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(September 28 – October 1), complete with yodeling and alphorn playing. Joseph is also one of the largest bronze-producing areas in the world. Visitors can tour the foundries and browse the life-size wildlife and Western sculptures that line Main Street. The events and shops of Joseph don’t disappoint, but the real star here is the Oregon outdoors. At least 18 different peaks in the Wallowas rise above 9,000 feet, including Sacajawea Peak (9,838 feet) in the adventure-filled Eagle Cap Wilderness, which boasts 500 miles of marked trails and 52 lakes. To take full advantage of crown jewel Wallowa Lake, there’s the breathtaking and familyfriendly Wallowa Lake State Park. Hiking and camping, horseback riding and go-carting, boating and fishing, water skiing and wakeboarding, white-water rafting in Hells Canyon (where you can explore historical Native American sites) — there’s so much to do outdoors in the Wallowas. For a truly memorable view, take the Wallowa Lake Tramway to the top of Mount Howard; then stick around to take it all in from an outdoor table at the Summit Grill and Alpine Patio. There you can have an Oregon microbrew and a bite to eat while overlooking the lake and the wondrous peaks. josephoregon.com, traveloregon.com — Kristin Brown
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY TRAVEL OREGON
hen Travel Oregon came up with its award-winning Seven Wonders of Oregon ad campaign, it wisely made sure the Wallowa Mountains made it through the winnowing process for the final list. The wonder of this range in the Columbia Plateau of the northeastern part of the state is its natural beauty — it is, after all, known variously as America’s Little Switzerland and Oregon’s Alps. But it’s also wonder-worthy for its many outdoor attractions and special place in Western history. Long before they became a tourist destination, the Wallowa Mountains were home to the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce tribe. In 1834, French-born Capt. Benjamin Bonneville of the U.S. Army, traveling through the Wallowas, ran into the Nez Perce on his way to Fort Walla Walla and developed a trading relationship with the tribe. After settlers invaded the land for gold, the Nez Perce, under Chief Joseph, took active measures of resistance, resulting in the Nez Perce War of 1877. Chief Joseph, who was born in the Wallowa Valley, is the namesake of the town of Joseph, Oregon, which is nestled in the valley just a mile from Wallowa Lake. Once called Silver Lake and Lake City, the town was officially named after the great Nez Perce leader in 1879. In late July, Joseph puts on the Nez Perce Tamkaliks Celebration (this year, July 21 – 23) and the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo (July 25 – 30), but it’s also a hub of activity in August, when it hosts the Bronze, Blues & Brews Festival (August 11 – 12) and again in the fall when it stages Oregon’s Alpenfest