"BURGEONING VACATION CENTER IN CENTRAL... " a Sisters Travel Page by mtncorg

Sisters is a small town on US 20 about 20 miles east of Santiam Pass and 20 miles west of Bend. Originally sited to help care for a small Army post, the town - originally called 'Three Sisters', but shortened by a local postmaster - served as home to forest industry workers until the latter part of the 20th Century. Vacation homes and retirement homes became an industry unto itself. The town fathers decided all architecture in the small business district were to have a design reminiscent of the 1890's. 'Build it and they will come.' With Sisters' case, this has succeeded almost too well, at times, bringing traffic, escalating prices and other problems. What makes Sisters, Sisters is the View - The three grand glacially bedecked volcanoes rising to the southwest over forests and meadows - the Three Sisters. A huge meadow on the west end of town offered a view repeated in countless photographs. Alas, everything is for sale and slowly, but surely, the meadow is being subdivided into housing phases - Phase I, II, III. The surrounding area used to be ranching districts along with logging. The ranches continue, though sometimes it seems that the number of llamas and alpacas outnumber the cows.

In between those three big vocanoes lie a series of lakes know as the Chambers Lakes. They make a grand backpack destination - not unknown among locals. Once you are up in there, you are limited in your wanders by only your ability to read a map, compass or gps.