ABC's of Trip Planning (Oct 10-20), Vol. 2- Z is for: Zippidee Doo Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[franandaj]

Liesa,
I got an email this morning saying that reservations for Flying Fish open today!

 

[Steppesister]

A Weekend Adventure

​

The promise of adventure was as thick as the swarms of mosquitoes in Minnesota in July. Bags were packed the night before; the only preparation still necessary was grabbing the charged camera battery and we were off. The route was carefully planned and highlighted on a virgin map from the DMV, but our small and enthusiastic group of three left plenty of room for veering off the course for unforeseen opportunities to see something that caught our eye- a lonely road off to the East, a weather worn shack to the right, a doe with spotted twins up ahead.

With 2 minutes to spare, coffee in deep travel mugs we were off, heading due East. After 3 hours of constant conversation and one potty stop at the summit of the Oregon Cascades where we had our butts chewed (you think I jest) by the great outdoors, we were on the high desert. Rolling hills turned into rugged landscape replete with tabletop formations Zane Grey would drool over. Every so often a bright green ribbon wound its way through the juniper and sage grassland providing a home for beaver, birds and mosquito hellspawn. Overhead, the cry of hawks and eagles disappeared in the vast wide open spaces, while vultures circled overhead to find something cooked to perfection on the blistering roadside to feast on.

It didn't take us long to find a good place to stop and see beauty through the lenses. While we see infinite beauty, our pioneer predecessors must have looked ahead at the looming snow-covered behemoths with dread and fear. They could either take another month to reach the fertile valleys and be farmers, or stop where they were and try their hand and ranching. Or risk death and peril and take the Columbia River Route, which would save time, but possibly cost a wagon, animal or human life. Thankful for paved highways and speedy and reliable vehicles, we turned our cameras back West and got a few nice shots.









Funny story about this location:

I had pulled into the driveway of a local farmer thinking we were only going to be there a few minutes and chances were pretty low he'd be coming out any time soon. Of course I was wrong, and as he pulled up in his old, dilapidated farm rig, I thought I was going to get a real tongue lashing for trespassing, blah, blah, blah. I couldn't have been more wrong. Again. He stepped out and sauntered his way over to us with a big smile on his face. I was hoping he wasn't overly thrilled about filling me with lead as he dealt with these intruders. I cautiously rolled down my window and he said, "Beautiful view, isn't it?"

After some quick introductions, and asking about some old buildings to photograph, he said his place back up the driveway a bit, had some fabulous old original cabins that people photographed and painted all the time. "Come on back, take your time!", he told us. So we did. After 20 or so minutes of having a ball with his barns, he proceeded to tell us about his family who were actually the founding members of Joseph, Oregon, far to the North and East from where we were. We shook hands, took his picture (on Marcia's phone) and parted friends. Here is Tygh's treasure trove of historical buildings:








Beside his driveway:




We headed out to lands yet undiscovered, in search of more stories to capture on "film". We weren't disappointed. Along the way, under the slightly warmer than comfortable temperatures and a clear blue sky, we tooled along and saw views like these:








Soon it was time for lunch. We parked our covered wagon at the nearest place serving up trail grub, and quickly made new friends at the Ding Ho Restaurant in Madras. Imagine that! A Chinese place, in a town with an Indian name patronized by mostly Latinos. The food was surprisingly delicious and there were leftovers enough to create an abominable stench in our cooler for the remainder of our trip. Bellies full, we took off again ready for more f-stop action. The first hamlet we came to has quite a colorful history. One I'd even imagine some of you may recall. It is full of intrigue, terror, deceit, and attempted mass murder.

Antelope sits squarely in the middle of NOWHERE. Yet close enough to something to have enticed a rather large cult group led by a charismatic whackadoodle (one that happened to be rather rich as well) to overtake it. And even succeed for a time. Here is a link to a story by our local news to fill you in. Really, the story is quite unbelievable!

http://www.oregonlive.com/rajneesh/index.ssf/2011/04/part_one_it_was_worse_than_we.html

They are long gone, but here are some fun pictures we got from Antelope:




If you look closely, you can see "City of Rajneesh" painted over.





