Klamath Falls. It should be said right up front that there are no falls in Klamath Falls.  I often wonder how many people mistakenly travel to the area looking for the falls.  No disrespect to anyone who lives in/near Klamath Falls but there is just not a lot going on there; it’s more of a passing through kind of place.

I’m sure the locals could argue the point, but… We decided we’d give it one more chance before we closed the book so we grabbed the camera and we hit the road.

Hillsides covered with blankets of purple wildflowers
Hillsides covered with blankets of purple wildflowers
The Klamath River with Mt. McLoughlin in the distance
The Klamath River with Mt. McLoughlin in the distance

Klamath Falls

We pulled in to Klamath Falls just about 2:00 in the afternoon. The first order of business was to find a good place to eat.  We were craving a good burger and fries, a local hangout with good eats.  Thanks to the internet we found what we were looking for. But, being Sunday afternoon they were closed.  In fact, aside from fast food chains, pretty much all of Klamath Falls was closed. It was disappointing but not surprising. Since we try not to eat fast food we pushed our hunger to the back of our minds. We headed out toward Klamath Lake, which actually is quite pretty, just no falls.

A very pretty drive right along the water's edge of Klamath Lake
A very pretty drive right along the water’s edge of Klamath Lake
Mother’s Day Sunday

It turned out to be a beautiful drive through the mountains, the Fremont Winema National Forest, – on a lovely spring Mother’s Day Sunday.  There is just something about the smell of mountain air, especially after a misty rainfall.  It clears your head and brings you back to life.  It let’s you forget about everything else, even if for just a little while.

Fish Lake - a serene little mountain lake
Fish Lake – a serene little mountain lake

By this point starvation was setting in but we kept going, there weren’t a lot of dining options up there in the mountains.  Then, it hit us, realizing we should just head back to Ashland and go for our favorite Mexican food because along with it being really good food, the Sangria and Margaritas are just too damn good.

As we came down out of the mountains we came across a road sign that read, “Historic Bridge.”  We’d actually seen this sign on one of our previous outings but didn’t find the bridge.  This time we were determined.  What we found was a blink of a town, it could have been right out of a Normal Rockwell small town America coffee table book, it was that idyllic.  I give you Lake Creek, Oregon.

Last Creek Pioneer Hall
Lake Creek Pioneer Hall
A bronze sculpture capturing the pioneer spirit, located in the town park
A bronze sculpture capturing the pioneer spirit, located in the town park
The fire station
The fire station
A privately-owned picnic park, dedicated to the family members who help to settle the area
A privately owned park, open to the public, dedicated to the Walch family members who founded and helped  settle the area
The oldest and shortest covered bridge in Oregon - built in 1881 it is 39' long
The oldest and shortest covered bridge in Oregon – built in 1881 it is 39′ long
Inspired

I think I am now inspired to find more historic and/or covered bridges, there is something quite special about them.  To stand under the cover and imagine those who came before, those who led the way for the rest of us… gives one pause to reflect and appreciate.  This bridge has stood the test of time, if only the walls could talk – the stories they could tell.

Klamath Falls & Lake Creek is the next post is our series featuring Southern Oregon & The Pacific Northwest.

Happy Mother's Day to me!
Cheers!

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