Smith Rock State Park

{Lot/Guil - Part II}

On Monday we loaded up the car and all headed east on a mini-roadtrip toward Bend. The eastern side of the Cascades is a high desert so this seemed the best bet for sunshine. And for two days it was glorious. By the time it started raining on Wednesday, my face was a lovely shade of "just because the sun rarely comes out doesn't mean you shouldn't wear sun protection" pink.

On our way to Bend we stopped at Smith Rock State Park for a little hike. It was absolutely gorgeous, made more amazing by the fact the trail was covered in dust, not mud. I could barely contain myself.

Afterward, our evening looked like the photo below... don't you like how it's mid-April and we're still dressed for winter. The low in Bend this particular night was in the 20's. Crazy, huh?

And on a side note, I know I spend a lot of time complaining/commenting on the weather, so here's something I actually like about Oregon. Within four hours you can drive from the beach, through a rainforest, into a water-soaked valley not far from some crazy tall waterfalls, across snow covered mountains and volcanoes, and then into a place like Smith Rock State Park. What a nutty state.