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CELEBRATING JEFFERSON COUNTY 65
Visit another culture
Formed by treaty in 1855, the Warm
Springs Indian Reservation is one of most
precious aspects of Central Oregon. The
large majority of the reservation residents
live in the community of Warm Springs,
which houses The Museum At Warm
Springs, one of the nation’s finest Native
American museums. Indian Head Casino is
also in Warm Springs, across U.S. Highway
26 from the museum.
Visitors can’t miss the wonderful architec-
ture and design of the museum and casino
as they drive into the reservation from the
east off Highway 26. Together and individu-
ally, they create an impressive welcome to
the Warm Springs Nation.
A visit to the reservation is certainly not
complete without a stop at Kah-Nee-Ta
High Desert Resort. The resort includes
both the Village and the Lodge areas, and
together they provide a wide array of fun:
swim in the famous hot springs-fed pool,
bike, kayak the rushing Warm Springs River,
ride horses, eat simply or in fine style, enjoy
a few hours at the spa. And bring your clubs
... that excellent 18-hole course awaits, and
is playable nearly year-round.
The towns
Madras was established by homesteaders,
forged by the railroad and reborn with a
massive, long-fought-for irrigation project
started just before and finished just after
World War II. The North Unit Irrigation
Project established Jefferson County as some
of the most fertile farm country in Oregon.
Madras is a friendly, diverse, welcoming
blue-collar town, the county seat of Jeffer-
son.
If you’re just passing through Madras and
think you’d like to come back and spend a bit more
time, consider making it the end of August, when the
annual Airshow of the Cascades is held at the Madras
Municipal Airport. It’s the largest airshow east of the
Cascades, and specializing is historic aircraft. In 2014,
the Erickson Air Museum is expected to open at the air-
port.
If you’re hungry for something spicy, the county’s
towns feature some of the region’s finest authentic Mex-
ican eateries. Cruise about and look for yourself. You
can’t go wrong.
The Madras Aquatic Center, the public swimming
pool, is located off B Street on the east side of town. It’s
a wonderful swimming facility, with various pools and a
great slide, and its walls of windows provide tremen-
dous views of the town of Madras and the Cascades.
The MAC has recreational swim times throughout the
day. Stop by or give them a call: 541-475-4253.
For the kids and young at heart, Madras has a fantas-
Regarded as one of the finest Native American museums in the
country: The Museum At Warm Springs.
Another Culture Awaits