THE DALLES

emerges between rolling sun-drenched hills and rough basalt cliffs.

Come and experience the great outdoors here. Hiking, biking, fishing and water sports abound. And in the city itself, there's wine tasting, drive-in movies, delicious food and live music almost every night. You'll never run out of things to do in THE DALLES . Come explore for yourself.

As for Rajneeshpuram, it has been reborn as the Washington Family Ranch, a Young Liferun religious youth camp. The ranch itself was purchased by Montana billionaire Dennis Washington in 1991, who donated it to Young Life in 1997. Young Life offers two camps now, one for middle-school-aged youth, and one for high schoolers. Some of the guru’s infrastructure efforts remain, either being remodeled or repurposed. Young Life has done an amazing job of transforming Big Muddy into a model youth camp. The facility is available for retreats and other gatherings. The road through the camp is public for deeper ventures into the rugged high-desert country out toward the Painted Hills. The drive in to where the ranch sits is a geologic and geographic wonder.

ALL IN A DAY’S DRIVE

It was a good day. Much of where I traveled was via the “Journey Through Time” Oregon Scenic Byway that spans five Oregon counties and comprises portions of U.S. Route 97, Oregon Route 218, Oregon Route 19, U.S. Route 26, and Oregon Route 7. The John Day River meanders through much of it. The 39-mile drive from my home base in Mosier to Maupin was an easy hour. To cover the Bakeoven Road ramble was another dawdling hour with stops for notes and photographs and a rare quiet filled with birdsong and fresh air. With some hair-raising switchbacks, the eight-mile dip into Antelope was made better with delicious views out into arid desert country, marked with sagebrush, juniper and bunch grass. Sixteen miles from Antelope is the Washington Family Ranch and it’s a drive not to be missed for its grandeur. All that and I was back at home well before sundown.

please inquire at www.atinroofbarn.com

With breathtaking views of the hills and orchards of the White Salmon River valley, the barn takes center stage for celebrations. The only venue in the Gorge to offer covered ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception locations; entertaining options are abundant at Tin Roof Barn. Magic loves it here…