The Oregon Outback

     We left Klamath Falls today and took another scenic Byway call the "Oregon Outback."  We are headed to Boise with a stop tonight in Burns, Oregon.  The first part of our drive on Oregon 140 took us through a farming/ranching area.  Corn, potatoes, and lots of hay.  It was pretty with some nicely rolling hills in the background.  The only sour note was the fact that most of the hills were barren or had stubby little pines trying to regrow a forest after the heavy cutting.  We made a stop in a small town for a quick break - see the attached picture.  It seemed like the end of the road. 

    We then caught Oregon 395 and headed NE.  There was a big lake (Abert) on the map, but I wasn't seeing anything that looked like lake country.  Then we saw it - a huge milky green sheet between shores of white alkali and sand.  Not like our pretty Minnesota lakes.  The road ran between the lake and Abert Rim, a steep escarpment that rises about 2,500 feet above the lake surface  We followed the lake for 15 miles.   The road then went into a high desert area that was all sage brush and rock.  This area is part of the "Great Basin" which includes southern parts of Oregon, most of Nevada and bits of Idaho, California, New Mexico and Arizona.  In the midst of all the sand and dust we saw one little spot with trees.  It was a "rest stop" with picnic tables and shade.  We stopped for lunch and talked with several other travelers who were amazed at the landscape and the lack of all amenities on this road.  Good thing we had stopped for gas when we left Klamath Falls.

     The more we drove the more it felt like we were back in Nevada - my most unfavorite state.  At any rate, most of the drive was easy and we finished the day in a tiny campground with huge shade trees.  We are still pretty high - 5000' so it is supposed to get cool tonight.  Always nice to be able to open the windows and shut off the air conditioning.  We have a big grassy lawn and only a few neighbors.  There is a field behind the campground full of horses.  This is my kind of camping.