Baker County Fairgrounds
Our next few stops will just be a few days in each place and a couple hours drive apart. We chose Baker City because it was convenient and on the way. It turned out to be a great town. Baker City was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. With a population just under 10K, it has a large, lively downtown.
We had high hopes of scoring some great local meats, but it turned out to be just a small market and bait shop. It did have beautiful murals of the town and some sculptures painted on it though.
We stayed at the county fairgrounds. Small and clean with just 5 sites with W/E. The water had just been turned off for the season. $10 dry or $25 with W/E. No dump station but there is one nearby.
If it were a clearer day you'd get a fantastic view of the plains below.
Just down the road is this nice memorial.
We took a visit to the local brewery, Baker Brown Tap House.
We took a nice walk around town on a brisk fall afternoon when we came upon this unusual sculpture. Even more interesting was the name of the sculpture.
The 1929 Art Deco Baker City Tower (above) is Oregon’s tallest building east of the Cascade Mountain Range, and the Geiser Grand Hotel (below), a three-story Victorian jewel that features the third elevator built west of the Mississippi. It opened in 1889.
These painted rocks are really popular. Here are a few that visitors bring in for them to keep.
It does look like a nice place to stop. We need to get out west again.
ReplyDeleteYou should. Smoother roads, no humidity and much less bugs!
DeleteAmazing that the ruts are there after all these years! That "sculpture" "art" or whatever you want to call it is bizarre and the name is even weirder.
ReplyDeleteI was more excited about the ruts than the entire museum. I forgot to mention the "art" was fashioned after a salt lick. And to think how many of those we had on the ranch all those years. We could've been famous!
DeleteWhat a nice find. I'm sure glad we don't have to travel on those wooden covered wagon seats :-)
ReplyDeleteThat and that most of them walked the entire way. Some with no shoes. I don't know how with all those nasty goat-head stickers!
DeleteWe've visited some of the wagon rut sites in other areas and found them fascinating. Some are very deep! We tend to romanticize our history, but as you said, it was a grueling walk for most of the settlers. Baker looks like our kind of town - have to put it on the list for sure!
ReplyDeleteI thought those ruts were really cool too. I don't think I would've liked to take that trip by foot!
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