I started the day by going to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The displays were excellent and very informative. I learnt a lot about the difficult journey the people had and the hardships they endured just to get over to the west where they hoped for a better life. I then drove along some of the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway. The road climbed over the Blue Mountains and followed the Powder River. My first stop was to see part of the Sumpter Valley Railway which went from Baker City to Prairie City. It was used mainly for transporting timber and by the mines that had sprung up after gold was found. An excursion train still runs on a part of the tracks on occasional days but further along a trail leads down to where the track ran with information about the line. I met a lot of cyclists going up the mountain as I was going down. Apparently they were doing a 700 mile round trip. It must have been really hard going the steep gradient for miles on end. I stopped in Prairie City, only one street, for a coffee before heading over the Strawberry Mountain Wilderbess to John Day. There I went to look at the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. The 1870s landmark was a general store, doctor’s office, herbal pharmacy and ad hoc community centre for the Chinese settlers who lived there. It was run by Doc Hay and Lung On who were well respected by everyone. They catered for everyone in the town, not just the Chinese, so when the work dried up for the immigrants and they left the two men were able to carry on. When they died the property was given to the city to be turned into a museum and has an extensive range of artefacts on display. I wasn’t able to get on a tour of the house but went to the Interpretive Center where there was lots of information. My next stop was the John DayFossil Beds where I went to the Thomas Cordon Paleontology Center. Again there was a very good display and information about the extensive amount of fossils that have been found in the area. There are a few trails up there but it was far too hot, 37c, to attempt walking on any. I then drove on to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds. Here the hills are many different colours which give that “wow” factor when first seen. I walked on some of the short trails as it was a bit cooler here. I then made my way to Bend for the night.