Joeandfrannie's travel blogs:
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A Day of Hairpin Turns and Switchback Alleys
Entry 11 of 12 | show all | print this entry |
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At 5:30 we headed out before breakfast to check out what the morning had to offer in Uniontown.  While I am NOT a morning riser, I do appreciate the value of getting up and out early. Animals feed and the sky wakes up slowly during this time of day and I hate to admit, it is worth waking up for. 
Back at the Inn, we enjoyed our baked French toast with Leslee again and spent some time out in the alpaca's pens. With faces only their mothers' could love, Alpacas definitely are not the most beautiful animals but they do have the most luxurious fur, called fiber.  Some white, others black, and still others shades in between, their fiber yields lots of money if it is good quality. They were not the friendliest creatures, but boy are they curious. Feeding them, and gaining their trust, we were surrounded at times with very hungry animals, not a lot of food, and a very disgusting threat looming over us.  Alpacas, you see, spit. Stinky stomach bile is expectorated up their long necks and fires out of their narrow mouths onto anything and anyone who pisses them off. You can hear them hacking in up and you know it is coming so we tried to keep the pellets coming and our faces out of the line of fire.  After a nice visit with all the different personalities, including a baby less than a week old, we said our goodbyes and thank you's to the Alpacas and to Leslee. 
On our way out of Uniontown we stopped at the Sage Bakery in downtown. Only open 3 days a week, we wanted to make sure we picked up some snacks from the Sage. Loaded down with a loaf of whole grain bread and some of the best scones Joe has ever had, we headed out of the Trendy brick bakery and headed toward today's destination, Hell's Canyon.
Heading out of town we headed toward Genesee, ID to pick up RT 95 near the Idaho boarder to head south. 129 south after getting through Lewistown Id was incredible. From the highway we could see forest fires that were burning near Lewistown. It was really amazing and little surreal how the smoke followed us along the highway and really blanketed the sky. The sky was really hazy and the smell of burning wood was everywhere.
The drove that we took and, what would become our drive for hours, gave new meaning to hairpin turns and switchback alleys. At no more than 40 MPH even in the straightest moments. The roads are actually paved on a pitch, like on racing tracks so that your car hugs the road. Up and down, back and forth we drove for miles only covering small areas, zig zaging forever, we drove heading toward the Hells Canyon Region. Along the way we saw nothing but a few other cars and the vastness that surrounded us.  Back and forth, we navigated the highway one turn at a time. After we crossed into the Oregon border, we drove by a restaurant. A restaurant in the middle of nowhere with 3 perfect tee-pees pitched right on the ridge of the mountain overlooking the most amazing view of this high desert.  I had to see those beautiful tee-pees after the big disappointment at Yakima Nation so we quickly turned around agreeing that it was time for a beer and walked into the Inn called the Rim Rock.  Not in a town, or even with any other businesses surrounding it, the Rim Rock stands alone. The restaurant, it turns out, was one of the most quaint, classy, and beautiful restaurants we have been into in a long time. Cigar Room, linen napkins, hummingbirds so close you could see the black in their eyes, and despite the exquisite interior we had seen in a restaurant on this trip, we opted to sit outside on the brightly colored bistro chairs overlooking the view. Accompanied by all the hummingbirds we were also burdened by bees.  The bees and hummingbirds were fighting over the hummingbird feeders and despite the fact that the bees were winning, the feisty birds kept up a great fight. We learned that the bees were new, uninvited visitors to the Inn. Dean said that ever since the fires started, the bees had gotten bad. The smoke, in fact, was driving them along the mountain range. We enjoyed our first Terminal Gravity Beer out of Enterprise, Wa. Since we were only 2 of about 6 people there, the owner and chef, Dean joined us on the deck to chat. He had many questions about our journey and we were intrigued by his restaurant. We talked to him for awhile about coming into such a great business in such an odd location. Miles and miles from any town center, The Rim Rock Inn is a destination restaurant.  