• From Burns, take Hwy. 78 SE toward the historic communities of Lawen (1891), Crane, New Princeton, and on to Burns Junction. Turn east onto Hwy. 95. Northern Paiute hunted and gathered plants and berries here and considered this land sacred. In the early 1900s, the Taylor Grazing Act was enacted, and cattle could no longer run free on federal lands. It’s easy to envision hundreds of buckaroos gathering thousands of head of cattle from this sage-covered rangeland. Northeast of Rome, see the white chalk columns known as the Pillars of Rome, used by the early travelers as a landmark. For the rafting and white water enthusiast, Rome is the entry point for a great ride down the wild & scenic Owhyee River past beautiful canyons, wildflowers, and wildlife. Contact the Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau for outfitter information (541-889-8012); www.ontariochamber.com.
Leslie Gulch, Photo by Jeffrey L. Torretta
• The ghost town of Danner holds history and tales that date back to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The gravesite and monument of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, son of Sacajawea, can be found here. Born February 11, 1805, at Fort Mandan, North Dakota, Charbonneau’s delivery was assisted by Captain Meriwether Lewis, and he accompanied the expedition as a babe in arms. William Clark became his guardian after Sacajawea prematurely passed away. In 1866, while leading another expedition from California, he came down with pneumonia and died near the Inskip Station on the Ruby Ranch.
• Lunch is served up Basque style in Jordan Valley, but not before a game of handball! The Pelota Court is Oregon’s only Basque Handball Court, constructed originally in 1915 by Basque immigrants who had learned the skill of masonry in Spain’s Basque country (541) 586-2460.
• Continuing north on Hwy. 95, beginning at the Malloy Ranch turnoff, a wonderful side trip takes you to Leslie Gulch and Succor Creek Canyon. Rockhounds delight in the variety of thundereggs, Oregon’s state rock, and jasper discovered along historic Succor Creek. This National Back Country Byway, a gravel road, affords the traveler access to both Succor Creek and Leslie Gulch. The rugged gulch is 7.5 miles long, and its volcanic tuff formations rival Bryce Canyon for picturesque scenery. Be sure to take a camera, lots of color film, and plenty of water when you visit Leslie Gulch, and watch out for rainstorms that can make driving conditions rather hazardous. Some areas are not open to the public, so before visiting, tourists should contact the Bureau of Land Management for information at (541) 473-3144.
• If the National Back Country Byway is closed, due to weather, your trip will take you into Idaho. At Homedale, turn west on Idaho Hwy. 19, which becomes Oregon Hwy. 201. Continue north to Adrian, a farming and mining community. Just north of Adrian, take a side trip to Lake Owyhee, Oregon’s 53-mile long recreational and water conservation reservoir, with Oregon’s longest freshwater shoreline. The Owyhee Dam has a picnic site and interpretive center, and there is an Oregon State Park at the end of the paved road. Backtrack to the Lake Owyhee junction on Oregon Hwy. 201, turn north, and proceed to the Oregon Trail Snake River Crossing interpretive kiosk.
• In Nyssa, stop by the Oregon Trail Agricultural Museum. Formerly a farmer’s feed, seed, and mill business built in the late 1930s, the facility now provides living history displays and demonstrations. Ever wonder what a sheepherder’s wagon looks like, or how farmers plowed the ground before tractors and modern implements? Near the museum find the Unique Blacksmith Shop, the Green Lantern Saloon, and the Western Hotel, all on the National Register of Historic Places (541) 372 -3712.
• From Nyssa, return to Ontario, traveling past fields of onions, sugar beets, grains, and flower seeds. The journey is complete, but there is so much more to see, do, and experience. It’s worth another trip!
* Helpful supportive web site: www.cropinfo.net/Brochureforweb/Brochure.htm