I call this one "All Crapped Out" Can anyone guess why?




Titled "All Washed Up"





Next stop was 8 miles up the road in Shaniko. Once a small community of homesteaders, lonely, but not abandoned. Here are the outtakes from there:







The original town Water Tower:



Back on the open road, we headed towards Fossil- a town that actually had a couple of bars, a feed store, a grocery store and a COOL old courthouse- THE original kept in pristine condition built in 1901. First a few on the way there:





The Clarno Bluffs - 1 part of the 3 that make up the John Day National Park:



Which contained some pretty cool fossils:



And flowers:



2 Feet Wide:



And Six Feet Tall:



On the 2 lane rural road to Fossil:



FINALLY, we got to Downtown Fossil- Home of the REAL Western Cowboys and Farmers.

The lighting was TERRIBLE for these shots of the Courthouse, but here is one that turned out ok of one of the spires:




Next up: The Painted Hills!!!

 

[Steppesister]

Liesa,
I got an email this morning saying that reservations for Flying Fish open today!

Thanks! I got this in time to take care of it before leaving for work and snagged a ressie for 8. Marv and Pat got another one for an additional 3. Super stoked for this dinner!!!

 

[Steppesister]

A Weekend Adventure- Pt. 2​

After our stop in Fossil where we iced up and once again were treated to the gagalicious noxious fumes that hit you in the face at sonic speed (the Chinese food didn't really TASTE that garlicky) we headed out to our overnight destination- Mitchell. Like all of the others, it's a small town in the middle of nowhere, but home to a few hearty souls mostly ranching for a living. The wives run the "hotel", store, cafe and "gas station".

We arrived in bedraggled fashion, but not ready to give up the quest for uber cool photos. And our evening light was cooperating nicely. BUT, we had a critical decision to make before heading out again. You see, just as we pulled into Mitchell, the gas gauge showed less than 1/8 of a tank. Hmmm..... The first thing we asked when we pulled into town, a one street deal off the little traveled highway, was if the gas station was open. It was 7:00 PM. Mitchell, apparently, closes down at 5:00. Like America used to be. Every day. Gas would be available at 9:00 AM the next day. It was 13 miles to where we thought we'd get some Golden Hour shots, and 13 miles back. And since we wanted AM lit shots as well, it'd be that twice. In the past, I have gone 25 miles after the light came on (it wasn't yet) and made it. Was it worth it where there was zero cell reception, no passing cars, and dark quickly approaching??



OH HECK YES! We were living dangerously. So we checked in, took our stuff up to the room, and took off like kids when the ice cream truck comes.

Here, without further ado, are the PM shots. No commentary is necessary....












Without the polarizing filter (which I don't like as much):






The last evening light:



Satisfied with our efforts, we headed back to the historic hotel and spend an hour or two on the front porch with a bottle of wine and good conversation with the other guests. One guy was traveling through to a family reunion from Minnesota, a honeymooning couple, and a blowhard who was a little overly opinionated about which route Mr. Minnesota should take. The next morning we pulled Mr. Minnesota aside and told him in all honesty, he'd better stick with the route we gave him as he was in a Toyota Corolla and un-maintained roads were probably not a good idea in the summer. (Remember last year's trip to Hell and back? Yeah, he was going to go through there.)

Here was my view from the porch:




The morning dawned bright, and the air had a dry, dusty feel to it already. Eager travelers assembled on the porch as they waited for the slower folk of their parties, sipping coffee, and greeting the morning with a variety of plans. We'd slept well, but had a LONG day ahead. The goal was to be up and out by 7:30. We pulled away from the front of the hotel at 7:29. Would we make it all the way through the Park and back without becoming vulture food?

The lighting did not disappoint. Around each new bend, another spectacular view spread out her open arms and displayed her colors for us to capture; if you ever get a chance to visit, it would be very worth your time. But make sure you have a lot of that. It's a long ways from anywhere...













