Day 8: Union OR with Family

Day 8:  Friday June 13th, 2014

Union OR.  0 miles

Ah, a day of rest and relaxation with Todd and Hazel. The town of Union is rich in history and beauty.

Situated in Northeastern Oregon at the Southern end of the Grande Ronde Valley, it currently is home to 2000 people, many of whom commute to the larger nearby town of La Grande for work. The encounters I had with the locals were wonderful. They are friendly, genuine, hard-working middle-class Americans. 

The first settlers arrived here in 1862, and the town was quickly developing into what speculators believed would be the eastern economic hub of Oregon. For a period of time, wool production was big in Union.  Remnants of that era can still be seen in town today. 

But, when the Union Pacific Railroad re-routed the main line running through town elsewhere, and then later the town lost it's County seat to nearby La Grande, the dreams were never realized.

In a way though, thost past misfortunes have added to the uniqueness and character of this historic town that has become a hidden gem of Oregon and American history begging to be explored.  

A Walk down the tree-lined Main Street will lure you into the rich history and friendly small-town charm. Stop in the drugstore and pull a stool up to the old-fashioned soda fountain counter for a tasty lunch (I had the club sandwich made with thick sourdough bread baked that morning) or a traditional ice cream dessert (I had the freshly-baked mixed berry cobbler a la mode).  Yum!  Stroll through the park along Catherine Creek. Explore the town museum and it's extensive collection from the area. Stop in LG Brewskis to meet the locals and have a cold draft microbrew. And soon, you will be able to explore a new read while sipping a cup of coffee in the Ellipsis Bookstore across from the museum on Main St, Todd's new venture. 

On Friday, I was sitting in Todd's home and happened to catch a glimpse of a touring cyclist walking his loaded bike down Main Street. It was raining, and he looked soaked. I decided to see where he was going, so I peaked my head out the front door and yelled across the street, "Hey, where ya going?"  He replied, but it was hard to hear. I crossed the street to talk with him and realized IT WAS Bill!  Bill, the bicyclist that I ran into on day 3.  The guy I rode with, and then camped with at Ainsworth State Park. We were headed in totally different directions eventually. So, running into him again here in Union was quite the coincidence. Todd offered him a place to sleep and dry out for the night. He took the offer and bought us dinner as a thank you.

For a man and his dog, Union represents not just a place of history, but a new beginnig of exciting opportunity and adventure. 

It was a real treat to take a detour from the ride to spend some time with Todd.  Victoria and I plan to spend more time with him in Union in the future.