If moving to NE OR, Hermiston or Pendleton? (John Day, Wallowa: real estate, crime)

[Mokimedic]

My husband is applying for a job in Pendleton. So we may be moving in a couple of months. We have three children, one in school already. We are coming from Henderson, NV, but are originally from MT. If we get the job, we will need to make a quick move, to make the beginning of the school year. I am looking for information on each town, schools and how accepting of outsiders. We are not church goers, but just a quiet family that wants to join a community and be active in the schools. Any information will help.

[Steve Pickering]

You will find it to be much like where you live now.

[Mokimedic]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

You will find it to be much like where you live now.

I am guessing you mean weather wise? Henderson is essentially Las Vegas, much bigger than Pendleton or Hermiston

[pnwmdk]

Pendleton has some historically insulting nicknames... such as "the armpit of eastern Oregon"... However, as with any small town, if you look, you will find anything and everything, from nice folks to grumpy jerks, from community minded people, to irritating politicians and even crime and drug dealing.

I don't and haven't ever lived in Pendleton, but I have lived about 25 years of my life nearby - about a half hour north. If you'd like to have things a little similar to where you live now, south down 395 is a little "high desert"-ish".

If you're unfamiliar, Pendleton is actually in a bit of a small valley or canyon (pick your word, neither describes it well) and much of the surrounding area is ranches and farms. Less than a half hour east you're up in the Blue Mountains, which is great in the summer, as it's often 10-15 degrees cooler than the sweltering downtown Pendleton.

The big thing in Pendleton is the Roundup, and the fact that just down the road is a small reservation, complete with Casino, golf course, hotel, etc. Pendleton has somehow managed, with the exception of Walmart, to have very little "chain store" shopping. Nor is there any nearby, either. The city is all but themed around the Roundup and cowboy lore, you'll notice that every 3rd rig is a pickup, and the number of them pulling horse trailers on the weekend is huge.

Make sure you tour the Pendleton Underground, and then start expanding outward to learn and see much of Oregon's very fabled ( but actually interesting ) past.

To the west is the Gorge, which has an impressiveness of its own, to the south is the truly lonely area of Oregon. Oregon has three counties with less than 2000 people. In the rain shadow of the mountains that the Columbia Gorge cuts through, is the Sam Hill mansion ( now a museum) and the republica of the stonehenge. To the southeast is Wallowa Lake, with it's alpine style scenery and tourist traps - and very impressive mountains. To the north is Walla Walla, which is nationally famous for wines - which have become the scourge of the working class, taking away employment and driving up the price of real estate.

To the east is mountains, Hell's Canyon, and some very, VERY wilderness areas. Way WAY south is the southeast corner of our state which has some impressive scenery and geology... and birdwatching. To the far west is the I-5 corridor.. with its massive traffic, big city problems, the source of our high taxes and bad land use policies, liberal politics, which drive the rest of the state crazy and then the coast.

Unless you're seriously into socializing and entertaining, this part of Oregon is absolutely perfect family country. Camping, skiing, hiking, riding, exploring, 4 wheeling, boating, fishing, and it's all family oriented, rather than socializing, as are a lot of the people.

Welcome to a great place...

Here's some nearby scenery:



A small town nearby: This is the whole downtown



A foothills sunset...



The eastern mountains...



Down south of Pendleton a ways:



John Day River valley:



This is what's north of Pendleton. Looking west from the Blues

[hamellr]

Plus it was the home of Sheriff Til Taylor, who was quite an amazing man.

[Mokimedic]

Thank you pnwmdk, for the great info and beautiful photos. The photos make me homesick for MT. We still haven't heard about the job yet, hopefully soon. It sounds like a great place to raise kids.