LaGrande, Oregon

We planned a stop in the little eastern Oregon town of LaGrande to get some repair work done on our Arctic Fox at the Northwood factory. Our rock cover on the front window has been a problem for awhile now, and we've patched it a couple of times, so we decided it was time to move on to a new one.The factory recommended nearby Eagles Hot Lake RV Park as a good place to stay as it's really close to the factory. It turned out to be a great recommendation. We had no idea what else was around the RV park, so we were in for a pleasant surprise.


The park itself is very picturesque, nestled in at the foot of Craig Mountain  with the old Oregon Trail running behind it and Ladd Marsh Wildlife Refuge  right across the road. The trees in the park aren't very big yet, but the spaces are generous, grassy, and everything is well maintained. Ladd Marsh offers a wealth of wildlife viewing - over 200 species of birds in addition to the occasional deer and elk. There's a creek running right through the park, a pool and spa, and a laundry room. The real treat however is  Hot Lake Springs, spa and bead and breakfast, that is located right next door. This establishment has quite a history.

From pioneer days, when the trail ran along the base of the mountain and travelers stopped here at the trading post, to the 1900's when a luxury spa and sanatorium (hospital) was established, to the current incarnation as bed and breakfast/art gallery/history center.

The draw of the property way back into Indian days was the hot lake waters which were believed to have healing properties. The area was considered "tribe neutral" because of of this special attribute, so even warring tribes could meet here on peaceful terms.Today, the hot waters are piped into soaking tubs in the spring house.

In 2003 Manuel family purchased the property and began restoring it. It was in terrible shape after many years of neglect. Renovations have taken years - they have been open for guests since 2010, but just held their grand opening in early August of this year.

They moved their bronze sculpture foundry business and gallery here from Joseph, and are now in the process of providing space the their gallery for other artists. There's a little gift shop and antique shop in addition to the gallery, so shoppers will be delighted with the range of choices.

Many of David Manuel's amazing sculptures are situated around the grounds, and smaller versions of many of them are available in the gallery.

For a small fee you can tour the grounds, view the beautifully appointed guest rooms, and experience two floors of Native American artifacts, artwork, military and pioneer history. The entire facility is an experience, as there are little cabinets and show cases tucked in every lounge area and available corner, all filled with various antiques and collectables. We spent a little more than two hours there. They have a restaurant too, so it would be easy to make a day of it.

We dropped off the rig at the factory at 7 A.M. With time on our hands until the repair was finished we asked about a good place for breakfast. The Flying J truck stop was suggested, with the caveat "I hope you're really hungry".... it was a good suggestion, as the food was great and plenty of it. Not just fried eggs and ham either - I had crepes with berry sauce - delightful!

Our appointment at the factory went well. The new rock cover's design is a big improvement over the old one, and they managed to find one with graphics similar to those on the trailer itself. We also learned the secret to removing the window screens so we can thoroughly clean the windows, and obtained their expert advice on a few other questions. 'Nice folks, and very helpful! We were back on the road with our repaired rig by 10:30 A.M.

For more views of the Hot Lake Springs facility and grounds check out the album.

Next stop - Pendleton, Oregon.