Lookout Point and Dexter Lakes:

If you have been reading my blog over the past week, you are probably thinking, geeze, she sure did take a lot of pictures on that Christmas trip to Eugene.  I did!  We only stayed one night, but the weather was warm and gorgeous and prime for photography.  This set was taken from the car window as Cary was driving on Friday, December 23, 2011.  It is amazing to me how I can get some really nice shots at 60 miles per hour by using the "Advanced Sports Shooting" setting on my camera.

Lookout Point Lake:

We pass three lakes (two of which are actually reservoirs) along the side of Hwy 58 as we go back and forth over Willamette Pass.  Odell Lake is a natural lake.  Lookout Point and Dexter are reservoirs.  The Middle Fork of the Willamette River and Deception Creek combine to fill up the miles long Lookout Point.  This year the water is lower than we have ever seen it before.  Dam engineers plan on working on the dam itself this season.  It is probably the year that we really need it to be full because we are not getting our usual Oregon rain or mountain snow.   Now we'll probably have a drought, with no water built up in the huge reservoir.  Oh, well, what can you do?

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

See the river winding through on the other side of the railroad tracks?  Usually, it is way underwater, and when the lake is full it goes up to the tree line.  Lookout Point is interesting to me.  It seems to go on forever.  For some reason, there is rarely anybody using it for anything.  Once in awhile there will be a fishing boat out there, but it isn't used for water skiing very often. 

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Dexter Lake:

Dexter Lake begins where Lookout Point ends, and the small towns of Dexter and Lowell sit along it's banks.  This is where you will find people fishing, water skiing and holding drag boat races.  Dexter Lake has several parks on it, including a rest area with a handicapped fishing area at the restored historic covered bridge. 

These pictures show homes on the Lowell hill:

 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

During the 1950's when these dams were created for flood control, the town of Lowell was moved out of the valley and up to higher ground.  There are farming communities lying underneath all that water.  I am having a hard time finding out about them, so if you have any info about that please let me know.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

If you turn right at the covered bridge, you can get to Fall Creek, Jasper and Springfield in a quick and easy manner.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

If you don't turn at the bridge, you will pass by the town of Dexter on your left, go through Pleasant Hill and end up on I-5, at Eugene.  The picture above is of the Dexter Lake, past the covered bridge.


The Dexter Lake Club was used in a scene in the movie Animal House, featuring Otis Day and The Knights.  I went to You Tube to find a video, but the ones offered were just the music, except for this one.  KG and Meg, whoever they are, did a wedding video integrating Otis Day and his band at the Dexter Lake club, singing Shamalama Ding Dong.  I just thought it was super neat; so congratulations you two, I hope that you are still very happy!

Links:

Lookout Point Lake and Dexter Lake

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.