One of the west’s most fascinating historical figures to me has always been Chief Joseph of the Wallowa Nez Perce. Joseph was both a warrior and a peacemaker but ended up in an impossible position in 1877 after a treaty guaranteeing his band’s place in the Wallowa Valley was broken and four white settlers were killed by his people in the aftermath. He fled towards the Canadian border with his band but was overtaken just shy of the border. In the aftermath of what has become known as the Nez Perce War, the Wallowa band was resettled on the Colville Reservation in Washington which I visited late last year. Joseph traveled far and wide speaking on behalf of his people and never gave up hope of returning to his beloved Wallowa Valley. He spoke so fondly of it that I knew I had to go visit the area when I had the opportunity. What I found was a stunning valley, surrounded by mountains and ribboned with rivers and lakes, As soon as I descended into the valley I could see why Chief Joseph was so passionate about it. In addition to being their traditional homeland and the place where their dead are buried, it clearly provided them with everything they would have ever needed.
Nestled in the heart of the Wallowa Valley is the town of Enterprise, an adorable little mountain town founded in 1886 and now home to about 2,000 people. Enterprise is both the county seat of Wallowa County and the main supply town for the region. The railroad arrived in 1908 allowing the Eastern Oregon Lumber Company to form a few years later. Lumber is still a major player in the local economy and, along with the local ranching operations, helps keep the town afloat. I loved the little historic downtown core which is clean and well-kept, and dinner at the Range Rider was also a treat. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Enterprise and the Wallowa Valley and I hope you enjoy these photos from my visit.
Hello Everyone,
It’s always good to be home. Home is definitely sweeter when you come in off the road, especially when it’s cold and dark out there. December is a great month to be in Washington D.C. and I’m really looking forward to a few weeks of rest before getting back out there at the end of the month. I have plenty to do while I’m home as I need to sort out my dad’s estate, work at my uncle’s house and help my folks out with a number of things, but I’m also looking forward to holiday shows, playing music with my friends and quiet nights by the fire. I’m not going to lie, 2025 was an incredibly difficult year for me and I’m very much looking forward to putting it behind me. 2026 is going to be better. It should be a very busy year and I am looking forward to it very much, so I hope to be well rested by the time it kicks off. I did have a nice week in Eastern Oregon and Boise, though and I want to tell you all about it, so let’s jump into it.
Hello everyone, another week has past and it’s time for another edition of This Week on the Road. It’s been a pretty great week out here in Southern Alabama, beginning with a much needed and well enjoyed visit to the Gulf Coast and a few minutes on the beach. I also spent some wonderful time in beautiful Mobile, a city which I really enjoyed. The week ended with a long drive across the south of the state heading east, through rural farmland and quaint little towns. It’s been a great first week here in The Heart of Dixie, and I’m looking forward to everything the state has to offer in the coming few weeks. HERE is this week’s map if you want to follow along as we go!
When I finished posting my This Week article last week, I did, in fact, get out of town. I love New Orleans, and it’s always hard to go, and it was particularly hard with French Quarter Fest starting the following day, but it was way past time for me to get out of Louisiana. I scooted down to the interstate, and took Route 10 all the way to Alabama. I hate the interstate and its never-ending monotony, but it’s great when you have places you have to be and a limited time to get there.
When I got to Alabama, I headed southwest on 188 to beautiful Bayou La Batre. You may remember the name from Forrest Gump, as it is where Bubba was from and where Forrest went to start his shrimping company. It really is a shrimping town, and if you’ve been following along with me on this journey, you know I’m a sucker for old shrimping boats. The fleet there was really beautiful, and I stopped off to have a look and take some photos. While I was stopped, a young man of maybe 9 or 10 named Matthew pulled up…
