Hello Everyone!
It’s been a beautiful week of spring weather here in north-central Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The days have been warm and sunny and the evenings cool and pleasant. It’s the kind of weather where I don’t really want to do anything but sit outside and read my book and enjoy the day. Thankfully the days are long so there seems to be time for that and to keep exploring. Oregon is such a pleasant and relaxed state, making it a wonderful place to enjoy such fine spring weather. Cherries and strawberries are coming back into season which makes me happy and flowers are blooming like crazy everywhere I look. I’ve spent the week chasing waterfalls, exploring small towns, finally making it to the end of the Oregon Trail and exploring the state’s capital city of Salem. My camera has been busy and I’ve really been enjoying my week so let me get right into it.
After finishing up this post last week I went out to have a look around downtown Lebanon. It’s a quaint and quiet little town but it didn’t have much to offer. I stopped into a little bar called Sam’s Place for a beer and then called it an early night.
On Thursday I took off first thing and headed out to see the Hoffman covered bridge out near Scio. This was a great, fully functional bridge with a 10 ton weight limit still in daily use. It was quiet enough out there when I visited to take a few photos on the bridge, which was pretty cool. From there I made my way into Albany for the day. Albany is a cute little city of about 56,000 people situated on the Willamette River and founded back in 1848.
I was very excited to have a whole day to check out some of the many waterfalls flowing into the North Umpqua River as I made my way down Route 4 from Crater Lake to Roseberg. I love everything about waterfalls - from the spray on my face to the sound they make as they roar over the rocks. They are also among my favorite things to photograph as they really are magical, especially with a nice long exposure. The day I made this journey I visited six waterfalls: Clearwater Falls, Whitehorse Falls, Watson Falls, Toketee Falls, Fall Creek Falls and Susan Creek Falls, Toketee was probably the most stunning of the six because of its setting, but Fall Creek Falls sure did take a good photo. I also really loved Whitehorse Falls and I think my favorite photo is the one I saved for last. The lush green surroundings of Clearwater Falls made me hang around for a while, and the sheer drop of Watson Falls was simply awesome. Susan Creek Falls was in a great setting, too and it was truly stunning. It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re out chasing waterfalls, and I hope you enjoy these photos from the spectacular Umpqua Canyon.
Crescent, Oregon is the kind of town that makes me hit the brakes as soon as I pull in. Coming from Bend in the North, the first thing I saw when I arrived in Crescent was the giant bear statue atop the public library. Next, the lumberjack on the Woodsman Inn caught my eye. Finally, the Bigfoot Tavern sealed the deal and I pulled over and came back to take some photos. Crescent got its start back in 1909 when Edward Rourk opened a small store in the area. A post office opened in the store the following year and Rourk would serve as the postmaster for several years (the store still stands today). The coming of the railroad and the opening of Highway 97 both contributed to the growth of Crescent and its population today hovers around 400 people. I wasn’t able to find out much more about Crescent online, but the next time I’m passing through I plan to stop and ask some questions. I hope you enjoy these photos from quirky little Crescent, Oregon.
Smith Rock is a magnificent State Park in Central Oregon. Located just 40 minutes north of Bend, it is a must-see stop on your way through the Beaver State. The Crooked River cuts through volcanic rock to help shape the landscape, with ridges rising hundreds of feet into the sky. I had seen photos of Smith Rock before I went, but it was significantly better than I had imagined it to be. I enjoyed hiking up the aptly named Misery Ridge Trail which followed tight switchbacks and hundreds of stairs to an amazing ridge which offered awesome views down to the river below and out to the Cascade Mountains in the distance. Dropping down the other side, I followed the Riverfront Trail back around to the parking lot. The hike was wonderful and the views were truly spectacular and I saw quite a few rock climbers scampering up the cliff faces as well. I imagine it gets pretty hot in the summer, so it’s probably best to visit early, but when I was there the weather was perfect all day. I hope you enjoy these photos from beautiful Smith Rock, truly stunning scenery in central Oregon.
