Driving along Highway 78 (the Steens Highway) in the South Eastern section of Oregon is much like the beginning of a Horror Movie: A family vehicle traveling down a lonely desert highway. The only signs of life are the turkey vultures floating above in the sky searching for a meal. After 30 some miles there is a realization that there hasn't been another car seen since the turn-off at Burns Junction from Highway 95.
So, we did what everyone in a Horror Movie does - pulled over and got out of the car.
But there was no horror - just extreme quiet and the sound of a Meadowlark off in the distance.
And we were glad there was no horror in the shape of car trouble....because after sitting there for 15 minutes we finally saw a motorcycle who slowed down to make sure we had no problems....and then he sped off again at top speed. We didn't see another car for a very long time. It would have been a 33 mile (53 km) trek to the next town; a long lonely walk down a dark desert highway.
That does sound very eerie, it's amazing you can travel that far without seeing traffic.
Posted by: chrisb | June 17, 2009 at 02:39 AM
Your post just started a maths lesson. Gameboy is trying to work out how fast someone could run in an hour for that distance. He reckons if you run 10k's an hour you will get there in 5 hours and 15 minutes. He reckons you could manage that. LOL. Boys! And here I was just thinking thats awfully green for a desert!!!!
Posted by: Karisma | June 17, 2009 at 02:47 AM
Wow! I would love to experience that someday. Nothing like that here on the East coast!
Posted by: ♥Tracey♥ | June 17, 2009 at 05:33 AM
Awesome shot! We definitely don't get vistas like that in New England.
Posted by: Angela at mommy bytes | June 17, 2009 at 06:05 AM
We have areas almost like that. Except we don't have the mountain in front of us.
Posted by: tlawwife | June 17, 2009 at 06:25 AM
I think I would go crazy if I lived in an area like that. I like not knowing what's coming 'round the bend. Nice picture!
Posted by: Erin | June 17, 2009 at 07:23 AM
There are some stretches of road like that here in the desert, but they are getting smaller in number as developers seem to think they need to build on every square inch of land. Beats me why people would want to live so far away from everything, but whatever floats your boat, right? Still, it's sad to see the disappearance of these lands.
Posted by: Desert Songbird | June 17, 2009 at 07:34 AM
They don't make em like that anymore! I remember when there were quite a few roads in these parts that looked like that with very little traffic. Not anymore.
Posted by: Beckie | June 17, 2009 at 08:42 AM
2 years ago we went down 95 (Oregon, Idaho, Nevada) to Winnemucca and over the mountains into California on 80. It looked JUST LIKE THAT!
I went All by MYSELF down 97 a year before that. There is a lot of lonely road and open space that way. Two lane highway.
Even on I-5 there's a lot of open space -- but at least there are cars.
Posted by: Pamela | June 17, 2009 at 02:16 PM
Love the pix, Sis!!
We were glad to take care of the pets while you guys enjoyed the sights (and the nothingness.) I would've liked to have seen the Krisha temple for sure!!
Posted by: Amanda | June 17, 2009 at 05:22 PM
beautiful pic!!! so nice that you stopped to enjoy the view.
Posted by: Caroline | June 17, 2009 at 07:10 PM
I've been in places like that and how can you not just get out and enjoy it a bit! What a fun trip and glad there was no horror!
Posted by: Lisa's Chaos | June 18, 2009 at 12:09 PM
That is a really cool picture though....not somewhere I would want to be alone though.
Posted by: Jenn FL | June 19, 2009 at 05:46 PM
Great Photo!! I can really appreciate that no traffic nothingness..a number of years ago we were coming out of Idaho and did not realize that Oregon is such a lonely place, skipped supper, and GAS, thought we might end up sleeping along side the road, had peanut butter sandwiches for supper, Finally found a Town?? not a very big one with a Motel ( we had to wake them up) and a Gas station..had breakfast the next morning after an hour or so drive to John Day..where civilization began again. If we had only eaten, and gotten gas, we may have enjoyed that stretch of highway more! :)
Posted by: Far Side of Fifty | June 21, 2009 at 08:54 PM