Historic Treasures, Abundant Recreation....

On a recent drive through the Okanogan Highlands, I found plenty of fodder to share on my blog...  It was the perfect winter day - crisp, cold, sunny, and endless blue sky!  The kind of day where thick, white frost clung to trees and barbed wire fences and grasses.  I found dozens of photos waiting to be taken - old barns, ranches, the old Wauconda school, the Wauconda Grange Hall (1917 and still used today!).  All while my camera rested comfortably - on my desk - at home...

Okay.  Well - it made me realize two things:  One, I should ALWAYS take my camera along!  What was I thinking?!?  And two, there are a lot of really neat things to see and enjoy and do here that people from out of area might not realize.  Living in the Aeneas Valley, we decided to take the scenic back roads into Tonasket - a much longer route, but such a pretty drive.  After turning at Wauconda onto Toroda Creek Road, you meander through open ranch lands and timber for several miles, and then come across the old ghost town of Bodie.  One of the many things I love about the Okanogan, are the remnants of history that are still around to be enjoyed.  Another fun place to visit up in this region is Molson.  If you missed my earlier post about this ghost town, you can read about it here.

There is plenty of winter time recreation in the highlands as well.  Sitzmark Ski Hill is a great place for family fun and they have lots of activities scheduled for February.  If snowmobiling is your thing, check out the Bonaparte Sno-Park.  And, Beaver Lake and Beth Lake are popular spots for ice fishing. 

Alright, so I did run back up in the late afternoon and snapped a few photos to share...  They are not the glorious photos I had envisioned while the sun was high in the sky at 11:00 AM, but I will share a few anyway. 

Don't blink, or you will miss Wauconda!  Located on Highway 20, between Tonasket and Republic, this is one stop shopping at it's finest - cafe, groceries, post office and fuel.  Admittedly, I have not eaten here since it changed hands last, but the food has always been pretty darn good!

The old Wauconda school is currently listed for sale for $349,000.  Includes 23+ acres, and 9 RV sites.

And, (shameless plug), also listed for sale in this area is this Hidden Creekfront Retreat for $400,000!

The Wauconda Grange Hall - 1917

And a little about Bodie...