Summer was nearly half over and we were excited to leave town for the long weekend. Nikki and I planned an easy ride through eastern Oregon with a camping stop over in the small town of Burns. I looked forward to good riding in warm sunshine since all of my previous rides through Oregon were cold and rainy. I seriously wondered if Oregon ever had nice weather.
We headed west from Ontario with blue skies and bright sunshine. Dora, the R1200GS, hummed along perfectly as the green country side rolled by. We passed through Vale, where you may be tempted to stay at the Bates Motel. It's not the actual murder scene from the movie "Psycho" but you can have fun and maybe impress your friends with a selfie.
Juntura (Spanish for Juncture) was our next stop where unfortunately the Oasis Diner was closed for the holiday. We'd heard good things about their breakfasts, but will have to find out the next time we pass this way. Nikki and I made due on granola bars and water for a snack, while I indulged my passion for photographing abandoned buildings.
By mid afternoon we arrived at the Burns RV Park located on the edge of town. The campground is small, but clean and was surprisingly quiet for the weekend. We had reserved a tepee for some Native American style camping, but our plans suddenly changed. We soon discovered that hornets had already moved in and built several nests long before we arrived. The campground manager apologetically provided a cabin for us and we finally relaxed after several hours on the road.
That evening we went out for some dinner and saw the fireworks display in Burns. I had not expected so many mosquitoes in Oregon! Good thing Nikki had thought to bring the bug spray before leaving home. After the show, we headed back to the campground for the end of a great Independence Day of food, fun, and riding.
