Day 1: Seattle to Not Quite Oregon

After driving all over Yakima looking for gas and a decent restaurant, we were finally sitting and eating at a crowded Bob’s Burgers. It was about two in the afternoon and we were not very far from Seattle. We were hoping to make it to Pendleton and find a campground, but as we looked at the map we decided we wouldn’t make it there for the night. Instead we frantically searched the web for campgrounds nearby, calling and getting news that they were full.

When my husband had the idea to go for a family road trip to eastern Oregon I thought it sounded great, but I didn’t want to do any planning. Evie was only 5 months old and neither of us really had the energy. So we decided to wing it. We came up with a general route and decided we would find campsites as we needed them. I’m not really a wing-it kind of gal and I have to admit I was a little worried sitting there at Bob’s.

We found a possible lead on a campsite farther south so we drove on. Stormy weather taunted us directly ahead. Close to the Washington – Oregon border we saw a sign along the road for a campground and decided to check it out. It was situated along the north bank of the Columbia River. It was really an RV park, but the nice lady at the booth offered us a spot on the open grass. We happily took it and were the only ones there with a tent.

We set up our brand new (!) luxurious four-person tent and spread out everything inside. It easily fit our two sleeping bags, a blanket for Nali to sleep on, Evie’s carseat, multiple bags of stuff, and even a little diaper changing station. Evie sat happily in her bumbo watching as we set up camp. As the sun began to set, it was clear that the storms had missed us and it was all blue skies. The springtime light filtered through the trees and lit up the white puffs of dandelions. Things were looking up.

Day 2: Not Quite Oregon to Joseph

Just a few minutes after leaving the campsite we were across the bridge and officially in Oregon. Pendleton was our next stop and the Woolen Mill was first on our list. We browsed the colorful flannels and blankets in what seemed like a museum of cabin coziness. We bought WAY too many blankets, but like I always say, there’s no such thing as too many blankets. Next, we headed downtown to the historic Hamley’s & Co, makers of world-famous saddles since 1883. From the outside, it looked like a tourist trap, but as soon as we walked in, it was obvious that this place is legit. The brick interior two-story store was packed with every kind of fine leather good and adorned with massive bronze statues of bucking broncos. To top it off, they had an entire room full of saddles and gear. It was quite impressive.

For lunch, we stumbled upon the Main Street Diner, complete with checkered floor and fantastic food. I had a club sandwich (my diner go-to) and a strawberry shake and I think they were both the best I’ve ever had. I took half of my sandwich to go and this made a wonderful road snack later. On the way out of town we stopped by the post office to mail home a postcard I picked up in Hamley’s. I wanted to send Evie a postcard from the road each day recounting the highlights.

Our next destination was Joseph, a small town nestled in the Wallowa Mountains. Instead of taking the most direct route, we headed northeast through the Blue Mountains. The name is a bit misleading because these mountains are full of green- ponderosa, juniper and larch dominated the landscape. As we climbed higher and higher into the Blues, we watched the temperature drop. We saw some rain clouds hovering over the peaks as we approached the mountains from Pendleton, and now we were in them. But it wasn’t raining, it was snowing, hard.

Giant snowflakes filled the sky and covered the ground. It was mid-May, in eastern Oregon. It was supposed to be warm, not snowing! We embraced the unexpected weather and stopped and got out of the car. I immediately stuck my tongue out to catch snowflakes and yelled at Evie to look! look! I don’t think she fully appreciated the impromptu blizzard. We continued on. Once through the Blues, the landscape flattened to rolling green hills. Soon enough the Wallowas were in view and we arrived in Joseph.

Joseph and Lake Wallowa was originally home to Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe. The land was promised to them in an 1855 treaty until gold was discovered. The miners and Native Americans clashed until there were negotiations for a new treaty to shrink the boundaries of the reservation. The Nez Perce refused to sign and this eventually turned into war. In the end, Chief Joseph moved his people away from the area instead of living in the confines of the reservation. After his surrender, the government took the land and allowed it to be settled. Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce were banished from their homeland. The town was later named after Chief Joseph and we visited a memorial in his honor on the north side of the lake. This serves as a reminder of the injustices many Native Americans faced.

We had intended to camp, but it was much colder than we anticipated and it was forecasted to get down into the 20’s at night. We opted instead to rent a room at the south end of Wallowa Lake. We settled in and then bundled Evie up and walked to Wallowa Lake State Park. As we walked, deer appeared around us, seemingly following us. We walked out onto the shoreline and watched the sun set until we could no longer stand the cold. Later, I woke up in the middle of the night and walked outside to get some air. I swear I could see every single star in the sky.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save