Those were the best out takes- there are more on FB @ Lincoln Landing Photography if you care to visit.

In the end, we did not have to worry about ending up at Vulture food. This guy took care of that for us. I was VERY sad about this, as one of my BIG wishes was to see a snake in the wild to photograph. From a distance with my long lens, of course. This, by our best determination was NOT a rattler, but rather a younger bull snake. There are signs all over the place though to be careful- there be snakes about.




We safely made it back to gas up- the car and ourselves. Both the one pump service station AND the little cafe were open. I ordered a BLT and my neighbors ordered a breakfast scramble, and yes, Marcia complained of lower GI issues the rest of the day. That'll teach her to come off of an extended cleanse with greasy potatoes, eggs and bacon.

Back on the road again (I can't wait to get on the road again... ), took in the sights and stopped willy-nilly at every scenic spot we came to. There were a lot. No wonder the pioneers were drawn to this land. Who could've guessed their distant progeny would toss their shoes that still had soles on them into the trees? Most of them would've nearly died for a pair of any of those shoes:



It's not called the Beaver State for nothing:



Fall comes early on the High Desert where water is sparse and temps are blistering:



I'll leave off there, and work on Pt. 3 shortly. Cheers!

 

[Steppesister]

A Weekend Adventure- Pt. 3​

The day was already half gone; the sun well beyond its zenith. Onward we trod, finding the richness of our country at every turn.

Somewhere along the way, in a grassy field along the Crooked River, possibly between Izee and Suplee (I really don't know, and at that point didn't really care) we spotted some rare and endangered Sand Cranes. My bona fide bird expert friend said they are young Cranes and are called "Colts". Who knew?! He knows apparently by the brown coloring as the adults are almost all gray. We watched them for a while and I was thrilled that I had brought my 300mm lens.







Izee offered some VERY cool ghost towning photography. There were several perfectly dilapidated old places that took us back to the early 1900s. Just down the road from where these were taken there is a HUGE, modern ranch with perfectly maintained barns, fences, and more horses than a '63 Corvette.








Although Suplee was on our list, the day had grown short and I was already on track to get home FAR later than the 5:00 I'd planned. But between Paulina and Post, we ran into this and couldn't resist one last photo shoot:



Truly, this was the piece de resistance; I was giddy with excitement, as this beauty still had bits of wallpaper, chinking, and more. Sadly, the cattle had gotten in and had been using it as a barn, so I'm afraid its days are probably limited now. There was also this little fellow who found a bit of old rag to escape the 90 degree day:



Very feral and very skittish- he was off in a flash with my flash.



Very art doco!

An old fuel burning space heater that warmed a family once upon a time:



The hand-hewn log storage barn:



Another space heater on the inside (I didn't go in as the floor was too splintered. I thought it might be a dangerous game to put my foot through it and risk a snake bite.)



Another house on the same lot:



Look at this one below carefully. See the square nails and perfectly cut joint?? WOW! Could you do that by hand? The nails date the place to about 1900-1920. I'm guessing by the wallpaper, it was built in the '00s or '10s and the wallpaper came a bit later in the 20's or 30's.

This is for the real antique buff. Any guesses? My neighbor knew... (the lighter oddly shaped piece with rings)



Yes, they really did use old newspaper to chink:



And that was the end of our trip. We still had 4 hours to go to get home, and entered this real and sometimes horrible present by coming across the crime scene where the local murder of a young college student had taken place while we were gone. Dozens of police and crime tape jolted us back to reality and with that, the car fell silent as we made our way home.

 

[pkondz]

The promise of adventure was as thick as the swarms of mosquitoes in Minnesota in July.

Nothing could be that thick!

the only preparation still necessary was grabbing the charged camera battery and we were off.

I thought this was foreshadowing.
Gladly, this does not appear to be the case.

a doe with spotted twins up ahead.

A couple of days ago, while I was driving to work,
"Oh! A doe with twins! Cool" followed about a 1/4 mile later by,
"Oh! A doe with twins!"

