I have to say that I saw the bird before she did. Here we are in mid-June and we saw our first male Lazuli Bunting at the feeder. Haven't seen any females yet but they're not as dramatic as the males.
This is our first sighting of this bird since we started keeping track of what birds are coming to the feeder. He seems to prefer the cracked corn mix to the sunflower seeds.
What a gorgeous blue color against the backdrop of snow on the Wallowa Mountains!
If part of your romantic getaway Oregon style includes birdwatching, swing by and check out this Lazuli Bunting. Of course, we don't know how often he'll be here, but there are plenty of birds to see in Joseph Oregon and at Wallowa Lake.
If you're planning to attend the 15th Annual Bronze, Blues & Brews Festival in Joseph Oregon, there's still room at the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast. The blues festival is held in Joseph City Park--only one block away from our Joseph Oregon lodging. (Click on the widget for a sample of headliner Nick Moss & the Flip Tops.)
(Staying with us makes it very convenient if you're not into blue port-a-potties)
If you're looking for the Joseph Oregon hotels for your stay you won't find one (since there aren't any) but our Joseph bed and breakfast is often touted as comparable (or better) than many hotels. And the Mirror Lake Suite (our one room left for the blues festival) is very upscale.
Anyone from Eastern Oregon knows that an Eastern Oregon vacation isn't complete without a cattle drive.
Especially when you're in the middle of it!
Bill & I decided to drive out to the Zumwalt Prairie today to see what's blooming on the Nature Conservancy's land. As we came through the intersection of Crow Creek Road and Zumwalt Road, the sign said, "Cattle Drive Next 14 Miles." Hmmm. . .
At mile 12 or so, we found them. Lots of cattle. Lots of calves. Lots of mooing by cows checking on their calves. And a few stalwart cattle dogs, cowboys and cowgirls to keep the cattle on track. One mounted cowboy offered to lead us through the herd so we could get on our way. "Stay close," he advised. One needs to know the proper etiquette around such matters.
Not far from Hells Canyon National Recreation Area or the Zumwalt Prairie. Stay with us at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast and we won't necessarily guarantee you your own cattle drive, but we'll point you in the right direction!
This last week one of our guests disappeared about 5:15 a.m. Bill just happened to be up and heard the front door close, then noticed that one of the guest cars was missing from the bed and breakfast parking area.
Renee Bryant, our guest, was out in search of the elusive morning light. Renee is a naturalist photographer and has put together a wonderful website of her images. You'll find it at PhotoArtByRenee.com. Lovely images of landscapes, nature up close, flowers and other images. You can view her photo galleries here. And puchase an image or two that pleases you!
Unfortunately her "transparent" images wouldn't allow me to share any of them here on the blog, but take a moment to view her work.
We're not quite sure just where she went that morning. It could've been Wallowa Lake or perhaps downtown Joseph Oregon or even farther afield. Hard to say. But she was back in time for breakfast!
Spring is a great time of year for birdwatching in Eastern Oregon. Many species are on their way back from winter in the south or just passing through on their way north. And because we're so far east in Oregon close to Hells Canyon, you'll see the intercontinental birds that you won't necessarily find near the Oregon coast.
Bill put up feeders in the south garden last year so guests at breakfast can enjoy birds having their breakfast too.
Who's on the feeder this week? We're seeing our first Black-headed Grosbeaks, both male & female. The Western Goldfinch and the House Finch have been eating us out of house and home when it comes to sunflower seeds. Downy (or Hairy--can't tell them apart) Woodpeckers drop by for a quick bit of suet. Flickers are also suet fans.
Of course an Eastern Oregon vacation wouldn't be complete for birdwatching without a trip out to the Zumwalt Prairie. Plenty of raptors and other species, plus the wildflowers are starting to bloom. Guests of our Hells Canyon lodging are equipped with maps, binoculars and what-have-you for a visit to the Zumwalt Prairie. Only about an hour away and Oregon's largest privately owned nature sanctuary--it's worth the trip!
We all know the look--dragging, dark circles under the eyes, somewhat sleep deprived--parents of young children sometimes need a break. Thank goodness for two things: Grandparents and the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast!
