#Oregon state parks

[midnitedrive]

oregon has my heart

[awanderingcanadian]

The Demise of America's National Parks

I wanted to write this while I was away, but it would have been full of emotion. Of course, I can't guarantee it still won't be, lol.

When I first started dating my now husband, he took me to Yosemite National Park for a couple of nights of camping. Full disclosure: at the time I thought, "really? I live in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains: what's going to be so special and different about this place?", but because we were dating, of course I humoured him. Reality: Yosemite is spectacular! Amazing! Incredible! But it's one of many national parks that is looking tired, and a bit tawdry at times.

America!!! These parks are legacy pieces. They are treasures. They are a gift to all of your people. However, from what we saw in two of them, (Olympic and Yosemite National Parks), they are almost on their knees as the cheapo third party contractors who now run them are making their money and letting things fall into disrepair. If you are a wealthy person, you can stay at the Awahnee Hotel, (which is being updated and maintained), but if you're an average Joe, (as we are), the campgrounds are falling apart. Here are our experiences:

We booked into Sol Duc Hot Springs and "Resort". We couldn't find the campsite that we paid $63.00USD/night, (so almost $100CDN/night) for, but we kept driving by what was obviously an overflow area for those poor people who couldn't get reservations. We finally stopped at the hot springs to ask where it was, and lo and behold, the place we thought was for overflow, was our "resort".

Our picnic table was falling apart, (we never used it). One early evening went to the hot springs, (you pay extra for them), and watched 3 life guards sitting side by side in plastic chairs, just shouting at people. There are 3 different pools, (a regular pool, and two hot springs at different temperatures), yet not once did these life guards get out of their chairs. They yelled so loudly that everyone was silenced and the "offender" whose crime was sitting on a bench of a fountain that was in the hot springs pool, (and honest mistake), that the poor woman was shamed in front of every single person there. It was horrible.

Moving on to Oregon, we were delighted at the state parks there: super organized, clean, and well maintained. We will definitely be back!

This was Nehalem Bay State Park, and while the Rogue River one by Grants Pass was beside the I-5 and loud, the sites themselves were beautiful!

Onward to Yosemite. Here's my history with this park: my future husband first took me there in 1991 when we were dating, and let's just say it had me at hello! I was so enamored that I returned twice a year until 2003 when we moved back to Canada, (once for a week of outdoor education as a school coordinator, and once for a long weekend in November with friends). We had been back twice in the last 20 years, and I was psyched to get back this year. We were unable to get a camping reservation in the Valley, despite getting up and being online right when the reservations opened for our stay, so we were in Wawona campground. I didn't care: I was excited! It was my birthday when we were there, so we were going to go to the historic Wawona Hotel for my birthday dinner! What could be better? Well...at first glance the Wawona Hotel is still amazing, but the stairs, and outdoor wrap around porch was filthy. I have no idea when it was last swept and washed, but it certainly wasn't done daily, as we went one night to make our reservation, (which they then lost), and then again the next night for the dinner, and the same stains were on the decks. I will say, that after losing our reservation, (which we went and made in person), I was fairly unhappy. They eventually comped us each a glass of wine, but the server made sure to mention that as it needed to be included in our tip amount. The meal itself though was delicious!

The last 3 photos above are of our "campsite". The site itself was blocked off by placed boulders, so you couldn't back your trailer in. Instead you had to park on the road, (in our case we had to drive in the wrong way or our door would open up into traffic). The dumpsters you see was the view from my bedroom window, and the 3, (yes 3), chemical toilets were also in our "site", (you can see the bed of our truck behind the trailer). While the site, (had we actually been able to access it), would have been amazing, (as it was on the river), it was this instead: people dropping off their garbage and using the toilets at all hours. When we asked for different site, (I said that I hadn't driven 1500 miles to camp on the side of a road with a portapotty), we were told that this was a "coveted site" and nothing else was available. Apparently the portable toilets were there because in the spring the regular flushing facilities didn't work, and because they were so expensive to rent, (tens of thousands of dollars), they decided to keep them for the season. Wow.

Yosemite is still spectacular for its views, but I don't feel the same joy at returning again. I do think the American people need to push hard for the money to restore these amazing places. While we were there, the US crashed an F-35 military jet, worth ..."For the air frame and mission equipment only, the Lot 15-17 cost of F-35s ranges “from $70.2 million to $69.9 million for the F-35A, $80.9 million to $78.3 million for the F-35B, and $90 to $89.3 million for the F-35C,” a Lockheed spokesperson said", yet no one freaked out. If you can absorb that cost, then put $70 million, (the low end cost of said jet), towards your national parks, and watch the transformation! I guarantee no one will say you lost a war because you were down a jet. Promise.

And Oregon State Parks: keep up the great work!

[maureen2musings]

Stormy days on the Oregon Coast

throughdarkforests

[new--tomorrows]

Early morning blues on the coast: Heceta Head and environs, Oregon. 19 August 2022.

[vintagecamping]

A group of cowboys gaze into Hells Canyon.

Memaloose State Park

1955

[tomlinsonvuitton]

dreamy

[frommylimitedtravels]

PNW coastlines be cool.

[flyingiseasy-landingnotsomuch]

Trail views from Silver Falls State Park, Or. Such an abundance of ferns and Douglas Firs.

[jaggedlensphoto]

Smith Rock State Park // Oregon

[garyquayphotography]

“Smith Rock Infrared, Oregon, July 2024.”

©2024 Gary L. Quay

I was in Bend in July for the Bend Summer Festival where I took part as a vendor, and I managed to make some stops on the way home. One of them was at Smith Rock where I used the Hasselblad flexbody with both a film back and a digital back. This one was with the film back. I’m happy with the way it looks.

Camera: Hasselblad Flexbody

Lens: 50mm Zeiss Distagon with a Hoya R72 filter.

FIlm: Ilford SFX 200

[eopederson2]

Coastal dunes, Honeyman State Park, Oregon 1985.

[pangeen]

“ Smith Rock State Park “ // Jackson Eaves

[theinternetisaweboflies]

Coffenbury Lake at Fort Stevens State Park

[rafefar]

The Milky Way over Nehalem Bay State Park

July 13, 2023

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, Oregon

Photographer: Steve Giardini

[lonestarbattleship]

"USS OREGON

The mast and figurehead shield from the Indiana-class battleship 'USS OREGON' in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon. On 4 July 1976, a time capsule was sealed in the base of the memorial. The time capsule is scheduled to be opened 5 July 2076.

The OREGON is famed for making the run from San Francisco to Florida via the Straits of Magellan in just 66 days during the American-Spanish war (19th March – 24th May, 1898)."

Date: December 28, 2006

Posted on Flickr by Cameron Booth: link