A Whirlwind 2 week Oregon Road Trip Adventure Part 2

Overview of the Oregon Road Trip Part Two

This is part two of our 3,248-mile 13-day road trip we did in Oregon in 2013 that covers a great deal of the state and really gave us a flavor for its diversity of geography and culture the state has to offer.  This post picks up in Burns Oregon and continues all the back to Portland.

Part one can be found here.

Overnight Stopping Points

• A Whirlwind 2 Week Oregon Road Trip Adventure Part 1 post covered the first 5 stops of the trip.
  • B -Astoria
  • C -Florence
  • D– Diamond Lake
  • E– Bend
  • F – Burns

  These stops are covered here in this post

  • F – Burns
  • I – Ontario
  • K -Joesph
  • L -Baker City
  • M -Service Creek
  • N -Portland

Day 7

Overview

We started from our anchor point in Burns and embarked on a really full agenda with a large area to cover. We spent time at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, visited Diamond Craters, saw the Peter French round barn, climbed to the top of Steens Mountain and soaked in the Alford Desert Hot Springs.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge protects a vast complex of wetlands in southeastern Oregon’s high desert and is adjacent to the Steens Mountain Wilderness. The refuge is famous for its diversity and spectacular concentrations of wildlife, boasting over 320 bird species and 58 mammal species. We took the scenic drive through this area where we got a good feel for it. Check out the very large snake we ran into on a ledge.

Diamond Craters

Next up we traveled to the nearby Diamond Craters tour loop which winds through a variety of high desert habitats and features a number of volcanic features such as craters, vents, and cinder cones.

Peter French Round Barn

This round barn was constructed sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880s. There were originally two or possibly three in the vicinity, but this is the only round barn remaining.  They used the barn to break horses during the winter.

Steens Mountain

Steens Mountain formed when massive internal pressure forced the east edge upward along a fault line.  Steens Mountain rises 5,500 feet in less than 3 miles! The four distinct notches in the Steens Mountains were formed when glaciers punched through the ridgetops and there are five major glaciated canyons on the Steens. 

We reach the top but there was so much snow, we had to turn around and could not complete the Steens Mountain Scenic Drive Loop.  I guess we are just going to have to return someday so we can complete this.

Fields

Next we drove south to Fields, the only gas for 100+ miles.  Good thing we arrived at 4:50, because they closed at 5!  Had we been 15 minutes later, we would have HAD to spend the night – because we were almost running on fumes.  AND – it isn’t like there are hotels or anything in Fields – just a small Bed & Breakfast.

Alford Desert Hot Springs

Now it’s back to Burns driving on the other side of the Steens Mountains through the Alvord Desert. In the middle of this desert is the Alvord Hot Spring.  If you don’t know it’s there, the hand spray-painted pressed board “open” sign wouldn’t necessarily welcome you.  We knew it was in this area (research!) and we almost missed it.  We pulled in and this scruffy looking gentleman emerges from a small “office” to inform us it will be $5 per person and at this point, we just gladly pay.  He points us to a metal shack next to a square cement pool – and we are grateful there’s a place to change into our swimsuits.  What a hoot! We soak in the hot springs almost until dark and then make our way north to catch the road back to Burns. We will have to go back again to the Alford Desert when we have more daylight and explore this area a little fuller.  Perhaps we’ll stay in that little B&B back in fields.

Day 8

Overview

This day was all about back country adventuring as we travelled to the Pillars of Rome, Owyhee Canyon and Succor Canyon before reaching Ontario OR for the night.

Burns to Rome

It was a cloudy dreary day when we started our journey south to the little village of Rome. It took us about 90 minutes to reach our first destination of the day.

Pillars of Rome

In our trip research we read about the Pillars of Rome which is known as a great area for photography. The pillars are 100-foot fossil bearing clay formations that some people say resemble Roman Ruins. They are located just behind Rome on a dirt road and we travel down into this area to check it out. I am sure the photography would have been a lot better on a clear sunny day.  Ah, another reason to return.

Owyhee Canyon Overlook

This drive is one of our most memorable – not only because it was peaceful and beautiful, but because we made a mistake and learned a valuable lesson. The Owyhee Canyon was carved by the Owyhee River and drops down hundreds of feet from the high desert to a spectacular overlook. After a few pictures we headed towards our next destination of Three Forks. The weather clears somewhat but we saw passing showers far off in the distance pass by.

