One of our favorite places to visit is the Bend/Sunriver Thousand Trails. We love the campground with its private spaces and tall lodgepole pines as well as all the volcanic history that surrounds us. This is our first visit to this area in the fall - it's certainly a lot different weatherwise than the summer when it's quite hot here.

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We were lucky to arrive just in time for the Oregon Old Time Fiddlers annual convention held here at the campground. We were entertained for three days and nights by hundreds of fiddlers. What an experience!

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Upon our arrival last week we noticed that there was much less snow left on the mountains in September than there is in July when we usually visit. Our rain last night gave the local mountains a dusting of snow. This view, from the top of Lava Butte (5000 feet), gives a clear picture of the Three Sisters and Brokentop Mountains.

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We decided a return visit to Benham Falls was in order. The walk to the falls takes you along the Deschutes River. If you look closely you can see the lava flow behind the trees.

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We spotted this osprey nest along the trail. I bet there is good hunting for them in the river.

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Benham Falls, a stunning cascade, was created 7000 years ago by a fiery volcanic eruption that covered nine square miles of forest land with molten rock and shifted the course of the Deschutes.

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A trip to this area wouldn't be complete without visiting the Newberry Caldera. The caldera is now divided into two separate bodies of water by deposits of pumice and lava. Paulina Lake is one of the deepest lakes in Oregon at 250 feet.

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Paulina Creek is the only surface outlet from Paulina Lake. We took a hike following the creek to Paulina Falls, a dramatic 80 foot waterfall which spills over volcanic cliffs into a canyon. It was awesome just to stand and listen to the water falling to the canyon floor.

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