On your next trip east on I-90, take the Vantage exit and follow the signs to Washington's Gingko State Park. A few Ginkgo biloba trees are planted on the grounds. The visitor center has a magnificent display of petrified wood, and murals depicting the geological history of the area. From the visitor center you can also enjoy breathtaking views of the Columbia River below. After a picnic lunch, drive a few miles up the old Vantage highway to the Gingko forest trail head.
Several trails lead through the sagebrush to areas where petrified logs have been excavated.
In spring the desert is in bloom, with dozens of species of wildflowers to enjoy as well as the petrified wood displays. Wanapum Dam has a good interpretive center, with emphasis on the Native American populations of the area. If you have time, now return back to I-90 and continue east to the next exit.