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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2016)
2]Ta-);<-:67:-/768):-6< Summer day trips for youngsters and grown-ups By REBECCA CASWELL Some people consider Eastern Oregon the middle of nowhere, but it doesn’t take long to get to some- where from here! There is a wide range of day trips the whole family will enjoy just two or three hours away. Here are a few that are worth the car ride: ƟǀĞĞŶƚĞƌ Like Pendleton, Baker City sits right on the Oregon Trail ĂŶĚŽīĞƌƐƉůĞŶƚLJŽĨ history worthy of a ĚĂLJƚƌŝƉ͘/ŶĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ to a historic down- town and views of the Eagle Cap mountains, the Or- egon Trail Interpre- ƟǀĞĞŶƚĞƌƐŝƚƐũƵƐƚ ĮǀĞŵŝůĞƐŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ of town. With living history demonstra- ƟŽŶƐ͕ŝŶƚĞƌƉƌĞƟǀĞ programs, exhibits and more than four miles of interpre- ƟǀĞƚƌĂŝůƐ͕ƚŚĞ center has a bit of history for every- one in the family. Palouse Falls State Park, near Starbuck, Washington ƌŝǀĞƟŵĞ͗ 2 hours ,ŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐ͗Waterfall, picnic areas Hiking, breathtaking scenery and a bit of history come together at Palouse Falls State Park in Washing- ton. Less than two hours ĨƌŽŵhŵĂƟůůĂŽƵŶƚLJ͕ƚŚĞ 105-acre park provides pic- nic tables and grass lawns perfect for a summer picnic Multnomah and a half-mile ADA-acces- Falls͕ŶĞĂƌŽƌďĞƩ͕ sible hiking trail overlook- Oregon ing the falls, which drop ƌŝǀĞƟŵĞ: 3 nearly 200 feet. Interpre- hours ƟǀĞƉĂŶĞůƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚƚŚĞ Highlight: Wa- In SE Washington, just north of the Snake River, Palouse park provide a bit of history terfalls, hiking ĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞŶĂƟǀĞƚƌŝďĞƐ͕/ĐĞ Falls tumbles 198 feet into a wide gorge. It makes nice family &ŽƌƐŽŵĞ͕DƵůƚ- getaway, just a couple hours drive from Pendleton. ŐĞŇŽŽĚƐ͕ŐůĂĐŝĞƌƐĂŶĚ nomah Falls is a ĐƌĞĂƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞĐĂŶLJŽŶͶ stop on the drive ĂŶĚŵĂŬĞƚŚĞƚƌŝƉďŽƚŚĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ƋƵĂƌƚĞƌƐĂŶĚĞdžŚŝďŝƟŽŶŚĂůů͕ŽĨ- to Portland, but you could make and enjoyable. Oregon’s most famous waterfalls fering tours, hikes and workshops. a full-day excursion. The falls drop Fossil is only 20 miles from the Fossil, Oregon 620 feet straight down within sight incredible landscape of John Day ƌŝǀĞƟŵĞ: 2 hours ,ŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐ͗&ŽƐƐŝůŚƵŶƟŶŐ͕ƐĐĞŶŝĐ &ŽƐƐŝůĞĚƐEĂƟŽŶĂůDŽŶƵŵĞŶƚ͘ƚ ŽĨ/ŶƚĞƌƐƚĂƚĞϴϰͶďƵƚĨŽƌĂďĞƩĞƌ view, climb the trail to the Simon the monument, the Thomas Con- landscape Benson Bridge across the lower dŚĞŽŶůLJƉƵďůŝĐĨŽƐƐŝůĮĞůĚŝŶƚŚĞ don Paleontology center features cascade or hike to the top of the United States is just a day trip away fossils from all three units of the falls, about 1.2 miles total. For an park as well as the opportunity to ĨƌŽŵhŵĂƟůůĂŽƵŶƚLJ͘ŝƐĐŽǀĞƌĞĚ extended workout, the six-mile ŝŶϭϵϰϵ͕ƚŚĞĮĞůĚŝƐďĞŚŝŶĚtŚĞĞůĞƌ watch researchers at work. Wahkeena Loop Trail passes creeks High School; admission is $15 for a Baker City, Oregon and small waterfalls. At the base of family of four. Fossil also hosts the ƌŝǀĞƟŵĞ: 2 hours ƚŚĞƚƌĂŝůŝƐDƵůƚŶŽŵĂŚ&ĂůůƐ>ŽĚŐĞ͕ KƌĞŐŽŶWĂůĞŽůĂŶĚƐ/ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞŚĞĂĚ- Highlight: Oregon Trail Interpre- ǁŚĞƌĞĂƌĞƐƚĂƵƌĂŶƚ͕ŐŝŌƐŚŽƉ͕ĂŶĚ ĐŽīĞĞŬŝŽƐŬƐƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĂďƌĞĂŬďĞĨŽƌĞ ŽƌĂŌĞƌĂŚŝŬĞ͘dŽĞdžƚĞŶĚLJŽƵƌƚƌŝƉŝĨ hiking isn’t quite your speed, follow I-84 into Portland. Portland, Oregon ƌŝǀĞƟŵĞ: 3½ hours Highlight͗KD^/^ƉĂĐĞdžŚŝďŝƚ From shopping to shows, Ore- ŐŽŶ͛ƐŵĞƚƌŽƉŽůŝƐŽīĞƌƐĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐĨŽƌ all ages. For family fun, it’s hard to go wrong with a visit to the Oregon DƵƐĞƵŵŽĨ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞĂŶĚ/ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͕ ďĞƩĞƌŬŶŽǁŶĂƐKD^/͘/Ŷ:ƵŶĞ͕ KD^/ŽƉĞŶĞĚŝƚƐŶĞǁĞƐƚĞdžŚŝďŝƚ͕ developed with NASA. “Journey ƚŽ^ƉĂĐĞ͗dŚĞdžŚŝďŝƟŽŶ͟ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞƐ 10,000 square feet of hands-on ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐŽŶƚŚĞĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĂŶĚĨƵ- ture of living and working in space, including a full scale, climb-aboard ƌĞƉůŝĐĂŽĨƚŚĞĞƐƟŶLJ>Ăď͕ƚŚĞƌĞ- ƐĞĂƌĐŚĨĂĐŝůŝƚLJŽŶƚŚĞŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ƐƉĂĐĞƐƚĂƟŽŶ͘ Coeur d’Alene, Idaho ƌŝǀĞƟŵĞ: 3½ hours Highlight: Silverwood Theme Park ďŽƵƚϮϮϬŵŝůĞƐĨƌŽŵhŵĂƟůůĂ ŽƵŶƚLJ͕ŽĞƵƌĚ͛ůĞŶĞŽīĞƌƐŽƵƚ- ĚŽŽƌƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĨƌŽŵĚŽǁŶŚŝůůƐŬŝ- ing to watersports. The lakeside city ďŽĂƐƚƐƚƌĂŝůƐĂŶĚŽƵƚĚŽŽƌƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶ ĂƐǁĞůůĂƐĂŶĂĐƟǀĞĂƌƚƐĂŶĚĐƵůƚƵƌĞ alliance. But for many children and teens, Coeur d’Alene is best known for having the nearest roller coast- ers, bumper cars and thrill rides at Silverwood Theme Park. Coeur Ě͛ůĞŶĞĂůƐŽďŽĂƐƚƐŵƵůƟƉůĞǁĂƚĞƌ parks, a family fun park and zipline tours. ________ Rebecca Caswell is news director ŽĨ<K,hĂŶĚ<Y&D͕ĂŶĚŵŽƚŚĞƌŽĨ three, based in Pendleton.
