Trails to Feast: Bend to Baker City to Joseph
By Greg Robeson and Cory Carman
Special to Road Trips for Foodies
Portland, Oregon, will be simmering with culinary activity September 20 through 23, 2012, when Feast Portland gets cooking. Feast Portland is a world-class celebration of food and drink that honors Oregon as a culinary mecca. During Feast, downtown Portland will see events like the Sandwich Invitational, an Asian-inspired night market, high profile chef demonstrations and more.
But Feast is just the first course. Add a few days to your trip and sample the other flavors of Oregon with one of our “Trails to Feast” adventures. Trails to Feast are culinary paths for food tripping around the state suggested by some of our best food folk.
Start your day: Before hitting the road in Bend, grab a Fair Trade Certified coffee and a breakfast burrito at Strictly Organic Coffee.
Grab your camera: Four miles east of Prairie City on the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, a big Conestoga wagon commemorates the Oregon Trail and marks a viewpoint into Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.
Unique sleeps: Revisit the service and style of 1889 without giving up creature comforts at the Geiser Grand Hotel, a National Historic Landmark in Baker City.
Meet the maker: Stop by Stein Distillery on Main Street in the picture book town of Joseph to sample their excellent handcrafted spirits made onsite with locally grown grains in a magnificent copper still.
A treat worth the drive: A dark chocolate mocha from Arrowhead Chocolates in Joseph will help fuel your explorations, and don’t forget some salted caramels for the road.
You’ve gotta see this: Watch 10,000 years of Native American history come to life through exhibits, storytelling and dance at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute Museum, 10 miles east of Pendleton.
Can’t-miss dinner: Order the Pit Boss burger made with local grass-fed beef, bacon and barbeque sauce to go with one of the eight rotating handcrafted beers on tap at Pendleton’s best brewery and pub, The Prodigal Son.
For more on visiting this northwest state, go online.
(Photo courtesy of Feast Portland)
