Echo, Oregon

"Living in Echo was so much more than Carla had expected. Gramma described it in her letters and telephone conversations as reminding her of Texas, only with trees and mountains and tolerable heat. But to Carla Jane, Echo was nothing like Texas at all. The air was fresh, even in summer and the winter had been magnificent. Being situated on the Columbia River Plateau brought a familiar scent of sagebrush.

There was also the virgin growth of wildflowers in the new season. Bitterbush, Mariposa Lilies, Buttercups, and Marigolds grew in abundance. Along the river were great cowlicks of gooseberries, currents, and blackberries, garnished with the puff-ball wings of sandy sagebrush. Echo was an oasis tucked away along the scenic Umatilla River within a tree-lined valley. Berries were abundant, grass was green, skies were blue, and Echo was Heaven. Unlike Wildorado, Oregon had four perfectly pronounced seasons that entered the region like gentlemen courting a lady. They bowed, called for a spell, then exited courteously.

God was in a wonderful mood when he created Oregon, particularly Echo. Words alone could not capture it and held no meaning when it came to the sheer beauty and majesty of the place.
But as if that weren�t enough, there was also the Columbia Gorge where spirits of medicine men and mighty Indian chiefs resided in the hills. They slept peacefully in their heavenly resting places among the clouds and evergreens. Carla felt protected by them and was sure that at least one of those spirits was Kiowa."

The city of Echo is as charming as any small town that Terry and I have traveled to with perhaps a bit more flavor than most. I say this because I became enchanted and enthralled by the warm and gentle feeling that emanates from within the city square. The minute I stepped out of the car, I knew I wanted to stay for much longer than I could. Echo maintains its modernism such as houses and some of the shops while preserving its own chapter of history. And there is history abound; my formal experience with Echo draws solely upon research for my novel "The Horseman's Daughter". The third part of the book is based primarily in the city of Echo during present day.

Our first stop was at the H & P Cafe, a pleasant little stop with a wonderfully refreshing iced tea that the proprietors are more than happy to refill for you. H & P Cafe inside The service is friendly as is the ambiance, and for a Saturday afternoon, the town was so amazingly quiet that I just wanted to pull up stakes and move there!

Some towns give you a warm feeling -- even as a stranger, and this is exactly what I experienced on my visit here. Weather-wise, it didn't take long to notice that we were into one of the hottest parts of the state. We'd just wrapped up our whirlwind tour of central and northeastern Oregon traveling down from The John Day Fossil Beds, The Painted Hills, The Oregon Trail Site outside Baker City and Hell's Canyon.

Down the block is the Echo Saloon with two wonderful outdoor paintings on the side of the building.

Below are the paintings of the dance hall girls that decorate the side of the building. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.