> IF YOU GO

End of the Oregon Trail

Interpretive Center: The Oregon City facility is a short distance from Portland, so it’s an easy day trip from there. Open daily. Adult admission is $13 (U.S.), less for children.

Philip Foster Farm: About 27 kilometres east of Oregon City, this living history site in Eagle Creek was a key rest stop for travellers. The farmhouse and barn are still here, and replicas of a store, blacksmith shop and other structures have been built on the property. Open May through October. Admission is $5 per person, $20 per family. National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center: Located 8 kilometres east of Baker City, the centre is about 480 kilometres from Portland. A road trip offers interesting stops along the way, many with Oregon Trail connections: Mount Hood, The Dalles, Pendleton. Open daily in spring, summer and fall. Adult admission is $8, children 15 and under are free. This is where you can easily see the wagon trail ruts. The centre’s annual Labor Day Weekend Wagon Encampment is one of its biggest events, with costumed volunteers helping visitors understand the story of the trail and its travellers.

Baker City: Stay at the Geiser Grand Hotel, originally opened in 1889, to soak up some historic elegance. Prices for the least expensive rooms begin at $109 a night. Oregon is noted for its beer and Barley Brown’s brew pub is a good place to have some, along with decent food.