According to everyone I talk to, I’ve hit unseasonable weather during this trip to Eastern Oregon. What that means is, more rain today.

When I woke up this morning, the rain was falling so heavily that it obscured the view out of my window at the Best Western John Day Inn. I went to the breakfast room for a cup of coffee to consider my options. The fresh hot coffee went down well with a bowl of cereal and a muffin, and I began to feel better about my day right away. Nothing like a free breakfast to lighten your mood.

I’ve been using a new free app on my iPhone, WeatherBug, which gives highly detailed hourly local weather forecasts, and it looked as if I could expect a break in the rain in an hour or so. So, I delayed my departure from John Day, and explored the town on foot.

Right around the corner from the Inn, I discovered the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. The building is a part of the Oregon State Parks system, and is a fascinating glimpse into a neglected aspect of the history of the West. Kam Wah Chung & Co. was a Chinese mercantile and herbal medical office that operated in the 19th century, and the site has been preserved and renovated to its original state. Admission is free, and a tour takes about 45 minutes.
When I was done with my tour, the rain had indeed died down — thanks, Weather Bug! I saddled up on the Electra Glide, and headed east on Route 26. My next stop would be the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Kimberly. Over 2,000 extinct species have been discovered in fossil form in the area. I visited the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, which is a museum and research

center. They have an amazing collection of artifacts, displayed in a serpentine room with dioramas and supporting materials. There’s a window onto the research center, where paleontologists sift through fossils, seeking more finds. If the weather had been more amenable, I might have joined one of the trail hikes with the scientists, which leave every couple of hours during the day. But after exploring the Center, I decided to move on.

I backtracked to Mt. Vernon, and caught Route 395 North. Even in the rain, this beautiful road delivered a glorious ride over mountain passes as high as 5,000 feet. Perfect ribbons of asphalt weaved their way through dense pines, over hills and dales. The road rose and fell, took banked turns around obstacles, and made elegant switchbacks. I stopped for a quick lunch in the tiny (and I mean tiny) town of Long Creek at the Mountain Inn Café & Grocery. While I relaxed over a chicken sandwich, a man came in asking where the nearest gas station was. The answer shocked him — the nearest gas was in John Day, 39 miles away. The man pondered his fate, and the owner of the Café offered him a gallon of gas from his personal stash. Nice.

The rain continued during the rest of my ride to Pendleton, but it did not dampen my spirits. The Electra Glide is remarkably sure-footed, and the roads were in great shape. About 10 miles outside of Pendleton, the skies cleared, and I arrived at the Best Western

Pendleton Inn dry and happy. I checked in to the hotel, and went back out to explore the town.
Pendleton, Oregon is a genuine Western town of 17,000. The famous Pendleton Woolen Mills was founded in 1909. The company is still in operation in the same location right in the middle of town, so I went for a visit. I was too late for a factory tour, which is probably a good thing, given my extreme allergy to wool. But I did get to admire the gorgeous blankets and clothing in the factory store, and just seeing the exterior of the building was a great treat.

I rode further downtown and took a gander at the arena that houses the Pendleton Round-Up, an annual event that will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year from September 15 – 18. The arena is undergoing a massive renovation, and it is going to be a great place to see a rodeo. Some 50,000 fans showed up last year, and they’re expecting this year to be even bigger. Get your tickets now.
At a public park next to the Round-Up, I blundered across the crew setting up for an antique tractor show. I wandered among twenty or thirty of the most beautiful small farm tractors I’ve ever seen, and chatted with their owners. It was a real small town event, and I felt privileged to have experienced it.

I returned to the Best Western Pendleton Inn and parked the bike outside. Looking out behind the hotel, I was completely captivated by the view. The Inn sits on a hill just south of Pendleton, and looking back further south, the amazing sky and hills beg to be photographed and painted. In fact, several guests joined me to admire the view, each of us armed with digital cameras. We snapped photos, experimented with exposures and settings, and generally oohed and aahed at the great location. We all agreed that we had selected a nice hotel — from the neat rooms to the heated pool to the great views and friendly service, it would be a very nice stay.

Rather than saddle back up and ride down the hill back into Pendleton, I decided to have a light dinner at a nearby restaurant and call it a night. I have a big ride ahead of me tomorrow, along the Columbia River to Cascade Locks. I’m going to try to leave early, because WeatherBug tells me that the rain will return to Pendleton by late morning. Wish me luck.