Three Forks

The Three Forks area derives its name from the fact that 4 branches of the Owyhee River merge in this area. After taking a couple pictures at the top of the canyon we descended down a series of rocky switchbacks to bottom of the canyon. Three Forks has a boat ramp and tons of hiking.  But as we look around, we notice the storm clouds starting to roll in and we’ve been told to avoid the desert dirt roads when it rains.

We reached the top of the canyon again and saw the storm is almost on us and make the decision to wait until it passes. This turns out to be a mistake as the road has now turned into a 2″-4″ slick muck that is like driving on ice.  To make matters worse, the dashboard indicates one of our tires has low pressure. We think we probably punctured the tire on the sharp rocks that were in the switchback. We have no choice but to try and make it out as there is really no way to change a tire in this mud.

The next town is 27 miles up this dirty, mucky road and then another 16 on the main dirt road.  Several hours later we limp into the tiny town of Jordan Valley where 3 mechanics all named Pat patch the leak in our tire.  That’s something we never told the car rental company about.

FUN FACT:  When we did our 2019 Road Trip and were in southern Idaho, we took one day and did another drive from the south into the Owyhee Canyon region to Three Forks so we could “connect” our trips

Succor Creek State Natural Area

With our tire now repaired, we headed north on Oregon 95 and looked for the turnoff to the Succor Creek Nature Area.  This is one of those rare public areas where you can collect rocks legally.  The area is a bird of a prey habitat and has numerous opportunities for rock-hounding to collect thundereggs.  Thundereggs are egg shaped and were formed within holes in volcanic ash.  Many contain a variety of mineral deposits (similar to a geode).  Succor Creek Rd starts as a decent gravel road but gets rough and rocky as you near the Succor Creek State Natural Area.   This turned out to be one of our favorite places on this trip! Not only did we get a number of thundereggs but the area itself is very beautiful.

Ontario

And on to Ontario, OR via the western edge of Idaho.  This part of the state is full of farms and orchards and as we arrive in Ontario dark was approaching. We find our hotel and head out for dinner and reflect on another great day!

Day 9

Overview

This day’s adventure took us to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and into Hells Canyon before we ended up for the night in the little town of Joseph, OR.

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Today will be a slower day where we start by catching the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center features 12,000 sf of galleries that transport visitors along the 2,000-mile journey of the Oregon Trail, with life-size trail dioramas, replica wagons, and authentic artifacts.

The exhibits take visitors through the experiences of preparing for the journey, life on the trail, interaction between emigrants and natives, dangers and challenges, settlement and homesteading in Oregon.  One mile of well-preserved wagon ruts lay are nearby.

To Hells Canyon

Next we head to the Hells Canyon Wilderness area. It’s overcast but not raining as we pass through farms and the small town of Richland on the way to Hells Canyon.

 

Hells Canyon

The Hells Canyon Wilderness Area is in Idaho and Oregon and is full of hiking, fishing and boating opportunities. We were looking today to just geta little bit of a feel for the area to help us plan a deeper dive trip in the future.  From the southern entrance as we drive towards Imnaha we pass a number of old bards, mills and houses and pastures. The scenery is beautiful even if it’s a tad wet.

 

Hat Point

Located on the ridgeline at 6,982 feet and 5,600 feet above the canyon, the Hat Point Overlook offers fantastic views of Hells Canyon.  The road to the top is 23 miles long and unfortunately for us, it’s a snowy and foggy day when we get there. We snap a couple pictures at this point, turnaround, and head off to the tiny town of Joseph for the night. We are definitely going to have to come back here someday on another trip.

 

Joseph Oregon

Our research indicated the Embers Brew House would be a great place for use to have dinner in Joseph and it didn’t disappoint. We ended up with a very favorable taco pizza and hours of conversation with locals.

Day 10

Overview

Day 10 was all about transitioning to Baker City, OR by travelling on part of the Grande Tour Scenic Route.

Morning in Joseph

We had breakfast at the Cheyenne Cafe and then took a short walk around Joesph to get a feel for the town as it was dark when we arrived last night.  It is a small, cute town and a great stop.

FUN FACT:  When we did our 2019 Road Trip and were in northern Idaho, we took one day and did another drive from the north into Joseph to have lunch again at Embers Brew House.  Another chance to “connect” up trips.

Joseph to La Grande

This yet another area is dominated by farms and great scenery. We even get a little sunshine on occasion as we travel towards La Grande.

