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.
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