Photo Trip to Beautiful Oregon

I’m planning to spend 16 days in Oregon photographing beautiful scenery – mostly in the north-west, south-central and most of the Oregon coast. If you live in or are familiar with any of the places I mention, I invite you to suggest some special locations to photograph. I especially like to photograph waterfall, lakes with mountains in the background and rocky shorelines. Of course, any and all comments will be appreciated. The attached partial map of Oregon which indicates scenic drives, shows the places I plan to spend nights and visit. For a better view, please enlarge the map.

I will fly into Portland and spend my first three nights in Troutdale, a town a shirt distance east of Portland, sometimes called the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge. I will drive the “All-American Columbia River Scenic Byway” -which is the red line at the left end of the green triangle. Also, the entire triangular loop which is the “Mount Hood Scenic Byway.” I will be looking for easy-to-reach waterfalls and mountain -lake scenes. I expect to spend some time in the town of Hood River and maybe drive as far east as The Dalles. Suggestions on specific sights in this area are welcome.

I plan to drive mostly on Route 26 (shown on the map) to Mitchell where I plan to visit the “Painted Hills” section of the “John Day Fossil Fields “and to spend one night in Prineville. Can anyone suggest the best places to visit at The Painted Hills or name a better place to visit near Prineville than “Smith Rock?”

From Prineville I plan to drive to Bend (first on 26, then on 97) where I will spend four nights. I plan to drive the “McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway”, the green loop just northwest of Bend that begins in Sisters. I hope to get some good shots of the “Three Sisters” mountains along this scenic loop. Any suggestions on stops or side trips along this drive will be appreciated. I also plan to drive the “Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway “just southwest of Bend (see green “26”) on map, and I’ll likely drive back to Bend via route 97. I will appreciate any suggestions about specific places along either of the above scenic byways or additional drives to get some nice photographs.

I will leave Bend on route 97, and just below Chemult, I plan to drive west to the “Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway” (see red route just west of 97) and follow that byway to Crater Lake where I plan to drive the Rim Road around the lake. I will continue the byway to Klamath Falls, where I will spend three nights. I plan to chase waterfall and maybe birds at the wildlife refuges near Klamath Falls. Any suggestions about specific places to visit near Klamath and Crater Lake will be appreciated

From Klamath Falls, I plan to drive to the coast, starting on route 140, continue, on route 234, to Grant Pass -and then on route 199, which dips down to Crescent City, California before continuing up the coast to Brookings, Oregon. I plan to spend one night in Brookings and one night at four other stops along route 101 as I drive up the Oregon coast from Brookings. I have made reservations for only two overnight stops, one at Brookings and one at  Bandon so far, even though I am favoring Florence and Lincoln City and Cannon Beach for the other three. This is where your comments and suggestions could really help me decide the best photo places to visit along the Oregon coast. I will likely spend my last night on the coast in Cannon Beach before I drive to Portland for my return flight east.

I hope you will leave me your comments, and especially some suggestions about where to photograph great scenery on the trip I describe here.