The Grande Tour

From downtown La Grande you follow the signs to Birnie Park, which commemorates Oregon Trail travelers camped in this are before climbing over the Blue Mountains. There are a number of colorful columns depicting aspects of their journey throughout the small park

From the park the route heads south along the base of the Blue Mountains to a viewpoint overlooking the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Refuge with the Wallowa Mountains in the background. We pass through a number of farms with old barns as we head towards Hot Lake Springs.

The route continues to head south, then east on Thief Valley Road for 15 miles of gravel road through rugged, wide-open range before looping back to Union.  The route then climbs through pine and fir forests to the Catherine Creek Summit.

The twisty creek escorts us along back roads past cherry orchards and mint fields at the base of the Wallowa Mountains.  We cross the lush Grand Ronde Valley and then it is a straight shot back to La Grande.  Distance: 80 miles, Minimum Driving Time: 2-4 hours.

Hot Lakes Hot Springs

The first structures were built here in 1864 and after the Union Pacific railroad built out a line nearby, a much larger hotel was built.  Construction of the larger hotel started in the early1900’s and by1924 this was a major tourist attraction. Recently beginning in 2004, a major renovation started on the current building and it’s now referred to as The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs.  It’s one of these places where we will probably return one day and stay a couple days.

 

Rt 203 South to Union

From the Hot Lake area we headed south into the town of Union.

Telocaset Road to Medical Springs and on to Baker City

From Union we proceed south on Rt 237 looking for the turn-off to the unpaved Telocaset Road which will take us to Medical Springs. Just before reaching the turn-off we pass what looks like a group of folks, their horses laden with packs and their dog trailing along heading south. We didn’t know what to make of it.

As we turn on Telocaset Road we see a number of wind generators and there are protest signs along the road. The people in this area are not too happy with these being built in this area. We pass a number of ranches along the route until we end up at the small cluster of buildings that is the town of Medical Springs. We see an old swimming pool that we assume was a part of a resort at one time but there really isn’t much here and we continue our journey south to Baker City.

Baker City

In the late 1800’s, Baker City was dubbed the Queen City of the Mines.   Many who traveled on the Oregon Trail came west to seek their fortune mining for gold in the Baker City area.

Geiser Grand Hotel

This charming historic landmark originally opened in 1889 and features ornate mahogany, crystal chandeliers in every room, a beautiful stained glass ceiling, and the third elevator built west of the Mississippi River.   Based on various reported sightings, the hotel may be haunted.  We’ve stayed in a lot of historic hotels and this one is definitely in the top of the list.

 

Day 11

Overview

This day’s adventure is all about driving the Elkhorn Scenic Byway, a 106-mile loop that crests Elkhorn Range and goes past historic mining territory, rivers, and lakes. Elkhorn Drive encircles the southern portion of the Elkhorn Range in the Blue Mountains, passing through country rich in history, geology, and scenery.   

Driving time 3-5 hours.

North to Haines

We headed north to the small town of Haines. For once, the day was clear and we have sunshine.

Snow Near Anthony Lakes

As we climbed into the mountains near Anthony Lakes (elevation 7,100 feet), once again we start to run into snow on the road. We have 4-wheel drive and it’s really not that much of an issue and it just forces us to slow down and be a little more careful.

The Chinese Wall

As we descended from the peaks the snow disappeared and it was time for a stop.

By sheer coincidence, last night we were channel surfing and landed on one of those “ghost chasing” shows which caught our attention when we realized the area they were searching in was where we were going the next day.  This was one place we hadn’t found in our pre-research but it was right along our planned route.   What a cool find!

When the mines in the Elkhorn Mountains stopped producing, Baker City turned to agriculture.  The railroad helped Baker City outlast many similar boom towns.

The Ah Hee Diggings, also called the Chinese Walls, were built by Chinese miners who worked gold-mining claims along a five-mile stretch of Granite Creek from 1867 to 1891.  The wall was primarily just where they stacked the stones they removed from the river as they searched for gold – not a wall for a wall’s sake.  Some walls measure 15 feet wide and 12 feet high.  We climb up and over a few and wonder if those ghosts from the TV show the night before are lurking.

Granite

First established by miners after the discovery of gold along Granite Creek on July 4, 1862, the area was originally called Independence (after the date July 4). However, when the community’s post office was established in 1878, it could not use the name Independence because that name was already taken by another Oregon city. Instead, the name Granite was chosen.  We stop at the small store which has a restaurant and have lunch.

 

Sumpter

Sumpter is a shadow of its glory days when miners produced over $10 million in gold ore and the town had 15 saloons, 3 newspapers and an opera house.    Here, gold was extracted with a 1,240-ton dredge.  The business district was destroyed by fire in 1917 but continued to produce gold through 1954.

