|
|
|
|
Stories from the Oregon Trail enthrall, terrify or
impress with their perserverance and strong sense of
hope. People from all walks of life packed up their
belongings, loaded wagons and walked thousands of miles
over months in search of a better life. A great place to
get an inkling of what it all entailed is at the
National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center on the
outskirts of Baker City in Easter Oregon. This is a
truly impressive display in the form of a life size
diorama depicting what life was like on the trail. They
do a fabulous job of keeping this history alive with
events and exhibits. You can even take part in a Ride
the Ruts once a year – think of taking your bicycle
along the wagon wheel ruts left behind after all these
years.
But there is way more to Baker City than the Oregon Trail. A historic pretty little town, it boasts a vibrant downtown, growing art scene and gorgeous scenery surrounding it. Another claim to fame is the movie Paint your Wagon was filmed nearby and the crew stayed at the local hotel, the Geiser Grand built in 1889. After the filming of the movie, the hotel closed down in 1968 and it was nearly demolished to build a parking lot. You can only mutter, “What were they thinking?”especially as you gaze up at the beautiful stained glass ceiling. Luckily, it avoided this fate and now the splendid restored Geiser Grand Hotel dominates Main Street. If you can't spend the night there, be sure to stop by for a a glass of wine and nibbles in the bar.
A short walk from the hotel you'll find a friendly welcome the craft distiller, Glacier 45,. Their ultra modern facility produces excellent 'wet' (i.e. not dry) gin and speciality bourbon. The name is inspired by the nearby glacier they get their water from, reportedly about the fifth most pure in the nation and because the city is located on the 45th parallel. All along Main Street you'll find coffee shops, the Copper Belt winery, restaurants, art galleries, Barley Brown's Beer brewpub, a kitchen specialty shop and a chocolatier/art galery combined, Peterson's Gallery & Chocolatier. There is no shortage of interesting places to visit.
Head just around the corner to 2020 Auburn Ave to the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center. Do not miss this place. The old Carngeie library has been transformed in to a first class art center the town is justifiably proud of. It is an impressive building and what is inside is just as impressive. Under the energetic guidance of Executive Director Ginger Savage, they host an interesting variety of exhibits, artistic demonstrations, musical events, dance and all manner of creative fun that draws from, and involves, the whole community.
Take a ride out of town to visit the mountains nearby for an interesting day trip. You can take a picnic lunch to enjoy on the shores of Phillips Lake or stop by the small village of Sumpter. Here you can walk through the fascinating history of the huge 3-story Sumpter Dredge. It scrambled the area as it searched for gold but, thankfully, it's now firmly anchored in place. Or ride the wee train, the Sumpter Valley Railroad, as it chugs up the hill, then wander along the small main street with a host of interesting shops, the Lynn Bean art gallery and plenty of local characters. Delightful Baker City, nestled in Eastern Oregon, and it's surrounding area, has much to offer. Stop a while, enjoy the slower pace, interesting history, and the exciting modern vibe that oozes from every corner.
Business information: http://visitbaker.com http://oregontrail.blm.gov http://GeiserGrand.com http://crossroads-arts.org http://bakercityopenstudios.blogspot.com http://weavespindye.org http://wegoregon.org http://NEOregonArts.org
We'd love your comments!
|
Connect with us on:
American Roads and
| ||||||||||||
|
Public Disclosure--
Please Read The FTC has a law requiring web sites to let their readers know if any of the stories are "sponsored" or compensated. We also are to let readers know if any of our links are ads. Most are not. They are just a way to direct you to more information about the article where the link is placed. We also have several ads on our pages. They are clearly marked as ads. I think readers are smart enough to know an ad when they see one but to obey the letter of the law, I am putting this statement here to make sure everyone understands. American Roads and Global Highways may contain affiliate links or ads. Further, as their bios show, most of the feature writers are professional travel writers. As such we are frequently invited on press trips, also called fam trips. On these trips most of our lodging, dining, admissions fees and often plane fare are covered by the city or firm hosting the trip. It is an opportunity to visit places we might not otherwise be able to visit. However, no one tells us what to write about those places. All opinions are 100% those of the author of that feature column. |
|||||||||||||
|
Privacy Policy/ Archives /
Contributors /
Subscribe to
American Roads Books by
Kathleen Walls /
Contact /
Sponsor or Advertise/ American Roads & Global Highways Home Page
|
