Days 4 and 5 - Joseph, OR to Redmond, OR

Day four started with breakfast (again) at Old Town Cafe. This is one good place to get the day off in the right direction.

We then headed to Wallowa Lake and the tramway up Mt. Howard. Sign on the ticket booth said closed for the day. I was a little ticked. Barb, the cooler head, suggested maybe the sign was from the prior day. Sure enough, a phone call confirmed they would open at ten. Tickets are a little on the spendy side at $24 each for seniors, but we paid up and were soon on our way. Built in 1970, it was at the time the steepest vertical lift gondola in North America. A 150 horsepower electric motor drives a 19,300 foot cable supported by 25 towers up 3,700 feet in just under 15 minutes. Quite a trip.

At the top there are a number of trails offering view in every direction. We took several and the views of the lake and valleys is amazing. Barb opted not to take the trail to Royal Purple. I did. I counted 90 steps to the top, but once there it felt more like 612.

Later we passed on lunch and headed for Imnaha, a small town (actually a small wide spot in the road) east of Joseph. Dinner was back at the Embers Brew Pub.

Day five started early with coffee and a chocolate chip cookie before checking out. More of the $4.15 gas in Enterprise and then off to La Grande, passing through Wallowa, Minam, Elgin and Imbler. Very scenic drive along the Wallowa, Minam and Grande Ronde Rivers.

La Grande got us a quick breakfast and Starbucks. The next rest stop was in Ukiah, Oregon, which is the end of a great drive on highway 244. Heading south on US 395 brought us to Mt. Vernon and a much better price for gas. After that is was off to Redmond and home.

Good trip, great scenery and a few good beers. 1,041 total miles.

Wallowa Lake from Mt. Howard

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Day 3 - Joseph, OR

Slept in late today and after getting around we headed downtown for breakfast. Small place with maybe five tables and great food. We'll be back tomorrow.

After a fill up at $4.15 per in Enterprise we headed north on highway 3 in the general direction of Washington. Scenic drive through cattle ranches and a slow climb to just over 4,500. About 35 miles out we stopped at Joseph Canyon overlook for a walkabout and a some Nez Perce history. Seems the tribe would stay at the "hole in the wall" when they traveled the canyon.

Further along we took a left turn for a few miles to the town of Flora. Founded in 1897, it reached a population high of 200 in 1910. Although still having a small population, it is now considered a ghost town. What surprised us was the wheat fields. Expected cattle, got wheat.

Returning to Joseph we found ourselves at the Embers Brew Pub. Surprise. After that a little more exploring and back to the motel to find bees had set up residence on our front porch. Management says it will be taken care of. Dinner was at the Terminal Gravity pub in Enterprise. Go there. Have the burger.

Tomorrow will probably take the tram out at Wallowa Lake.

Grave site of Chief Joseph

Flora, Oregon

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Day 2 - Baker City, OR to Joseph, OR

Up at 6:00 and in the car by 6:45. First stop was McDonalds for a breakfast sandwich, then Starbucks at Safeway and finally a half tank of $3.93 gas.

With coffee in hand we headed east on highway 86 toward the Snake River. What beautiful country. Mostly ranches, with lots of cattle and hay. Not much in the way of towns out there. Richland appeared after 42 miles, followed by Halfway 13 miles later. We took a few minutes to drive around halfway, population 285, and agreed it was one of the nicest little towns we had seen in a long time. No, we don't want to move.

Expecting something to see at the Snake River, we were disappointed. As advertised there was a river, which we drove across just to touch base with Idaho. Oxbow Dam proved to be a non-starter. Putting our disappointment aside we backtracked eight miles to National Forest Development Road 39 and headed northwest to Joseph.

NFD 39 has two digits and thus is paved. However paved does not mean a quick drive. The first 48 miles took nearly two hours. Yes, it is a winding road. Yes, there are some pretty serious drop offs. Yes, the potholes world class. But, there is the scenery. The drive is through the Hell's Canyon National Recreation Park, with Hell's Canyon being the canyon carved by the Snake River. At 7,993 feet, it is the deepest river gorge in North America. It's a slow drive, but well worth the time.

Once in Joseph we headed for the Embers Brew House to split a sandwich and sample a couple of their finest. Then a walk around town, ending with a visit to the Valley Bronze showroom. For some reason the area around Joseph holds a number of foundries, which cast bronze for many well known artists. We first heard about this when visiting galleries in Santa Fe and we'll try to take a tour of Valley Bronze's foundry before returning home. I need to learn more about the lost wax process.

We passed on dinner tonight, settling for a little smoked salmon, cheese and adult beverage. Still working on plans for tomorrow. 183 miles today.

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Day 1 - Redmond, OR to Baker City, OR

Out the door and off to Prineville, Oregon at 5:50 am. The plan was to split an omelet at Dad's, hit Starbucks and head for out first stop in Sumpter, Oregon. So much for plans. Dad's operates on a schedule that's...well not really a schedule. They open pretty much when they want and today they didn't want. The Apple Peddler filled in for Dad's, Starbucks didn't fail us and highway 26 in the early morning is a great drive.

Four plus hours down the road we drove through downtown Sumpter. Took about three minutes. A U-turn took us back to the sole surviving dredge that worked the Sumpter Valley in the early 1900's. Shipped in pieces and assembled on site, the dredge is open to view at no charge. We were ready to shell five bucks apiece, but instead put it aside for a beer later on.

Devouring bucket loads of dirt and rock these machines worked the Sumpter Valley between 1912 and 1954, producing millions of dollars in gold. Well worth a visit in you are in the area. Or anywhere near the area.

Then it was off to Baker City and our first overnight. AAA in Bend set us up at the Geiser Grand Hotel on Main Street. If you are in Baker City stay at the Geiser Grand. Opened in 1889 and undergoing an award winning restoration, it is old world charm at a reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Unable to check into our hotel tell 4:00, we headed up to Anthony Lake. Ten plus miles uphill and back took enough time off the clock that we could check in and get ready for dinner. Barley Brown's has a couple of great dark beers and a large selection of entrees.

Tomorrow we are off to Joseph, Oregon for three nights. 303 miles today.

Gold Dredge - Sumpter, Oregon

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