Last Updated on September 11, 2016
This past weekend we left Darcy behind and I took the girls on a girls getaway with their Auntie Diana to Oregon for a long overdue visit with their Auntie Beth and American Grandma. We also wanted to get in some sightseeing of places around Oregon we had not been able to venture through until this weekend. It made for an extremely busy extended weekend, but we loved spending so much time outdoors. We were lucky that the sun decided that it should shine bright during our visit, so it was the perfect opportunity to spend the time outdoors exploring the beauty that Oregon has to offer. Oregon is a beautiful place.
There is still so much left for us to see, but here are our highlights from our trip to Oregon:
Painted Hills – Mitchell, Oregon
One of the Seven Wonders of Oregon and one of the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, this is the one sight that we were most excited to see. Before your eyes, the hills really do seem like they area painting with their spectacular colours and patterns. Painted Hills is named after the colorful layers of its hills that were formed over 35 million years ago as a result of volcanic eruptions and changing climate patterns. Layers of ash and different types of soil mixed with minerals and plant material and eroded; this caused the breathtaking coloring of the Painted Hills landscape we see today.
Sea Lions – Astoria, Oregon
When we were in San Francisco, we loved viewing the Sea Lions on Pier 39. We heard of another Sea Lion gathering and though we hear most residents don’t appreciate the Sea Lions, we wanted to show the girls these amazing creatures as they relaxed on the docks, hundreds of them, as they barked loudly and fought for space on the docks. The docks the sea lions are using are not open for use by boaters, for obvious reasons.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival – Woodburn, Oregon
Stroll through 40 acres of stunning, colorful tulips, and in clear weather you can enjoy all the colours backed by Mt. Hood. We couldn’t believe how many tulips there were. It started out cloudy the day that we went and though the sun seemed to come out and the sky started to clear, we didn’t get the Mt. Hood view. We were however greeted by rows and rows of beautifully coloured tulips; more tulips than we have ever seen before. We enjoyed walking between the rows and spending the time outside in the middle of such beauty. They also had a lot of entertainment for the kids, some was free, and others had a small additional fee. Madison loved the pony ride for an additional $5.
Resort Town -Sunriver, Oregon
We stayed two nights and enjoy the gorgeous weather in Sunriver. It was so relaxing and peaceful, especially since it was the off-season. Sunriver is a residential and resort community 15 miles south of Bend, Oregon, at the base of the Cascade Range. The Village at Sunriver was full of fun shops and dining options. The treats at Goody’s in the village were delicious; the ice cream was a real treat. At first the resort town was a little confusing to get around, but we always managed to find the right place to relax after some exploring. Our accommodation was a 70’s styled house, and though it was old fashioned, we loved the character and charm that came with it.
Western Town – Sisters, Oregon
On our way to Sunriver, we discovered a town called Sisters. With a western old-country feel and small mom-and-pop shops, everyone we spoke to was super friendly and the town had such a relaxed feel. We loved wandering around exploring all the small shops and enjoyed all the stunning scenery around the Sisters area. It really was a lively town– we went on a Sunday just before the shops started opening and by the time we left a couple hours later, the place was booming with people and traffic.
We’ll be going into more detail about our latest adventures real soon – we have a ton of photos we would love to share with you!
Where are your favourite spots around Oregon? Where do you suggest we visit next time we’re there?