Winner: Timberline Lodge, Government Camp Photo by Aubrie LeGault Everything about the 1937-era WPA Timberline Lodge says Oregon—from its hand-hewn native wood and local stone to hand-woven draperies and wrought-iron details. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977, Timberline Lodge records two million visitors a year—many come to ski or snowboard in the winter, or mountain climb and hike in summer. Located on the southern slope of Mt. Hood, at 6,000 feet, The lodge (timberlinelodge.com) is a living museum of Arts and Crafts, and a majestic place to visit. Plan a romantic getaway or book a girls’ weekend at the lodge, which offers cozy rooms for two or bunk-style rooms for groups. Taste an Oregon microbrew at the Blue Ox or Ram’s Head bars or reserve a table at the dignified Cascade Dining Room. When it’s time to relax, head for the outdoor swimming pool and spa (open year-round) or…

A scan on the radio registers only static down in the canyon where the ghost town of Bridgeport lies. 

Pendleton Round-Up The Claim Pendleton Round-Up is a real-deal, authentic Old West phenomenon unlike any other rodeo. The Reality History is authentically repeated every September in Pendleton, with a bigger purse and more thrills than most rodeos. The Pendleton Round-Up has been bucking every year since 1910 and, miraculously, the essence of the rodeo hasn’t changed much. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” says Wayne Brooks, a rodeo announcer who has worked the Pendleton Round-Up for years. “They’ve seen 50,000 to 60,000 people for a hundred years, so they must be doing something right.” The bucking chutes still have wooden gates from 1939. Cowboys still flush with adrenaline thanks to the unique “run-in” system—the steer runs down a fifty-foot chute adjacent to the cowboy, who must time the ride down his own chute with absolute precision before they both emerge onto a grass infield. (At other rodeos, animals and…