8 Small Desert Towns
Oregon isn’t often thought of as a desert state, but if you stray from the forested coastline, you’ll find a high desert landscape in much of the central and eastern parts of the state. Bend is the largest city in this region, but about three hours to the east is the historic John Day, a former gold rush supply hub that was once home to a thriving Chinese immigrant population.
Oregon isn’t often thought of as a desert state, but if you stray from the forested coastline, you’ll find a high desert landscape in much of the central and eastern parts of the state. Bend is the largest city in this region, but about three hours to the east is the historic John Day, a former gold rush supply hub that was once home to a thriving Chinese immigrant population. You can explore that history at the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site, a general store bought by Chinese immigrants in 1887 that was also used as a temple and an herbal apothecary shop.
The town is also a gateway to geological wonders like the Painted Hills, which began to form 35 million years ago by volcanic ash deposits and feature rainbow-hued striations like the Badlands. Plus, there’s John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, where paleontologists have been uncovering a trove of prehistoric mammals like saber-toothed tigers and giant rhinoceroses since the 1860s.
Read more here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Articles-l7t5Pm8aT0RQ-Small_desert_towns_usa.html
