Posted on Thursday, April 17th, 2025
Downtown Echo, Oregon by Joni Kabana
Welcome to Eastern Oregon, where the views are bigger, the stars are brighter, and the adventures are endless. Diverse landscapes, charming towns, and warm-hearted people await you in this vibrant corner of Oregon. Revel in the solitude and majesty of a landscape that is as awe-inspiring as it is inviting. Whether it’s your first time to Eastern Oregon or a return visit, there’s always more to experience.
Eastern Oregon is the latest region to join BluePath, with over 65 locations! Explore art centers, restaurants, lodging, museums, shops, libraries, event centers, and more. Searching the following cities (listed alphabetically below) makes it easy to see all listings nearby:
Blue Mountains at Wallowa Lake by Catie Boucher
- Baker City, Oregon
- Boardman, Oregon
- Echo, Oregon
- Elgin, Oregon
- Halfway, Oregon
- Heppner, Oregon
- Hermiston, Oregon
- Irrigon, Oregon
- Joseph, Oregon
- La Grande, Oregon
- Milton-Freewater, Oregon
- Ontario, Oregon
- Pendleton, Oregon
- Umatilla, Oregon
Art Walk by Travel Baker County
You can find events and other trip-planning resources at visiteasternoregon.com. There’s More To Eastern Oregon…
BluePath listings were made possible through the collaboration of several organizations, including:
- Eastern Oregon Visitors Association and Disability Action Center NW
- Morrow County Tourism; Northeast Oregon Economic Development District; Travel Baker County; Umatilla County Tourism; Union County Chamber of Commerce; Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce; and others.
- A special thank you to Ashley Shahfer (Empowering Access) and Hannah Payne for all their hard work!
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- This project was also funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon.
Posted on Thursday, January 5th, 2017
By Dana Gover, ADA Specialist and Coordinator for NWADA Center – Idaho
One of the frequent comments I get from business owners is they want more business. At the Northwest ADA Center-Idaho we are available to provide technical assistance and training on low cost ideas to increase access that meet the ADA regulations. One of the major barriers that I encounter daily is the lack of accessible parking that prevents me from entering a business and spending my money. One of the reoccurring problems with accessible parking is the spaces are designed incorrectly; this barrier can be easily fixed by repainting the parking lot.
If a business or government entity has parking available, the accessible parking spaces must be designed according to the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Adding accessible spaces in most cases is a low cost, easy fix. However, if the parking is not marked correctly it can cause unintentional consequences.
Recently my colleague and I were driving home from a training that we provided at the annual Community Transportation Association of Idaho (CTAI) conference held in Sun Valley. We decided to take a break and have lunch at a local restaurant on the outskirts of Mountain Home before driving home to Boise. However this was not the relaxing stop we had anticipated due to the problems with the parking. As I drove into the parking lot, I noticed that the parking spaces were only marked with a sign. None of the spaces were marked with lines or the required adjacent access aisles located next to the accessible spaces. So I parked on the end of the front row and took up two unmarked spaces. I drive a wheelchair accessible mini-van equipped with a lift that comes out on the passenger door. The lift requires extra space on the ground so I can exit the van in my electric wheelchair.
Before I could put my lift down on the ground, a lady and her husband pulled up in a van with a disabled license plate wanting to park in the space next to my van on the lift side. When I didn’t move the van, she started honking her horn and yelling at us to move over. My friend got out of the van and tried to explain to her that the lift needs extra space but the lady would not listen. At one point the lady yelled, “people like you should be strangled”. To avoid further insults and conflict we left and did not go into the restaurant. If the parking lot WAS designed according to the ADA standards this situation would not have happened. The restaurant would have had four customers spending money that day not just two.
To address the parking problem, I sent the restaurant a letter explaining the encounter with the lady and provided the manager with information on how to correct the parking problem.
If you are a business owner or a person with a disability it is important that we work together as partners to provide common sense ideas and use the new ADA requirements called the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design when designing parking. If parking spaces are not correctly designed this can keep people from entering a business and spending money. Maintaining your parking lot by making sure your parking spaces are clearly marked, free of debris and snow are also important in maintaining accessible parking. Consult Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 of 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Link to Chapter 2 describing the number of required parking spaces:
Link to Chapter 5 describing accessible parking design requirements:
If you are a business and want ideas to increase access please contact the Northwest ADA Center-Idaho at 208-841-9422 or email dananwadacenteridaho@gmail.com. And be sure to have your business listed on www.blue-path.org and let customers know you have accessible parking!
Posted on Monday, September 26th, 2016
September 6, 2016, By Brian Walker, Staff Writer for Coeur d’Alene Press
To see the world through Jessica Workman’s eyes, you’d have to be in a wheelchair navigating broken-up sidewalks, dodging spray from sprinklers and hoping motorists see you on the side road when you’re forced to take a detour.
The 22-year-old has been bound to a wheelchair for the past year and a half, erasing activities such as hiking and basketball that she enjoyed before. Workman has dystonia, a disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause repetitive or twisting movements.
Workman also was a volunteer for those with special needs and at nursing homes, but her mission these days is helping to smooth travels for those with disabilities.
“I live independently, so I have to do everything myself,” she said. “I use my power chair to pay bills and grocery shop.”
That means she has had to find the best possible routes for her chair from her apartment near Treaty Rock to Super 1 Foods and other businesses since moving to Post Falls from Coeur d’Alene two months ago.
Workman said progress on access improvements for those with disabilities has already been made. She called the Disability Action Center to explain she needed to maneuver her wheelchair onto the street to get around a broken sidewalk. The detour caused her to have to enter oncoming traffic.
Within two weeks of hearing from Workman and the center, the city had the sidewalk repaired, making it a smooth ride along Idaho Street for Workman and others with disabilities. Workman said she was amazed at the quick response.
“They’ve listened to my everyday struggles,” she said.
Workman said the city not only fixed the sidewalk, but it is working with her on other projects around town to help make Post Falls more accessible.
Rob Palus, Post Falls assistant city engineer, said while all new roads and sidewalks must be built to standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). New signalized intersections also have beeping sounds to help those with disabilities find the cross buttons.
The city has also made an effort over the past decade to make improvements to the older sidewalks and roads, Palus said.
“If someone is having trouble making it from Point A to B, if it’s maintenance-related, we want to do our part to have that taken care of,” he said. “It’s important that when citizens notice something in bad shape to let us know and that can help us make corrective actions. Otherwise, it could be a long time before we notice it.”
Palus said the city sometimes receives concerns about why tax dollars are being spent for bicycle paths and sidewalks when roads for vehicular traffic still need to be improved. But there are also young and elderly residents in similar situations to Workman’s who can’t get where they’re going without having their chairs damaged by sprinkler spray or axles destroyed by uneven sidewalks.
“It’s good to know you can help make someone’s life a little better,” Palus said.
Michelle Porter of the Disability Action Center said congratulations are in order — for the city for the improvements it is making, and for Workman for advocating for herself and others in similar situations.
“Even small repairs and minor adjustments can make a difference in the life of people, like Jessica, whose mobility is dependent on accessibility to accomplish everyday chores,” Porter said. “Accessibility around town is crucial for personal independence when that person doesn’t have their own transportation and solely relies on their wheelchair or walker for mobility.”
Brian Walker can be reached at bwalker@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @brianCDAPress.
