Day 2 – A Varied Journey

Climbing up Cabbage Hill to Deadman Pass
Our day began in the warmth of eastern Oregon wine country and ended with an evening spent watching white pelicans on the Snake River in Idaho. Although the beginning and ending of the day were peaceful, encountering snow in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon added an element of suspense to our morning.




The rain storm the previous evening in Echo dropped quite a bit of snow on the higher elevations in Oregon and Idaho. We were glad to drop over the eastern slopes and back into relatively warm temperatures. The balance of our travel was through a dry region with sagebrush covered hills, blocks of exposed basalt rocks, and a winding Snake River. 


Old wagon with tools attached.
One stop was at the Farewell Bend Oregon State Park which sits near the entrance to the Snake’s Hells Canyon river gorge. Pioneers on the Oregon Trail pulled off the Snake River at this point and portaged their belongings overland to the Columbia River. They were extraordinary people who persevered through so many trials. It had taken us several hours to drive over and  through the mountains, I wonder how long it took them to reach the Columbia?

Tasty pizza!

Our home for the night was at another Harvest Host location in Burley, Idaho. The Boathouse Restaurant and Portside Pizza were developed in 2021 and 2022 respectively by owner and developer, Alan. The 30-year Navy veteran had a dream and moved from California to Burley, Idaho, to start this enterprise with his wife Sabrina. They eventually plan to add an RV section and rental cabins to this peaceful escape on the Snake River.





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