I am a landscape photographer from Texas going on vacation headed to Washington and Oregon. I'll be leaving June 6 and be there 3 weeks. I've never been to Oregon and only ever visited relatives in Spokane. I would really appreciate any advice any of you could give me on places to visit. I am anxious to see and photograph some different scenery than what I'm used to in Texas (and it won't be awful to get away from the Texas heat either). My specialty here in Texas is wildflowers, so I wouldn't mind seeing some of those as well while I'm up there.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Gary Regner
www.texaswildflowerpictures.com
Gary, My favorite place to photograph is Olympic National Park in Washington State. You can literally drive from alpine meadows to rocky shoreline in one day. Hurricane Ridge to Dungeness Spit. Stay in Port Angeles for a day or two, then head out to Rialto Beach, and the rainforest area. I wish I was heading out for a three week jaunt. Enjoy!
Olympic is a great suggestion as well, but you will get rained on for sure. There's much else to see in Washington as well, and Spokane would certainly be a good jumping off point.
Oregon is extremely varied, so a 2 hour drive anywhere in the state (assuming you travel east to west ) will show you tons of different landscapes.
If you're up for it, I'd highly recommend driving Hwy 26 from Mitchell, OR (The Painted Hills), then west through Madras, Warm Springs, Governent Camp, and perhaps all the way to the coast. There are a lot of things to see within 20 miles or so off Hwy 26 so you'd have a lot of options.
Highlights on that drive or nearby would be: Painted Hills, Smith Rock, Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Columbia River Gorge, Mt Hood and surrounding forests, Ramona Falls, Portland, Coast Range, Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park.
With three weeks you should have time to cover a lot of territory, but then there's really a lot to see in Washington and Oregon!
If you're returning to Spokane, head a little south to the Palouse area - rolling hills of wheat fields will be at their Spring prime the second week of June.
Wildflowers will mostly be a mid-elevations in the Cascade Mountains in both OR and WA, but the showcase places for carpets of color are either done this year or not happening until July-Aug high in the mountains.
Among my recommendations: Olympic National Park coast and rainforests, San Juan Islands, central Washington Cascades around Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee, Mount Saint Helens, Palouse wheat fields, Columbia River Gorge waterfalls on the OR side, but also visit the WA side). As much of the Oregon Coast as you have time for, from top to bottom. Mount Hood and Hood River Valley. McKenzie River and Santiam Pass from Eugene up over to Sisters (or reverse). Cascade Lakes Highway near Bend. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, especially the Painted Hills Unit).
I've left off Crater Lake, Mount Rainier and North Cascades National Park, because those locations don't really open up until July, but parts of each are accessible earlier and are certainly worth visiting.
Discussion
3 repliesThanks in advance for any advice.
Gary Regner
www.texaswildflowerpictures.com
Oregon is extremely varied, so a 2 hour drive anywhere in the state (assuming you travel east to west ) will show you tons of different landscapes.
If you're up for it, I'd highly recommend driving Hwy 26 from Mitchell, OR (The Painted Hills), then west through Madras, Warm Springs, Governent Camp, and perhaps all the way to the coast. There are a lot of things to see within 20 miles or so off Hwy 26 so you'd have a lot of options.
Highlights on that drive or nearby would be: Painted Hills, Smith Rock, Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Columbia River Gorge, Mt Hood and surrounding forests, Ramona Falls, Portland, Coast Range, Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park.
If you're returning to Spokane, head a little south to the Palouse area - rolling hills of wheat fields will be at their Spring prime the second week of June.
Wildflowers will mostly be a mid-elevations in the Cascade Mountains in both OR and WA, but the showcase places for carpets of color are either done this year or not happening until July-Aug high in the mountains.
Among my recommendations: Olympic National Park coast and rainforests, San Juan Islands, central Washington Cascades around Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee, Mount Saint Helens, Palouse wheat fields, Columbia River Gorge waterfalls on the OR side, but also visit the WA side). As much of the Oregon Coast as you have time for, from top to bottom. Mount Hood and Hood River Valley. McKenzie River and Santiam Pass from Eugene up over to Sisters (or reverse). Cascade Lakes Highway near Bend. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, especially the Painted Hills Unit).
I've left off Crater Lake, Mount Rainier and North Cascades National Park, because those locations don't really open up until July, but parts of each are accessible earlier and are certainly worth visiting.