• Depart Heppner, following the signs for Blue Mountain Scenic Byway. Above the town, you will pass Willow Creek Dam, the nation’s first roller-compacted dam, which now protects the little town from flooding. The reservoir offers fine fishing and water sports, plus excellent camping opportunities. Follow the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway toward Ukiah. Climbing into the Blue Mountains, watch for mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, pine squirrels, chipmunks, and the ever-present raptors. This area relies on harvesting timber and grazing, so watch for cattle and horseback riders. Cutsforth County Park, which is located at the boundary of the Umatilla National Forest, offers camping, fishing, hiking, and excellent equestrian trails. Stop for a hamburger or sizzling steak at a café in Ukiah. If you visit in the spring, drink in the beauty of fields of wildflowers like Indian paintbrush, lupine, lady slippers and cats’ ears. Ukiah-Dale Forest State Park makes a great Ôbase camp’ for fishing, camping, mountain-biking, and hiking during summer months. Hunting opportunities and winter snow sports are also abundantly available. Consider a side trip a few miles east on Hwy. 244 to Lehman Hot Springs (541-427-3015) for a refreshing dip in the developed pools that collect the naturally hot mineral water bubbling to the surface.
• Head north on Hwy. 395 through the Battle Mountain Scenic Corridor (1-800-547-8911) to Pilot Rock. Continue north on Hwy. 395 to Pendleton, the Round-Up City!
• After harvest in 1910, a group of area ranchers got together to prove whose hands were the best for braggin’ rights. Today the event has grown into the largest four-day rodeo in the country...the world famous Pendleton Round-Up & Happy Canyon Pageant. Always held the second full week of September, here’s your chance to be a cowboy for a week and get into the pageantry and excitement of the parades, the Pro-Bull Riding Competition, and all the ropin’, ridin’ & dancin’ you can handle! Get a feel for the rodeo’s history at the Round-Up Hall of Fame which is open all year, but by appointment during winter months.
• If you prefer something other than Ôcowboy culture,’ visit the Pendleton Center for the Arts to enjoy their gallery and gift shop and to find out more about other opportunities, such as live theatre or an Oregon East Symphony concert. A visit would not be complete without a bit of shopping. With 14 antique stores and many unique gift shops ranging from crystal to blue jeans, you will find something memorable to take home. Complete this busy day enjoying the hospitality of one of the bed and breakfasts located in historic homes, or at one of the many fine hotels. Choose a meal to remember from scrumptious Northwest cuisine to hearty cowboy grub, and top off the evening kickin’ up your heels with the locals at a night spot.
