The Oregon Trail Journal

June 26 – Leaving Baker City, we stopped briefly at the Blue Mountain Crossing to walk the Interpretive Trail. The emigrants hoped they would make it across the Blue Mountains before the snow fell. Otherwise they would have to leave their wagons, and make their way across on foot. I got coordinates and photographs of historical signboards and markers and a covered wagon.

We did not stop at Emigrant Springs, a major emigrant campground. We stopped at the Deadmans Pass viewpoint (Waymark Code: WM1V46) overlooking Pendleton with sweeping views of the Umatilla Valley.

We visited Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. We saw several birds that were there on display primarily for the passengers of “Queen of the West.” There was an exhibit memorializing the death 50 years ago of Celilo Falls, a popular fishing and grazing place on the Columbia River inundated by The Dalles Dam. We ate lunch.

We traveled to Walla Walla, Washington. We briefly visited the Whitman Mission Historic Site--Waiilatpu, “Place of Rye Grass”--on the banks of the Walla Walla River. I got photographs of Alice Clarissa Whitman’s (1837-1839) grave marker (Waymark Code: WM1V4N). She was born three months after Marcus and Narcissa Prentiss Whitman's arrival. Sadly, the little girl drowned in the Walla Walla River just two years later. I also took photographs and coordinates of The Great Graves, the Wagon ruts and the Oregon Trail covered wagon. I did not have time to read or photograph the historical signboards at the former Whitman Mission building locations.

We traveled to The Dalles, Oregon. We went by Two Sisters, Wallula Gap, Hat Rock (took photograph and coordinates), and McNary Lock and Dam. I took several photographs. We stopped at the Umatilla Visitor Center Rest Stop. I photographed the James H. Sturgis Bridge and plaque.

We traveled by the John Day Dam, Stonehenge in the distance, Hwy 97 bridge at Biggs and The Dalles Dam. We arrived at Cousin’s County Inn in The Dalles, Oregon. We went to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center where we toured the exhibits and had a delicious dinner.