Travelers heading east from Portland discover a different Oregon: high desert hot springs, waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge, and the working-craftsperson culture of Pendleton.
Crane Hot Springs sits about 20 miles outside Burns in the high desert, where mineral-rich 100-degree waters offer soaking under the Milky Way. Eastern Oregon ranks among the country's top dark-sky viewing locations, with many areas achieving Bortle Class 1 classification for the darkest night skies.
The Columbia River Gorge contains one of North America's largest concentrations of waterfalls along the Historic Columbia River Highway. Multnomah Falls, Oregon's tallest waterfall, drops 620 feet in two tiers, with the 1914 Benson Bridge crossing between them.
In the Hood River Valley, Kiyokawa Family Orchards grows more than 120 apple varieties out of the 2,500 cultivated across the United States. The family has farmed the valley since 1911 and preserves rare and heirloom varieties. The Hood River Fruit Loop covers 35 miles past orchards, farms, and wineries. Hood River County is the world's leading producer of Anjou pears. The Mount Hood Railroad, operating since 1906, departs from downtown Hood River and climbs the valley on one of only five railroad switchbacks still in use in the US.
Pendleton swells from 17,000 residents to more than 50,000 each September during the second full week for the Pendleton Round-Up, one of North America's most prestigious rodeos. The rodeo began in 1910. Interwoven, a new fashion and culture festival celebrating Indigenous and Western makers, debuted in October 2026 with runway shows, including one on horseback, artisan markets, and a fashion-inspired brunch pairing local chefs with designers. Downtown Pendleton features Stapleman Custom Boot Shop, where former bull rider Richard Stapleman builds boots largely by hand with a yearlong wait for custom pairs. Hamley & Co. operates as a sprawling Western store where saddle makers still work. The Rainbow Cafe claims to be Oregon's oldest continuously operating bar, dating to 1883, though the Pioneer Saloon in Paisley disputes this.
Brigham Fish Market in Cascade Locks overlooks the Columbia River and is run by sisters Kim Brigham-Campbell and Terrie Brigham, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The market sells coho, sockeye, chinook, and steelhead. Alia at the Lightwell Hotel in Hood River opened in fall 2026, pairing Mediterranean dishes with Northwest ingredients. Chef Anthony Dao's menu features charred octopus skewers, malfouf mahshi, and Northwest salmon alongside local Hood River wines.