After crossing the Deschutes River from the Warm Springs reservation, US-26 climbs up a deep canyon, then plateaus at Madras (pop. 5,078), birthplace of the late actor River Phoenix. Contrary to what you might expect from the town’s East Indian name, few of its hardworking residents wear plaid, and the beatific followers of a certain Indian guru are red-clad memories: It’s been nearly 30 years since Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his disciples lived on their 175,000-acre commune, 30 miles to the northeast at the village of Antelope.
There’s not a lot to see or do in Madras, which stands at the junction of US-26 and busy US-97, but there are stores and gas stations and at least one good place to stay: Sonny’s Motel ($65; 541/475-7217), at 1539 SW US-26/97, which has clean rooms and a pool, plus an adjacent restaurant famed for its steaks.