A dredge works by having large buckets that pull the gold-bearing earth up into its machinery to be processed, keeping the gold and spewing the waste.

The dredge that was built in Sumpter Valley could dig over 20 buckets per minute.

The dredges traveled more than 8 miles extracting $10 to 12 million worth of gold. Still, it cost more to run than the gold could pay for. The last dredge closed in 1954.

Celebrating Harrison’s Birthday in Baker CIty

Back in Baker City we headed out to dinner and to celebrate Harrison’s Birthday.  We ordered this amazing pasta dish we have since recreated and nicknamed “Baker City Pasta” in our family recipe book.  We meet Darci, Tucker and Jake and spent a great night sharing life’s stories.

Darci was on a spiritual journey on her motorcycle.   Nancy got her to sing karaoke, which crossed something off her bucket list.  It wasn’t even karaoke night, but when the bartender heard Nancy singing “Magic Man” to the DJ’s dance music. She cued the DJ and the rest of the night was changed forever.  A truly memorable evening of laughter, singing and fun times with new friends Darci, Tucker and Jake.  A huge smile crosses my face as I write this and remember the unexpected fun memories we experienced.

Day 12

Overview

Day 12 was all about following a portion of the Journey Through Time Drive. This took us to a portion of the John Day Fossil fields and landed us in our next destination of Service Creek, OR. The full route of the Byway stretches 286 miles through north central to eastern Oregon from Baker City to Biggs. We only did the section up and through the town of Fossil as our main focus in this area was the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The wild and scenic John Day River, North Americas second longest undammed river, parallels much of the route. 

Baker City to the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds

It was another cloudy overcast day when we left Baker City and headed west towards Service Creek. It didn’t take long after leaving town for sweeping valley views with snowcapped mountains to present themselves. We found a cool little pioneer exhibit shaped like a Conestoga wagon and stopped and read the plaques before preceding into the little town of Prairie City. Shortly down the road we arrived at our first destination of the day which was the Sheep Rock Unit of the John Day Fossil Fields.

 

Sheep Rock Unit – John Day Fossil Beds

We pulled into and stopped at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center which functions as the park’s headquarters and main visitor center.  The Fossil fields are broken into 3 units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills and Clarno. Sheep Rock is the largest and most visited of the three sections. This visitor center has a large display of exhibits of fossils and information plaques that allow you get a feel for the history and layout of this area. We ended up spending about 90 minutes here before heading out to the James Cant Ranch.  We will visit the other areas tomorrow.

James Cant Ranch

Located across from the visitor center is the James Cant Ranch Historical Museum which offers a glimpse into the Old West pioneer way of life.

Service Creek

Service Creek with a Population 2 (the innkeepers) features a lodge, restaurant, convenience store, raft rentals and river shuttle service.  The house, once a 1920’s boarding house, is located on 26 acres across Service Creek from the old livery barn. It is now a 6 room, 6 bath lodge.  We settled into our room and headed out to the deck that connects to the back of our room and watched the sun go down enjoying the last few minutes of daylight from another great adventure day.

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Day 13

Overview

Day 13 was all about exploring the rest of the John Day Fossil Beds by traveling to the Painted Hills and Clarno Units.

Painted Hills Unit – John Day Fossil Beds

From Service Creek we pass through fantastic views on a winding picturesque road to Mitchell.  Continuing on to the Painted Hills Unit, the road travels past scenic rugged landscapes of the Picture Gorge area.   

The Painted Hills are the crown jewels with their spectacular colors and sublime patterns that seem to have been hand-painted by the master stroke of Mother Nature’s brush.

Red is the dominant color, mixed with shades of orange & gold.  In other places the earth is yellow, speckled with black patches that form downwards streaks due to weathering.

Burnt Ranch Road

After some hiking in the Painted Hills, we decided to go exploring down Burnt Ranch Road. We found the views and scenery down this country road to rival a lot of the official scenic drives we had been on. After wandering around in the area for a while we head towards the Clarno Unit.

Clarno Unit – John Day Fossil Beds

When we get to the Clarno Unit we find a rock formation called Rimrock that flanks the roadway, The route passes by two noteworthy formations: Cathedral Rock and Mascall Overlook. The Clarno Unit is the smallest & least visited unit.  We thought it was the least interesting of the 3 sections of JDFBNM.

