From La Grande, I-84 follows the Oregon Trail route northwest to PENDLETON , where Stetsons and pick-up trucks abound. Unsurprisingly then, this is home to the immensely popular, annual four-day Pendleton Round-Up in mid-September, combining traditional rodeo with extravagant pageantry; get tickets from the Round-Up Association, PO Box 609, Pendleton, OR 97801 ($12-15 per rodeo session; tel 541/276-2553 or 1-800/45-RODEO, ). The Round-Up Hall of Fame , 1205 SW Court Ave (June-Aug Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; $2), is stuffed with associated memorabilia. The famed Pendleton Woolen Mills , 1307 SE Court Pl (tours Mon-Fri 9am, 11am, 1.30pm & 3pm; free; ), will mainly appeal to those interested in textile manufacture, although you can always pick up a sweater while there.

The fascinating Pendleton Underground , 37 SW Emigrant at First Street (Mon-Sat 9am-4.30pm; $10; ), lets you tour the town's extensive network of subterranean passageways, used during Prohibition as saloons, card rooms and brothels - and as a refuge for the area's much-abused Chinese population. The chamber of commerce , 501 S Main St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 541/276-7411 or 1-800/547-8911, ), is a short walk from the Greyhound station. Accommodation options include the five Victorian rooms of the Parker House B&B , 311 N Main St (tel 541/276-8581, ; $75-100), and the plain Chaparral Motel , 620 SW Tutuilla St (tel 541/276-8654; $35-50). Be sure to book early at Round-Up time. As would be expected, most restaurants dole out hefty portions of all-American fare, although Raphael's , 400 SE Dorian Ave (tel 541/276-8500), offers a touch of upscale, nouveau-regional cuisine - welcome relief from the ubiquitous burgers and fries.