We recently hosted a Pacific NW couple who were conveniently able to drop off the kiddos with the doting grandparents. They made their way to Eastern Oregon without a specific destination or reservation, perhaps thinking they'd find some Joseph Oregon hotels or maybe a Wallowa Lake hotel, but instead they found us.
A quote from the room journal:
What a great overnight getaway for parents of young children! Not only did we escape children waking in the night (and early AM)--we were completely pampered! Thank you, Heather--sorry to miss you, Bill!--for a lovely stay and delicious breakfast. We are so glad we stopped to inquire--we will definitely be back! Best wishes to you both as you continue to share such a fun profession! Many thanks-- J&E, Spokane, WA
Hmmm. . .I wonder whether the grandparents will be looking for a respite anytime soon?
Seems like every spring people start searching, wanting to know if the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway road between Joseph and Halfway is open. Here we are after Easter 2011 and it's not yet open for the season--sometime in May is more like it. This road is not plowed so the opening date is (among other things) weather dependent.
In late Spring 2010 the road suffered major damage in a few places from spring runoff. The roadbed was repaired by Fall 2010 but not paved in those damaged places. We're hoping that the paving will occur in Summer 2011. You can see an interesting video about the repair here (one of my blog posts from last year).
Does anyone have friends in high places? Would you please convince them we need this road paved soonest? And while you're at it, the rest of Forest Road 39 could use a new surfacing too! This road, as remote as it is, is very important to Eastern Oregon travel and the communities of Wallowa Lake, Joseph Oregon and Halfway Oregon to name a few.
If you're planning your Eastern Oregon vacation and want to know the status of the road, give the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest office a phone call at (541) 426-4978 and ask the Visitor Center. They are keepers of official word on the road.
In the meantime, please do check before planning to travel the center section of the Hells Canyon Byway. We hate it when our incoming guests have to backtrack over an hour of travel time to reach Joseph Oregon! And I'll keep my fingers crossed here at our Hells Canyon lodging that the road opens and stays open in 2011!
It's springtime in Eastern Oregon which means it's time to update the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast wine list and get ready for the summer visitors to Joseph Oregon.
We've added quite a few new wines to our cellar this past year and retired a few as our guests enjoyed them. In your guestroom now you'll find our newly prepared list, featuring wines from Sokol Blosser, Argyle and Lange Estate Vineyards to name a few from Oregon. There are also some very nice wines from L'Ecole No. 41 and Zerba Cellars in the Walla Walla, WA area. And let's not forget Yakima River Winery and Terra Blanca Vineyard west of the Tri-Cities in Washington. Rounding out the list are a collection of sparkling wines from the Alsace region of France (I just couldn't help it).
Whether you're packing a picnic wine for Wallowa Lake or ordering a fine sparkling for your romantic getaway, we've probably got a wine or two here for you.
And there are always glasses and wine openers available in all of our guestrooms in case you'd prefer to bring along your favorite.
You don't really think about vineyards and wineries near Wallowa Lake or Joseph Oregon. We're at 4,200 feet of elevation with a short growing season (USDA Zone 5), so there isn't much happening with grape growing up here.
But this week we hosted Tim & Lori Kennedy, owners of Don Carlo Vineyard in Milton-Freewater at our Joseph bed and breakfast. Milton-Freewater is less than two hours drive from Joseph on the way to Walla Walla, Washington. I'd always thought of Walla Walla as a big wine area, but it turns out that Milton-Freewater is becoming one too! Tim explained there are currently eleven vineyards in and around Milton-Freewater producing wines and hard cider. If this area grows like Walla Walla, undoubtedly there will be more.
Tim and Lori are sending us some maps to the wineries, fruit stands and other agritourism sites of Milton-Freewater. We look forward to giving them to our bed and breakfast guests heading north towards Walla Walla Washington. It could be that Bill & I need to plan a little getaway ourselves and replenish our bed & breakfast wine cellar!
They didn't stay at a Wallowa Lake hotel--they stayed at our little Eastern Oregon bed and breakfast--and what a treat for us. Education about more Eastern Oregon places to experience!
One of our favorite Joseph Oregon restaurants opens on April 14, 2011, for the spring/summer season. Calderas is one of those romantic getaway Oregon style restaurants. Great wine list, fresh produce from their own farm near Hells Canyon, creative cuisine, tremendous views of the Wallowa Mountains--all wrapped up in one location at the north end of town.
