Blue Mountains

A bit of a throwaway picture today of the Blue Mountains from the top of the hill at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. The Whitman's were early settlers in the Oregon territory, just west of what is today Walla Walla, Washington. The story is a bit complicated, but they Whitmans were killed by Cayuse tribe members in 1847 and 47 mission residents were captured as hostages. Long story short, it is a lovely place for an evening stroll in good weather, though perhaps a bit macabre when you think about it. The "extra" photo is a picture of the monument on the hill top, which definitely looks out of place in the dry hills of eastern Washington.