Every summer my sisters, my mother, and a changing cast of friends and cousins gather in our hometown. We rent several cottages on the lake we grew up on and for a week we pretend we never left our community. We share meals and memories, catch up and chill out, reconnect and dream of moving back home. None of us ever will but we daydream about it. My sisters fly in from New York and Alaska while one makes the shorter journey from Spokane. I drive 900 miles one way because I like to drive the back roads and look at the country.
After several years of making the drive in an exhausting one-day drive, I decided to break it up into two days, make some short side trips and take some photos if opportunities arose. I’ve settled on my favorite route which takes me through some of my favorite areas in Eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. After saying goodbye to the Interstate at Winnemucca my path takes me through Denio, Fields, Frenchglen, the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, Burns, Seneca, John Day and Pilot Rock. Two lane highways and small towns all the way to the Canadian border.
Because of the more leisurely pace, I could stop and take photos of the wildlife along the way. What follows is an eclectic collection of some of the critters that wandered into my field of view.
Northern Desert Photography 
These are wonderful images of your road trip. 😊
Thanks!
Obviously caught a shot of a parolee goat or deer or something. haha.
Yeah those tracking collars can sure ruin wildlife shots. This is a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Ewe about a mile from the main street of my home town.
Beautiful pic.
Thanks!
That’s quite the menagerie of wild images you captured. Nice job.
Thank you!
Amazing collection! So many interesting creatures on the photos!
Thanks!
Wow! These photos are awesome. I love the buzzard, even though they kind of creep me out. These are super cool.
It’s funny how the freeways have taken away the joys of seeing the country. Like you, I prefer the back roads when possible. It’s way more relaxing, and inspiring. Thanks for the wonderful post.
Gotta love the backroads. Thank you for taking the time to read the post and comment. 🙂
Great deer photos, Alison! I have seen mule deer six times in the last 24 hours. They are on the move. Great capture of the bighorn with a collar.
Thanks!