Hart Mountain and Hart Lake, at Plush, in the Warner Valley, near Lakeview, Oregon

Montello, a remote village in NE Nevada, established in 1869, a service stop for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Population 50.

Golden Spike National Historical Park, Utah, where the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad met in 1869.

Wyoming state capitol building (cornerstone 1887)

Flags at Half-Staff in Wyoming at the Death of Pope Francis

A Western Trip and
​Easter Retreat
April 2025

Every year around Easter I take a brief trip to places that I  love and enjoy, both for photography and for a personal retreat and refreshment.  Last year, for example, I headed to Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park, two places I love.

As you might guess, I like to spend time in deserts—remote, wide open spaces, silence, sun, no horizon, and, to my mind, great beauty (you can check out last year's pictures by clicking here.)

This year I headed out once again to the southeast corner of Oregon, to Lakeview and to the northern edge of the Great Basin.  This is a remote part of Oregon, rarely traveled to or visited by Oregonians and most others.  I use Lakeview, the county seat of Lake County, as a jumping off point for Hart Mountain, Abert Lake, Plush, Adel, and the Warner Valley.  A beautiful landscape-—great for photography.  I stay in Lakeview, elevation 5,000 ft., with a population of about 2,500.  I usually stay in the only motel in town, the Best Western (which I always find a bit in need of a renovation).

With Lakeview as my jumping off point, I take the long road (200 miles to Winnemucca, Nevada, then on to Elko (another 125 miles).  The terrain is mountain and desert: the Great Basin.  I love it!

Elko is home to a rich cowboy culture, hosting the famous National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.  In every way, Elko is a typical Nevada town—classic turn of the last century architecture and, of course, gambling.

The next long drive took me further northeast in Nevada, on the way to Utah and the Golden Spike National Historic Park at Promontory Point.  This is where the Central Pacific Railroad met the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869, creating the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.  For a train lover like me, it's a pilgrimage site.

I stayed the night in Salt Lake City and left the next morning for Cheyenne, Wyoming, to my mind the quintessential western city.   In its early days it was a "rough and tumble" cowboy town providing for their every need.  Today, it is the capital city of Wyoming, with the state and commercial services a capital needs.

I was impressed with the beauty of the capitol building, erected in the late 19th century.  When I visited the capitol building, I was virtually the only tourist to show up, and so I was given a "private" tour of the facility.  Beyond the building, I also learned why the state of Wyoming earned the nickname "The Equality State," which is memorialized on displays throughout the capitol and in other government offices. 

In 1869, Wyoming was the first state to guarantee women the inherent right to vote and to hold public office, a full 50 years before the rest of the nation. In fact, in 1924, Wyoming was the first state to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, who took office in January 1925.  The official state motto of Wyoming is "Equal Rights."

Cheyenne was the furthest point "east" on my western trip.  From Cheyenne, I headed west to Laramie, a university town, with a classic western look but with the boutiques, cafes, and breweries that reflect its middle and upper-middle class clientele and students. 

​Continuing west on I-80, I headed to Ogden, Utah, north of Salt Lake, an important railroad junction, and, now, a world-class skiing destination with the expected shops and restaurants of its sporting visitors.  It has a beautiful, even classic downtown, with historic buildings restored for present use (my Hampton Inn hotel was the renovated 8 story 1913 Eccles professional building).

My final stop was Boise, Idaho, one of my favorite western cities, with a beautiful downtown and a growing population that points to a bright future.

Heading to Portland, I stopped in Burns, Oregon (another favorite town of mine), to do some research on a priest of the Diocese of Baker, Fr. Peter Heuel, a friend and advocate of the Paiute Indians.  I hope, at some point, to write an article on this man who fought for the rights of the local native population.  Check on his mention on the website of the Burns Paiute Reservation Strategic Plan.

Click below for a quick trip through the pictures.

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Highlights Slideshow with Captions

Maps Which Indicate the Route of My Western Tour and Retreat