Synopses & Reviews
Come explore the sights, sounds, scents, and stories of Oregon's dry side, the stunning, vast, sunny East, which is the state's true West. In three extensive, flexible driving and hiking trous of the region, you'll visit the rugged mountains, mysterious fossils, vanilla-scented ponderosa pines, painted desert colors, wildlife and wildflowers, remote outposts, and rich history.
Our expert guide is Alan D. St. John, a naturalist, photographer, native Oregonian, and lifetime dry-side explorer, who shares it all, including some of his own little-known favorite places in Central, Southeastern, and Northeastern Oregon. Illustrated with hundreds of St. John's magnificent photographs, this treasure of a book will delight armchair travelers and intrepid adventurers alike.
Review
"
Oregon's Dry Side is neither an insider's travel guide, nor an informative natural history, nor an engaging portrait of the contemporary culture and economic landscape in cetral and eastern Oregon: It's all of the above. From a primer on plate tectonics to tips on family-friendly hikes in the central Cascades, this book covers everything you need to know to go native in what is colloquially referred to as Oregon's "high desert" (and you'll even learn why this label is technically innacurate)."
—Camela Raymond, Portland Monthly Portland Monthly
Review
"
Oregon's Dry Side is a labor of Stetson spirit and tumbleweed love...it captures the sage-scented lifestyle, the granite and ice, the tule dingles, the pine-scented paradises, and sense of spaciousness so many of us treasure."
—Jeff Petersen, La Grande Observer
Review
"The book is beautifully illustrated with striking photographs and historical reproductions, and St. John's description of Oregon's dry landscapes is fascinating."
Synopsis
Come explore the sights, sounds, scents, and stories of Oregon's dry side, the stunning, vast, arid East, which is the state's true West. Here are the volcanic mountains and mysterious fossils, vanilla-scented ponderosa pines, painted desert colors, wild creatures large and small, rugged wildflowers, remote outposts, and rich history reaching back to prehistoric times. Your expert guide is Alan D. St. John, naturalist, photographer, native Oregonian, and lifetime dry-side explorer who shares it all, including — and this is generous indeed — some of his own little-known favorite places. Also a broad field guide to eastern Oregon, this treasure of a book shows the region's flora and fauna and dramatic geology in gorgeous photographs.
About the Author
Alan D. St. John, native Oregonian, naturalist, and photographer, also wrote Reptiles of the Northwest. His work has appeared in National Geographic, Natural History, Outdoor Photographer, The New York Times, and elsewhere. He has conducted reptile and amphibian field surveys for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service. Alan St. John lives in Bend, Oregon.