With full coffee bar, catering capabilities, and a 5 star menu we were impressed over and over at the attention to detail in decorating and building this place. Despite the busy weekends though, Dean admits it is a hard location. The Rim Rock is not a place you just come upon and decide to stop in (unless of course you are traveling 3) Because the roads are so gnarly, you really cant go and have a few drinks for fear of literally running off the cliff on your way home so unless you are sleeping at the Rim Rock (which I would recommend in the teepee or using the rv hook up) the Rim Rock is a tough place to drive to for dinner. Cody, a bi-monthly regular at the restaurant came in while we were chatting. He rides his motorcycle out to the restaurant about twice a month. The ride is really his journey but the restaurant serves a good turn around point for a days worth of hairpin turns. From the deck, we all had a great talk and enjoyed the peaceful view. After a beer and a wonderful stuffed portabella mushroom, Joe and I walked down to the ridge of the mountain. Dean has the back of the restaurant set up with fire pits and lounge chairs for anyone's use. The overall feel of the place was welcoming and we only wished we could have had more time and perhaps a need for a place to stay. After some quiet reflection and taking in the beautiful scenery we toward the town of Enterprise. The drive should have only been about 20 miles, which would have taken us about an hour, but in Joe and Frannie Style we had to take a turn off the beaten path and explore a little more of the back country. We drove out just about 15 miles, 10 of which by the way was gravel. We were in search of the Red Point Overlook. We didn't really have any idea what it was only that there was a sign pointing toward it down a rocky road which made it something we felt we should see. Along the way we saw a herd of cattle nestled near the edge of the road, a buck on the upper ridge of one of the hills, and a whole herd of wild elk. We FINALLY arrived at Red Point Overlook to find it was a fire tower outlook spot. This tower, out in the middle of nowhere, was so rickety and wobbly, it warned no more than 4 people up at a time. Although there was a truck parked near the tower we assumed it had been abandoned since it was covered in dust and no one was around. To our surprise, we climbed the tower to find a man sitting watch over the tower. Not friendly at all, Joe persisted and peppered him with questions long enough to find out he was stationed in the overlook tower because of the forest fires. Set for the life of a hermit, this guy was stocked with a primitive little living area with a bed, desk, stove, and mini fridge. Clearly, a perfect job for this guy and every other person who doesn't enjoy the human race, we took our pictures and headed out on our way back down the gravel never ending road.
Finally back on Rt 3 heading south on a paved highway, we passed a buffalo ranch and saw sheep being herded by dogs near the highway. We soon came into Enterprise, OR.
Don't let the name of the town fool you, there is really nothing much going on there. Outside of Joseph by about 6 miles, Enterprise gets some of the overflow from Joseph's touristy draw but really doesn't have much to offer. Not much that is except for Terminal Gravity Brewing that is. Nestled back off the main street traffic area, painted wooden sign points beer drinkers toward the Terminal Brewing Company. Unlike the more sterile and industrial feel a brewery can sometime have, Terminal offers a homey feeling. So homey in fact perhaps because it is actually in a house turned brewery.  Walk up the front path and pass picnic tables in the front yard shaded by Weeping Willow Trees and a quiet babbling brook running through the front yard. The wrap around porch offers additional seating too. Walking through the front door of the house, you will be greeted by a parlor turned into a bar. The only access to the rest of the house, the full bar offers Terminals many brews and a menu varying from the normal fried accoutrements or you can go the tapas route, like we did with crackers, hummus, and veggies. This place reminded me of a frat house, but cleaner. People were everywhere drinking their beer and enjoying the beautiful warm day. Good find for sure, the Terminal Brewing Company only looks like a home brewed operation. It is actually one of Washington and Oregon's most popular beers and if you take the time to look behind the shotgun style house, the production area and bottling plant reminded us that this is no small company.
Finally heading to our hotel for the night we entered Joseph, WA. Home to Lake Wallowa and campground, this little town is buzzing with tourism. Probably one of the busiest towns we have stayed in so far (except Seattle of course) Joseph is a westerner theme tourist town with a Disney Theme feel. Wide streets and brick sidewalks welcome visitors to visit the local ice cream shops, shop at the gift stores and of course, dine to your heart's content. After checking in at the Indian Lodge Motel right on the main street, we walked down to the Ember's Brew Pub. With fire pits and live music by a Jerry Lee Lewis like piano player we shared a pizza, a salad, some beers, and eventually made our way to our new home for night where we proceeded to drop dead off to sleep. We were excited about journeying out to Hells Canyon tomorrow despite the looming forest fires and oppressive heat.
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