Another day

This is Newbury Crater, part of the National Volcanic Monument, south of Bend, Oregon, and about 4 hours from here by car.

Mt. Paulina, in the Monument, is the highest point you can drive to in the whole state:

*

*

*

This is 2008, because I had my pretty blue Caliber then:

I sorta miss that car; it stood out in any parking lot.

(my biker friend thought it was a girly-colored car, and partly because of that, I traded up to a better equipped Black Caliber. I have to laugh and give him a hard time, because since then, he’s acquired a ’90 Harley Fatboy – in blue and silver, and a BLUE 1999 Mustang. Who’s got girly colors now?)

*

Supposedly. from up here, you can see Idaho, to the east (a couple hundred miles east, as a matter of fact), and south into California. Supposedly, because we stood in the clouds up on Mt. Paulina that day:

*

*

*

I believe that this is the highest altitude public restroom in the state.

(another personal "first". Of course I used the facilities)

*

*

*

The weather was "better" down in the caldera:

(as a scale reference, those "sticks" on the right side of this waterfall were trees, up to 60 feet tall. If I stood on the rocks below the falls, you’d have to squint to see me)

*

*

*

*

*

*

Did I mention that I didn’t go by myself?

It was a good trip.

*****