That's not to say I didn't enjoy being in Joseph. It was filled with great little shops and offered me a chance to explore a town without my parents at a very young age. It was freedom to me. I wondered through the typical resort town gift shops. I wandered into the sporting goods store stocked with high end backpacking gear in awe of people's ability to carry those immense packs. I also found my way into the bookstores and other interesting shops. It must have been in one of those shops that I learned about the history of Joseph. The strange thing is, I can't remember a time when I didn't know the story of how the town got it's name.
Originally named Silver Lake, in 1880 the town officially changed its name to Joseph after Nez Perce Chief Joseph, who organized and led one of the greatest military retreats in history. I had always respected the life and story of the leader of the Wallowa Band of the Nez Perce.
His Indian Name Hinmuuttu-yalatlat was so appropriate. It translates to Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain. If you've ever been in the Wallowa Valley during a thunderstorm, then you can appreciate the symbolism. The cacophony of sounds during a July thunderstorm reminds you of just how small you really are in this great big world. The echo is deafening. The rains can bring a deluge of water in seconds. I consider myself lucky that I have experienced it more than a few times.
Joseph is one of those places you visit and then try to figure out how you could live there. It's at the head of Wallowa Lake and the gateway to Hell's Canyon. It's the gem of Northeastern Oregon.
My favorite time of year in Joseph is during the annual Chief Joseph Days Rodeo. It's one of the best run rodeos you'll ever attend. Top PRCA and WPRA competitors come from miles around to take part in the annual event. It's one of the first rodeos on the Northwest swing for cowboys and cowgirls, and the view from the grandstands can't be beat by any other rodeo, anywhere, period.
One of my favorite places to eat in Joseph is Embers Brewhouse on the main drag through town. I have probably dines, for lunch and dinner, at Embers around 20 times and I have yet to find a dish I wouldn't order again. The hardest part about going there is trying something new and not going back to the thing I had the last time. The beer list is always...evolving. There are a few old standbys, but you can always count on something magnificent on tap that you probably haven't heard of unless you listen to a Beervana Podcast weekly.
Joseph is also where my Dad and I stumbled onto our BBQ Team Name - quite by accident. Just as you enter Joseph coming from Enterprise is a shop called Simply Sandy's. It's one of those places I joke about. I'm not a big trinket guy, but this place is stocked with all kinds of stuff in a shed, a house, and in the front yard. It was in the front yard that we came across the Big Cock, a four foot tall roster made of repurposed metal and tin. In that instant Big Cock BBQ was born - more on that later.
The trip to Wallowa Lake is never complete without a stop in Joseph. Make sure you take some time there when you're heading out on Oregon's Beaten Path.
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