Starting Thursday, April 14th, Calderas is open Thursday through Saturday 11 am to 8 pm. Once June arrives, the hours are Wednesday through Monday, 11 am to 9 pm.
We like sending our guests to Calderas because we're confident they'll have great food and great service in a very unusual atmosphere. And the second floor balcony has a nice little gift shop featuring owner Nancy Lincoln's glass art.
Think Parisian Art Nouveau bistro with an art gallery twist. And don't miss the bathrooms if you like glass art!
Let us know you'd like a reservation for dinner at Calderas when you arrange your stay at our Joseph Oregon lodging. Reservations aren't required but are highly recommended, especially on busy Friday and Saturday nights.
A lot of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is not for mountain bikes because the Eagle Cap Wilderness lies within the forest boundary. But, there still is mountain biking near Joseph Oregon and inside the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
Trailheads used are the Salt Creek Summit (south end)--19 miles from Joseph Oregon and part of the Redmont and Wagon Road Trail networks, and the Ferguson Ridge Snow Park (north end)--only 14 miles from Joseph Oregon and part of the Redmont Trail network.
Riding season in the Wallowa Mountains is typically mid-June to end of October (depending on snow), with trail clearing using completed by early July.
Routes range from 7 to 20 or more miles and vary from multi-use trails to single-track, with terrain for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders. Some routes intersect so the beginner can reconnect with the advanced rider on the same ride.
We keep mountain biking-specific maps here at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast for guest use. Guests can store their mountain bikes in our garage (along with their road bikes, kayaks, etc.) for easy access.
When you're planning your Eastern Oregon vacation this year, think about some mountain bike rides in the Wallowa Mountains. Plenty of views of the Wallowas and the Seven Devil Mountains across Hells Canyon in Idaho--and a great bed and breakfast to return to at the end of the day!
Even though there's snow in the Wallowa Mountains, the birds are singing and we're thinking about summer event weekends. Chief Joseph Days starts Wednesday leading into the last full weekend in July in Joseph Oregon. This year, that's July 27 through July 31, 2011. Rodeo performances are Wednesday through Saturday nights.
And, this Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast still has plenty of room available during the week, plus the Mirror Lake Suite is available for Friday/Saturday nights! If you've not yet been to a rodeo, plan your summertime Eastern Oregon vacation around this event. Chief Joseph Days Rodeo is voted one of the best outdoor small town rodeos in America.
We often are asked whether it is easy to drive to Joseph, Oregon. In general, driving to Northeastern Oregon is pretty straightforward. Even in winter. . .
There are three paved routes in/out of Wallowa County (where Joseph, Oregon is located), two of which are open year around:
Oregon Highway 82 (leaves Interstate 84 at LaGrande Exit 261 for a scenic drive along the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway eastwards through Union County into Wallowa County)
Oregon Highway 3 (starts as Washington Highway 129 in Clarkston, WA, then becomes OR 3 at the state line, continuing south into Wallowa County to the town of Enterprise, which it ends at OR-82)
Forest Road 39 (starts at Oregon Highway 86 between Halfway and Oxbow near the Idaho border and winds its way northwestward into Wallowa County). This road is NOT MAINTAINED in the winter! (It's normally closed from mid-November through early/mid-May or sometimes into June.) The Wallowa-Whitman Forest Service Visitor Center (tel 541-426-4978 Monday-Friday) is the offical information source for this road.
In winter, it's always advisable to have traction tires or carry chains when you're in Eastern Oregon--and that means through the month of April!. Les Schwab Tires often provides a great service to occasional winter drivers. They will sell you a sealed box set of tire chains for your car or light truck and, if you return them unopened in the Spring, you'll get a full refund--one more reason to visit Wallowa Lake and Joseph, Oregon even during the Winter/Spring seasons.
Have we convinced you yet? If you need a little more assistance planning your Joseph Oregon vacation, call us and we'll give you a hand with your routing to Wallowa County.