After 3 hours of constant conversation and one potty stop at the summit of the Oregon Cascades

This is what one does at the summit?

where we had our butts chewed (you think I jest) by the great outdoors,

I don't think you jest.
Been in similar situations, myself.

Rolling hills turned into rugged landscape replete with tabletop formations Zane Grey would drool over.

Well said.

while vultures circled overhead to find something cooked to perfection on the blistering roadside to feast on.

As long as that doesn't turn out to be you.
Like if your car was really low on gas and you decide to go on anyway.

While we see infinite beauty, our pioneer predecessors must have looked ahead at the looming snow-covered behemoths with dread and fear.

Good point.

we turned our cameras back West and got a few nice shots.

Indeed you did!
I won't comment on every breathtaking photo you took, it would just take too darned long.
But, wow Liesa. You got some real beauts there.

I had pulled into the driveway of a local farmer thinking we were only going to be there a few minutes and chances were pretty low he'd be coming out any time soon. Of course I was wrong, and as he pulled up in his old, dilapidated farm rig, I thought I was going to get a real tongue lashing for trespassing, blah, blah, blah. I couldn't have been more wrong. Again. He stepped out and sauntered his way over to us with a big smile on his face. I was hoping he wasn't overly thrilled about filling me with lead as he dealt with these intruders. I cautiously rolled down my window and he said, "Beautiful view, isn't it?"

Restoring faith in people. Nice.

"Come on back, take your time!", he told us.

Double nice.

After 20 or so minutes of having a ball with his barns

I beg your pardon?!?!??

he proceeded to tell us about his family who were actually the founding members of Joseph, Oregon

Cool!

Here is Tygh's treasure trove of historical buildings:

Love it!

Beside his driveway:

Is that an aqueduct?

Love this one especially.

Imagine that! A Chinese place, in a town with an Indian name patronized by mostly Latinos.

That's... weird.

Bellies full, we took off again ready for more f-stop action.

I beg your pardon!?!?!?!????

Here is a link to a story by our local news to fill you in. Really, the story is quite unbelievable!

That's.... entertaining and bizarre.

I call this one "All Crapped Out" Can anyone guess why?

Manure spreader?

And Six Feet Tall:

Holy crap!

once again were treated to the gagalicious noxious fumes that hit you in the face at sonic speed (the Chinese food didn't really TASTE that garlicky)

The first thing we asked when we pulled into town, a one street deal off the little traveled highway, was if the gas station was open. It was 7:00 PM. Mitchell, apparently, closes down at 5:00.

Whups!

Was it worth it where there was zero cell reception, no passing cars, and dark quickly approaching??



OH HECK YES! We were living dangerously.

It's funny now.
You know... 'cause you didn't die or anything.

Here, without further ado, are the PM shots. No commentary is necessary....

No commentary could live up to that.

Wow... just.... wow.

we headed back to the historic hotel and spend an hour or two on the front porch with a bottle of wine and good conversation with the other guests.

Sounds wonderful.

and a blowhard who was a little overly opinionated about which route Mr. Minnesota should take.

There's always one.

Always.

That'll teach her to come off of an extended cleanse with greasy potatoes, eggs and bacon.

Back on the road again (I can't wait to get on the road again... ),

Thanks Willie.

Who could've guessed their distant progeny would toss their shoes that still had soles on them into the trees? Most of them would've nearly died for a pair of any of those shoes:

And the question is.... why?

 

[pkondz]

we spotted some rare and endangered Sand Cranes.

Cool!!!

My bona fide bird expert friend said they are young Cranes and are called "Colts". Who knew?!

Not I. And I just had to Google it since it sounds so improbable.

Izee offered some VERY cool ghost towning photography. There were several perfectly dilapidated old places that took us back to the early 1900s.

Awesome.

and more horses than a '63 Corvette.

Over 360 horses? Whoa.

Did you do that?
Shame on you.

Although Suplee was on our list

Sorry, every time I see that, my mind automatically sees "Slurpee".

