Bend, Oregon

(Second try - I hit the wrong button.)

Bend is a very nice place. With 80,000 people, it is just the right size. They have all the important stores - like Trader Joe's, Costco, and outlet stores, but surprisingly the downtown is booming. We drove through the other day and I think every parking spot was taken. That's nice to see.

Although I've been neglecting the blog, we have been busy here. We're parked on National Forest land conveniently located just about four miles from downtown.

Here's the view out the front of the RV. Oh, look! It's Ron filling in the windshield crack so it won't get any bigger. He did this a few years ago on the same crack, but it recently started to run again.


On to our various activities. One day we took the bikes for a ride along the Deschutes River. Pretty and flat - my kind of ride.


We went to the High Desert Museum. They had a sawmill from the early 1900s that was not running, but having Ben (in period costume) tell us about the workings and history almost made up for it. He said all the boards for the surrounding pioneer building reconstructions were cut by this sawmill. They would love to run it every day, but the guys with the know how are getting old and are not available. They need to pass on that knowledge to the 50-year-old youngsters.


I liked this diorama of western life on the trail.


They had some animals that were unable to be released into the wild. I think the otter was depressed because he was lonely. He did come out and do a lap for us though.


And very exciting! I got to see a salmon jumping upstream. (Okay, he was a bit metallic.)
The museum had lots more to see and was reasonably priced.

Another day we went to Tumalo Falls. How gorgeous! It reminded us of Lower Yellowstone Falls, but without the yellow cliffs.


Here's a closer view.


Just look at the power of this waterfall!


By following the trail for a couple miles, you can see two other impressive falls.


This picture is actually the upper part of the previous one. The other waterfall was through the trees so I didn't get a decent picture.


If you are really observant, you might see this undernourished elephant along the way.


Another day I made up for my previous failure to climb to the top of the cinder cone in Lassen NP. In the northern part of Newberry Crater National Monument, they have one you can DRIVE up!


Here's the view into the center of a cinder cone. I'm glad I didn't go to too much trouble. I was expecting it to be deeper.