Here's a pretty little candlestick set inspired by the calla lilly from Fire Works Pottery. Clay artists Jim & Anne Shelly own and operate this wonderful studio about a 10 minute drive away from the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast. We really enjoy their work and you'll see some of it here and there throughout our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast.
The Fire Works Pottery studio and showroom is located at their home out on upper Hurricane Creek Road. Jim or Anne will give tours of their studio (if they're not out on the road at a show). We enjoy sending out bed and breakfast guests out there to explore the area and find the studio. It's such a beautiful drive getting there!
If you'd like to know more about visiting Fire Works Pottery or other Joseph Oregon area artists, we're more than happy to talk about artists who offer home studio tours. Let us know when you're booking your reservation. Or ask during breakfast and we'll call the artists directly to see if they're available during your stay.
You'll also find Fire Works Pottery on Facebook if you happen to be a Facebook user. With over 300 people "liking" this little studio tucked away in the Wallowa Mountains, it's just another one of the hidden treasures you'll find in Eastern Oregon!
The Wallowa Valley Music Alliance is hosting a week long Appalachian dulcimer course at Wallowa Lake from Tuesday, July 5th through Sunday, July 10th. Don't play the Appalachian dulcimer very well? This is a perfect opportunity for your Eastern Oregon learning vacation as beginners through advanced players are welcome!
There are lodging options available locally at the Wallowa Lake Camp. However, if you (or your traveling companion who isn't interested in the dulcimer workshop) are more interested in the creature comforts of a Joseph bed and breakfast, we are offering our available rooms at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast priced either with or without breakfast. Stay for six nights (a little before or after the workshop) and we'll throw in a seventh night for free.
The Wallowa Lake Camp is about a 10 minute drive (6 miles) away from Joseph at the south end of Wallowa Lake.
Check out the Wallowa Valley Music Alliance website for more information about the dulcimer course, meals options, lodging options, etc. It's a great way to experience Eastern Oregon and learn your instrument from some very, very talented instructors. Stephen Seifert, Heidi Muller and Bob Webb are some of the best Appalachian dulcimer instructors currently teaching in the United States.
And if Wallowa Lake lodging is not quite your style, consider our Joseph Oregon lodging instead. Give us a call toll-free at 866-520-9769 and mention the Appalachian Dulcimer Workshop at Wallowa Lake. We'd love to host you!
When we first moved to Joseph Oregon there was a bed and breakfast already operating 6 miles away in Enterprise that jokingly called themselves "Bed and Get Your Own Damn Breakfast" because there were kitchenettes in their guest suites.
The time has arrived for a new kitchen at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast! After 10 years we've decided it's time for a better designed workspace for the great breakfasts we create. In honor of the occasion (really more than one day), we're offering a super deal off our already low winter rates. . .
$10 off per person per night through February 11, 2011. You're responsible for your own breakfast.
This is undoubtedly one of the best Joseph Oregon lodging deals around. All the luxury of the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast guestrooms and suite. Getting to watch a kitchen renovation that's not your own. Breakfast at your choice of breakfast cafes in Joseph Oregon.
It's already starting to feel like spring in Eastern Oregon so don't wait if you'd like to get in a few more weeks of winter sports!
We love reading guest comments from the room journals at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast. Here's one from a couple who lives less than two hours away from Joseph Oregon. They stayed with us for New Year's Eve, wanting to take a quick Eastern Oregon vacation not far away so they wouldn't have to deal with winter travel on the roads.
What a treat!! My wife & I were long overdue for a little R&R. The Mirror Lake Suite was everything we could have hoped for & more. Heather & Bill do an outstanding job of feeding & facilitating their guests. What a fantastic way to ring in the New Year! If we continue to live in Eastern Oregon I guarantee we will be guests here again (hopefully after we have hiked & fished our way through the Eagle Caps). Thanks again & again!
Our guests were looking for a spa style romantic getaway Oregon style not far from home. They certainly found it here with us!
The Mirror Lake Suite is an exceptional value in winter and provides a variety of amenities including: underfloor heating, propane direct-vent stove, down comforter, cozy robes and slippers, and stellar views of the snow-covered Wallowa Mountains. Check our website or give us a call about availability!
No guests on the afternoon of January 2, 2011, so Heather & I took off for a lower elevation hike along the Imnaha River. We hoped to get to the confluence of the Imnaha and the Snake River in Hells Canyon, but got too late of a start (we did serve breakfast this morning).
