Sunset Over Crater Lake - Mt Scott

With an extended weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to visit Crater Lake! Less than 2 hours South of Bend, Crater Lake seemed like the perfect place to spend a little time to enjoy nature (more on that in a later post).
We did a little research before driving out, and found out that Mt. Scott is the highest point in the park, and has a great view of Crater Lake. That sounded like the perfect place to be at sunset!
I called Crater Lake ahead of time and was told the trail was closed due to snow still being on the trail...that is a lie. There were 2 very tiny mounds of snow that you could easily either walk around, or take a step over (by the time you read this, they'll probably be gone). The hike is 2.5 miles each way and rated as strenuous (personally, I don't think it deserves that difficulty rating).
We got up there about 35 minutes before sunset, and had the place to ourselves! It was so peaceful watching the setting sun without any distraction.
The sky was still a beautiful orange color as we made our way down the hiking path, only really getting dark as we got in the car. Perfect timing!

Interested in buying a print? Click HERE

Looking down the Deschutes

First things first! I finally started a facebook page ( Click Here ) Yay! I'm still going to post here the same amount, but the facebook page should help me reach more people.

The beautiful light at sunset never ceases to amaze me...it's pure natural beauty. Whether you're downtown, in the Old Mill, or admiring from the comfort of your home, it's just stunning if you take a second out of your busy day to admire it (easier said than done sometimes). 

Sunset from Awbrey Butte

Another beautiful sunset today in Bend, I hope they keep coming! With Spring right around the corner (thanks for the heads-up, Punxsutawney Phil!), my guess is that the colors will just keep getting better!

Sunset Over River's Edge Golf Course

Tonight's sunset was another stunner. The sky lit up with beautiful tones of blue, pink, orange, and yellow. Sights like this are unbeatable. How can you *not* be happy after experiencing this every evening? Just another reason to love Bend, Oregon.

A Taste of Maui

Aloha! Ok, really, hello from Bend. I know this is assumed to be a photo blog about Oregon (by the URL), but I have photos I want to share from other places in the world. So here is a photo I took during my 15-day vacation to Maui this last October. The sunrises and sunsets in Maui were always beautiful. Like in Bend, they are always sure to please!
Happy Friday, and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Simple Beauty in Bend

I'm sure everyone knows by now how I am a huge fan of Bend sunsets. I'm sure sunrises are nice too, if I ever woke up in time for those. I just cannot get enough of the natural, simple beauty that surrounds this wonderful city!

Dreaming of a Warmer Place

To many people's joy, it has been snowing a lot lately in Bend. I, however, feel that it's at a nasty in between stage. I don't ski or snowboard, so I'm stuck with the mediocre snowfall. Not enough to play in, but enough so every step I take outside the house has me trying not to slip and fall.
So, I found myself looking through my photos from Summer and Fall, and I found this gem. I love that it's an Oregon location, close enough for a day-trip...or more likely an overnight trip.
If snow is what makes you happy, I hope you're enjoying the weather. If not, warmer (less-snowy) places are only a drive away!

Foggy Bend Sunset

If you are in the Bend area right now, you know that the last few days have been foggy (REALLY foggy). As the sun began to set tonight, some of the fog seemed to clear up (at least where I live). What resulted was beautiful; cloudy pink and blue skies, and just a bit of fog in the distance. I'm not sure if this will still give the same feel as a "single" photo, but I thought this was beautiful enough for a panoramic photo.
Hopefully you got to see this for yourself, because it was truly a beautiful sight.

(Yes, some of the clouds were purple)

Moon Over Bend

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving! After a lot of driving, and a few obstacles, I'm now back in Bend. Although I'd love to be closer to my family, I have to say it feels good to be home. Tonight as I was looking out my window, I could see the beautiful colors of the sunset. The added bonus, though, was watching the moon come up through the colorful sky. I have mixed feelings about this time of year. I hate the cold, but there is no denying that some of the most beautiful sights can be seen in the winter months. Beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and snow covered everything! Overall, I think the good outweighs the bad.

Beautiful Sunset

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but I hate how early it gets dark now. It usually catches me completely off guard now, and I have to scramble to grab my camera (if I think it's worth it). Today I looked outside as it was getting dark, and thought there might be potential. I stood on our deck with a mug of peppermint hot cocoa, just waiting for some colors to appear. Just as I was giving up and going inside, I saw it. Where I was looking had gotten dark, but behind me there were beautiful colors above the neighborhood. I rushed inside, put on some shoes and scampered out to the street. I'm sure there's a lesson involved in that somewhere, but for now I'll just post the picture.

Happy Halloween Sunset

Today's weather is what I would consider typical for the end of October; cloudy, a little misty, and slightly surprising.  I wasn't really expecting much at sunset, but as I was preparing dinner I snuck a peek outside, and was pleasantly surprised!  The clouds had a slight glow to them that contrasted beautifully with the darkness.

The photo isn't super crisp since I was rushing to take a picture or two before the colors disappeared... but for being taken from the deck I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!
Happy Halloween!

Smith Rock Around Sunset

I finally made my way out to Smith Rock. I look at it from a distance daily from my house, but I had never made the effort to get out there, until now. Once I got there, the sight was breathtaking - I will definitely be making a return visit!

It's Beginning to Feel like Summer

It was a wonderful 81˚ today in Bend. With a light breeze, I really couldn't ask for better weather. As the sun began to set, the clouds started drifting in a bit. Here is an image made by merging 3 photos (3 different exposures) so the foreground doesn't appear as dark. I haven't experimented with merging images much, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
Feel free to let me know what you think!

Moon-rise Over Bend

I love evenings like this. When we have a full moon (or nearly full moon), the sight is stunning as it rises over the hills as the sun sets; tonight was no exception. The moon revealed a beautiful golden color as it came into view:

Spring-Like sunset

Tonight's sunset was beautiful; the colors reminded me of the spring sunsets in Bend. I didn't make it to a place with a mountain view, but I was just as happy observing it, and of course taking pictures, from our deck.
As a side note - I noticed a few of my previous photos were only showing up as an X, but those should be fixed now!

Sunset

Well, I really wasn't sure about posting this photo. The sunset was gorgeous tonight, but I really liked the full mountain view. In order to get that range I had to take the photo from the deck, but the trees are partially blocking the view. After getting some friends' opinions, I decided to post it anyways.  The trees are obstructing the view, but it was still an extremely pretty sunset.

Tonight's Beautiful Sunset

Tonight's sunset was gorgeous. hopefully more like it will soon come

Smokey clouds at dusk

 

Smokey clouds hover over Bend at dusk. Taken from Awbrey Butte

Prospective Around Sunset

Colorful sunset in Bend, Oregon

Colorful sunset captured at Awbrey Park in Bend, Oregon.