The Clarno Arch Trail climbs 200 ft towards the top of the valley, to a viewpoint below a small natural bridge. We hiked up the ridge and did manage to see and find a few fossils.

Fossil, OR

The Fossil post office was established on February 28, 1876, on Thomas Hoover’s ranch along Hoover Creek. He named the town Fossil after finding fossils in a clay-like rock formation on his ranch. Fossil had a flour mill, blacksmith shop, drug store, jewelry and optical store, livery stable, and 3 stores with general merchandise. It’s still a very small town with limited options for dinning. We ended up at place called PJ’s.  At first, the bartender and locals didn’t seem too happy that “strangers” were in their place – quite the cold reception.  We eventually found commonality talking about our travels and ended up having a decent time talking with the locals.

Service Creek

Day 14

Overview

It was time to head back to Portland today but we still did a number of stops as we headed north to the Columbia River and then followed it west to the airport hotel where we stayed in order to catch our early morning flight home the next day.

Service Creek

It was our last day and it started with finding out our VISA credit card had been compromised and the Service Creek Lodge/Restaurant doesn’t take American Express. To make things worse there was no cell phone service in this area. We finally used the lodge’s land line and got the VISA bank to approve the charge.  But with no way to get a replacement card, we were down to just AMEX and cash for the final day of our journey.  LESSON LEARNED – we now carry 2 VISA cards and 1 AMEX.

At breakfast we meet Dan, who is science teacher and mushroom hunter. He shows us the collection he gathered yesterday and delightfully points out which are poisonous. 

Service Creek to Antelope Ghost Town

Antelope Ghost Town

In the mid-19th century, Antelope was along the wagon road connecting The Dalles on the Columbia River with gold mines near Canyon City.  At its peak, the town boasted 4 hotels and 7 saloons.

A fire in the summer of 1898 destroyed most of Antelope’s business district & was never entirely rebuilt.  46 people live there today.

Columbia River Gorge Historic Route 30 Scenic Drive

The Historic Columbia River Highway is 75 miles long.

Built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922, it was the first planned scenic roadway in the US.  It is a marvel for its visionary engineering, incredible scenery, and rich history. Internationally lauded for spectacular waterfalls, architectural gems, and magnificent overlooks of the Columbia River Gorge, it’s no wonder this Byway has been nicknamed the King of Roads.  It is the first scenic highway in the US and is a National Historic Landmark.

 

Multnomah Falls and Horsetail Falls

To help motorists navigate the 600-ft vertical drop from Crown Point, a series of  “figure eight loops”were engineered that gracefully wind down toward the river.   You’re soon surrounded by mossy tree limbs and a series of remarkable waterfalls.  The route boasts 6 waterfalls;  four are within 5 miles of each other:  Latourell, Shepperd’s Dell, Bridal Veil, and Wahkeena.  The granddaddy of Columbia Gorge waterfalls is the 620-foot Multnomah Falls.  Horsetail Falls plummets close enough to the road to mist your windows. We stopped at Multnomah Falls and hiked up to get a closer view.

Vista House Observatory

Vista House is an observatory that also serves as a memorial to Oregon pioneers and as a comfort station for travelers on the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The building is a domed rotunda 44 ft in diameter with an octagonal plan on a 64-ft diameter base which houses toilets and a gift shop. The rotunda is 55 ft high. Stairs lead from the rotunda to an elevated viewing platform at the base of the dome. The exterior is gray sandstone, with a green tile roof. The interior is extensively finished in marble, even in the restrooms. The dome interior has bronze lining.  With its marble interior and brass fixtures, some Oregonians at the time derided it as the “$100,000 Outhouse”.  

Construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1918.  From this point one gets a beautiful view of the Columbia River for 25 to 40 miles.

We definitely rushed through this beautiful drive along the Columbia River.  This is another “must return to” area that deserves more time to fully take advantage of all that is here to appreciate.

Portland

For our last stop on this trip, we stopped at McMenamins Edgefield Hotel and had a quick lunch. It’s another property that McMenamins have purchased and remodeled – an old country poor farm. From here it was back to the airport hotel and off to dinner. Our adventure has now come to an end.

Our Verdict

We put this blog for our 2013 Oregon Adventure 7 years later in 2021.  We had our journal to refer to, but WOW, what a jam-packed road trip!  We marvel that we were able to fit in so much in such a short period of time.  We definitely need to return to explore Oregon over a much longer period of time.

Click here to go back to A Whirlwind 2 Week Oregon Road Trip Adventure Part 1