Yesterday, before the thunderstorm, Cary, Darlene and I went on a drive up to visit three of the local lakes. We were only gone 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, and had a really nice time together. We went south on HWY 97 to Wickiup Junction, turned right on Burgess and drove about 20 miles until we got to the sign that said North Twin Lake.
North Twin Lake:
North Twin Lake is really nice. It is not a resort, but a rustic campground without hookups. The lake is small, warm, has a boat ramp and a large sandy beach. I felt like it was a relaxed place to hang out. A nice little campground where people police themselves. I dipped my toes in the water and thought, hey, I would actually swim here. I don't like cold water anymore.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
South Twin Lake Resort and Campground:
We left North Twin, got back on the road and turned left. A half mile up the road we turned left again, heading toward South Twin. We passed Sheep's Bridge Campground on the right, and kept going until we got to the resort. There are a lot of places to camp or stay at South Twin. There is a campground on the right, a campground next to the resort, and and RV park that backs up to Wickiup Lake.
South Twin is a great place to go to take the kids on a picnic and swimming. The beach is great, and the water is warm. South Twin is also a small lake, but I think it is bigger than North Twin.
Darlene shared her memories of all the times that she has spent at South Twin. When the grandkids were little she went there almost daily during the summer with Julia, and then with Susan when they were in town.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
There is a store, cafe, boat rentals and cabins.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The resort offers boat and raft rentals.
These things are huge!
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The swimming area by the campground.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The boat rental dock.
No motors allowed on this lake.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
Darlene and Cary head into the store and cafe.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
There is inside seating ...
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
.... and a big patio for outside dining.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
Cary and Darlene waiting for our
Prime Rib sandwiches to arrive.
The food and service were great!
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
Dogs are welcome on the patio.
Back inside the store, there are gifts, food and fishing tackle:
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
After leaving South Twin, we turned left and headed toward Crane Prairie Lake and Resort. On the long road off of the highway on the way to this lake, a huge red tailed hawk swooped down right in front of our windshield, facing ahead. Wow! I wish that I had a picture of that, but I can still see it in my mind. That thing was big, with a wing span of three feet or so.
Crane Prairie Resort has a very nice RV park with full hook-ups. The spaces are huge and are not packed in tightly. There is a play area for the kids with Little Tykes play structures and a basketball court. The offer fuel for your boat and a nice dock/marina. They even have a laundromat.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The Crane Prairie Resort store where
Cary bought each of us an ice cream bar.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The marina has a beautiful view of Mt. Bachelor,
The Three Sisters and Broken Top.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
I think that this is Davis Butte in the background.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
The Matthews have camped and fished here for years.
Our visit brought back a lot of memories.
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
 |
| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
There was a lot of algae in the lake, but I didn't notice any warning signs about it being toxic. There is a big Forest Service campground immediately before you get to the resort, which sports a very nice swimming area. Once, when Shanna and John were here camping with the family, a leech attached itself to Collin! Yuck. I don't know if that is still the case around there now; that was 10 years ago.
We headed back home after we left Crane Prairie because the storm was rolling in, and we didn't want to be in the middle of it. I noticed as we came to the end of the resort driveway that we could have turned left and went to Elk Lake. We turned right instead, and went back the way we came.
It was a very nice afternoon excursion with my best friend husband and my other mom, Darlene. I love the fact that all of this, and much more is within a half mile drive from our home. Are we lucky, or what?
Here are links for more information on the places we visited yesterday:
North Twin Lake Info
Twin Lakes Resort
Crane Prairie Resort
Crane Prairie Campground
Hi Kathy, I hope you don't mind, but I saw you had a blog about Central Oregon and had to come see it! I responded to your comment on my blog, but figured I would say it here, also, as you have a picture of the Three Sisters and Broken Top. My grandmother lived in Sisters and I spent a lot of time out there (and, consequently, Bend). She knew every mountain and would point them out as we drove. I discovered the same love out here in Colorado, and always have to point out Pikes Peak and surrounding mountains. Once you've been in the mountains and come to love them, it's hard to leave them behind.
ReplyDelete(Also, I managed to post my response without thanking you for my link on your other blog! Thank you very much!)
Thank you, Shannon! This is April 18, and I just found your great comment. That is really neat about your Grandmother and her paintings. Thanks for finding me,
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
I just "happened" on this page and what a joy to see the pictures of all the Century Drive lakes! Thank you! When my family first moved to Bend in 1963 my mother took all 4 of her children up to South Twin for what seemed to be the whole summer. We each took one friend who could stay a week and spent the time running, riding our bicycles and having such a wonderful time. My mother sat by the lake and watched us. After I had my children, I did the same thing, now, my children have their own children and I am so excited to spend some of the summer there with them. My mother is smiling down on us!!!
ReplyDelete