Wallowa Mountains
Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, Oregon
The heart of the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway is the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, often called one of the seven wonders of Oregon, comprised of three units: Clarno, Painted Hills, and Sheep Rock. The fossil beds show visitors how the region has drastically changed, both in climate and animal and plant evolution,…
Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway, Oregon
The historic Columbia River Highway was constructed from 1913 to 1922 as the nation’s first scenic highway; the Columbia River Gorge is also the nation’s second National Scenic Area, which gives you a hint of how special the byway truly is! Construction of the highway presented many engineering challenges and the roadway was considered one…
Missoula, Montana, Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, and Lewiston and Ahsahka, Idaho
Our weekend itinerary offers Lewis and Clark immersion! Of course, no Corps of Discovery itinerary is complete without also learning about the indigenous peoples encountered along the journey. Lewis and Clark and company encountered 55 native tribes, but the Idaho segment, the most arduously difficult segment of the journey, richly involves a tribe who the…
Day Trip: Ritzville, Washington
I have mentioned before how surprising it can be when a small community offers sites of historical or cultural significance beyond what the size of the community suggests it would have. Ritzville, a small farm community that appears at first glance to be a drive-by town along Interstate 90, was settled in the 1880s and,…
Elgin, Joseph, and Wallowa Lake, Washington
The Wallowa Lake area is a destination hot-spot for the northeastern Oregon region. If you read our posts you may remember that we have an itinerary for the Hells Canyon Scenic Drive that includes Joseph and Wallowa Lake, but this isn’t a place you come to only once. As is often the case, there is…
Mount Hood and Hood River, Oregon
Many travelers, I think, would assume that Mount Hood, that majestic peak that rises so prominently to dominate the skyline along the heavily traveled I-84 corridor, would be the focal point of our itinerary. But for me, it is the Timberline Lodge with its sense of rustic, old world, almost magical charm that I am…
Mt St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
On the morning of May 18, 1980 a magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered one of the world’s largest recorded landslides as the north face of Mt St. Helens collapsed to bury the valleys below, followed within seconds by one of the most powerful volcanic blasts in the history of North America. Within ten minutes the eruption…
Grand Coulee Dam, Dry Falls Heritage Area, and Lake Lenore Caves, Washington
Grand Coulee Dam and Dry Falls Heritage Area vie with each other as the highlight of our itinerary—both are amazing sites to visit! Grand Coulee Dam will be the favorite of many visitors and is where the itinerary begins. The dam is a concrete gravity dam (meaning that only the weight of the concrete structure…
Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland, Washington
The Tri-Cities metropolitan area, formed of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland, shares a diverse history that is intricately woven into our greater nation’s history. Sites of historical significance range from one of the few known campsites of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers to the Pasco Naval…
Central Oregon: Madras, Bend, and Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Are you ready for another great weekend trip? Our central Oregon itinerary presents our top picks and offers a great variety of sites to visit. Best time to visit: a visit scheduled Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend will allow you to visit all the sites on the itinerary. Plan to arrive at Erickson…
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Hit the Road in the Pacific Northwest 