Trip to Eastern Oregon

We went to Eastern Oregon (Wallowa Mountains, Wallowa Lake, Enterprise, Joseph) with the Jendrzejewskis on Tuesday of this week and returned Thursday. Spent the better part of two days traveling back and forth, with just one full day there. John did all the driving, so the rest of us just relaxed.

Joseph is the gateway to Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Confined within steep, eroded black basalt walls, the surging Snake River has carved North America's deepest gorge, measuring 7,913 feet from He Devil Mountain to Granite Creek below. Unfortunately we needed another day to drive to the 7,000' ridge overlooking Hells Canyon, and the tram to the summit of Mount Howard was closed for the season. The Wallowa Lake Tramway climbs about 4,000 feet to the 8,150-foot level on Mount Howard. It is among the steepest tram rides in North America; the vertical ascent is 3,700 feet from the base elevation of 4,450'. From this point the peaks of the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, the Seven Devils of Idaho and the rim of Hells Canyon are visible. But enough about what we didn't see....

We had just a wonderful time, and the weather was simply spectacular Indian-summer, with warm and sunny days and cool nights at 4400' elevation in Joseph (population 1,000+). On the way there we stopped in Pendleton for lunch at Hamley Cafe, then went next-door to Hamley cowboy outfitters, voted most authentic western store in America. Then on to Joseph, where we stayed at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast, award-winning European-style lodging. Owners Heather and Bill were very nice hosts. The Bronze Antler was selected by BedandBreakfast.com as one of the Top Ten B&Bs in the West for 2008-2009. Marge and I stayed in the Mirror Lake Suite featuring private entrance, flat screen TV with Blue-Ray DVD, vaulted ceiling, spa-style bathroom, king-sized four-poster bed, and gourmet full breakfasts. We had dinner Tuesday evening at Mutiny Brewing Company in Joseph. (Mutiny is Brewing!) The dinner special was a Prosciutto-stuffed chicken breast, which was excellent. Who knew, in downtown Joseph. Wednesday morning after breakfast we took about a two-hour tour of the Parks Bronze foundry in Enterprise, about six miles from Joseph. We saw the many steps involved in transforming the work of an artist to a finished bronze sculpture; very interesting and educational. Then off to lunch at the R&R Drive-In in Joseph for milkshakes and a bite to eat. After lunch we drove out to Wallowa Lake, followed by some browsing of the downtown shops in Joseph, including a visit to the Valley Bronze Gallery. In the evening we first went to Terminal Gravity Brewing in Enterprise, the local microbrewery where we sampled the microbrews. Then on to El Bajio Mexican Restaurant in Enterprise for dinner and margaritas. Thursday morning after breakfast we packed up and headed home, but first we stopped in Enterprise at The Bookloft to purchase copies of " 'Twas the Night Before Round-Up," a hardback children's book for the grandkids. The publication of the book coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Pendleton Round-Up. Our grand-pug Larue was pampered by our neighbor Pat Bartruff while we were away. Wonderful trip, good company, good food, good accommodations, perfect weather.... Thank you, John and Judy, for helping to make this trip a truly memorable experience. To top it all off, we saw a bald eagle soaring overhead on our way back to Portland.