Hello Everyone,
Spring has definitely sprung here in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. Flowers are blooming, pollen is flying and minor league baseball is just getting started. The weather has been amazing and it’s nice to be here. I’ve had a very pleasant week on the road here in the Beaver State as I made my way from Bend through the Cascade Mountains and up into the Willamette Valley. It’s been a week of mountains, lakes, waterfalls, covered bridges and adorable little towns – all things that make me happy. The days are getting longer and my spirits are high. Let me tell you all about what I’ve been getting up to lately.
After I left you last week, it was already pretty late in the day. I wandered through downtown Bend and then down to Monkless Brewery, a Belgian-style taphouse situated right along the Deschutes River. It was a sunny afternoon and the view out over the river was amazing. The bartender was friendly and the beers were excellent. I’m a big fan of Belgian beer and consider it the best beer in the world, which is only an opinion but one I’m not alone in. Many Belgian-style beers just don’t live up to the expectation set by labeling it as such, but Monkless was a real exception and it quickly became one of my favorite breweries in the region. I had a couple of beers there and then wandered down by the river for a while to soak up the last of the sunshine. I stopped into the River Pigs Saloon for one last quick beer after the sun went down before calling it a night.
I hit the road on Thursday morning and headed south towards Klamath Falls. I passed through a couple of small towns on my drive, but one made me stop and get closer look. Crescent is the sister city of the nearby company logging town of Gilchrist .
Hello Everyone!
Greetings from sunny Bend, Oregon. It feels like this week has lasted considerably longer than the seven days since I last wrote. Unfortunately, I was falling into a bit of a funk in Idaho as everything seemed to still be closed for the winter. From roads and trails to campgrounds and museums, I constantly felt like it was more effort than it should have been to find things to see and do. And since it was cold out there, I struggled to get out of bed in the morning. I wouldn’t say I was depressed, just kind of bored and anxious to be out exploring, as summer is fast approaching and this may be the last summer I have off from work for a while. I want to make the absolute most of it. A little dose of Oregon was just what the doctor ordered. Oregon has been bright and sunny since I arrived over the weekend and it’s been amazing to be out on the trail, chasing waterfalls and beautiful scenery and finding things open around town. I will look forward to seeing more of northern Idaho in a few weeks, but for now it is great to be back in the Beaver State.
After finishing this post last week, I set out into the night to enjoy one last wander through downtown Boise, a city I have come to really enjoy and feel comfortable in over the last year. I stopped into Gatsby’s 1920 speakeasy, where the correct password got me buzzed in through the plain door in a dark alley. Once the door shut behind me I found myself in a small library where a bookshelf was swung inward to reveal a beautiful old wood-paneled bar. I had a nice cocktail and then moved on to Press and Pony, another prohibition era bar, where a Guinness seemed to be the best option. I wound up back at my old favorite, The Pengilly Saloon, for some live music and a nightcap to end my time in Boise for now.
Gold was discovered in the Boise Basin on August 2, 1862 by a prospecting party led by George Grimes. After Grimes met an untimely end, the rest of his party made a quick exit from the area. Prospectors returned the following spring and the search for gold began in earnest, with settlements springing up throughout the region. The town of Bannock City was among them, a town which would later be renamed Idaho City after the Territory of Idaho was established in 1863. During its heyday, Idaho City was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, even outgrowing Portland. It was known as “The Queen of the Gold Camps” and it was often said that the streets of Idaho City were paved in gold (although in reality they weren’t paved at all). Two years after its founding, Idaho City burned to the ground, losing 80% of its buildings in the flames. The town would quickly rebuild, only to suffer another devastating fire just a few years later. This time, wooden buildings were rebuilt with brick. Over $300 million dollars worth of gold was pulled out of the Boise Basin, which would be several billion dollars today. As the gold played out, the miners departed for other strikes in other places. Today, Idaho City has a year-round population of around 500 people. There are some great old buildings around town, beautifully preserved. Of note are the oldest Catholic church, Masonic Hall and Odd Fellow’s Hall (I.O.O.F.) in the state, all of which are still in use today. There’s a fantastic old two story schoolhouse which now serves as the City Hall and Idaho’s old territorial prison. Idaho City is a quiet town and I really enjoyed all of the old buildings and gold rush history. I hope you enjoy these photos from Idaho City, where the streets are (definitely not) paved in gold.
