Wallowa Lake Lodging

Here at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast we make it a point to go out of our way with customer service.  I was recently reminded when glancing through the journal in the Chief Joseph Mountain Room.  (Each guestroom has its own room journal where guests often leave comments, poetry, sketches, etc., from their stay here near Wallowa Lake.)

An entry from September 2011:

Heather & Bill -- You are such great hosts that the Bronze Antler has sky-rocketed to the top of our all-time B&Bs. . .and that's not just because Heather climbed under our car to tape up a piece of material under the hood.

As I recall, the guests were all spiffy and ready to go out to a fine dinner at Calderas.  As they started to pull away from the parking area, I heard a scraping noise coming through the open kitchen window.  Bill wasn't quite sure what was going on as I grabbed the duct tape (one always keeps a roll handy in Wallowa County) and headed out the door.  Turns out the guests had somewhere in their travels torn loose a piece of skirting under the front bumper and it was dragging in the gravel (and on the street).  On my back, under the car with the duct tape and a few minutes later they were on their way!

Maybe they would've had the same kind of service from a Wallowa Lake hotel.  We like to pride ourselves on taking the best care that we can of our bed and breakfast guests--even if it means crawling around in the gravel with duct tape!

Here's another good reason to visit North Eastern Oregon in December: Jingle Thru Joseph is the signature event for Joseph OR holiday shopping and entertainment.

It all starts on Saturday, November 26th, with a Light Parade at 5 pm (well after sundown) on Main Street in Joseph Oregon.  All the entries are lighted--ranging from horses & wagons to the lady in the oversized martini glass encouraging holiday sobriety (you just never know what'll show up in the Light Parade).

Many of the stores on Main Street will feature late night shopping until 8 pm (hey, it is a rural town and besides you'd rather be out of the cold by 8 pm anyway).  A jewelry design studio  like Stewart Jones Designs and fun retail shops like Mad Mary and Company are bound to keep you entertained while you're shopping for unusual or unique gifts.

If you can't make it out for Thanksgiving weekend, there are more special event days planned throughout December including:

• Dec 3rd Sleigh Ride Saturday
• Dec 10th Sugar Plum Saturday
• Dec 16th & 17th Snowflake Weekend
• Dec 22nd Ho Ho Ho Thursday Men's Night Out
• Dec 24th Twas the Night Before Christmas Saturday

Whether you're planning a weekend, midweek or overnight getaway to Joseph Oregon or Wallowa Lake for Jingle Thru Joseph, the Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast has plenty of lodging available from late November through December 2011 (and even New Year's Eve, but that's another blog post).  We're conveniently located at the edge of the town's commerical district.  Click on the Book Now! button at right and start planning your trip today!

We're already getting into fall in Eastern Oregon which means it's time for the 15th Annual Nez Perce Art in the Wallowa.  The 2011 event gets underway with the art show and auction from noon to 4 pm at the Wallowa Lake Lodge (the historic Wallowa Lake hotel), followed by dinner and a program at 6 pm in the hotel's dining room.  The show & auction are free to the public and the dinner & program are $45 per person.

As in many years, artwork by Native American artist George Flett will be available at auction along with other outstanding Native American artists.  Flett's ledger art is the subject of this year's poster (above).  The original artwork for this poster will be auctioned off at this year's event.

Bill & I always make it a point to go.  The food is always excellent, the programs vary each year, and the cause is definitely worth supporting.  This year's dinner includes fresh salmon, locally grown buffalo and garden favorites, huckleberry cheese cake, and a no-host bar featuring regional wine.  Add the entertainment and off you go!

Native American performing artists this year are the top two hand drum contest winners from the 2011 Tamkaliks Celebration. Francis Dionne of Boise, Idaho, and Chris Shorty of Pendleton, Oregon, will entertain dinner guests with drumming and singing.

The Wallowa Lake Lodge is about a 10 minute drive away from the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast.  We still have two vacancies for Saturday night.  If you'd like to attend, contact us promptly for your room reservation and we'll secure dinner tickets for you.  The dinner tickets sell out quickly so please don't procrastinate.

