Back in 1957, my parents and 5 kids, left Honolulu for Los Angeles so my father could get his interior design degree (my dad was making furniture for decorators and assumed they were making the big bucks and paying him peanuts!). We boarded the Orsova, an Australian liner, and landed in Vancouver, British Columbia a week later where we snagged a 1951 De Soto with the Amish family package (I wanted a 57 Chevy... sigh). My father's family was from the northwest, mainly Idaho, and, after visiting some cousins in Washington, we pulled into Boise. My grandparents had thoughtfully kept their house exactly as it was after the last Indian attack... maybe they added electricity, but no more. Unimpressed with my entertainment opportunities in Boise, I went and stayed on my uncle's ranch in Emmett and got to see the nuts and bolts of farm life, which I loved. As the summer was ending, someone announced that we were going to the Pendleton Round-Up... a rodeo, wow! My years of watching cowboy movies would finally pay off. Now, through the haze of a half a century, I recall the hats and boots and Indians and bulls and horses and smells and tastes as the perfect ending to our summer.
... so... when we decided to move to Portland last year, I quickly found the Pendleton Round-Up site and ordered tickets for 2018 with blissful disregard for scheduling, hotels, parking, etc. I left that to Gabi and Pam, who were not blinded by enthusiasm. "Let's see what else we can see on this trip", they cooed. So, the second week of September arrived and we took off down Interstate 84, making several stops along the incredible Columbia Gorge and had breakfast at Multnomah Falls (I recommend the trout and eggs). We stayed in Hermiston, about 25 miles from Pendleton. I didn't realize you have to make hotel reservations early if you expect to stay in town. Hermiston, by the way, is a treat for city dwellers, real small town America. Ok, the rodeo... we had tickets for Thursday and Friday and Thursday morning, Pam is unable to move due to back pain. This is unheard of. She is indestructible! But, she can't go and we get her to urgent care and back in her room with painkillers (which don't work). Like Jack Sparrow, our motto is, "fall behind, left behind" and we leave her for the rodeo. We drive the 25 miles and pull into Pendleton and, after navigating our way to the Round-Up Stadium, we find parking at a gas station a block away. While everyone is friendly and laid back, the whole thing is a spectacle. The stadium is decked out and the back lot is an Indian village with matching tipis. We are next door to the Umatilla Indian Reservation and there's as many Indians as cowboys at this event. The park is scattered with Indian jewelry, clothing and food booths and the stage is filled with Indian maidens and chiefs in full regalia... really magnificent! It's a beauty pageant, but we're glad we don't have to pick a winner (they all look so cute). We go into the stadium and walk around to the north side, where most of the action is. As we walk, we see pens, with steers, horses, calves and bulls, waiting to go on. We climb up to our seats (you have to book early to get lower seats). The north grandstand was finished in 1957 (the year I was there) and the steps show the wear, but everything is in good condition and we're right in the center of the bucking chutes. The rodeo begins with the queen and her court riding in, followed by flags of states and countries represented and a mounted color guard of US Marines. The national anthem is sung by a girl who can actually do it and the announcer starts describing how it all works. The announcer, Wayne Brooks, by the way, is exceptionally good. Smooth, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He "reminds" you of things without interfering with the action. We took still shots at first but switched to video to better show the events. I took 3 or 4 of each event and still shots when I remembered. Bareback broncs, saddle broncs and bulls came out of the chutes in front of us and over to the side they had the "chasing" events, i.e., calf roping, bulldogging, girls' steer roping, team roping, and 3 different Indian races where boys ride (bareback) 3 laps around the track on 3 different horses... what fun! We also found time to buy t-shirts and fry-bread tacos from the Indian stands. We went back to the hotel to find Pam no better and had to scrap our Friday activities but one day was plenty and we can hardly wait for next year, now that we know the ropes. Just like 1957, we can now end the summer with our rodeo memories.
Joe
