Covered Bridges PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 21 April 2004 00:00
It was pouring with rain this morning when we woke up and we could have easily gone back to sleep. We wanted to do some exploring but the weather sure wasn't inviting us to do anything so we hung around until after lunch.
 
We decided to take Highway 126, a scenic drive along the McKenzie River through the Willamette National Forest towards the Cascade Mountains. It runs through the McKenzie Valley and we were able to see a few of the many covered bridges in the area. There are 51 historical covered bridges in Oregon, which the pioneers built to protect the wooden trusses from the elements. This increased the bridges lifespan from 10 years to 30 years and it also created an overnight refuge for travelers. They are now preserved and scattered throughout the state for people like us to enjoy.
 
We continued along the McKenzie River, Oregon's only river to be entirely within the state, to the Sahalie Falls a beautiful cascade of water tumbling 100+ feet over a lava cliff. We wandered along a snow and moss-covered path to have a better view of the river and just as Rick stood on one overlook, an osprey flew overhead. It perched on a branch not 50 feet from us and we were able to admire it for a while. This is the fourth one we have seen in as many days and I tried to photograph this beautiful bird but unfortunately, the photographs didn't turn out.
As we were driving home, the elusive sun came out and according to the weather report; it is here to stay for a while. Yay!Cool