Okay, Mr. or Ms. Procrastinator, here's your chance to make it up.  We have last minute availability for Friday through Sunday nights, September 2, 3 & 4, 2011, in the Mirror Lake Suite here at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast in Joseph Oregon. 

This isn't just any old guestroom.  If you're thinking "romantic getaway Oregon" or perhaps "Wallowa Lake hotel" then you'll definitely want to follow the link and check out this room. 

And since it's so last minute, we'll offer a 10% discount with a complimentary bottle of bubbly for a minimum two-night stay.  Be sure to mention that you read this blog post to qualify.

Enjoy the Wallowa Mountains, take in the Juniper Jam all-day concert festivalon Saturday, visit the local galleries on Joseph Oregon Main Street, or just stay in the suite for the 110-gallon jetted tub, the steam shower and the 47" flat screen with movies.  It's up to you.

Call us (it's too late to book online) at toll-free 866-520-9769 or local 541-432-0230.  You'll definitely accrue some "get out of the doghouse free" points if you bring your honey here for a surprise visit. 

Here's a wonderful video of stills shot by one of our favorite Wallowa County photographers, Joe Whittle.  Just bumped into this today and couldn't wait to share it through our blog.  Joe really captures the spirit of what it's like to be here in this Eastern Oregon wonderland.  Worth the view--and the music's good too.

We don't get many scuba divers or snorkelers at Wallowa Lake--I'm guessing it's because the water is so cold (even in summer) and the lake is at elevation (4400 feet above sea level).  However, a local (LaGrande, OR) diver with the moniker "Bluesman" posted a couple of years ago about diving at Wallowa Lake on the Northwest Dive Club website.

I especially like his comment about Wally.  Doesn't every lake have its own sea monster?  Rumor has it that the locals used to sacrifice a virgin to Wally every year--maybe to improve the fishing?  Don't know--it predates our arrival in Eastern Oregon.

If you do plan a dive at Wallowa Lake you'll need to bring along as many cylinders as you'll need in addition to you hood and booties.  Checking with the Wallowa Lake Marina reveals that there aren't any locations in Wallowa County to get tanks refilled.   In fact, they think the closest dive shop is in the Tri-Cities area of Washington (about 3 hours away by car).

But you won't need to worry about rinsing out your gear--Wallowa Lake is snowfed and the water is very pure--just a little on the cold side.

Wallowa Lake

by Bluesman » Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:22 pm

It's nearly time for Labor Day Weekend and the last hurrah of summer.  If you're thinking about a Joseph Oregon vacation, now is the time to plan if you'd still like to take advantage of the widest availability of things to see and do at Wallowa Lake and Joseph Oregon.

Vali's Alpine Restaurant closes after Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.  If you haven't had the chance yet to have dinner with Maggie and Michael and Dionne then you'd best book your reservation soon!  They offer only one entree choice per night, with only two seatings (5 pm and 7 pm and by reservation only) and they do not accept credit cards.  Don't let these restrictions deter you from one of the finest meals and restaurant atmospheres in Wallowa County.

You'll find their menu and more information at their website.

 We do have bed and breakfast guests that book their dinner reservations with Vali's first and then look for their Wallowa Lake lodging--call them at 541-432-5691 to reserve your table on the night of your choosing. 

The Wallowa Lake Marina shuts down for the season around mid-September so you'll have a little extra time to take out a motorboat, kayak, paddle boat or canoe.  And the Marina Store has all the things that fishing people need plus great tips from Gina and her staff.

And the Wallowa Lake Tramway is scheduled to close around the first weekend of October 2011.  They're especially busy over Labor Day Weekend--if you plan to ride the tram, you might consider the two-day pass that allows for two opportunities to soak in the view.  Landscape photography is always better at the ends of the day rather than at noon.  With a two-day pass, you can plan to be the first up the tram one day and last up the tram on the next.

