Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2016)
JOURNEY THROUGH TIME SCENIC BYWAYS INTO THE PAST Biking GET OUT & GO IN GRANT COUNTY If a scenic road trip by bicycle is what you’re looking for, Grant County has a lot to offer. Throughout the milder seasons, visitors and residents alike take to the roads and trails on two wheels. Here are five top routes to try out: 73؏MILE STRAWBERRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS LOOP This is a beautiful yet challenging route, taking riders through varied terrain, looping from John Day to Prairie City. More information: www.prairiecityoregon.com 80؏MILE MURDERERS CREEK ROUTE Begins at Strawberry Ridge, 15 miles south of John Day. The tour provides a mainly remote ride through ponderosa forestland, along a beautiful creek valley and unique rock outcroppings as well as high desert meadows. The paved ride passes through wild horse range. More information: www.rideoregonride.com 14؏MILE PRAIRIE VALLEY LOOP A pleasant, easy ride, which includes 10 miles of paved road and 4 miles of very smooth-packed gravel. The Riverside School House Bed & Breakfast is located about halfway through the ride. More information: www.prairiecityoregon.com 11؏MILE MARYSVILLE LOOP Riders see breathtaking views of Canyon Mountain and the John Day Valley. Starting in John Day, cyclists head east on Highway 26 for 3 miles, turning right onto Dog Creek Road. After a little over a mile, the paved road takes a 90-degree right turn onto Marysville Road/County Road 52. Riders descend into Canyon City and take a right turn, heading north on Highway 395 back into John Day. 192؏MILE OLD WEST ROUTE Previously known as Wild Rivers, this route received the distinction in 2011 as one of Oregon’s nine Scenic Bikeways. The trip takes cyclists through various scenic vistas, following three rivers. It also features varied wildlife and points of interest along the way, including nationally recognized sites such as Kam Wah Chung Chinese Heritage Museum, 125 NW Canton St., in John Day, and the John Day Fossil Beds and Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, northwest of Dayville. A challenging loop, the ride begins in John Day at the corner of Highway 26/Main Street and Canton Street near the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, 301 W. Main St. The route follows Highway 26 west to County Road 20, Highway 395, Highway 402 and back to Highway 26. More information: www.oregon.gov DRIVER TIPS • When you pass cyclists, give them a wide berth, and make sure you have a good clearance to pull back into your lane without endangering other riders who may be farther ahead. • If you pull off and stop your vehicle anywhere on the riding route, always look behind you before opening the car door and getting out. A cyclist who gets “doored” can be seriously injured. • Be alert to changes in rider activity or position. Riders have the same rules and rights on the road as drivers. They will be directed to ride to the right, but could be jolted by various surprises – such as a blown tire or a jackrabbit darting into their path. • Slow down in riding areas. 14 | OFFICIAL GRANT COUNTY VISITOR GUIDE 2016 | MyEagleNews.com History comes to life in Oregon’s Journey Through Time, an auto route that loops through Northeastern Oregon. The scenic byway runs from Biggs at the Columbia River through the John Day River country to Baker City. Along the way, visitors are treated to stunning scenery and intriguing glimpses of the past, recent and ancient. It’s a modern- day tour that links the land’s prehistoric past, the influx of white settlers on the Oregon Trail and the fabled allure of gold and cattle country. If you take the journey, don’t miss these stops: • John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, with picnic areas, hiking trails and a visitor center. Get a short course on the 40 million years between the extinction of the dinosaurs and the start of the Ice Age. • Kimberly, a former stage stop on a fertile river delta that still boasts orchards producing a bounty of cherries, peaches, apricots, apples and pears. • Dayville, a former stage stop on the historic The Dalles Military Road. • Mt. Vernon, a quiet community once noted for lively horse races and a hot springs. • John Day, where the Kam Wah Chung Museum recalls the Chinese workers who settled there during the railroad and gold mining days of the late 1800s. The Ranch and Rodeo Museum paints another picture of the region’s agricultural roots. • Canyon City – the county seat, once the largest city in Oregon during the gold rush of 1862. • Prairie City, nestled below Strawberry Mountain, was a bustling shipping point for the old Sumpter Valley Railroad during the logging heyday in the 1900s. • The Covered Wagon Overlook on Highway 26, east of Prairie City, commemorating the arduous journey of the pioneers. For more information, go to www.traveloregon.com or contact the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, 541-575-0457.
