact on the economy.  Hines, the Lumber Baron, has a small town adjacent to Burns named after him and by the way, the Truck Stop in Hines serves fabulous omelets!

 

We were surprised at the size of this little berg considering the population is only about 2,800.  There’s a, “main street,” with little shops, a few restaurants, several grocery stores, a half dozen pretty, manicured parks, bakeries and, of course, saloons.  It seemed like the whole town is red, everyone we made acquaintance with spoke hardcore conservative.  We went to the Central Pastime Saloon for a late lunch and the signs on the walls are pretty funny. 

There is a sign in the window at Central Pastime that reads, “Move Oregon’s Border.”  Let me explain.  Like northern CA, eastern OR wants to secede from the state and become part of Idaho in an effort to make their opinions heard above typical domination of the big blue cities to the west.  Of course, neither of these states will ever see this happen but that never stops a movement, as you know.  Apparently, not every single person in town is conservative, however.  At the Central Pastime, a guy finished his lunch, threw a $10 tip on the bar, barked, “Everybody in this establishment is a fucking dick!” and stalked out.  (He’s probably not a conservative.  Just a guess.)

Lunch at Central Pastime

Lucky Lindy at Central Pastime

 

The museum in Burns features displays of items that date back more than 100 years.  We arrived there 30 minutes before closing, unfortunately, and so I didn’t get a real feel for the history of the families that founded the town.  We could have spent a much longer time studying the interesting items but the curator ejected us as she closed and locked the doors.

I don't know what these are.
They look like an early version
of Travelers Checks.

This spinning wheel is over
100 years old.  In better shape
than Lindy!

One of the first Singer sewing machines,
 invented in the mid-1800s.

This Liberty Bell, made of
chicken wire and pinecones
locally collected, was in the
1976 centennial parade in 
Burns.  It was created by
Connie Barber and the frame
by Clyde Wenseck and was
known as the Connie and
Clyde Project.

 

On the way to our next stop, Sisters, OR, we were confronted by a wall of smoke from the wild fires.   It is blowing in our direction and has totally obscured the horizon to the point where we cannot see the mountains.  We shall overcome.

7-13-2025 Eagle, ID

Our friends Ada, Bob and Gus have been our hosts and entertainment for the last couple of days.  A year or two ago, I saw a segment on TV about the Old State Saloon in Eagle, NV.  One of the owners, Mark Fitzpatrick, gave a pitch.  You know how June is Gay Pride Month?  Well, Mark decided to counter that with, “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month.” 

My new t-shirt!

Any hetero couple who comes into the bar gets free beer!  OK.  I gotta see this.  Well, it’s July so we didn’t get free beer but we had an early dinner of bar food at the Old State Saloon.  That one was on my bucket list and now, I can check it off! 

The Old State Saloon, Eagle, ID

Bob, Ada and Rob in the Old State Saloon

 

Gus, the golden hunter, is the most beautiful, trained dog ever:  Loveable, full of energy, polite, quiet and playful, all at the same time.  This morning, Bob and Gus met us at the park to show off Gus’ skills.  First, Bob gave commands at the water’s edge, then in the park.  Gus went leaping into the lake, swam back and forth obeying the whistle and hand commands and finally he swam ashore with his trophy.  Then, he let Rob and me try it and Gus obeyed our commands without blinking.  “Heel.  Stay.  GUS!”  That means, ‘Go get the decoy and bring it to me!’”  Gus sat to my left and would stare intently, then launch like a shot, out to the far reaches of the park.  He rushed full speed back with his treasure and never seemed to tire.  It was fascinating to watch Bob work with him with his signals.  His full title is Sky River Sawtooth Gus Senior Hunter with the ribbons and trophies to prove it.  Gus and Bob are working on Gus’ Master Hunter rank but if he makes one mistake, he’s out and they have to try again another time. 

Heel.

Stay/

GUS!

I got it, Dad!

Got it!  I'm comin!'

Bob, Gus and Lindy

Ada and Gus at home

 

We spent a bit of time at the big farmers’ market in the park, then went back to their home.  Amid a lot of raucous, hilarious conversation, Ada worked to create the best German dinner for us!  Pork schnitzel, sautéed cabbage and garlic-parmesan pasta, all washed down with cold brews, naturally.  These are my people!  She knows us by heart!  An altogether fantastic visit.

 

At our camp in Twin Falls, the sites
were so close that our neighbor's
slide was about 3' from ours.
This is our current campsite.

Oh deer!  Makes me hungry!

Pretty drive along the rivers
and through the mountains

Inside the teepee

Yes, you can stay in this teepee!
Bring everything but a mattress,
including money.

