Pivot!

Initial plan: Drive from Caldwell, ID to Hilgard State Park, OR.  HOWEVER, Hilgard had three big strikes against it.  1) No electricity, which meant no a/c even with 104 degree temps.  2) No cell service.  3) SKETCHY!  My gut instinct told me to keep on driving.  So I did.

New plan: Once I got cell service, I looked up the next Oregon state park and found Emigrant Springs State Park, less than 20 miles further on I84.  When I arrived at Emigrant Springs, I found open RV sites with full hook-ups, cell service, free showers, and a good/safe “feel.”  So, yes, this is where I’m staying tonight!

After settling in, I walked around the park, taking the Nature Trail.  With my camera, I focused on flowers and other sights that sparked my creative interests.

First, a bit about Emigrant Springs.  “Near the summit of the Blue Mountains, Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area preserves a site where people, including travelers on the Oregon Trail, have replenished water supplies since time immemorial.”  (Source: Oregon State Parks)

There are informational displays all over the park; my guess is schoolchildren come here to learn more about the Oregon Trail, one of the many emigrant trails from Missouri out to the West during the 1800s.

A bit of history…

Nature Trail Sights

I spy…