Modern Travel: Road Tripping in Oregon

Road tripping has always been a love of mine, and as we emerge from the pandemic, that passion to hit the open road has been re-ignited. Here’s how to re-create my journey from Redmond to Eugene, Oregon.

Fly into Redmond, located smack dab in the heart of Oregon’s high desert. A quick Uber ride takes me to downtown Redmond for an overnight at the SCP Hotel (be sure to check out the rooftop, for panoramas of the Cascade mountains).

Early the next morning, I drive 20 minutes to Smith Rock State Park. There are several thousand climbs in the park, more than 1,000 bolted. With the help of a guide from Smith Rock Climbing Guides, I carefully pick my way up the short basalt walls of the Northern Point.

At Smith Rock there are also miles of hiking/mountain biking trails, where you can marvel at the dramatic formations from 30 million years ago when overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. Golden eagles also nest here.

An hour drive south on the 97, is the High Desert Museum. My timing is perfect for lunch on the outdoor patio (the ahi tuna bowl is the best I’ve tasted). Set on 135 acres, here you can see wildlife like rescue otters and golden eagles and explore the history and culture of the Wild West. There are also temporary exhibits like “Imagine a World”, which was sparked by the covid pandemic and prompts us to reflect on who we want to be as a society by examining efforts at utopian communities (like Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who established a commune in Oregon).

After an hour back in the car, I leave the high desert and head north on Highway 58 into the Deschutes National Forest and Cascade mountain range. I stop for a coffee and a leg stretch at the rustic Odell Lake Lodge & Resort which dates back to 1903. The late snowfall has cancelled the canoe activity I had planned, but I substitute with a horse buggy ride, pulled by a massive Clydesdale who peacefully clip-clops around the resort forest.

Further up the road, the weather doesn’t prevent my hike to Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second highest waterfall, cascading 87 metres into the creek. If you hike the steep trail from the observation platform to the waterfall’s base, you can actually feel the spray on your face.

In nearby Oakridge, an Oregonian mountain biking mecca region, I stop for a quick IPA and yummy cottage pie at the quirky-meets-British-pub-house, the 3 Legged Crane. Further up the mountain I check in at Westfir Lodge, located across the street from the longest covered bridge in the state. Westfir is one of those sleepy towns with such incredible beauty that your first thought is “I want to live here”. 

I fall asleep to the sound of the rushing Willamette River North Fork and wake up early for a forest bathing walk with Noah Sunflower, who co-owns the lodge with his partner Tracey. They also operate the Cascades Outdoor Center, where they offer mountain biking shuttles, and rafting, kayaking, and hiking/snowshoeing tours. 

Again, the snowy weather cancels my kayak excursion to Larison Cove, so instead I head to one of the several nearby natural hot springs, McCredie. A 15-minute walk, made terribly exciting by some tight-rope walking along a series of logs, brings us to one of the most beautiful hot pools I’ve ever seen, the perfect place for a two-hour soak, punctuated with (very) cold dips in Salt Creek. Totally invigorated and feeling at one with nature, I’m ready for the 45-minute drive to Eugene, my final destination.

To plan your own road trip adventure, visit centraloregon.com and willamettevalley.com