Stayton to LaGrande, and Back Again!

There is something so very therapeutic about taking a leisurely car drive. Last weekend, my old college roommate got married to a fine young lady. My wife and I were invited to attend their wedding in La Grande, Oregon. I was honored to stand at attention as second-best-man. Congratulations Kiel and Cherise! On the way home, my wife Eve and I decided to wander the less traveled highways instead of zipping down the interstate bore-way. It has been too long since I have had an entire day with no agenda besides "get home." It was great! Below is a map of our care-free trek.
View Larger Map The sun beat down on our aging Camry and the A/C labored to take the chill off the 95-100°F air temperature. To break the monotony of being in the car for 4 hours, we pulled off to the side of the road in a canyon through which the John Day River snaked. Carefully, we maneuvered down the river bank in our flip-flops. I spent a few minutes wading in the river, taking pictures as the water slowly flowed around my shins. Before long, the 95°F heat got the best of me and I convinced my wife that we take a dip! We spent the next hour enjoying ourselves in the warm and shallow stream. After letting the warm breeze air-dry our skin and swimwear, we hopped back into our sweltering vehicle and continued our journey. Along the way, we saw several forest fires from the road, but none deterred our progress as we headed home. By this point, the sky was starting to get cloudy and, despite the earlier heat, it seemed as if it might even rain. Around 8 o'clock, we stopped in the town of Sisters, Oregon for another break and some food. After a fine meal, we stepped outside and were greeted with an fine array of lightning and thunder. This show persisted until we arrived home an hour and a half later. And such was the perfect end to a great weekend. And congrats again to the newlyweds!