September brings the well-known Pendleton Round-Up to this community 210 mi/340 km east of Portland, which once was a stop on the Oregon Trail. Even if you don't make it to the rodeo itself, you can learn about its biggest stars at the Round-Up Hall of Fame.
Other sights in town include the Pendleton Woolen Mills, the Umatilla County Historical Society's Heritage Station Museum, and Pendleton Underground Tours, which traverse subterranean tunnels. Dug in the 1800s, these tunnels were home to thousands of Chinese laborers who toiled to build the railroad.
The Tamastslikt Cultural Institute—6 mi/10 km east of town, near the route of the old Oregon Trail—relates the history of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla tribes. It's affiliated with the Wildhorse Resort and Casino, which has a hotel, a golf course and a shop selling Native American art.
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