Tag: views

The Painted Hills – Central Oregon

Oregon is one of the most diverse states within the United States. It has costal regions, high dessert, mountains, small towns, big cities, and long beautiful rivers. There is a little something for everybody in Oregon, so it should not shock me when I come across a new region that adds to the diversity of this state, but this is exactly what happened as I traveled to one of the more hidden gems out here. The Painted Hills not only showed me a new side of Oregon, but showed me something new that I had never seen before.

The Painted Hills are one of Oregon’s seven wonders, and one that many people do not make it out to. It has been designated as a National Monument, so there are people there, but it does not attract the crowds like Crater Lake of the Oregon coast does. The infrastructure around the location is not as built up as well with not a lot of locations to stay at except for a few campsites in the neighborhood so it makes it hard to plan to get out to the location. Luckily, the location is not an all day place, and can be enjoyably viewed within a couple of hours. It is the perfect place to stop by and see, especially if you are traveling from the Columbia Gorge to the Bend area in Central Oregon.

The Painted Hills have four hikes with a couple of miles from each other. Most of the hikes are less than a mile and are on well designated path to keep people off of the fragile soil of the monument. Three of them are relatively easy to do with very little elevation gain, and the longest hike is the most difficult going straight up a mountain to a spectacular view of the whole region. For the most part, anybody can do the three shorter hikes, and the hardest hike can still be accomplished by most people. They are all pretty close to each other with only short drives in-between them. During the summer months, it does get hot at the location, so make sure to bring plenty of water.

Besides the views that are offered, there is a lot of other interesting things to witness at the sight. There is a small oasis at the ranger station with picnic tables, perfect for lunch. The rangers are also well informed and are willing to ask any questions about the Painted Hills. Even if you do not ask them questions, there are a lot of information signs all around that can tell you about the formation of the hills, what the place looked like thousands of years ago, and about all of the fossils that have been found at the sight.

It is easy to see why the Painted Hills are one of Oregon’s seven wonders. It might not be the easiest of locations to get to, but it is worth the drive to get out there, and even better to make a stop at if you find yourself in the location. It is just another example of why Oregon is one of the most beautiful states in the United States.

Until next time, keep on finding those hidden gems out there.

Mirador Condor – Torres del Paine, Chile – Without the W or the O Part 1

It is a badge among many hikers to travel all the way down to the southern tip of South America and do the five or six day hikes that are a part of the W loop or O loop in Torres del Paine. Not to take away from the people that are able to accomplish these great feats, but there are many other ways, and many other hikes to take that are just as spectacular in this National Park of Chile. It also does not require you to book the hikes six months in advance to make sure that you have the limited spots that are available on these paths, and if you can find the trailheads, you are welcome to enjoy these hikes on your own time. This short series will explore some of the paths and other things available that I was able to take during my five night stay in the park, and it might help you plan your trip if you were not able to book the W or O loops.

The first one is one of the easiest to find, Mirador Condor. It is a forty-five minute hike out, and forty-five minutes back that takes you to the top of a ridge that will give you some of the more iconic views from the park. The path is groomed well, and for the most part is pretty easy to travel on. It is a little steep on the way up, and there are parts with loose soil that makes footing a little slippery, but if you take it slow on the way up, it is still not too difficult. I would recommend bringing hiking poles as well and this will help give you the balance that you need to reach the top.

The views are not the only reason to take this hike. Just as the name implies, this is also the scrounching grounds for condors, and if you are lucky, you can find them hunting for food. These birds are enormous, and watching their graceful dance as they float over the peaks was one of the highlights of this trip. They are not always out, but they usually hunt in the morning hours when it is not too windy, so if you plan your trip well, it will increase your chances to see them. I know that the picture I included does not make it look like they are that great, but it is hard to take a picture of one of these birds that does it justice. You just have to go out an visit to see how majestic these birds really are. Also, I am told that nine times out of ten when making the hike up to this peak, people will not see condors, so if you do see them, consider yourself extremely lucky.

Another reason that you might want to go earlier in the morning is because of the winds. On the way up, it was not very windy, and I even joked about some of the signs we ran into that warned about the high winds. Right when we summited, the winds came, and apparently heard me joking about them because they came in strong. They were not joking about the wind either. It blows so hard that it feels like it could easily sweep you off of the mountain, and there was a saddleback in between two peaks where the path takes you, and it is here where the wind was at its worst. We ended up walking directly into the wind on the way down in this part, and that might have been the most strenuous part of the whole hike.

The trail head is pretty easy to find. We left from Campground Pehoe. If you are leaving from the parking lot with the restaurant in it, it is to your left. We walked down that way, and we reached where the parking lot for the trailhead was in a couple of minutes. It was really easy to find, and there is even signs that point to where it starts. This is not the only way to the peak. There is another path on the other side of the mountain that you can find by traveling another kilometer and you will be able to find the parking lot right before the bridge that takes you to the hotel on the island in the middle of the lake. We did not take this path, but we talked to some people on top of the peak, and it sounds like it was just as difficult as the one that we took. Either way, you should be able to find your way up to this amazing viewpoint in the middle of Torres del Paine.

Columbia Gorge Hotel – Hood River, Oregon

I know that I usually do not talk about hotels on my voyages. That is because I usually do not spend a lot of time in the hotel, so I generally do not stay in the fanciest of places, so I do not think that you would be interested in what I have to say about them. This was not the case when I stayed at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. The hotel might not be as luxurious as some of the more modern hotels out there, but considering it was built in 1904 and is still considered one of the more luxurious hotels in Oregon, it is worth talking about.

The most impressive aspect of the hotel is that it sits on a tree filled cliff overlooking the Columbia River with many places to settle down and enjoy the views. Hood River is known as the world’s windsurfing capitol, so while sitting out and enjoying the views, you can watch people on the river participating in this activity. It does get hot there during the summertime, but there is a constant breeze blowing down the gorge that makes sitting in the shade pleasant during most times during the day.

The grounds have their own particular charm. On the back side of the hotel there are forested grounds that feature a waterfall; whereas, the front of the hotel has more well-maintained grounds that could be used for weddings. These include things such as a dance floor, a stone structure that would be perfect for pictures, and even a bocci ball pit and a horseshoe lawn.

The rooms are not as modern as you might find in other hotels, but they are still very comfortable with amazing views of the Columbia Gorge. It also offers all of the modern conveniences that you expected from a hotel with a huge closet, a big bathroom, and a refrigerator. You won’t even have to leave the hotel for dinner and breakfast because the hotel has a great restaurant. Many people who do not even stay at the hotel come to the place just to eat the great food and enjoy the views at the restaurant.

It is not often that I talk about a hotel. Most of the time, for me, a hotel is just a place to drop my stuff off while I am exploring the world. Every once in a while there is a hotel that is a destination in itself, and the Columbia Gorge Hotel is such a place. I am glad that I spent a day there hanging out.

Until next time, continue to find those special places for yourself.