Traveling Oregon Hwy 97 - Interesting spots on the Washington Side (HWY 14) Maryhill Museum has world class artist paintings. Nearby is a concrete clone of Stonehenge in England. If you don't mind boondocking, there is a large flat gravel parking lot in Biggs Jnct, OR right on the Columbia River, next to the intersection of HWY97 and Hwy84. Beautiful view, might be windy and hwy noisy.
Hwy97 from Biggs to Madras isn't terribly interesting.
Madras south volcanic area has a lot to see and do with many rest stops. There are several wild fires currently burning in this stretch, the air quality is terrible.
The Bend/Redmond OR area of HWY97 is well developed, has many RV facilities and many visitors this time of year. Semi truck activity is intense from Redmond south as several east/west HWYs (HWY20, HWY 31, HWY58) intersect and a main route into Hwy 5 in Weed CA.
There are lots of roadside attractions, mainly volcanic phenomena, and several nice lakes and reservoirs with state and federal campground. Weed CA tends to be a major semi-truck stop, check-out Shasta City, Dunsmuir, Anderson CA or for overnight.
If the fires stop, check out cutting over to HWY395 on OR HWY 31 from Hwy97 at La Pine, OR, to Reno then to SOCAL on 395. Be shure to gas up at La Pine.
If fires continue, consider HWY5.
|