Oregon Trail Travel in Echo, Oregon -

This post is sponsored by Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

My husband and I moved to Oregon 9 years ago. This state is beautiful and that is part of the reason we chose to live here! We love exploring around here! I feel like we are always finding new places to love and enjoy with our children.

When I was approached about this trip, I loved the idea! We are always looking for fun, new places to travel! I also loved how this kind of trip could be educational for the kids! We are hoping to explore Oregon City, OR next and take the kids for a fun “homeschool” trip! We can teach them more about The Oregon Trail by visiting the official end of the Oregon Trail (Oregon City)! Scroll to the bottom to see a fellow blogger’s Oregon Trail Trip to Oregon City and one from Hood River!

Oregon Trail Travel: Activities

This year marks it being 175 years since the Oregon Trail! Because of this, we ventured out to Eastern Oregon in Echo and Boardman to explore! We met with a Modern Pioneer at Echo Ridge Cellars to begin our trip!

Echo Ridge Cellars

I loved getting to meet with Blake and learn about how this business got started and what the original building looked like. While we were there, we had the great pleasure of meeting Steve of Alexander’s Chocolate Classics! He is a Master Chocolatier and shared his handmade chocolate with us, pairing it with the wines from Echo Ridge Cellars.

Try the wine while you are there! My favorites were their new Rosé and their Cabernet Sauvignon! Take a tour of the cellars and the vineyard for an even deeper look at their business! You can also check their calendar to see the next time they host an Alexander’s chocolate pairing or you can visit the the chocolatiers in Pendelton, OR!

Fort Henrietta Park

This little park was a quick and educational spot where we learned more about the wagons on the trail and saw the first jail in Umatilla! It’s super small, so it’s a great stop to stretch your legs and learn a little bit about the Oregon Trail History!

SAGE Center

This place was SO fun and SO educational! This would have been a great place to bring our boys! They even had a fun playground outside for the kids!

This interactive center teaches you all about sustainable agriculture and energy! The farm-to-table education taught us a lot about how our food is made, specifically in these areas of Oregon! We loved the hands-on learning approach of the SAGE center and we enjoyed reading about specific families that traveled here on the Oregon Trail 175 years ago.

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center

We did not get to stop here on our way home but this is a fun (and cheap) option to add to your family trip. This was in a great location for us, because it was on our way home back to the Portland area from Eastern Oregon. Learn more about this place HERE.

Oregon Trail Travel: Food/Drink and Lodging

Here are a few suggestions for food/drinks and lodging! We didn’t get to do all of these, but I wanted to share them in case you had time on YOUR Oregon Trail Trip!

Sno Road Winery

Ordnance Brewing

C&D Drive In

The burgers and milkshakes here are so yummy! This is a great place that you AND your kids will enjoy!

River Lodge and Grill

We were hosted at the River Lodge and Grill and we LOVED the location. Even though there are not many lodging options in Echo and Boardman, we would choose to stay here every time. You cannot beat the view from every angle at this location. We were able to reserve a Riverview room and it was absolutely beautiful!

The Grill is on the bottom floor of the hotel and it rounded the river with open windows and you could have a beautiful view from almost every table! We had dessert at the hotel and both of our dishes were delicious! The staff was very friendly and we definitely enjoyed every aspect of our stay!

If you are planning a trip in this area, a 2 day trip, at least, would work best! It gave us plenty of time to do what we wanted, even with a newborn baby! I would definitely recommend staying here on your trip!

Other Oregon Trail Travel Options

We really enjoyed our trip and we hope to be back soon to this part of Oregon!

As I mentioned above, if you are interested in other travel areas along the Oregon Trail, VISIT THIS SITE to see more!

This Messy Season Blog featured their trip to Oregon City, OR: Read about it here: https://thismessyseason.com/comprehensive-guide-oregon-trail-visit-modern-pioneer/

The House of Hood Blog featured their trip to Hood River, OR! Read about it here: https://thehouseofhoodblog.com/columbia-river-gorge-with-kids/

Darling Nightingale featured their trip to Baker City, OR! Read about it here: https://darlingnightingale.squarespace.com/darlingnightingale/2018/6/19/exploring-baker-city-oregon

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades featured their trip to Pendleton, OR! Read about it here: http://horseshoes-n-handgrenades.com/2018/06/21/visit-pendleton-and-experience-the-oregon-trail/

My Breezy Room featured their trip to Topeka, KS! Read about it here: https://www.mybreezyroom.com/oregon-trail-topeka/

Run Style Run featured their trip to Soda Springs, ID! Read about it here: http://run-style-run.blogspot.com/2018/06/175th-commemoration-of-oregon-trailpart.html

Mommy on the Mound featured their trip to Oregon City, OR! Read about it here: https://mommyonthemound.com/2018/06/13/from-the-oregon-trail-to-the-modern-pioneer/

Angie’s Angle featured their trip to Oregon City, OR! Read about it here: https://angiesangle.com/2018/06/end-of-the-oregon-trail/

Mom Life in the PNW featured their trip to Mt. Hood, OR! Read about it here: https://www.momlifeinpnw.com/travel/175th-anniversary-of-the-oregon-trail-exploring-mt-hood

The B-List Blog featured their trip to Mt. Hood and Dalles, OR! Read about it here: http://www.theblistblog.com/exploring-the-oregon-trail-as-a-local/

Living Overland featured their trip to Casper, WY Read about it here: http://www.livingoverland.com/2018/06/exploring-caspers-pioneer-history.html

Love Haight Blog featured their trip to Casper, WY Read about it here: https://www.lovehaightblog.com/2018/06/175-years-of-oregon-trail-visit-to.html

Her Heartland Soul featured their trip to Kearney and North Platte, NE Read about it here: https://www.herheartlandsoul.com/exploring-the-oregon-trail-in-nebraska-kearney-and-north-platte/

Making of a Mom featured their trip to Independence, MO Read about it here: https://makingofamom.com/oregon-trails-175th-anniversary/

All of those trips looked SO FUN and we are looking forward to travelling through other areas as well. The more to see along the Oregon Trail, the better!

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