Ever Been to Palouse Falls?

A long, long time ago icy lakes melted and froze, melted and froze. When they did, they sent huge walls of water across the Northwest, causing what are called the Missoula floods. The Missoula floods changed the landscape by carving canyons and making new rivers. Some of the rivers were so big they made waterfalls way bigger than Niagara Falls. There are a few dry falls around the Northwest from the floods. This one isn't dry. Palouse Falls is about 30 miles north of Walla Walla. Nice little park there, and trails to the falls if you have the time. Best in the fall, I think, or early in the morning. Bloody hot in the afternoon in July. Sally and I took pictures then walked really fast back to the car and turned on the air conditioning.

Last day of the trip and heading home. Discovered a cool road between Cle Elum and Ellensburg. Highway 10 runs parallel to I-90 to the north. Runs along a pretty river and is flanked by trees and low rock cliffs. A way better way to go for motorcycles than the Interstate - or for anyone not in a super big hurry. Speed limit is 55 most of the way. Couple it with Hwy 831 / Canyon Rd. Between Yakima and Ellensburg and that about 50 miles of boring ride replaced by pretty scenery, nice curves and little traffic.

Pendleton, OR

In Pendleton, Oregon. Can't tell from looking at it but think the town's money was in ranching once upon a time. Known for its great "Round Up" rodeo. Never been to that, but you know any town that puts "Hear the air raid siren at noon" on its tourist things to do list goes straight on my bucket list.

Not as cute as I thought it would be. Not really a concentrated cool area to walk around in. You have to go seek out neighborhoods with interesting old houses scattered about. They could have at least bunched them together. :) Sorry, Pendleton, but Winthrop, WA gets higher marks on my "Cute Western town" scale.

Tomorrow back through Walla Walla - so nice I have to swing through twice - to hit another twisty road, then its all highway all the way home.

In a Rut? Visit Oregon Train Interpretive Center

I'm at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill outside Baker City. Cost $8 to get in and see the pioneer interpretations. There's a cool gold stamp mill and a mine here too. You have to walk a mile and a half from here to see the ruts. No way in biker boots and leather. I'm driving to the roadside viewing point recommended for the differently abled and elderly. :)

Fast forward 15 minutes. Made it to the ruts. Yup, still rutty after 150 years. Cool. The sign says you can tell they're the real Oregon Trail ruts because there's a center rut where the horses walked. Wait, I don't see a center rut. Those deer tracks on the pavement sign look kind of suspicious too.

The Cold and the Beautiful: All in a Day's Ride

Which of the following did I not encounter on my ride this a.m.? A) hail B) dense fog C) torrential downpour D) deer in the road E) cows in the road F) potholes G) Sasquatch H) lightening and thunder I) 40-degree temperatures J) cold winds.

If you guessed G, hooray!

I jammed the hell away from Hells Canton Overlook when the thunder delay after the lightening was about .01 seconds and the winds started dumping hail again. See the photo? I"m literally ready to run! Brrrrr!!!

Hells Canyon Scenic Byway: Prepare for Anything

Thunder and lightening and hail and freezing rain on Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, Oregon Highway 39. Kind of scary.

Started out at 7:30 a.m. It was raining a little but the darkest clouds I've ever seen loomed ahead - and went on as far as I could see. Couldn't decide whether to go a different route or stick to the plan to go up to the Hells Canyon Overlook. Anxious about finding gas out there in the woods -- knew it was 73 miles to the next town, and wasn't at all sure that town had a filling station. I can get 110 miles on the flats without bags...but with bags going up a mountain to 4,000 feet? Eek. Anxious about the road, which I'd heard was narrow, damaged and full of potholes. Anxious about being out there alone. What if something happened?

I sucked it in and kept going.

Joseph in Bronze

Joseph, Oregon, is a city cast in bronze. The town cradled by the Wallowa Mountains has a bronze foundry at the north end of town that presumably cranks out the fantastic bronze statues that line main Street. Surprisingly the foundry isn't in a turn-of-the-twentieth century brick building with oversized rusting machinery sitting in the yard, but rather is housed in a metal building in a parking lot at the north end of town. Well known bronze artists, none of whom I'd recognize, live and work here. Tours 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.

The town cheerily welcomes visitors to its Old West-feeling town with colorful flower baskets hanging from its black wrought lamp posts. A brew pub, bar and grill, Mexican restaurant and pizza and ice cream shop are mixed with real estate offices and hardware stores. The Indian Lodge hotel is at the end of town, where I write this post from now. Lots of motorcycles are in the parking lot tonight, so I guess I picked the right place.

Tomorrow I hit the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway for a ride over the Wallowa Mountains to Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Looks like rain tonight, hope it doesn't thwart my plan to hit the road early.

Lewiston to Joseph

Highway 129 from Lewiston, I'd to Enterprise, OR is a gas. Breathtaking skies, grassy fields dotted with abandoned barns and ringed by distant mountains. Motorcycle heaven.

Next Up: Sourheastern WA, Northeastern OR

Planning a trip to Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon. Walla Walla, Hell's Canyon NRA, Joseph and Baker City. Yes, wine tasting is on the agenda! http://tiny.cc/vKXtO Gonna be a scorcher.