Crystal Crane Hot Springs

On our way back from Alvord Desert, we stayed the night in a tepee at Crystal Crane Hot Springs outside of Burns, OR. We swam and soaked for the nearly 24 hours we were there, pausing for a few hours of sleep. We were blessed to meet up with some homeschooling friends who moved to a ranch near Crane this summer. It was nice to catch up with them.  

I had fun playing with the camera while we were staying there.

Mom is standing in the doorway of the tepee, with our dusty rigs out front.

We had our own soaking tank inside the tepee. The kids loved it!

Sunsets in the desert are breathtaking.

The next morning I took some pics of the outskirts of the hot springs.

There were a lot of ducks on the water.

We set up our cots all around the outside of the tepee. There was plenty of room for our family plus my parents.

Hailey was trying to figure out how to wink.

That was about as good as it got.

Mom and Hailey are both part fish. They love the water and can't ever get enough of it.

Josiah had a lot of fun with the snorkel mask he bought. He is an explorer at heart. He's checking out the roots of the grasses that grew along the water, and also seeing if there were any aquatic creatures attached to the roots. He is so much like his mom.

The night before there was a small band of wild horses that came to drink from the pond where you see the sagebrush in this picture. 

Snorkeling Josiah.

Here are the wild horses from afar.

Swimming in front of the tepee.

Hailey giving Larry Pop hugs. They have a very special bond. 

I'm glad this has become a tradition for us to stop at Crystal Crane on the way back from Alvord. It helps break up the trip and the kids have so much fun swimming and exploring. It is really inexpensive, too. I think we rented the tepee for $70 for the night. They have a little kitchen you can heat your food in near the main building as well as showers. 

Just another example of beauty found in the desert. Until next year...