Regardless of what you choose to do over Labor Day Weekend, if you're looking for a Wallowa Lake hotel or some Joseph Oregon hotels, we hope you'll consider our bed and breakfast.  With dedicated air-conditioning and an attached private bathroom for each guest room and plenty of amenities, we think your Labor Day Weekend vacation in Eastern Oregon will be all the richer for staying at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast.  Thanks!

Summer 2011 is going down as the year of late hiking in the Wallowa Mountains.  Seems like the late snows are affecting quite a few of the trails.  Last week one of our guests changed her plans about hiking to Ice Lake because the bridge was removed and the Wallowa River is too high for comfortable fording.  The week before that some of our guests hiked to Maxwell Lake, only to discover that it's still snowed in--and it's almost August!

I was reminded of this when I read this article at the East Oregonian website earlier today:

Posted: Saturday, July 30, 2011 12:05 am

Some Wallowa-Whitman Forest trails unpassable

If you're thinking about coming out to Wallowa Lake or Joseph Oregon for hiking in the Wallowas there are still plenty of places to hike.  We keep trail maps, hiking guides, etc. for our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast guests.  And hopefully you won't need any snowshoes this summer!

The Wallowa Lake Marina supplies just one of the many things to do at Wallowa Lake in Northeastern Oregon.  Rent a motorboat, a paddle boat, canoe, kayak, rowboat, or the 21 foot pontoon boat!

Stephanie D. from Sacramento, CA, recently reviewed the Wallowa Lake Marina on Yelp! and had this to say: 

Wallowa Lake is a beautiful destination in North Eastern Oregon. The marina provides visitors with canoe, motorboat, kayak, rowboat, party boats, and paddleboats for reasonable prices. You can also purchase fishing licenses here for one or numerous days. The lake is also great to swim, play with your dogs in the water, or view the beautiful scenery and wildlife. The staff is very friendly and will be able to answer any of your questions. I hope you enjoy Wallowa Lake as much as I did.

Stephanie D. also submitted 15 photos of the Wallowa Lake Marina with her review.  The image displayed here is just one of them.

Our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast guests often take a boat out for part of the day to enjoy views of the moraines surrounding Wallowa Lake, or maybe to get in a little fishing.  Plenty of lake trout and kokanee await you--some could even be world record fish.

If you'd like to contact the Wallowa Lake Marina directly, call (541) 432-9115 or check their very informative website at wallowalakemarina.com  They're open 8 am to 8 pm until Labor Day, then 10 am to 6 pm until they close for the season (sometime around September 15th).

Looking forward to seeing you at Wallowa Lake!

Here's something to do at Wallowa Lake:  ride up the Wallowa Lake Tramway and feed the squirrels (oops, did I say that?).  Or ride up the Wallowa Lake Tramway and enjoy the views!  The Wallowa Lake Tramway is open (weather permitting) every day through the first weekend of October 2011.

And there's a lot to see from there!  Views over the Wallowa Valley, views to the Seven Devil Mountains in Idaho past Hells Canyon, views into the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

It's a great way to see nature without hiking up 4,000 feet--let the tram whisk you up to the top of Mt. Howard so you can walk the two miles of trails with ease.  When you're done, have a refreshing drink or snack at the Summit Grill.

And don't forget to feed the squirrels!  (Photo of Heather and her pal at the Royal Purple Overlook on top of Mt. Howard--even the innkeepers of this Wallowa Lake lodging can get away every now and then).

News you can use from the Wallowa County Chieftain!

The center section of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway (aka Forest Road 39 or sometimes incorrectly called Oregon Highway 39) in Northeastern Oregon will be repaired sometime starting in August 2011.  The road is currently open but there are small sections that are gravel only--the repairs made in summer 2010 after the road was damaged during the 2010 spring runoff.  Next month that will change (finally!).

The 13 sections that will be paved are near the intersection of FR39 and Oregon Highway 86 and are in the seven miles between Lake Fork Campground and Highway 86 (at the eastern or Halfway end of Forest Road 39).

