ECHO, Ore.-Eight miles south of Hermiston and about a mile from I-84 and Highway 395 sits Echo, Oregon, home to about 700 residents, a small town with a rich history and vibrant community.
“Most people have never heard of Echo and don’t know where it is,” said Michael Duffy, Secretary Treasurer of the Echo Heritage Association. “It’s only 15 or 20 minutes away, but you feel like you’re going somewhere when you come here.”
Although it’s not visible from the highway, Echo offers plenty to see and do. From restaurants and wineries, to golfing or exploring history, it’s easy to spend a day in Echo.
H&P Café
If breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, then it makes sense to start a day in Echo at the H&P Café, where they make “the best omelet.”
Dating back to 1904, the H&P building has been a restaurant since 1968, operating as the H&P Diner since 1988.
“We’re well known for our breakfast,” Mike Barzee, current owner of the H&P said with a smile when asked if the diner does indeed have the best omelets. “We’ve got great quality bacon, probably the best for 50 miles around. We’re known for breakfast and burgers.”
Barzee worked in the fast-food industry for 25 years before buying the H&P in 2015, and like many in town was a regular at the diner, getting to know Harsh and Patty, the original owners well.
One night after stopping by the H&P after work, Patty suggested that Barzee buy the diner. A few days later when Barzee and his wife were having dinner at the H&P, Patty talked to his wife about the possibility of buying the diner, and Barzee agreed to come by for a tour.
After hearing the story of the building, Barzee stood at the grill and looked out the H&P’s front windows onto Echo’s Main Street, where he saw kids on bikes and decided to purchase the diner.
“When you come to Echo it’s like going back in time,” said Barzee. “We wanted to take the legacy of the H&P into the future.”
Barzee hopes the H&P continues to be a hub for the community and children out playing are welcome to stop by for a popsicle or just to hang out.
“We kept the name and just expanded the menu a bit with more omelets,” said Barzee.
The “Everything Omelet,” made with bacon, ham, sausage and five vegetables is one Barzee added to the menu about a decade ago after so many customers requested it.
“Of course the Denver Omelet is the king of breakfast,” said Barzee, of the H&P’s most popular omelet offering.
Regulars stop by the H&P from breakfast through dinner, and the diner is a very popular weekend breakfast spot, and that sense of community is one of the reasons Barzee loves the H&P.
“It’s hard work and it’s the most rewarding,” said Barzee. “Everybody knows your name here, and we do our best to take care of the H&P and be part of the community.”
Echo Hills Golf Course
After a hearty breakfast it’s time to hit the links at Echo Hills Golf Course, a nine-hole municipal course with picturesque views set into the rolling hills of Echo.
“The course is unique because of the hills,” said Tonia Ruebsamen, Golf Manager at Echo Hills. “It’s challenging because it’s not just flat or wide open.”
The City of Echo purchased Echo Hills about two years ago and the municipal course relies on a dedicated team of volunteers.
“The City’s not out to make a ton of money from a municipal course, but to keep it in working order,” said Ruebsamen. “Our volunteers are an immeasurable asset. They help with everything from the irrigation and flowers to maintenance, even our Marshal is a volunteer. We couldn’t do this without them.”
Echo Hills has about 100 regular members and the course is getting to the point where it’s busier than ever, with members, regulars, visitors and families teeing off throughout the week.
For Clubhouse Attendant Candy Dickerson, the community created at Echo Hills, is what makes the course a special place to play and work.
“It’s a huge asset, it brings people in,” said Dickerson. “Golfing is not just a hobby here – it’s a lifestyle. Everybody here cares. They would do anything for you.”
While Echo Hills is not a practice course, all skill levels are encouraged, and lessons and rental clubs are also available.
Echo Hills is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, with shorter hours during the winter months. The weekday rate for nine holes is $18 and 18 holes is $30.
“We’re not fancy, but we’re familiar,” said Ruebsamen. “People care about each other here and you can’t put a price on that.”
Historic Echo
Feel like taking a break after your first nine holes? Echo has a rich history to explore.
The Oregon Trail passed through the area that would become Echo, with pioneers camping at the lower crossing of the Umatilla River, where the water was “low and slow” the current site of Fort Henrietta Park.
