• After a great steak dinner and comfortable night’s rest in Pendleton, hit the road for more adventure. Travel northeast on Hwy. 11 to Athena, Weston, and Milton-Freewater. If the Irish were in Heppner, the Scots are in Athena. The annual Caledonian Days takes place each July and incorporates traditional games such as caber tossing, and sheep dog trials that celebrate the Scottish heritage of the area. The little town of Weston is worth a short side-trip. Beautiful brick buildings make-up this plateau sheep town. Take a side-trip out of the valley floor on Hwy. 204 for spectacular views of the immense Columbia River Plateau.
Umatilla Historical Museum, Photo by Jeffrey L. Torretta
• On to Milton-Freewater, and don’t ask how the town got its name! It was a fight then, and the last thing a visitor wants to do is stir up old memories. Stop at the Frazier Farmstead (541-938-4636). Built in 1892, this farm boasts a fine collection of antique furniture, farm equipment, and the Thomas McCoy cabin, which is the oldest known structure in the county.
• The area is known for its fabulous apples, pears, asparagus, and peonies. Depending on the time of year, stop at one of the many fruit stands and enjoy the goodness of the harvest.
• To round out historical perspectives of the region, travel into Washington State. See first hand where the Whitmans established their mission in 1836, and hear the stories of the incident that later took the lives of Marcus and his wife, Narcissa. Both the Whitman Mission and Fort Walla Walla Complex are worth a look.
• On Hwy. 12, follow the signs through Walla Walla, to Hwy. 730 and back to the Columbia River. Watch the rock formations along the river for the Two Sisters, the Wallulla geological formations. These stone pillars are the subject of the tribal coyote stories and legends you heard at Tamástslikt and are mentioned in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Hat Rock is the last stop. While on the final leg of the Lewis & Clark Expedition in 1805, Clark named this point due to its resemblance to a hat. Interpretive signs tell the story of the expedition. Imagine floating past Hat Rock in a five-man canoe, with 200 miles of wild Columbia River ahead of you to navigate. Oregon, Washington, and many other states and Tribal Nations through which Lewis & Clark passed, will commemorate this epic journey in 2003-2006.
• Take Hwy. 37 south across rolling wheat fields for your return loop to Pendleton.
• Your own epic journey is completed—From the River to the Mountains. The sights, the sounds, the smells...like the lingering sunset, the experiences will remain in your memory long after your visit. Touched by the mighty river, the rich land, the people, and the environment, you simply must return to explore some more!
