Central Oregon

This past week, we spent six amazing days exploring central Oregon. Neither of us had gone here before, so it was all new territory. We had so much fun, we wanted to share our favorite spots here!

A little background about us for first time readers...We live in a motorhome. We don't like crowds (unless they're alpacas). We like haunted places. And we love being in nature! 

Where We Stayed:

We stayed in a KOA for the first time. The location was great - just outside of Redmond and close to the state parks we planned to visit. The park was very nice. Though we are not the best about keeping track of holidays, and by chance our vacation extended through Memorial Day weekend. The first few days we were there, it was very peaceful and we had a lot of privacy. Though, when the weekend came around... the park was BOOMIN'!  Spaces are close, which means neighbors are close. It got pretty crowded and noisy (as it surely did at most campgrounds).

Overall, it was a great location and park, which we'd recommend. We'd probably stay in a state park if possible, and pick a less busy weekend!

The Parks:

There are some great state parks in this area! Again, Memorial Day weekend is not the best time to go - did I mention we really don't like crowds?! This is how we felt arriving at Smith Rock that Saturday...

We ended up having a blast at Smith Rock and the Cove Palisades in our own anti-social gothy way.

For those daredevils reading this, there's rock climbing at Smith Rock, and bungee jumping at Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint. We enjoyed the views safely on the ground. Cline Falls is another lovely (although creepy) park to see - check out why here. 

Museums & Antiques:

We were only able to fit one museum and one (huge) antique mall in this trip.

When we visit a new place, there are a couple things we have to do: 1. learn the herstory and 2. look for ghosts. The Reid School (now Deschutes Historical Museum) is full of history and paranormal encounters. In fact, this place was so great we had to write an entire blog post on it! Read more about the haunted school/museum here.

Another fun fact about your narrators: we love antiques and thrift stores (probably because we hope to one day buy a haunted couch, or army-man figurine one day). Redmond Antique Mall is one of the best we've ever been to (yes, better than any of the ones in Portland). There are over 70 little booths full of unique items, some of which we actually saw in the museum. Somehow, we only walked out with a pair of sconces...we will be back!

Stay tuned for pictures of the sconces - though!

Alpacas:

If you are ever in Central Oregon, you MUST visit Crescent Moon Ranch. This little roadside stop gets its very own section because it was AMAZING! When you first arrive you have the pleasure of grazing through an adorable family owned boutique, featuring products from the alpacas you are about to meet. The products are incredibly soft and well made. Also, the owners have adorable puppies that you can look at, and they might just bring you an alpaca toy. 

Then you are able to purchase bags of feed for $5 a bag... to meet your new friends, ALPACAS. These guys are so cute and soft and friendly (for the most part). When we arrived at 10:30 AM, a new baby had just been born a few hours earlier. Incredible place. 

That's it for our vacation highlights! What are your favorite Oregon spots to visit? Leave us a comment below and don't forget to subscribe!