Dirt Roads and Highways: February 2005

Bridges map

bridgesmap
Originally uploaded by nanwinn45.

Click on Map to make it bigger

Lambies and Mommy

lambies
Originally uploaded by nanwinn45.

We saw many of these cute little lambies on our drive.

Thomas Creek

Thomas Creek
Originally uploaded by jensect.

Thomas Creek as viewed from inside of Hannah Bridge.

Hannah Bridge

Hannah Bridge
Originally uploaded by jensect.

Just off of Highway 226 on the way to Lyons. The Hannah Bridge was built in 1936. It goes over Thomas Creek.

Linn County Covered Bridges

OK. I know it has been a long time since I have written anything here. It does not mean that I have not thought about writing or that I have not gone on trips in Oregon. I have done both of those things. Now I will attempt to tell you about those trips, starting from the last one taken.

Yesterday, February 6th, we went to Linn County and took the Covered Bridge tour. You have to remember that this is February, the middle of winter, and it was 50 + degrees outside AND it did not rain while we were on the trip!! Amazing.

We started out by going south on I 5 to Albany and then we headed east on US 20. Did you know that US 20 starts in Newport, Oregon and ends in Cape Cod? Now, that is a road trip that I would like to take someday. Well, back to the day trip. We have a book called "Scenic Driving, Oregon". The book has a lot of good scenic drives, including the Covered Bridge Drive, but the maps in the book only tell about half to two thirds of the roads to take. Needless to say we ended up on the wrong roads but that was OK because it was still beautiful and I always say you are never really lost in Oregon. We got back on the correct road and headed toward Scio, the first incorporated city in Oregon - 1866. Scio is the hub of the Covered Bridge Drive in Linn County. We saw three of the five bridges. All of them were picturesque and all of them are currently being used.

Linn County is mostly a farming county. We noticed many many sheep and it must be lambing season because there were lots of baby lambs. There are not many things that are cuter that a baby lamb frolicking in the pasture.

This time of year there were many very green fields of something growing and also fields of grass growing for commercial use. There were fields of purple leaf low to the ground growing plants. What they were, we do not know. We also saw quite a few cattle, horses, goats and a few chickens and pigs. The pigs, giant as they were, were have a great time in the mud and in the troughs.

Soon, with any luck, I will write about the trips to Central Oregon, Yamhill County - wine country and the trip to the beach. Stay tuned.