Last Sunday, my wife suggested we spend the day at our Three-Mile Schoolhouse west of Ritter Hot Springs. Among other things, it would be a good chance to see just how close the forest fire had come to the property.

And in a surprise move, she offered maybe we could take a scenic route to get there rather than just going straight down Highway 395. Not being able to remember the last time a scenic side trip received that kind of approval, I jumped at the chance.

Rather than heading south to Pilot Rock, we instead went west toward Echo and then down Highway 207 toward Lexington and Heppner.

Since we were heading into some remote country, we stopped at the Central Red Apple Market in Heppner where we picked up a couple of turkey sandwiches, some diet Lipton green tea, and three chicken strips (my wife’s dog was in the back seat).

Rather than eat on the run, we actually got out of the car and sat at a picnic table where we consumed half a sandwich each and the dog feasted on a chicken strip. Not eating in the car is kind of rare for our family but the deli didn’t have a drive-through window.

I can remember one time when my son was about 10, we were walking across Pioneer Park in Walla Walla and noticed people sitting on the grass eating. “I really feel sorry for those people,” my son said, “they don’t even have a house or a car to eat in.” We shared with him that what he was witnessing was called a picnic and then wondered to ourselves if we had culturally deprived him.

Leaving Heppner, we headed south toward Hardman and Spray – a route that leads you past the Morrow County OHV Park. Hardman, which once was a major stop for travelers, now rises up out of the harsh and barren landscape like a ghost from the past.

Morrow County Parks do an excellent job and there actually are two good spots in the south end of the county besides the OHV Park. The other two are Anson Wright, which is on the road to Spray, and Cutsforth County Park on the Western Route between Heppner and Ukiah.

Spray, which hosts an annual rodeo, is located on the banks of the John Day River and a good many of the residents have spectacular views.

Before leaving town, I slipped into the Lone Elk Market for a cup of coffee left over from the breakfast trade which was plenty strong enough to raise what little hair I have left on my head. Not knowing where the next gas station would be, we also stopped at the Lazy Wolf Resort to top off our gas tank. When topping off the tank used to mean a couple of dollars, I was always kind of embarrassed to ask. Now that the process consumes $25 you don’t feel quite so guilty.

Heading east, we passed through Kimberly and decided to go far enough south to view some of the Painted Hills and the John Day National Monument which actually is divided into several sections. We then reversed our course and returned to Kimberly, which is like a garden oasis along the John Day River offering several stops for fruits and vegetables.

From Kimberly, we drove to Monument to see what was left of the 1,000 firefighters who had camped in town during the Monument Complex fire just a few weeks ago. There was no sign they had ever been there. Boyer’s Market was open but we still had half a sandwich and a couple of bottles of water left, plus some fruit from Kimberly Orchards.

From Monument, the road winds up and over yet another mountain pass going through Hamilton along the way. There isn’t much left of Hamilton these days except for a few hardy residents and signs that it once housed a whole lot more people.

At Long Creek, we joined Highway 395 and started north toward our original destination. Shortly after 5 p.m., or about six hours after leaving Pendleton, we finally arrived at the School. A couple of hours later, we drove down to the North Fork John Day where we crossed the concrete bridge and started north. At the kiosk, which marks the end of civilized travel, we stopped and looked back at the hills where we could see the charred reminders of the fact the fire came to the edge of the river, but never successfully crossed it.

Had the fire moved to the other side, the terrain was such that it probably would have raced unchecked up the canyon and consumed the houses along Road 15 including our school. We breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, in one of those magic moments as dusk is settling over the outback and when logic suggests you reverse course and take the main road back up the hill toward Ritter and Highway 395, we instead opted for a little-traveled dirt track that leads along the John Day toward its intersection with Camas Creek – a trip that takes about an hour.

It was also one of those decisions that keeps search and rescue teams in business.

At Camas Creek, the road meets Highway 395 at a spot about halfway between Dale and Ukiah. By 9 p.m. we were back in Pendleton.

As we drove into town, I told my wife, “I think we have seen a lot of Eastern Oregon today that not many people even know about.” She rolled her eyes and reminded me, “we usually do.”

The week before, en route to dinner at the Haines Steakhouse, we had managed to end up in the middle of a forest fire between Ukiah and Anthony Lakes on yet another Blue Mountain Scenic Byway.

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George Murdock is editor & publisher of the East Oregonian. He can be reached at 278-2671 or gmurdock@eastoregonian.com.