But between Paulina and Post, we ran into this and couldn't resist one last photo shoot:

No kidding. Who'd be able to resist that??

There was also this little fellow who found a bit of old rag to escape the 90 degree day:

Awww...

(I didn't go in as the floor was too splintered. I thought it might be a dangerous game to put my foot through it and risk a snake bite.)

Huh. I, a Northerner, unfamiliar with snakes, wouldn't have even thought of that.

Look at this one below carefully. See the square nails and perfectly cut joint?? WOW! Could you do that by hand?

Hardly. I'm having a hard enough time with my deck using modern tools.

This is for the real antique buff. Any guesses?

Nope. Looks like a doorstop.

Yes, they really did use old newspaper to chink:

And for insulation later.

We still had 4 hours to go to get home, and entered this real and sometimes horrible present by coming across the crime scene where the local murder of a young college student had taken place while we were gone. Dozens of police and crime tape jolted us back to reality and with that, the car fell silent as we made our way home.

Ugh. Not a great way to finish off a great little trip.

Thanks for sharing all your photos with us, Liesa!

 

[cinderkelly]

Absolutely beautiful photos! You are so talented! Some of the old buildings remind me a lot of Colorado. The snake skin..... Eeeewww. Not so fond of snakes. We keep our distance from each other and everything is fine Looks like you had a really great getaway. Sorry you had to end your trip with a scene like that.

 

[jedijill]

I just got home from a beginner photography class today and your pictures are so amazing! I've got to get out and start practicing tomorrow!

So sad about the murder victim.

Jill in CO

 

[MarieLightning]

Didn't quote anything because I'd probably just be quoting every picture to comment with

Seriously, such gorgeous scenery (and pictures). It looks like that trip was a blast!

 

[franandaj]

Great shots Liesa! Pretty much every one of them. I wouldn't be able to comment on them all.

I did look up Mitchell on Google Maps, and boy were you ever out in the boonies! Such beautiful pictures! Do you do any post processing or just use the Polarizing filter. Did you shoot *.Jpegs or in RAW?

I'm glad you had a great little trip and didn't run out of gas or get eaten by vultures!

 

[krnelson65]

I would love to be your friend on Facebook if possible.

Kim

 

[krnelson65]

Love all the pictures, just beautiful!!

 

[Steppesister]

I would love to be your friend on Facebook if possible.

Kim

Send me a request! Liesa Maycock Buren

 

[Steppesister]

I thought this was foreshadowing.
Gladly, this does not appear to be the case.

No. That would have been good writing.

A couple of days ago, while I was driving to work,
"Oh! A doe with twins! Cool" followed about a 1/4 mile later by,
"Oh! A doe with twins!"

Double nice!

This is what one does at the summit?

It was abundantly apparent. The evidence was everywhere. They really needed a porta up there.

I don't think you jest.
Been in similar situations, myself.

Gave me a nice reminder of that stop for days.

As long as that doesn't turn out to be you.
Like if your car was really low on gas and you decide to go on anyway.

What can I see? We were living on the edge.

Indeed you did!
I won't comment on every breathtaking photo you took, it would just take too darned long.
But, wow Liesa. You got some real beauts there.

You are kind. Thank you.

I beg your pardon?!?!??

Oops, did I say that?

Is that an aqueduct?

It is! And still used too.

That's... weird.

Yeah, it was. Funny too.

I beg your pardon!?!?!?!????

I really should watch my mouth.

That's.... entertaining and bizarre.

There have been many books written on this far out, but real, piece of American history.

Manure spreader?

Ding, ding, ding! Good job!

No commentary could live up to that.

Wow... just.... wow.

Thanks Willie.

Is my scruff a little out of control?

And the question is.... why?

A good question at that.

 

[Steppesister]

Over 360 horses? Whoa.

Went to a car show today... saw a '66 and a '67, but no split window '63. I was sad.

Did you do that?
Shame on you.

I tried to be careful. LOL!

Sorry, every time I see that, my mind automatically sees "Slurpee".

Funny thing is... that's ALL we ever called it.

