Finding Comfort in the Discomfort

By my very nature I am a planner. In my work life I am a project manager and in my personal life I create spreadsheets to plan for every trip or major life event. 

There is something exhilarating and terrifying  about traveling with no plan in place. The stress of where will I sleep tonight or where is my next bathroom option are top of mind. This past weekend we did just that, left the city with a general goal of seeing the Painted Hills but nothing concrete was planned. 

As the sky grew dark and the long day fell upon us we started the hunt for a campsite. We passed by a KOA which gave me comfort there was a backup plan a few miles away. Our first stop was Haystack Reservoir Campground and to our surprise it had a few sites still available. We setup camp on top of the hill facing the lake. As the yellow morning glow grew across the hilltops we were greeted with the site of Mt Jefferson in the distance.

The Ochoco National Forest provided a maze of exciting and scenic gravel roads for Clifford, our loyal 4Runner enjoyment. Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument was a heavenly site of magical rainbow ribbons paired perfectly with the bright blue sky backdrop.