Hello Everyone,
It’s been a pleasant but quiet week here in southern Idaho. I spent the early part of the week in the Magic Valley out by Twin Falls, and the latter part of the week in the Treasure Valley here in Boise. The weather started off sunny, quickly turned cold with freezing rain pelting down on me, progressed into some beautifully warm and sunny days and is finishing off cold and rainy. It is nice to be here in Boise, a comfortable and familiar city, and I’ve actually been taking it easy here the last couple of days as I needed to take a breather from the road and this is a good place to do just that. I’ve been able to catch up with a few friends, get some much-needed supplies delivered from Amazon, resupply on food and water and get ready for the road ahead. It’s been a good week on the road.
After finishing up this post last week, I set off to explore downtown Twin Falls. I’ve been to Twin Falls a few times before, but never really had any time to check it out. The downtown area was really quiet on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, and I had the streets almost all to myself. There are some great old buildings around, but mostly Twin Falls is a modern city. There’s a nice city park in the middle of town with an amazing old band shell which still apparently hosts the Twin Falls Municipal Band it was built for in the summertime, although it’s now called the Magic Valley Symphony. There’s a magical old post clock on Main Avenue, a couple of nice statues and some interesting historical signs to help understand how the city has changed over the years. I stopped for a delightful pint of porter at Koto Brewing Company and then headed out of the city center for the night.
I had planned on spending an hour or two in tiny Challis, Idaho, but ended up there for the better part of the week. My van had a bearing act up on the way into town which is never a good feeling, but thanks to good luck and good karma, I found two excellent mechanics to get us back on the road. John and Scott took good care of my van and became friends along the way, but the age of my van and the remoteness of Challis meant we had to wait a few days for parts to come in. I passed much of that time at the town’s wonderful library, reading in the park or hanging out at Shyla’s Hideaway or Bux’s across the street. All of these things were a blessing and I’m truly grateful to have landed in such a pleasant little town during a time of distress.
The land on which Challis would come to occupy was once the seasonal hunting ground of Shoshone and Nez Perce Indians. Fur traders came through in the early 19th century looking for beaver, and the ranchers that still occupy the area would follow. But, like so much of the west, it was a gold strike that caused the area to really take off. Gold was discovered in 1873 on the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River and miners rushed in from all corners of the globe, inevitably followed by saloonkeepers, shop owners and prostitutes who relied on the miners’ trade. Challis was founded in 1878 and named after the man who surveyed the townsite. It became a central supply town for the surrounding mines, a role it still fills today. With a population of just over a thousand people, Challis is the largest town and the county seat of Custer County. I wish I had taken more photos while I was there as it is quite a scenic town, but I had a lot on my mind and wasn’t in the mood. I did take some though, and I hope you enjoy these photos of Challis, the gateway to the Yankee Fork.
Every once in a while I drive into a town which is just too nice to leave. I pulled into MacKay, Idaho in the early afternoon with the plan to hop out and stretch my legs. , maybe take a few photos and then keep going. I found MacKay to be a cute town with some great historic buildings, all surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Lost River Range. With snow-covered mountains in every direction, I decided to stay for a while. I’m really glad I did, especially since it was a near-perfect, cool, sunny spring day.
MacKay was founded as a company town for the White Knob Mining Company in 1801 and named for the company’s owner John William Mackay. While the mines above Mackay closed down many years ago, MacKay has held on, bolstered by the agricultural businesses that have grown up in the surrounding area. I loved some of their historic buildings in town, especially the Clock Cigar Company which has been restored to show some of the businesses which have come and gone in the building over the years. While the original post clock out front has long since disappeared, the town had a replica made to the exact specifications and it looks great. I also enjoyed the L7 Bar and Grill which was the friendliest place I’ve stopped in a long time. I hope you enjoy these photos from tiny MacKay, Idaho, small town charm in the Lost River Valley.
Hello Everyone!
