Fairfield Inn And Suites By Marriott Bend Downtown

We drive alongside the Clackamas River, so beautiful we run out of adjectives as we point out to each other the views we want to share. Driving up towards the Cascades we see Mt. Hood in the distance, alone and majestic. At 4800 feet we drive through Santiam Pass and start the long road down, final destination Bend. We set up camp in Tumalo State Park. It is the weekend, there are so many people in the state parks we pass, we decide to stay two nights right here.

We decided to spend the night in Bend and found a place to stay online before we left our Hampton Inn. Stopped by Costco (again!) to gas up before we left town, then took highway 84 West past the Columbia River, Mt. Hood, and a huge re-planted forest from the Patterson exit. On 97 South we were on the Scenic Byway Journey Through Time. We passed the Moro State High Football Champs notice, then in Grass Valley (a tiny ...

We stopped in La Pine and walked.

We stopped in the Volcanic Monument.

We walked on the Lava Fields.

We drove through Bend, Redmond & Madras.

Past Warm Springs, the car overheated and we pulled over.

We waited for the car to cool down.

We, slowly, drove up the mountain to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood.

We went to the Crook County Museum.

We drove north into the Ochoco's.

We went to the Painted Hills, John Day Fossil Beds.

We drove through Mitchell and failed to find food.

We drove through Dayville and failed to find food.

We had food in Mt. Vernon.

We drove down the S. Fork of the John Day river and slept near Izee.

We drove to Bend.

We drove up Pilot Butte.

We walked around Drake Park and Bend downtown.

We went to a comic shop.

We had tea at Townshend's.

We met my old friends and walked to Old Mill district.

We ate American Chinese food.

We watched a cinema.

We drove back to Prineville.

We had a couple family dinner's.

We walked around Prineville.

We went to the court-house.

We went to the round-up at the park.

We sat in the yard and watched 4th of July fireworks.

We drove up to the Prineville Reservoir and watched deer.

We traveled to Bend intermittently.

... Canyon/ Flaggstaff/ Jack's Canyon/ Sedonna, AZ 5/28-6/2 Bishop, CA 6/3-6/20 Yosemite, CA 6/21-6/25 Lover's Leap (Lak Tahoe), CA 6/27-6/29 Elko, NV 7/1-7/10 Salt Lake City, UT 7/11-7/15 City of Rocks, ID 7/16-8/4 Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons, Wind Rivers, WY More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benkunz/se ts/72157616646028326/

... the displays and a whole lot of fossils in the visitor's centre, we drove to the trailhead of the "Blue Basin" trail where the layered rock has an incredible blue hue to it and where you can walk up through a valley to several sites of major fossil finds. Sadly, as we were half way into the walk, dark, threatening rainclouds loomed over the hill ahead and we decided to turn back for fear of being caught out and soaked to the ...

... car, not a fun activity, especially in the dark. At the summit of Santiam the wind was blowing snow all over the road forcing me to stop until I could actually see, the vacant road was a definite plus. The stressful drive was worth it seeing as when Kaycie and I arrived at the Grandparents' there was hot tuna noodle casserole waiting for us ...

... was a head honcho in the federal drug enforcement program. Think of them (and Marshall) as part of the tidal wave of federal retirees who are leaving the government. They showed us the new house they are building, and then we sampled the local brewery and had a short evening to visit. They are thrilled to be starting a new life in the Hood River area, which has become the haven for wind-surfers because of the high winds through the canyons of the Columbia River ...