If that headline isn’t enough to grab your attention, nothing else will ?. But it seems like that’s what Thursday was all about. We woke up at the dock in Richland, Washington, where we were to board our “luxury motor coach” for a full-day tour in Pendleton, Oregon, the home of the Pendleton Round-Up, one of the biggest rodeos and wild west shows in the USA, and the home of plenty of cowboys and cowboy culture. When we got to the “luxury motor coach,” we met our guide, Rosemary, who would stay with us for the rest of the day. She turned out to be one of the best guides we’ve ever had the pleasure of traveling with. Born and raised here in the Washington Tri-Cities area, she was a treasure trove of knowledge about both Richland, Hanford, and Pendleton.

On our way down, she entertained us with stories about legendary cowboys, the underground tour we would take upon arriving in Pendleton, and a lot of local history. She even sang to us—quite well, I might add. She showed us a great video about Duff Severe (at right), one of America’s top saddle makers. You might not find that topic interesting, but I found it fascinating. Duff was a legend in the area and had been featured in National Geographic, other magazines, and TV shows. Rosemary suggested that if we wanted to learn more about Duff, we should look him up on YouTube. I plan to do that as soon as we get home.

When we arrived in Pendleton, we passed the enormous Pendleton Round-Up grounds on our way to our first stop, the Pendleton Underground Tour. We had an outstanding tour guide, Sue Ellen, and you could tell she loves her volunteer job. She walked us through an entire block of underground rooms that had been restored and turned into a museum (in their heyday, there had been more than 16 blocks of underground). Here’s some of what we saw.

The Underground Tour also had a really nice museum where we could see the work of Duff Severe. As he got older, his arthritic hands kept him from continuing to make full-size saddles, so he started creating miniature saddles as works of art. We got a chance to see his four most famous pieces (created for a casino owner, who passed away before they were finished). Each one represents a suit of cards. They were so beautiful and intricate, I shot photos of them both full-size and in close-up.

After our tour and viewing the exhibits, it was off to lunch at a nearby restaurant. A nice salad, a sandwich and a cookie. Nothing special, but good. Then we had free time to explore. For many, that meant shopping, but of course, for me, that meant photography and a nice photo walk around the downtown core. Here are the shots I got.

After our free time, it was back on the bus for a visit to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. I know that sounds a bit boring, but it was truly an amazing museum and cultural center all about the local Native American tribes. Both the good and the bad were covered in detail. If you are ever in Pendleton, this is worth a trip.

All of that and not a word about nuclear bombs? Well, on the way back to the ship, Rosemary told us more about the Tri-City area, including the Hanford Nuclear site, where the plutonium was developed that went into the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, to help end World War II. She even had a very interesting video that she let us watch on the way back that showed the role that Hanford had and continues to have in our nuclear research.

That about covers our day in Pendleton. I had two other photos I took that I really loved, but they are kind of artsy and didn’t fit anywhere else. Here they are for your enjoyment…or not ?.

On to Clarkston, Washington and the Snake River. More later.

May your belly never grumble, may your heart never ache, may your horse never stumble, may your cinch never break.  –The Cowboy Blessing