By Kristen James
The Blue Mountains of Oregon offer fishing, hunting, kayaking and a look into America's Wild West past. Travel where the first pioneers rolled their wagons to new homes in a land filled with mountains and streams.
Fun Fact
The Blue Mountain Eagle, a weekly paper in the town of John Day, is the oldest newspaper in Oregon. John Day shares its name with a river that flows down from the Blue Mountains.
Geography
The Blue Mountains are located in the northeastern part of Oregon, west of Baker City. Travel through these mountains on highway I-84 north into southeast Washington state. Stop at Lehman Hot Springs to relax or Anthony Lakes Mountain resort to ski.
History
The Blue Mountains were considered by the pioneers to be the most difficult section of the Oregon Trail, which stretched 2,000 miles from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon. While traveling highway 1-84, watch for historical markers. You can see actual wagon tracks at Virtue Flat or stop at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at exit 248.
Scenic Drives
Use the link below to explore all five scenic drives, including historic attractions and must see spots. There's the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway, Elkhorn, Grande Tour Route, Hells Canyon Scenic Byway and the Journey Through Time.
Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site
Ready to time travel? Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site is a preserved Chinese general store that celebrates the contribution of the Chinese immigrants to early American history. The original site was a trading post built in the mid-1800s, operated by two men, Lung On and Ing Hay, an herbal doctor. These men helped the miners and pioneers with traditional Chinese medicines.
About the Author:
Kristen James began writing at an early age in 1992 and was soon submitting novels to publishers. Now she has three published novels including "The River People," owns Bravado Publishing and is a staff editor for "Kype Magazine." Her articles appear on eHow, Happy News and Big Whiskey Journal. James graduated from Umpqua Community College and studied creative writing at Southern Oregon University.