While some pioneers continued west, others stayed and began settling, with the Umatilla River providing irrigation for agriculture and sheep ranching among the rolling hills of the area.
In 1880 the town of Echo was officially platted and three years later the railroad came to town, making it a shipping hub for wool, cattle, and sheep by the early 20th century.
“We pride ourselves on our history and there’s quite a bit here,” said Michael Duffy, Treasurer of the Echo Heritage Association. “If you’re going to come to Echo, take some time to walk around and experience it.”
Downtown Echo is on the National Register of Historic Places and features historic buildings, including the Koontz building and the Echo Museum.
The Echo Museum
Built in 1920, the Echo Bank Building at 230 W. Main is now home to the Echo Museum.
The building operated as a bank until 1933, as an insurance exchange, and the upstairs levels later served as a lawyer’s office.
The teller cages, bank vault and records are still visible inside the museum, which contains multiple floors of Echo history, including Native American artifacts.
“Historically everything is connected,” said Butch McClinton, a volunteer at the museum. “You got Pendleton, Hermiston, Umatilla, and Echo was the hub right in the middle. This was the spot to get over the river, and we’ve got stuff in the museum from right here.”
A military floor features the uniforms of several service branches, as well as pictures and information on local Echo residents who served.
Everyday historical items from home and work, as well as plenty of local Echo school pride and history are also on display with sports memorabilia and yearbooks.
“People are looking for connections,” said McClinton, of people coming in and looking through the museum. “Lots of people come in to find out about Echo or about a family member who grew up here.”
The Echo Museum at 230 W. Main Street is run by a volunteer board. Hours vary and if the museum isn’t open the number posted on the door can be called for a tour.
Oregon Trail History
Just four miles west of the Lower Crossing (present day Fort Henrietta Park) on Highway 320, Oregon Trail wagon ruts are still visible at Echo Meadows.
Operated by the Bureau of Land Management, Echo Meadows features interpretive signage about the Oregon Trail and Native Americans in the area, as well as a one-mile stretch of visible wagon ruts made by covered wagons between 1847 and 1860.
Interpretive signs commemorating the Oregon Trail and gravestones are also evident at multiple sites throughout Echo.
Historic St. Peter’s Church
Another popular option for sightseeing and picture taking in Echo is St. Peter’s Church at 33208 Marble Street.
Preservation efforts at the church have been underway since 2015, first by the Echo Kiwanis, and by the Echo Heritage Association since 2018.
According to Duffy, St. Peter’s was first dedicated in 1913, however, it’s been decades since the last mass was celebrated there.
Over the years the church fell into disrepair, with birds getting inside, broken windows, dust and dirt were everywhere, the roof was leaking, and the grounds were overgrown.
The Echo Heritage Association started raising money to restore the church and received several in-kind working contributions to clean the site up and are now happy to open the church up for anyone who would like a tour.
“A few people have had their weddings here, but a lot of people just want to see what the old church looks like,” said Duffy.
The pump organ, dating back to 1900, which was restored thanks to a Wildhorse Resort and Casino Grant, is always a favorite with visitors.
Ideas for the restoration and use of the church ranged from using it as a venue for weddings, receptions or music programs to the concept of a brewery, tasting room or even a home.
“We decided the best thing was to just let it be an old church,” said Duffy.
After several years of discussion, the Baker Diocese deeded St. Peter’s to the Echo Heritage Association to restore and treat respectfully.
The Echo Heritage Association rebuilt and refurbished the pews with the help of another grant and built a new altar rail, replaced the doors, and replicated the cross on top of the church.
“We’re slowly revitalizing with quality work on the small parts, with the ambition to redo the whole thing and do it well,” said Duffy.
The Echo Heritage Association has also acquired the lot behind St. Peter’s, for the possibility of building a community center behind the church.
The Echo Heritage Association plans to formalize plans for St. Peter’s after its fall meeting, then start raising the funds to bring that plan to fruition
“Our plan is to revitalize the old church, build a new community center, and have the money to back its operations,” said Duffy, who understands the scope of the project is years, not months long. “Our ambition is to have St. Peter’s last another hundred years.”
Nic’s Corner Bistro
After walking the golf course and exploring Echo, head to Nic’s Corner Bistro at 201 W. Main for some lunch.
Nic’s Corner Bistro has been open for about a year and has become the go-to place for mixed drinks, specialty coffee and homemade cuisine.
