Fossil Beds Part 2

So .. After breakfast we drove to John Day and surrounding environs. The route we drove on this day is named Journey Through Time", and lives up to that name as we pass into and around 40-50 (depending on what you read) million year old canyons. Paleontologists dig around in these hills and ancient canyons to uncover fossils of millions of years old animals and vegetation.

 

 

 

After wandering around on some of the short paved trails (carefully aware that there are rattle snakes in them thar hills) and stopping at the very extensive and informative Paleontology Visitor Center, we drove on to Prairie City to cycle a short route we had found in a visitor magazine. Short would be good because it was a long drive there and then a long drive back.

We drove smack dab into the town's Fourth of July Parade...

 

 

 

 

We gathered up some lunch supplies, offloaded our bikes from the van, geared up and took off for the Prairie Valley Loop ride. Susan has purchased new saddle and needed to make adjustments as we went along...

 

She got it just right and we enjoyed yet another peaceful country ride with nary a car to be had in bright blue sky.

 

I tried to get the many mud swallows that were flying in and out of these holes, but they scattered once I stopped for the photo.

A few miles were unpaved but hard packed as we completed the loop.

We returned to what was a bustling, busy, noisy, crowded town to find a quiet, almost abandoned hamlet. Our long drive back to Fossil gave different perspective views of the Journey Through Time route and we pulled into the Stage Stop Inn as the sun set golden over the John Day River.

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