After leaving Idaho Falls, we continued our trek westward. This began our own Oregon Trail as we embarked on our journey to Oregon. This journey from one home base to another was a little different. Commonly we will drive from one locale to the next in one day. On occasion it will take two and we will spend the night near the Interstate then get back on course. This time, our next home base was not available for a couple days. So, we decided to add a side destination, to the trip, at the end.
We left Idaho Falls, first traveling south on I15 then west on I86. This took us through the town of Twin Falls. Although known for many things, there was one attraction, in particular, that we wanted to see: Shoshone Falls. This is referred to as the Niagara of the West. Shoshone Falls is actually 212 feet tall. This makes it 45 feet higher than Niagara Falls and it spans more than 1000 feet wide along its rim. This water fall is no where as wide as Niagara, nor does it have the volume of water, but it was a site to see. There were falls with birds flying around on one side and a beautiful canyon on the other.
One of the things we did not know before we got there was that a famous stunt was performed nearby. On September 8, 1974, famous stuntman Evel Knievel tried to jump the Snake River in a section that was a mile wide. His attempt was unsuccessful due to the parachute on his Sky Cycle opening as he took off. However, just a few months before we got here (September 16, 2016), stuntman Eddie Braun successfully made the jump on a motorcycle (The Evel Spirit) that was built by the son of the creator of the Sky Cycle.
We left Twin Falls and continued on our journey to Oregon. Eventually we exited Idaho and entered Oregon. When we entered Oregon, it was nothing like we expected. The vegetation was sparse, no mountains and no rain. We were actually in more of a desert environment. We stayed the night at a little Days Inn Motel in Burns, Oregon. When we awoke, we saw the ground was wet with what seemed like more than dew. At the gas station, I asked the attendant if this was common for Eastern Oregon; to have little or no rain. He said it was and that this morning was the first rain they had in months. I told him we brought it from Idaho with us and he was welcome.
From Burns we continued westward across an area called the Great Sandy Desert. I know, who knew, a desert in Oregon. One tip, if you driving along the Oregon Central Highway from the east headed westward, fill up on fuel for the car and yourselves while you are in Burns as there is nothing for hours while going through the Great Sandy Desert area. That is until you reach Bend, Oregon on the other side. In Bend, we began to see evergreens but it was still mixed with sagebrush. It was as if the desert was trying to mix with the forest.
From Bend we headed northwest through the Willamette National Forest. Now this is what we envisioned Oregon to be like. First of all, we went through a real cute town called Sisters and we entered the Over The River And Through The Woods Scenic Byway. Along the way we encountered mountains, an overabundance of evergreens, creeks and rivers and more. We kept repeating over and over how “green” things were. What we actually meant was how vibrant and contrasting the green was. With the overcast of clouds and the darkness of the barks, the green on the trees, moss and other leaves simply “popped.”
From here we continued on to our “side destination” at the end before heading to our new home base. What was our side destination? Great question! Well, none of the Nomads, except me, have been to the Pacific Ocean. So, we decided to head to the coast and our chosen city was Newport, Oregon. This is a highly visited Oregon Coastal City. Mama Nomad found us a great deal at a hotel where every room had an ocean view. The place was called The Whaler. We grabbed a 2nd story room, for a better view. Once we arrived, we unpacked our things and headed straight to the beach. We had been cooped up for so long that all of us acted a little silly on the sand.
After exploring the beach a bit, we decided to walk to the Historic Bayfront of Newport. Well, I decided for us to walk because I did not want to bring the trailer (Mule) and try to find a parking spot for it. We had been told that there were sea lions at the Bayfront. Since we had not seen them in the wild, I really wanted to head over there. After a mile or so of walking, we came to the Bayfront and, sure enough, there were dozens and dozens of them. We stood there for almost an hour watching them. It began to get dark and, as we have come to expect in Oregon, it began to rain on us.
The next day, after we checked out of The Whaler, we ventured back to the Bayfront Area. It took a bit of searching, but I finally found a spot to park Ebony and The Mule. We walked back down to the sea lions and they were barking louder than ever. Oh what entertainment they were. Mama Nomad could not stop laughing at them. The rest of us continued to snicker at them. They are like a bunch of bickering relatives at a family get together.
We left the sea lions and visited a few shops. Then we got back in Ebony and we got on our way to our Oregon Home Base. We look forward to trying to adventure outdoors without getting too soaked by the rain. Safe Travels.
