Over Memorial Day in 2001 we staggered our weekend and went
to Steens Mountain from the west side for a day hike then drove around the
south end to the Alvord desert, a dry desert Playa where cars and sail-carts
can cruise around wherever they please and there is a well-known but simple
hot spring. On the drive between we saw a truly spectacular sunset. At the
hotsprings we got to talk to a true old-timer who had lived there his entire
life. Between that and an old country store in the eastern Oregon desert
on the way back Kerry had a chance to see a whole different part of America
than what people in other countries are exposed to in the media.