Today, we are parked in Burns, People’s Republic of Oregon.  We drove the back roads through the fields, mountains and two passes on narrow roads with about 6 inches of shoulder between Noobee and a drop-off on some stretches.  (Hwy 20 most of the way.)  It was really a beautiful drive but windy and windy.  At times, it stopped my heart a little bit.  Typical signs read, “Snow Zone,” “Chain-up area,” and, “Do not pass snowplows on the right.”  That tells me that the green beauty of the scenery around us is definitely seasonal!  At 35-40 mph, the trip was a little longer than the GPS gods say, but that’s OK.  We have a nice big site and there are trees and lots of grass around us and the occasional deer!  Tomorrow, we’ll see what’s shakin’ around here.

No, we didn't necessarily need to
 buy eggs but I had to have this carton.

7-9-2025 Twin Falls, ID

Usually, the first night at camp is quiet and uneventful after a (sometimes scary) long drive.  The evening of the 8^th was no exception.  But the 9^th was great fun!  We have known Diane and Jerry for about 25 years, from the Boeing era.  Wonderful people!  We visited their gorgeous home for appies and cocktails yesterday.  Today, we rendezvoused at Centennial Waterfront Park at the bottom of the Snake River Canyon to board a pontoon boat. 

We four:  Jerry, Diane, Lucky Lindy & Rob

Our small boat carried 9 guests and 2 crew.

 

The canyon at this location is 486 feet deep and the drive to the bottom is pretty snaky.  That goes hand in hand with the river.  Yes, the Snake River.  No matter where you go in Idaho, there’s the Snake River, snaking around all over the place.  We took a jet boat on the Snake River in Lewiston and Clarkston a few years back and now, here we are in Twin Falls 400 miles south and once again we’re on the Snake River.  In Idaho, you can’t escape the Snake River.

Speaking of snakes, this is
the road to drive down to
the base of the canyon.

 The canyon was formed over millions of years, naturally, and the different colors of the strata tell geological stories of bygone millennia.  The bridge we drove over from our camp in Jerome to the park in Twin Falls is called The Perrine Memorial Bridge, constructed over a 4-year stretch in the 1970s.  I don’t know why this bridge is here, exactly.  Because, I suppose, if humans see a canyon, they have to get to the other side of it.  Why?  Because it’s there!  We are here and we want to be over there!  The bridge is 486 feet above the river and 3,600 feet above sea level.  If you want to be technical, the canyon is actually deeper than that if you add on the depth of the river.  The bridge is named to honor a fellow named I. B. Perrine (1861-1943), an industrious entrepreneur who is responsible for a vast irrigation system that changed the face of the entire region.

 

I. B. Perrine Memorial Bridge

Base jumper

The goal of the boat trip was to sail upriver to Pillar Falls.  It gets its name from the tall boulders (pillars) around which the falls make their way.  The water feeding the falls comes from the upper…yup… Snake River.  Our ride was smooth and comfortable and our boatmen knew a great deal about the canyon.  From our little pontoon, we witnessed base jumpers jumping from the bridge and flying their chutes to landing sites at the bottom of the canyon.  They can either hike back up with all their gear or they are picked up by boat at one of the landing sites.  By the way, the base jumpers don’t wear a reserve.  If your main doesn’t open, you’re pretty much shit-out-of-luck.  Not my sport.  I like adrenaline rush but I don’t have a death wish.  There were also kayakers and paddleboarders out for a fun afternoon on the water.  It is shallow at some points and at others it runs about 80 feet deep.  If you are not into water activities, there is also a luxurious, superb golf course on the canyon floor (the dry part).  It was a glorious day and so much fun to be with our friends again.

Pillar Falls is behind us.

Pillar Falls

The hydraulics here are fatal.

 

When the trip ended, Diane and Jerry led us up and out of the canyon but stopped along the way so that we could view a falls (If it has a name, I don’t know it.).  It’s a bit of a hike down the rocky path to get a close-up view, experience the rumbling and thunder and actually walk behind the falls.  Of course, I couldn’t resist.  Jerry, being a tough ol’ former Marine, walked behind me to block me from tumbling down or ahead of me to pull me up (and the other way around).  I felt safe with him having my six.  We made it!  Or more aptly, I made it!  There wasn’t a doubt about Jerry.  The falls is really beautiful and also refreshing to catch the spray on this hot day after our climb down. 

Jerry and me behind the falls

I'm sure this falls has a name

Looking at the canyon through
the falls from behind it

 

After that, we had an early dinner at Redhawk, a restaurant up on the rim of the canyon.  There are big red canopies over the deck tables to shield us from the blazing sun.  And what better to go with their marvelous food than a Lonesome Larry the Sockeye Salmon Lager?!  So, today, we cruised the river and saw the falls from the plan view, side view, back view and (from the restaurant) top view.

Redhawk Restaurant as seen
from the river

We four

 

Tomorrow, we are on our way to Eagle, ID on a highway along the…. wait for it…. Snake River.