“We’re going strong, staying busy and also doing lots of catering,” said Nicole Harris, Owner of Nic’s Corner Bistro.
Having learned from her mother and grandmother, cooking is something that Harris has always enjoyed.
When a friend opened Farm Grounds Coffee in Paterson, Washington, Harris created food options, including subs and wraps.
After a few years Harris began thinking about how she could upscale that model to the level of her own restaurant.
“After a few COVID years, I decided to pull the trigger,” said Harris. “Thanks to a Umatilla Electric Cooperative business loan, I was able to get this building, remodel and make it happen.”
Harris lives in Echo and is always cooking for friends and family, in addition to helping run her husband’s business. When the building opened up, she decided the time was right to make Nic’s Corner Bistro happen.
Everything Nic’s serves is homemade. A few of the more popular items on the menu are the smash burgers and the 10-ounce flatiron steaks, according to Harris.
Nic’s Corner Bistro also serves coffee and is the only establishment in Echo that offers mixed drinks with hard alcohol, including the Old Fashioned and the Huckleberry Cosmo, two of the most popular cocktails.
In addition to delicious food and drinks, patrons of Nic’s Corner Bistro can expect excellent customer service, with a personal touch.
“The Echo community brings people here and I talk with every table and touch base with all my customers,” said Harris.
Sno Road Winery
After another nine holes of golf someone spending a day in Echo can relax with some local wine at the Sno Road Winery tasting room in the historic Koontz building at 111 W. Main in downtown Echo.
Owned by Lloyd and Lois Piercy, Sno Road’s award-winning wines, including the Viola V Cabernet Sauvignon, are produced from their Echo West estate vineyard on a bluff above the Umatilla River just a couple miles out of town.
“We grow and produce all of the big reds, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, tempranillo, zinfandel, carmenere, pinot noir and muscat canelli,” said Lois Piercy.
The Sno Road tasting room is open Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Sno Road also hosts events throughout the year, including live music, grill-ins, tasting nights, and yoga, as well as private weddings, showers and parties.
“Echo is quite the community,” said Piercy. “Just come out and enjoy the lovely people and historic town.”
Echo Ridge Cellars
Echo Ridge Cellars, owned and operated by Jay and Kim Bales, and their daughter, Berlyn Anderson recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and is another option for trying some of Echo’s wines.
The Bales grow about thirty acres each of Cabernet and Merlot grapes, and around an acre of Muscat grapes at their 60-acre vineyard above the Umatilla River overlooking Echo, and Berlyn serves as Winery Operations Director, Cellar Master and Winemaker.
“We’re a family business and we’re involved in every step of the process, from planting through pouring,” said Anderson. “Echo’s definitely a small town, but we’ve been welcomed, the community supports us and it’s been great.”
Echo Ridge Cellars has multiple event venue options, including a grassy area for weddings, the Silo for smaller events of up to 250 people, and an Airbnb right next door.
The winery also hosts Wine on Wednesdays, with wine available for $5 a glass, a price that hasn’t changed in 10 years, according to Anderson.
On Fridays from May through September, food is available from different local vendors, restaurants or food trucks during Food Fridays at Echo Ridge, with Taco Xavi scheduled for July 24 and Nic’s Corner Bistro on July 31.
Echo Ridge Cellars is located at 551 North Thielsen St in Echo, OR, and can be reached online, or at 541.376.8100.
Winery hours are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
You might need more than a day in Echo
If your day in Echo runs long, there’s a few Airbnb options for staying the night, including the Powers House, a 1910 Victorian home in downtown Echo.
The Tolar House, a recently updated two-bedroom home next to the Echo Ridge tasting room, is also an option.
The Echo School District PTO holds the annual Echo Car Show, featuring classic cars, vendors and food booths downtown over Memorial Day weekend, and the annual Red to Red Mountain Bike Race, the first race of the Oregon XC Series each year, starts and finishes in downtown Echo every March.
Registration for the 2027 Red to Red is now open.
The Echo Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch at 300 N. Dupont Street, offers fall fun from September into November.
It’s easy to spend a day in Echo and if the dining, recreation and entertainment options don’t make you want to come back, the Echo community will.
More information on Echo, its history and attractions is available online through the City of Echo.
