The sky is clear after the severe thunderstorm last night. I spotted a deer from my room window this morning.
I left Celilo Inn and The Dalles at 7 AM and drove south on US Route 97. I drove all the way to Klamath Falls on this beautiful high desert road.
While driving, I realized that this was the first time driving southbound since I left Santa Monica a month ago. All my driving so far has been east, north-east, north, and westbound. Driving south means I'm heading home. I felt a bit of sadness, realizing that my road trip is coming to an end.
After about an hour of driving, it started to rain. My plan was to stop by Crater Lake NP or go hiking somewhere, but that idea was now a no-go. So I visited a museum.
High Desert Museum is a few miles south of Bend, Oregon. It has an outdoor nature trail with live birds (Bald Eagle, Owl, Hawk), river otters, and settlers' buildings on display. The indoor section has several well-arranged displays on High Desert geology and nature, as well as Native American history and artifacts. It was so interesting, I spent a few hours there.
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When I arrived at Klamath Falls, I had one question: where is the falls?
It turns out, there is no real falls called Klamath Falls. The city was named after a cascade on Link River.
Since the rain stopped when I arrived, I went hiking to see the river. There were a bunch of wild birds (egrets, pelicans). I saw a kayaker practicing on the river.