usbackroads destination--Hot Lake Springs Inn, LaGrande, Oregon

usbackroads destination--Hot Lake Springs Inn, LaGrande, Oregon

This was the second time we have stopped at Hot Lake Springs.

The first time was back in the early 1990's when the Forest Service decided to transfer and move several thousand employees due to the President Clinton's Northwest Forest Plan.  We visited lots of towns in eastern Oregon and Washington to see if we wanted to transfer, if offered, or leave the agency.  In our case, we were fortunate to be able to remain in Wenatchee until the end of my career.

In the early 1990's the Inn was for sale at a very reasonable price for 40 acres, a couple of ponds and the hot springs.  The problem was this huge historical building that would have to be demolished or restored.  Fortunately, a family decided to buy the property and do the restoration instead of demolishing the building..

Unfortunately, for them the restoration price was much, much, much higher than the purchase price.  Bless them, for purchasing the property and restoring it.

Here is the link to their web site:  http://www.hotlakesprings.com/

Somewhere in my professional career I realized that all those important Indian places did not match up to "white" man's important places.  Hot Lake Springs was an important place for the Indian tribes.  So was Camas Meadows.  It is interesting that a map of the western US at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition would look very different from an Indian perspective.

This is the link to our place on Camas Meadows: http://camasmeadows.blogspot.com/2009/03/where-is-camas-meadows.html

Hot Lake Springs.  One of the most important places in the Pacific Northwest  at the time of the Lewis and Clark travel journals. It is worth visiting today.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-03-05-hot-lake-springs_N.htm


https://books.google.com/books?id=pi7tBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT62&lpg=PT62&dq=astor+expedition+and+Hot+Lake+Springs&source=bl&ots=1Mh4m0H8FM&sig=ZW-aLOZF8OVyzPG6nLYXNZrN9X4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEkQ6AEwB2oVChMI3uD-gcOOyAIVBzmICh2bzAat#v=onepage&q=astor%20expedition%20and%20Hot%20Lake%20Springs&f=false

We ended up calling and booking a breakfast at the Inn.  There are forty rooms there and if you are not RV'ing you will get breakfast without having to call.  It cost us ten dollars for breakfast.  Well worth the price.  A special place for thousands of years that somehow is bypassed in modern times.  Don't miss it.

Here are some photo's of the Inn.

A special place on the usbackroads tour.  Remember at the turn of the century in 1800....this was one of the most important places in the Northwest.