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OUTDOORS<br />
adventures<br />
Preserved within the colorful rock of the<br />
John Day basin is a record of changing life<br />
and landscapes that spans more than forty<br />
million years. Scenic drives and hikes at<br />
three separate units, as well as exhibits and<br />
a working lab at the Thomas Condon Paleontology<br />
Center, bring the science to life as<br />
visitors explore Oregon’s prehistoric past.<br />
INTERESTING FACT<br />
The town of John Day was named for<br />
the John Day River, which was in turn<br />
named after a member of John Jacob<br />
Astor’s 1811 Expedition.<br />
Hiking in the Wallowa Mountains.<br />
JOSEPH<br />
Coined the “Little Switzerland of America,”<br />
Joseph sits amid the Wallowa Mountains in<br />
the northeastern corner of Oregon, bordering<br />
the state’s largest natural wilderness areas.<br />
Layers of snowcapped granite peaks sit at<br />
the edge of the small western town, cradling<br />
alpine lakes, moraines, massive canyons, and<br />
forests teeming with elk, wolves and other<br />
wildlife. Nearby, Hells Canyon comprises<br />
one of the wildest places in Oregon.<br />
Once a cherished home of the Nez Perce<br />
people, the beautiful land holds a tragic<br />
history. Under pressure to move onto a reservation<br />
in the late nineteenth-century, the<br />
Nez Perce fled toward Canada with more<br />
than 2,000 U.S. Army soldiers in pursuit.<br />
In 1887, just forty miles from the Canadian<br />
border, suffering thousands of casualties,<br />
including women and children, Nez Perce<br />
leader Chief Joseph surrendered, saying, “...<br />
Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired. My heart<br />
is sick and sad. From where the sun now<br />
stands, I will fight no more forever.”<br />
The Wallowa Band Nez Perce Interpretive<br />
Trail, a Nez Perce National Historical<br />
Park, tells the story of the Nez Perce natives<br />
and other cultures in the area. In July,<br />
the Tamkaliks Celebration honors the Nez<br />
Perce heritage in the Wallowa Valley with a<br />
friendship feast and powwow. Beyond the<br />
interpretive center, the town of Joseph celebrates<br />
art, Western and Native culture and<br />
history with events throughout the year.<br />
Before heading out to explore, stop<br />
by Arrowhead Chocolates for made-toorder<br />
coffee and small-batch treats. For<br />
libations, Mutiny Brewing and Embers<br />
Brew House in Joseph and Terminal<br />
Leon Werdinger<br />
Gravity Brewing in nearby Enterprise offer<br />
plenty of craft beer options. If you’re<br />
feeling adventurous, swing by the Stein<br />
micro-distillery to sample handcrafted<br />
whiskeys and other liquors.<br />
INTERESTING FACT<br />
Joseph, originally called Silver Lake<br />
and then Lake City, formally named<br />
itself after Nez Perce Chief Joseph<br />
in 1880.<br />
122 <strong>1859</strong> OREGON’S MAGAZINE MARCH | APRIL <strong>2016</strong>
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