It has not been the best week out here on the road, but that doesn’t mean I’m complaining because it also could have been significantly worse. I’ve spent most of the week in limbo, waiting for things that were out of my control. I was in tiny Challis, Idaho for five days, waiting for some unexpected work on my van to get done. The rest of the week I’ve been just up the road from Challis in Stanley, waiting and hoping for the weather to clear. I’m very grateful to have had two excellent mechanics, John and Scott, working on Shadow Catcher. During my time in their shop I not only came to trust them with my van, but also to consider them my friends. I spend most of my time on the road drifting in and out of towns across the country, playing the familiar-to-me role of The Stranger. This week was different because it’s hard to stay a stranger in a town of a thousand people for very long. When I finally got off and running again I drove up into the mountains and straight back into winter. I had to break out all of my winter clothes again and find places to hang out and avoid the snow. When the clouds finally lifted, the Sawtooth Mountains showed themselves and they are spectacular and were well worth the wait. And now I’m finishing off my week here in Twin Falls in the rain. I’ve only gone about 200 miles this week which has definitely saved me on gas, but I’m hoping that now I can keep moving for a while as I get back into my more regular routine.
As I’ve just mentioned, my week got off to a rough start. When I pulled into Challis to finish up this post last week, I turned down my radio and heard a terrible sound coming from my rear wheels. I decided to park and get my work done and give it a while to fix itself, which would have been amazing if it had worked. It, of course, did not. Challis is a small town and the closest thing I could find to a mechanic on my phone was a tire place just on the edge of town. I went and talked to them and they said they didn’t really do much beyond tires and oil changes and pointed me to another garage behind the Napa Auto Parts up the road. This was definitely a garage, but with no sign, no online presence or reviews, no nothing. I went in and talked to Scott and he said he would take a look at it in the morning. I didn’t really love the situation, but I was stuck and grateful he would have a look and see what he could do. Worst case scenario, I could call AAA and get a tow up to Salmon which has a couple of mechanics. I found a parking spot nearby and then took a nice, long walk around Challis. It’s clearly in the midst of an old mining region with mining still being the main industry today. Challis was founded way back in 1876 as a supply center for the different mining districts in the area, including the Lucky Boy, Custer, Sunbeam and Charles Dickens mines, and continues to be the main town and county seat for the region. After having a good look around, I stopped into Bux’s Place, a classic, old-school, taxidermy-and-pool-tables kind of bar on the main street. It was smoky, but nice enough for a beer. Then I went across the street to Shyla’s Hideaway which had less atmosphere, but also less smoke and they served food. Shyla’s would be my go-to spot for the rest of the week. I had a tasty sandwich and chatted with the bartender who told me that Scott was a good mechanic and a decent person which left me feeling a little better about the whole situation.
Pocatello, Idaho is a wonderful place to be. It’s a modern city and home to Idaho State University, but it maintains its historic charm and classic American downtown vibes. Originally part of the seasonal migration routes of the Bannock and Shoshone tribes, the city takes its name from Shoshone Chief Pocatello.
American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed through the region on their Corps of Discovery expedition in 1805. A businessman from Massachusetts named Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth came west in the 1830s to try to establish himself in the fur trade and set up Fort Hall as a trading post. Unable to compete with the Hudson’s Bay Company, he sold Fort Hall to them a few years later. Several years down the line, the fort would be a major stop on the Oregon Trail as emigrants made their way west across the country. When gold was discovered in 1860, the area experienced a minor rush and people began to settle in the beautiful Portneuf Valley. But more than anything, it was the coming of the train that would build the city of Pocatello. The area became a rest stop on the Utah and Northern Railroad and several years later the Oregon Short Line came to town, creating a junction and transfer point referred to as “Pocatello’s Junction”. In 1888, an executive order purchased land for a townsite from the Fort Hall Shoshone and Bannock Reservation and the city was incorporated the following year. Because of the train junction, Pocatello was known as “The Gateway to the Northwest”, or simply “Gate City” for short.
I had a great stay in Pocatello, enjoying their monthly art walk, a performance at the Palace Theatre and some live music in the downtown bars. The county history museum had some neat artifacts and I particularly enjoyed visiting the Shoshone Bannock Cultural Museum in nearby Fort Hall. Pocatello is a friendly city with a cool vibe and I will definitely be returning in the future. I hope you enjoy these photos from Pocatello, Idaho’s Gate City.
