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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.