There are still several good hours in the day, so we park the car in the day-use area ($5 per day fee, or $30 annual Oregon State Park pass) and set out on a light hike of the iconic park featuring rising stacks of basalt rock towering above a winding canyon carved out by the lazy Crooked River.Īlthough this is a rock-climbers Mecca, we opt to explore on firm ground - but the Misery Ridge trail is rather steep and gets our heart rate up enough to start sweating. The small airport is easy to maneuver and within no time we’re snug in our rental car peeling out of the airport property - heading toward Smith Rock State Park. It’s hard not to smile as the sun beats on my face. Bachelor rise in the distance and a warm sense of “coming home” takes hold of me. Immediately outside of the fuselage, Three Sisters and Mt. The door opens and the sweet smells of sage and juniper rush into the cabin and I take my first breath of high desert air. Just as we level off the nose of the aircraft glides back down and we roar over the town of Redmond on approach to the regional airport that serves as the hub to Central Oregon.
Hood signals the eventual transition from dense green fir forests to a drier part of the state, with less trees and more sandy hues of yellow and brown. It’s a bright sunny day on both sides of the Cascade Mountains and regal Mt. My friend Mike and I are on a quick 45-minute flight from Portland (PDX) to Redmond/Bend (RDM) Airport and the turboprop hums through some outstanding scenery. View from the air above - on our way to a weekend getaway in Central Oregon If you go - where to stay in Central Oregon.Table of Contents - weekend getaway to Central Oregon This article outlines an excellent itinerary for a weekend getaway to Central Oregon, including a map featured at the end of the piece. Back in my airline days I covered this part of the State of Oregon in my sales territory and I loved taking the quick Horizon Air (a regional affiliate of Alaska Airlines) flight from Portland to Redmond, transporting me from the gray skies of the Willamette Valley to the cheer of a quieter, light-filled world centered around everything “outdoors.” I never got tired of driving roads that framed rolling hills of farmland and stunning views of snow-capped volcanoes. An easy three-hour drive from Portland, Oregon or a quick 45-minute flight from Seattle makes a weekend getaway to Central Oregon a bright idea.īright literally because this high desert area of Oregon is known for abundant sunny days amongst fresh air laden with hints of sage and juniper. Bachelor in Winter, discover lava beds in Spring, raft the wily Deschutes River in Summer and hike ponderosa pine forests in Fall - Central Oregon has year-round adventure. I love Central Oregon! From fascinating geological history to the plethora of outdoor activities, there seems to be something for everyone in this enclave of beauty centered around Bend (population 100,000+) and Redmond, Oregon (where the commercial airport for the region is located).
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