We spent two weeks this month on an awesome road trip through Eastern Oregon and Idaho.
Our first stop was Joseph, where we stayed for four nights (VRBO). If you’ve ever been to Jackson Hole, Joseph is a much earlier version of it: gorgeous mountains, one touristy main street, and a bunch of farmland otherwise.
One fun adventure was the Joseph Railriders. Invented by a bike shop in La Grande, they designed two- and four-seat pedal carts that sit on top of train tracks. It’s a great re-use of abandoned railroad. Ava and Charlie got a total kick out of our two hour trip to Enterprise and back.
We also got the kids out on kayaks for the first time at Wallowa Lake. It was so peaceful Charlie passed out in my lap. If it looks like the back of the kayak is sinking, that’s because it is.
A few other highlights from Joseph include: Mexican food at La Laguna, where Jose’s hospitality was world-class; meeting Brian Kausler and his family at Joseph City Park; and dinner at Terminal Gravity in Enterprise where, without a doubt, Charlie fell into the creek.
After Joseph, we drove to Boise and stayed three nights pretty close-in to downtown (AirBnb). If we were to move anywhere else, Boise would be it:
- The climate is everything we love about Central Oregon.
- North End has great neighborhoods, and is generally within walking distance of downtown.
- The foothills have hundreds of miles of maintained trails within a 5-15 minute drive.
- The Greenbelt is a wonderful bike trail that circumnavigates most of Boise.
We loved every moment of it. And yet, we’ll be staying in Tualatin. Boise already has a huge influx of new residents, so I think it’s bound to go through some growing pains over the next 5-10 years.
The last stop, and the original inspiration for the trip, was Stanley, Idaho. Our family friends have a beautiful cabin they graciously let my entire family use as our base camp for adventure. We did a good amount of hiking, enjoyed the wonderful scenery, and filled our bellies with delicious food.