No kidding. Who'd be able to resist that??

That chimney was in almost pristine shape. Unbelievable!

Hardly. I'm having a hard enough time with my deck using modern tools.

Step up your game, Ponzi.

Nope. Looks like a doorstop.

Nope. According to Greg, (and I should have given you a location) it is a holder for the electric system insulator. The threads were so it could be screwed on.

Thanks for sharing all your photos with us, Liesa!

You're very welcome. I have as much fun sharing, as I do taking them.

 

[Steppesister]

I just got home from a beginner photography class today and your pictures are so amazing! I've got to get out and start practicing tomorrow!

How was it?! I'd LOVE to take one someday. Just need to find the time. Yes, practice. Then practice some more. I have found that photography is 95% patience and 5% knowing your camera.

Didn't quote anything because I'd probably just be quoting every picture to comment with

Seriously, such gorgeous scenery (and pictures). It looks like that trip was a blast!

Awww, thanks. It was a GREAT trip. I plan to go do some more someday as there are quite a few more further East of where we could get on this trip. It was good company which made a big difference too.

 

[jedijill]

The class was great! I tried to take some pics today and I think they turned out terrible. Guess I need more practice!


Jill in CO

 

[Steppesister]

Absolutely beautiful photos! You are so talented! Some of the old buildings remind me a lot of Colorado. The snake skin..... Eeeewww. Not so fond of snakes. We keep our distance from each other and everything is fine Looks like you had a really great getaway. Sorry you had to end your trip with a scene like that.

Thank you, Kelly! It's fun to go back a few years and see the progress I"ve made.

I'll bet Colorado has a TON of ghost towns that would be fun to visit! Mines too with equipment. I'd love that!

I like snakes (from a healthy distance) , but absolutely 100% can NOT do spiders. LOL!

Great shots Liesa! Pretty much every one of them. I wouldn't be able to comment on them all.

Thanks Alison! I love getting out and seeing what I can find and tinkering with how to best capture it.

I did look up Mitchell on Google Maps, and boy were you ever out in the boonies! Such beautiful pictures! Do you do any post processing or just use the Polarizing filter. Did you shoot *.Jpegs or in RAW?

OH yeah, it's VERY remote. There was NO cell service, gas stations were few and far between, and no McDonalds for hundreds of miles.

I did a small bit of post processing. In general, I'm a minimalist in that area. I know everyone has their style, but I like them pretty much NOT overprocessed. For these, I boosted the shadow, added a teensy saturation, and tinkered with the highlighting a bit. And of course some cropping to get wires out. I do not have photoshop, and use a freeware program called Picasa. For me, a good picture is one that doesn't have to be "re-made" on a computer. I was shooting in manual for almost every shot, which is a HUUUUUUUUGE leap for me. I'm FINALLY getting the knack of fiddling with the shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO enough to get something worth keeping with minimal monkeying. Greg let me use his polarizing lens and his wide angle for the trip, and am now convinced I need both. I learn by DOING, and before this trip, I didn't know their purpose or when I'd use them. Now that I know and have practiced I can see their value.

OH, I always shoot in .jpeg mostly because I have no idea what I'd need to do with raw in order to post them afterwards. When someone can show me how, I will probably switch. But for now, honestly, I'm happy with my art.

I'm glad you had a great little trip and didn't run out of gas or get eaten by vultures!

But what a story it'd have been. LOL!

I would love to be your friend on Facebook if possible.

Me too. I tried to send one to you, but there was no option there?? Not sure why?

Love all the pictures, just beautiful!!

Thanks, Kim! I had such a fun time hunting them down.

 

[Steppesister]

The class was great! I tried to take some pics today and I think they turned out terrible. Guess I need more practice!


Jill in CO

Practice, practice, practice! Get out there, and someone told me once, for a while when you're first learning, ALWAYS have your camera with you. And also don't be too hard on yourself. Even the professionals I've talked to say that only about 1/50 are good enough to keep. Try different angles, get close ups, watch the light, etc... you'll get better. Promise!