We got up at 4:30am this morning, packed up camp, 
and headed on our way. As it turned out it was really 5:30am but the travel clock I brought was an hour behind. Oops! Before we found out that the clock was wrong we were amazed at how bright it was for 4:30am. We drove into Baker City and had someone gas our car up. . .again! The service station owner told Kevin it was a ridiculous law that he ignores at the risk of a $15,000 dollar fine. He gave us a good recommendation for breakfast and we headed over to the “Oregon Trail” restaurant. Once inside, we were able to get a view of local life. The woman running the place took every table’s order, delivered all the food, brought all the bills, bused all the tables, ran the cas
h register…all with a smile on her face. She was so good at her job and made it look easy, but it wasn’t. The food was excellent! Kevin splurged on some calories and had two pork chops with his eggs…what a pig!
Next we found a Starbuck’s (again), organized our gear, and headed out of town. A GPS is a great tool, but sometimes they suck! Following the GPS, we ended up at the beginning of town which then led us once again passed the same Starbuck’s we had been at just 10 minutes ago. Ugh! Back on route we drove quickly into Hells Canyon. Oregon really is a beautiful state, and if you want a different view, all you have to do is keep going to the next hill and you’ll have it. We drove through high desert, green meadows, evergreen forests, lakes, streams, c
reeks and valleys all within an hour’s time. We reached the summit at Hells Canyon and stopped to enjoy the overlook. The wildflowers were especially pretty. Then on to Joseph we travelled. The road was a single lane rode with 2 way traffic. It was really lush and green with foliage and the time went by quickly.
We arrived in Joseph and looked around for a suitable place to camp; however, after our experience with the family of 12 at Shasta, we were a little cautious. We pulled in
to somewhat crowded Wallowa State Park where Janet proceeded to cross examine the poor unsuspecting ranger at the gate about their noise control policies. The ranger explained to her that our only other camping option was a remote campsite with no toilet facilities…she quickly drop her line of questioning and booked the site for 2 nights.
The entire campsite is full of mule deer. They boldly come up to your site and expect to be fed. Kind of feels like you’re at the Deer P
etting Zoo. According to the local paper, there are four mule deer to every permanent man, woman, and child in Joseph. It’s a good thing they aren’t bears! You can understand how they have become so tame when you see the photograph of our camping neighbors feeding them. Travel tip: If you are ever in Joseph, be sure to stop at the Embers Brew House. The beer and food are great! They provide free internet a
nd the service is outstanding. We are planning to take a day off from driving and spend two days here before heading up to Mary and Dave’s house in Idaho.
and headed on our way. As it turned out it was really 5:30am but the travel clock I brought was an hour behind. Oops! Before we found out that the clock was wrong we were amazed at how bright it was for 4:30am. We drove into Baker City and had someone gas our car up. . .again! The service station owner told Kevin it was a ridiculous law that he ignores at the risk of a $15,000 dollar fine. He gave us a good recommendation for breakfast and we headed over to the “Oregon Trail” restaurant. Once inside, we were able to get a view of local life. The woman running the place took every table’s order, delivered all the food, brought all the bills, bused all the tables, ran the cas
h register…all with a smile on her face. She was so good at her job and made it look easy, but it wasn’t. The food was excellent! Kevin splurged on some calories and had two pork chops with his eggs…what a pig!Next we found a Starbuck’s (again), organized our gear, and headed out of town. A GPS is a great tool, but sometimes they suck! Following the GPS, we ended up at the beginning of town which then led us once again passed the same Starbuck’s we had been at just 10 minutes ago. Ugh! Back on route we drove quickly into Hells Canyon. Oregon really is a beautiful state, and if you want a different view, all you have to do is keep going to the next hill and you’ll have it. We drove through high desert, green meadows, evergreen forests, lakes, streams, c
reeks and valleys all within an hour’s time. We reached the summit at Hells Canyon and stopped to enjoy the overlook. The wildflowers were especially pretty. Then on to Joseph we travelled. The road was a single lane rode with 2 way traffic. It was really lush and green with foliage and the time went by quickly.We arrived in Joseph and looked around for a suitable place to camp; however, after our experience with the family of 12 at Shasta, we were a little cautious. We pulled in
to somewhat crowded Wallowa State Park where Janet proceeded to cross examine the poor unsuspecting ranger at the gate about their noise control policies. The ranger explained to her that our only other camping option was a remote campsite with no toilet facilities…she quickly drop her line of questioning and booked the site for 2 nights.The entire campsite is full of mule deer. They boldly come up to your site and expect to be fed. Kind of feels like you’re at the Deer P
etting Zoo. According to the local paper, there are four mule deer to every permanent man, woman, and child in Joseph. It’s a good thing they aren’t bears! You can understand how they have become so tame when you see the photograph of our camping neighbors feeding them. Travel tip: If you are ever in Joseph, be sure to stop at the Embers Brew House. The beer and food are great! They provide free internet a
nd the service is outstanding. We are planning to take a day off from driving and spend two days here before heading up to Mary and Dave’s house in Idaho. 
3 comments:
Janet & Kevin,
What a blast to follow!
Stephen
TWO pork chops and eggs?! watch out!!
Those mule deer are amazing :)
hey slackers! update your blog. we miss you :)
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