Blogs from Bend, Oregon, United States, North America - page 5

As we continue preparations for our departure, we are sad to report the loss of a very important member of our family. As many of you know, "little baby" has been with us for over two years. Camille was very excited to bring "little baby" along with us on this grand adventure. This past Saturday, at approximately 3:45, "little baby" was attacked by a set of wild dogs. This happened while we strolled the streets of Bend, Oregon. As we were saying our goodbyes to my sister Jackie and her husband Alex, "little baby" suffered what I am sure was a hideous death. Thank goodness for Bambini of Bend. After discovering the grizzly remains of our "little baby" we immediately rushed off to sooth Camille's aching heart. While the attachment is not quite as strong as ... read more

Howie and Judi very kindly let us use their bach for a night which was situated on the Little Deschutes River, south of Bend. Driving over the Cascades to get there was an interesting experience as it was pouring rain and we were a bit worried about the amount of snow over the pass. Fortunately, although there was quite a lot of snow on the ground, is was quite warm and only raining. The road was really busy though so it was still a slow drive and we arrived in Bend well after dark. Morning revealed clearing weather so we headed into central Oregon much happier that the rain had stopped! We took a slight detour to Smith Rocks State Park, just outside of Bend which was well worth the look and a really nice place ... read more

Leaving Idaho on August 1, we headed west into Oregon. Eastern Oregon is quite different from Central Oregon which is quite different from the Oregon Coast. Driving from the eastern border to Bend (located east of the Cascade Mountains) takes you through high desert. We spent two weeks in Bend at Crown Villa RV Resort, which has the nicest sites of any RV resort we’ve visited…..huge pads of pavestone, lots of manicured grass between sites, tall trees, everything just pristine. Unfortunately, the property has been sold to a housing developer. :( Bend has a very charming downtown, with Drake Park right on the river. The Old Mill District is being developed with shops and restaurants. There is a great farmer’s market every Wednesday with the best produce we’ve seen anywhere--think Harry and David- quality fruits and ... read more

The first time I saw a hot air balloon night glow was entirely by happenstance. I was living in southeastern New Mexico at the time, serving as a missionary, and enjoying dinner with some members of the local congregation. Bobbing up over their backyard fence we could see the balloons inflate and rise into golden orbs glowing in the evening spring air. Dinner was forgotten as we dashed around the block to watch and mingle and enjoy the event. That was ten years ago, and I’ve thought many times about attending another balloon fest. When I found out about the Balloons Over Bend Festival a couple of months ago, I quickly made plans to go. Tonight was the balloon glow at Pilot Butte State Park. I arrived just in time to watch the balloons glow in ... read more