T’S MY BIRTHDAY!! The day started with presents, cards and phone calls with my kids. So grateful for my wonderful family! Then it was off to Painted Hills State Park which is a 2 hour drive from our Park. The guide book said “GO……this is an Oregon must see!” First we walked up the Painted Hills Overlook Trail for wonderful views of the colorful hills, the yellows, golds, reds and the fabulous black streaking stood out in the changing light of the day. Then to the Painted Cove Nature Trail with a board walk amongst the red, orange, yellow and lavender hills. Yes, the lavender-gray layer is ” highly weathered remains of a rhyolite lava flow”, and is about 40 million years old. The only problem is that nothing grows on these hills, they are inhospitable to plants, but the colors are so brilliant that it makes up for the lack of trees and plants. However, we did see many beautiful wild flowers on the walks to the hills. Our last stop was a walk around the Red Hill and an intimate view of a vibrantly painted hill.
These hills were worth the long drive to experience the vibrant hues of nature and they reminded me of a Georgia O’Keefe painting. It’s as if Mother Nature took up her brush and painted the hills. The drive back did not seem as long but it was good to get back and shower before going out to celebrate my birthday. We drove into Bend to the Old Mill District and ate at the Pastini Pastaria Restaurant on the edge of the Deschutes River watching the sunset.
This day has been the best ever!