According to Mary DeAguero, ranger for the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the work will take about 10 days and traffic delays will be up to 20 minutes.  The road crew is expected to begin work in mid-August 2011.

So, what does this mean for our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast guests?  C'mon through--your Hells Canyon lodging will be waiting for you at the end of your scenic drive!

You just never know who's coming through the door when you own a bed and breakfast.  We often have artists stay with us when they're visiting Wallowa County and Joseph Oregon.

We recently hosted raku potter Boni Deal and her daughter Sarah for a mother-daughter Eastern Oregon vacation.   Sarah's leaving soon for 2+ years in Africa to teach elementary school-aged children.

We supplied Boni and Sarah with names of local potters they might visit including:
Jim and Anne Shelly of FireWorks Clay Art
Ted Juve of Olaf Pottery
LH Project

Turns out that Boni knows the FireWorks Clay Art from regional art shows but hadn't actually talked with them.  She really enjoyed touring their studio up on Hurricane Creek Road near Joseph. 

The mother and daughter had a great visit--did a little hiking in the Wallowa Mountains, toured downtown Joseph Oregon, visited Wallowa Lake--as well as visiting FireWorks Clay Art.

Perhaps we'll be able to interest her in the Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts, our juried art show in Joseph Oregon that takes place every year during the first weekend of June.

The Chief Joseph Band of the Nez Perce call this area home.  Visit here in Wallowa County, especially during summer, and you can learn a lot more about the Nez Perce.

The Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, located in Wallowa, is open weekdays in summer.  Hours are Monday through Friday (except Thursday) 11 am to 4 pm.  On Thursday, hours are noon to 4 pm.  Or you can give them a call at 541-886-3101 to schedule an appointment.

The next to last full weekend in July marks the Tamkaliks celebration--a homecoming of Nez Perce.  Dancing, feasting, meeting people--it's great fun and full of pageantry.

October 1, 2011, will be the 15th Annual Nez Perce Art in the Wallowa event held at the Wallowa Lake Lodge (Wallowa Lake hotel).  If you can't make it during the summer, plan your Joseph Oregon vacation for late September/early October and take part in this wonderful event.

A very interesting video narrated by Joe McCormack is available here.  This eight-minute video talks about the Nez Perce in today's Wallowa County.  Take the time to watch it and learn more about this important tribe in Oregon. 

And if you're looking for an educational Joseph Oregon vacation, start with this website.   Then plan your stay with us at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast--we're happy to direct you to local places of Nez Perce significance.

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.

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!

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!

Summer Fishtrap takes place every July at the Wallowa Lake Camp and Retreat Center at Wallowa Lake.  This year the writing workshops are July 10-15 and the Gathering is July 14-17.  The brochures just went out this week to the Fishtrap mailing list and information's available on the Fishtrap website.  Registration opens on April 1, 2011. 

Here in Joseph Oregon (only 10 minutes away from the workshop site at Wallowa Lake), we have rooms available for the nights of July 10th through July 14th during workshop week.

So here's the special:  Book a 5-night reservation for July 10-14, 2011, at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast and register for one of the Fishtrap workshops and we'll reduce your room price by 10%!  And if you choose to take your breakfast at the camp (not as involved as ours, but full of Fishtrap conviviality), we'll further reduce your room rate by $10/night.

If you want to attend Summer Fishtrap with a partner who isn't planning to attend, this special's good for you.  Your partner can have their own Joseph Oregon vacation while you're writing every day.  (We'll try not to pamper them too much.)

If both of you attend Summer Fishtrap but aren't keen on staying in the camp yurts or bunkhouse, you can skip the Wallowa Lake lodging and plan your week here in Joseph.  It can be hard mental work to focus for 5 days straight and you deserve a good night's rest in a very comfortable, air-conditioned, room on one of our fine mattresses.

Call us soon as we only two rooms left at our Joseph Oregon bed and breakfast for this special!