a view of a desert with a few hills in the background

Local advice: If you want to visit the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds, plan a trip for late May/early June and go on a weekday. Far fewer tourists, much nicer weather, and all wildflowers are coming into bloom. There's a great little roadside Motel in the nearby town of Mitchell that's super cheap (And very, very...rustic) that I always stay at--check it out!