Clyde Holliday Sate Park

Well sadly we knew it was time to start heading back.  But rather than expedite the trip like we sometimes do when heading south, we try to plan some great stops as we head north and home. So although we were leaving the ocean shores, we were heading to yet another of our favorite state parks, Clyde Holliday.

We knew there were fires in the area from the reports and news we had read and watched, but the drive from the coast here gave us a fist hand view. Fire camps were still set up, although not many personnel were still on site, and many roads were still blocked. There was also a lot of snow as we reached higher peaks, and I'm sure that was welcomed in the time of fires. It is always a bit sad to drive through the aftermath of fires and this was no different.

Clyde Holliday is nestled in central Oregon, along highway 26 and the John Day River, and a close drive to the John Day Fossil Beds, which for some reason we had never visited. Hence this was our destination.

This is a small state park, only 31 sites, with power.  As the weather starts to turn colder and try to condition us for Canada, we really enjoy our services!

We don't usually put in long days unless we're changing territory such as this time.  So after a 7 hour day we just hooked up and began the evening ritual of Yahtzee and a drink:)

The next day it was out to the fossil beds. We were pretty stoked about this visit. We packed plenty of water and a fantastic lunch, knowing that the hiking would be fabulous and the weather perfect. Well as sometimes happens with tourist areas and publications, this one was a bit of a downer.  The scenery was amazing, but as far as our dream of spending the day hiking, no luck.  The highlight is a visitor centre operated by the National Park Service. The Thomas Condon Paleontology Center is a 11,000 square foot building with a ton of viewing opportunities, but the Fossil beds themselves were areas that you could not hike to.

We did manage some photos this time though!

 

We spent the extra time visiting the town of John Day and a Wi-Fi café, catching up on the blog, other people's blogs and Facebook in general.

 

Although the tourist stop wasn't scintillating, we never really get tired of the lifestyle in general, so no stop is ever a waste!

We are going to move closer to home again soon, and the weather forcast is not that wonderful, but no snow, so that's a good thing!