Exploring the Byways

I took this picture this morning as I was walking Sandy.  The sky changes constantly.  It goes from heavy clouds to blue sky and sunshine and back to clouds and rain.

We decided to drive Highway 66 through Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument to Ashland, Oregon.
The motivating factor was to see Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.  The highway itself is historical in that it follows the Oregon Applegate Trail.  We had never heard of the Applegate Trail until we arrived in Oregon.    Oregon legislature was afraid that the British would built forts along the Columbia River where there wasn't much settlement.   They sent Jesse Applegate south in 1846 to find a safe Oregon Trail. The idea was that a safer route would bring immigrants to Oregon.   Route 66 follows that trail.

Look closely between the two trees and you will see a flock of about 8-10 wild turkey.

This monument was established by presidential proclamation of President Clinton on June 9, 2000.  Three mountain ranges (Klamath, Siskiyou, and Cascade) merge creating a unique mixing of diverse habitats.  It is the first monument set aside solely for the preservation of biodiversity.  As we drove Highway 66, we didn't see any scenery so magnificent that it should be set aside as a public park/monument.  The scenery was beautiful but we had seen this landscape in other areas of Oregon.  We found a small information building and were able to find out that it wasn't set aside for its beauty but for its biodiversity.  Seventeen years from its establishment and it is still undeveloped as far as the average visitor.

We saw this little church and I thought it was pretty nestled among the trees.  

We did see some deer but no moose except these.   I guess the owner of this farm likes moose.  When we took this same road back, these moose looked real as you look through the trees.

We saw several of these signs along the road.  When we stopped for information I asked about them.  Evidently there is some controversy over the establishment of the monument among the people living within the area.  There were several homes and businesses within the boundaries of the monument.  I assume that not everyone wants to live within the boundaries of a national monument.  We had heard on the news that the Secretary of the Interior was proposing shrinking the total area of the monument to allow for more logging.   I would say that it is the environmentalists against the logging companies.

This is the Klamath River.  It is large and snakes around the mountains in Oregon.  There is a huge lake outside of Klamath Falls named Klamath Lake and it is only six feet deep.  That seems very shallow for such a large lake.

 Dapper Dan in his hat and his lovely wife Linda.

This was the restaurant in which we ate supper.  The food was delicious and the portions unbelievably large.  Carol never brings home food but he had to bring home nearly 1/3 of his burrito.

Do you see the size of this burrito?   One burrito filled his entire plate.   As we left the restaurant it began to rain so our goodbye had to be quick.  It has been great getting reacquainted.     After we got back to the campground, we loaded the car.  Because this KOA has gas pumps, we will fill up here before we leave.    Next stop is Lassen Volcanic National Park, California.