Short and simple, the Alvord Desert is a place like nowhere else. I can guarantee that everyone who walks out onto the vast desert playa will be awestruck at the mesmerizing emptiness. I certainly was. For someone who lives in Seattle, vast forests full of tall trees are commonplace. As stereotype portrays, Seattleites are unable to see 30 feet away when in one of the region’s lush forests. This is somewhat true. Yes, the range of visibility in our forests is low, but we are still able to see far away in some places. The organic enclosure that I call home is common enough though that a place as open as the Alvord Desert seems alien. Like walking on another planet, I felt a passioned sense of awe being surrounded by the near endless tapestry of mud, dried up long ago from the absence of water. Near the Nevada Border, if you are in the area, I must insist that you visit the Alvord Desert. I guarantee you won’t regret it.

The early mornings in eastern Oregon are surprisingly frigid. Most who think of deserts also think of uncomfortably high temperatures. However, I must state that this is not at all true. Think about Antarctica, the perpetual frozen wasteland. The entire continent is desert, the world’s largest in fact. All bundled up in the early morning, we reached the Alvord after trekking down state highways, farm roads devoid of other vehicles, and long stretches of gravel which supervised our voyage into the unknown. Heading down a valley for some time, we finally reached the expanse. The sun had just risen, and the glare had hastily illuminated the desert playa. The long streaks of light resulted in a pattern of glistening rocks and long shadows heightening the contrast of the land, resembling a dramatic painting. Once on the playa, we simply drove out to the middle. Stepping out of the car, I was greeted by a thin cool breeze and the shocking silence. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The land was devoid of any distractions. No noise radiating from busy roads, no street lights or powerlines. There was nobody else within a dozen miles of us. I stood there, taking it all in. after looking around for some time and taking lots of photos, we drove on to somewhere else, leaving the wonderous land for another person to discover.