Grant's Getaways: The Oregon Trail

History runs deep across Oregon's varied landscapes, where a treasure trove of places and activities reveal much about our past. In fact, one region in particular offers plenty of hands-on lessons in history that -- with a little imagination -- can transport you to a very different Oregon. Upriver from Hells Canyon at Farewell Bend State Park (at Brownlee Reservoir) you'll enjoy an oasis of green -- where acres of spreading locust trees provide cool shady relief from the summer sun. This is where the earliest pioneers had to say 'farewell' to the Snake River and move up toward the northwest and Baker Valley. Less than an hour away, near Baker City, the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center provides you with a perspective and context to better understand the region's early days.