If you're here for an Eastern Oregon vacation in winter and are tired of snow, then the drive down through Imnaha and on the Dug Bar Road leading to the trailhead at Cow Creek is pretty refreshing. Plenty of wildlife. We saw this eagle all plumped up keeping his toes warm--kinda like a penguin. Not a bad idea as it was below freezing!
Heather shot a little video about two miles short of the confluence.
'Course if you want to visit this place, you'd best have a truck or other kind of vehicle with heavier tires and higher clearance. As nice as they are on the open road, this is not the place for a Prius or a Mini Cooper!
Stop in at our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast and we'll tell you all about it and even send you out with a map so we'll see you again.
It's been a long summer without complete access along the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway from Joseph Oregon to Halfway Oregon along Forest Road 39 (also called the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road). Spring flooding in June 2010 washed out significant sections of Forest Road 39 near the intersection of this road and Oregon 86. However, this report from Angelika Garroute of Wallowa Valley Online notes that the road will be open again (in gravel) probably by mid-November 2010. Paving will occur in 2011.
If you're thinking about that Hells Canyon/ Eastern Oregon vacation including a trip through Joseph Oregon, give us a call about the road. The Wallowa Mountain Loop Road normally closes to through traffic sometime in November because of snow, but is kept plowed from Joseph to the Salt Creek Summit for winter outdoor sport access.
Besides, the fall colors are really coming on and it's beautiful here even in November!
It's nice to find things to do near Wallowa Lake when you're on vacation in Eastern Oregon. With Highway 39 closed near the junction of Highways 39 and Oregon 86, you can still reach most of the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road (Highway 39) from the Joseph Oregon side.
Even the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast innkeepers get to enjoy the sights around here every now and then! Bill & I recently drove out to Harl Butte off of Highway 39. There's an historic fire lookout there. When we arrived we were surprised to find not only the historic building but an individual manning the lookout as well. From his vantage point he could see into the Imnaha River drainage, plus from his location you could see the fire lookout tower at Hat Point and across Hells Canyon into Idaho.
What impressed us most was the hand-stacked volcanic rock wall surround the lookout site (he told us a previous lookout had spent 10 summers erecting the wall). Someone obviously had a lot of time on his hands in between watching for lightning strikes and monitoring fires in Northeastern Oregon and across Hells Canyon in Idaho!
Harl Butte is about 1 1/2 hours from Wallowa Lake. When planning your Eastern Oregon vacation, consider adding it as an out-of-the-way place for vast beauty. We keep maps here at our Eastern Oregon lodging to get you there and back again. Hope to see you soon!
I have to say that I saw the bird before she did. Here we are in mid-June and we saw our first male Lazuli Bunting at the feeder. Haven't seen any females yet but they're not as dramatic as the males.
Anyone from Eastern Oregon knows that an Eastern Oregon vacation isn't complete without a cattle drive. 
Seems like every spring people start searching, wanting to know if the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway road between Joseph and Halfway is open. Here we are after Easter 2011 and it's not yet open for the season--sometime in May is more like it. This road is not plowed so the opening date is (among other things) weather dependent.
It's springtime in Eastern Oregon which means it's time to update the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast wine list and get ready for the summer visitors to Joseph Oregon.
A lot of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is not for mountain bikes because the Eagle Cap Wilderness lies within the forest boundary. But, there still is mountain biking near Joseph Oregon and inside the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
When we first moved to Joseph Oregon there was a bed and breakfast already operating 6 miles away in Enterprise that jokingly called themselves "Bed and Get Your Own Damn Breakfast" because there were kitchenettes in their guest suites.
No guests on the afternoon of January 2, 2011, so Heather & I took off for a lower elevation hike along the Imnaha River. We hoped to get to the confluence of the Imnaha and the Snake River in Hells Canyon, but got too late of a start (we did serve breakfast this morning).
It's nice to find things to do near Wallowa Lake when you're on vacation in Eastern Oregon. With Highway 39 closed near the junction of Highways 39 and Oregon 86, you can still reach most of the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road (Highway 39) from the Joseph Oregon side.
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