Boy, do I Need a Geography Lesson!!

While in the central Oregon area, we wanted to visit Lake Simtustus Resort.  Looking at the pictures on line, it looked like a really nice lake with camping, boat rentals and all the amenities.  We set out to take the short drive to the resort.

On the way we saw a sign for the Round Butte Overlook park and it was closer so we decided to go there first.  Although the sign said “Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday," we were there on a Monday and it was locked up tight.




Russ took a short walk to see if he could see anything down the dirt trail but the only thing he found was this.



Yes, sorry, this snake has passed on, but he may yet provide sustenance to some wild critter!  Russ thought is might be some type of rattlesnake but in looking online, I think it is a gopher snake.  Any snake experts out there?

So that little detour was a bust but we went back to the main road and headed for Lake Simtustus.  The road kept getting more and more narrow and there was no shoulder in most places.  Then the sign said “road narrows”…YA THINK!!!  Right after that we saw this sign.


I guess the arrow was pointing down to warn you of the ski slope ahead!



It was even steeper than it looks in this picture.  Good news is, I finally had a use for those paddle shifters in the Fit! 

I must digress here for a moment and direct you to another page.  As curvy and steep as this road was, I saw a road sign on Seashells and Overalls that I have Never seen before.  Don’t know that I would want to continue on the road they were on.  Scroll down about halfway down the page to see a road sign that is guaranteed to make you think twice.

The scenery was spectacular as the road curved this way and that and continued its descent into the Crooked River Canyon.  When it became so steep and narrow that I questioned our sanity, I found a pull-out and we stopped to get a view of the canyon.


It was indeed a L.O.N.G. way down.


You could see the Crooked River from one vantage point and from another, Lake Simtustus.



After looking at the way this place is laid out and the distance and switchbacks we would need to negotiate to get there, we decided to just take a few pictures and call it good.  I can’t believe people actually take big RVs down there but if you look closely you can see them parked on the different levels of the resort.


It really makes me nervous when Russ gets so close to the edge.



And so I really don’t let him!!!  This is the original picture.


Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

On the way back to the main road I spotted these fellas and had to stop and let Russ get a few shots.  They were very friendly, and curious as to what we were doing.  I’m sure they were hoping we had something to offer other than kind words.







I love donkeys, just ask Russ!  Aren’t these guys cute though!

Okay, now when I got ready to write this blog I wanted to see just where Lake Simtustus was in relation to Lake Billy Chinook.  Turns out they are very close and we should have known better.  What we were viewing was the Deschutes River Canyon and the NOT the Crooked River.  I think it was that crooked road sign that got us all mixed up…we’ll blame it anyway.  So who cares what we thought it was!  It was fun and we enjoyed every minute, and we learned a lesson in geography!

Next, a short overnight in Sisters, OR and then home again.