Monday, September 12, 2011

Nana Stops in Biggs Junction

Those of us who live in the eastern part of Oregon are used to driving long distances.  We have good highways and relatively little traffic.  Portland, the largest city in Oregon, is just one audio book from where I live.  I enjoy the 200 mile drive to Portland.  The highway parallels the Columbia River and the scenery can be breathtaking. 

Starting at Arlington the blue, gray and green of the Columbia River is  speckled with bright flashes of parasailers darting back and forth across the river. 

Several years ago big horn sheep were reintroduced in the Columbia Gorge.  The herd has grown quite large and as soon as we hit Phillipi Canyon I start scanning the hillside for the rams.  Quite often I have seen them right next to the freeway.



Over the years I have traveled I-84 I have stopped frequently at Biggs Junction at Jack's Mini Mart.  They had the best selection of road food...and a clean bathroom.  I could usually count on running into someone from Pendleton or Hermiston at Jack's.  It was a favorite pit stop for eastern Oregon travelers.  Now it is closed and the roadside services are just like every other freeway interchange: chain gas station mini-marts, McDonald's, Subway...one off ramp just like any other.
Jack's at Biggs Junction


Last week we drove the RV down I-84 and pulled off the freeway at Biggs.  We were headed to the Deschutes River.  I had never driven into Biggs any farther than one block from the freeway.  What a difference one block makes.  Just past the Subway and McDonald's it's a different world...

It was like taking a drive back to the 50's!
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9 comments:

  1. Linda MyersSeptember 12, 2011 at 6:45 PM

    Is there a town there?

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  2. Sally WesselySeptember 12, 2011 at 8:38 PM

    Interesting. I remember that route well. My husband and I took it a few years ago, but didn't go into Biggs. We spent several days in Baker City, the place where my husband was born. I kept saying the entire time that I felt as if we had gone back to the 50's.

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  3. (not necessarily your) Uncle SkipSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:18 PM

    Those pics could have been taken at Biggs, California, another town the highway missed.

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  4. ShrinkySeptember 13, 2011 at 3:20 AM

    Your world is so different from mine, and I envy you the possibilities of driving on an endless highway, to discover new surprises such as this!

    As you may know, our island is 35 miles from tip to tail - beautiful as it is, fresh sights are few.. (I feel a trip to the mainland coming on)

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  5. Dr. Kathy McCoySeptember 13, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    Fascinating! I love explore little, out of the way places! Thanks for the outing today!

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  6. Rosaria WilliamsSeptember 13, 2011 at 7:41 PM

    I had no idea you're just a few hours from Portland. Love that little chapel!

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  7. LindaSeptember 13, 2011 at 8:09 PM

    Loved this post. There's a lot of Oregon I've never seen so this was of special interest to me.

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  8. Pat TillettSeptember 15, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    Nice photos! I'm happy to see you are out in the RV. One of these days, we'll be taking that route but in the opposite direction. We plan on going up the coast to Portland and then across the state to Idaho, to visit our friends in Nampa. Long drive, that's for sure.

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  9. Deb ShuckaSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:05 AM

    Biggs was always the beginning of the end of our journey from Northern Idaho to Portland. It meant bathrooms and food. There was an old-style restaurant there years ago - I don't know if it's still there or not.

    I love the gorge drive as well, although the Washington side is much more beautiful. :-)

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