In the Shadow of the Cascades: A Highway 97 Road Trip

Besides the scenery, the joys of a road trip include the stops along the way—roadside curiosities, a small town or city, historic markers, the best burger in the state. You can map out your itinerary in advance or let spontaneity reign. I chose the free-and-easy spontaneity method on a 500-mile road trip through central Oregon and Washington, just east of the Cascade Range. I could have completed the drive in less than 10 hours, but why would I? Instead, I took three days to travel the stretch of US Highway 97 from Klamath Falls, Oregon, north to Chelan, Washington, and I savored every minute. Here’s what I found along the way.

Klamath Falls to Bend, Oregon

When I arrived in Klamath Falls, I didn’t want to hit the highway right away. Instead, I needed to rest up for a night, so I checked into a room overlooking the golf course at Running Y Ranch. This property has it all, so I didn’t have to leave the ranch if I were so inclined. But I had to see the famous lake that lent this city its name: Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon’s largest. I don’t claim to be even an amateur birder, but the birdlife made me wish I hadn’t forgotten my bird book. The lake has extensive wetlands that are a haven for both resident and migratory birds. I topped off the evening in town at Gold Rush Brewing with a ham and pineapple flatbread (don’t judge) washed down with house-crafted cider.

I hit the road just after dawn the next morning; the air was crisp even in early summer. My drive took me along the shoreline of Upper Klamath Lake and through endless pine forests.

After about a half hour on the road, just as my stomach was lamenting not having breakfast before leaving Klamath Falls, a sign beside the highway in the tiny town of Crescent beckoned me inside. The Mohawk Restaurant has been filling hungry tummies since the Great Depression. It was the first roadside oddity of the trip, not for its historic provenance, but instead for its vast museum-quality collection of taxidermy, including poignantly posed stillborn fawns. As if that weren’t enough to keep wandering eyes occupied, the walls were adorned with about 1,500 decorative glass bottles, a collection that has been amassing since the 1950s. My omelet was delicious, by the way.

Continuing north, I shared the road mostly with truckers. Soon I would reach the high desert of Central Oregon, where the pines (near the town of La Pine) give way to junipers. Cascade peaks rose in the west, and the otherworldly landscape of Newberry National Volcanic Monument reminded me that I was driving through the caldera of a massive ancient volcano.

Bend, Oregon, to Yakima, Washington

As US-97 approached Bend, I pulled off at a familiar stop: the High Desert Museum. This is a must whenever I visit the Bend area. This finely curated, award-winning museum is all about the natural and human history of the great American high desert, exhibited both indoors and out. It was midmorning, time for a coffee in the museum’s café before I headed to the exhibits. Luck was with me because the “Raptors of the Desert Sky” program was about to begin, where handlers talk about the various raptors as they fly above the audience.

Bend is a city that tempts visitors to linger. Surrounded by outdoor attractions, a vibrant urban art scene, and more breweries and good restaurants than a city of its size should be allowed to have, Bend is a difficult place to limit to a single afternoon. I was plagued by a nagging fear of missing out. Often motivated by food, I decided to spend my limited time at lunch. But where? This city is a foodie haven. I pulled up the local tourism website to find recommendations, but it made matters worse. My indecisiveness was getting the best of me. Then I saw it: Podski. A food cart pod just made for the indecisive. It was a hit.

Satisfied, and sad that I chose not to sample a brew because I had an afternoon of driving ahead of me, I found northbound US-97 and waved farewell to Bend. Next time, I’ll stay a few days.

Wide-open spaces define Central Oregon north of Bend. The landscape offers views in every direction, and the Deschutes River lends dramatic effects with canyons and geologic formations, like the dramatic spires of Smith Rock State Park. Ranches dominate the landscape and eventually high desert scrub spread in all directions. The highway traffic thinned, and it’s tempting to lay on the gas pedal. But a few speed traps convinced me otherwise.

The historic town of Shaniko was of particular interest as I passed through. In its prime, it was a thriving hub for sheep farming and wool production, but the new railroad bypassed the town, hurling it from boom to bust. Today, historic buildings are testament to the town’s one-time glory.

Soon I reached the Columbia River Gorge where Highway 97 crosses the river into Washington.

Maryhill, Washington, demands attention. Perched above the river, a scale replica of Stonehenge is a roadside curiosity not to be missed—a WWI memorial dating from 1918. A few miles down the road, Maryhill Museum of Art is another curiosity that puts the tiny hamlet of Maryhill on the map. The museum was the brainchild of Sam Hill, an entrepreneur who intended it as his home in the early 20th century. While the mansion evolved as a museum rather than a residence, today it’s home to an eclectic array of exhibits, ranging from an extensive Rodin sculpture collection, many of the belongings of Queen Marie of Romania (a friend of Sam Hill) and much more.

After the Gorge, the highway ascends to cross Satus Pass and descends into the fertile Yakima Valley, a patchwork of farms, hop fields and vineyards.

Yakima to Chelan, Washington

Evening was approaching as I rolled into the city of Yakima. My mission: a hotel and dinner. I stopped by the front desk at Hotel Maison, and they had a vacancy. The former Masonic Lodge did not lack historic character. I love it when modern amenities are placed in old bones—it’s the best of two worlds. Friends had recommended a few restaurants in Yakima, and I decided on Crafted, a James Beard-nominated chef-driven restaurant. What better choice in an agricultural valley than local farm-to-table fare? I chose the seven-course chef’s menu with wine pairings with the stipulation that the wines would be from the local valley. They complied and I indulged. Fortunately, the hotel was within walking distance.

The next morning, I backtracked down the valley to Fort Simcoe State Historical Park, located on the Yakama Nation Reservation. The remaining structures and grounds tell the stories of this as a gathering place before colonization, of disputes between Native Americans and settlers, and of the subsequent construction of a short-lived U.S. Army fort in 1856.

I reached US-97 and headed north out of the Yakima Valley to Ellensburg, the descent into town offered views of a vast agricultural valley, which planted farm-to-table fare back in my thoughts. I stopped for brunch in historic downtown Ellensburg at The Early Bird, fueled and caffeinated for the drive over Blewett Pass. Signs were posted here and there promoting the Ellensburg Rodeo; note to self: Come back Labor Day Weekend to see the action.

Blewett Pass was one of the most scenic stretches of the highway, snaking along the eastern edge of the Cascades. There were no towns to speak of, but campgrounds and gravel side roads that lead to who knows where. The pass descended into a valley lined with orchards and small farming communities and headed east to Wenatchee, a city on the banks of the Columbia River.

North of Wenatchee, the drive took me through apple country—Wenatchee is the apple capital of the apple state—and on to Lake Chelan.

The town of Chelan hugs the southern tip of the vast lake, which snakes about 50 miles into North Cascades National Park. With the lake’s sloping banks lined with vineyards, I couldn’t ask for a more scenic and promising end to my journey.

I bedded down at Peterson’s Waterfront Resort in Chelan for a few days to check out the town and wine scene. With around 40 wineries and tasting rooms in the Chelan area, tomorrow would be all about discovering a few new favorite wineries.

When you go

Klamath: discoverklamath.com

Southern Oregon southernoregon.org

Bend visitbend.com

Central Oregon: visitcentraloregon.com

Maryhill: klickitatcounty.gov/598/Museums-Cultural-Attractions

Yakima: visityakima.com

Ellensburg: myellensburg.com

Wenatchee: visitwenatchee.org

Chelan: lakechelan.com