Bend, Redmond, and Sisters

We arrived in Redmond and after settling in, met up with our fun friends, Peter and Andrea Wray, a lovely couple we befriended while wintering in Arizona.  They own a beautiful home in a gorgeous area of Bend, which they have up for sale as they want to downsize and relocate permanently to Arizona.

We always wanted to visited Bend, known for its Bend Ale Trail.  This fun town has numerous breweries and distilleries.  It also sits along the Deschutes River, where people floated, kayaked, and even some were white water rafting along certain parts.

The Wrays enjoy riding their electric bicycles around town, so they invited us to join them and off to rent electric bikes we went.  They took us to a trail along the Deschutes River and it was lovely, except for the small part, a really steep graveled incline.  Well, I guess I didn’t have the bike on the correct gear and it didn’t have enough umph and because it was so heavy, it started tilting and I fell right with it.  I didn’t break any bones, but boy did I get bruised.  I picked myself up, brushed off and got back on and finished the ride.  We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the adventure.

We also reconnected with yet another amazing couple, whom we likewise met in Arizona, Jeff and Pam Roda.  By happenstance, they live in Redmond, a bedroom community just outside Bend, surrounded by gorgeous views.

The Fourth of July was our 34th wedding anniversary and we spent it with the Rodas and some of their friends grilling out and watching fireworks in the Redmond fairgrounds, which also happened to be where we parked the RV.

While in Redmond, Jackson had an a traumatic experience.  He cracked one of his lower canines the last week we were in Casa Grande, Arizona and although we took him to a vet right after it happened and were told it was good and not to worry about it, it had to be extracted.  The poor boy was on soft foods for two weeks and was not able to have his favorite treat, carrots, so he was not a happy dog.

With the Rodas we visited the cute little town of Sisters.  Sisters was a special place.  Not only was it an absolutely beautiful village, with the Three Sisters cascade mountains as its backdrop, it was a community bursting with energy and its people could not be more friendly.  Its buildings had a western flare and numerous unique boutiques, book shops, quilt shops and restaurants.  It is known for hosting numerous festivals and musical venues which brings people in from near and far.  Pam is a quilter and she took me to the most amazing fabric shop where we both did a little damage.    Pam is done with her project, I on the other hand, not so much.

The Rodas drove us to Smith Rock State Park, one of the most breathtaking natural wonders of Central Oregon.  Smith Rock is a destination for Rock Climbers and hikers who want to be surrounded by beautiful rock formations along a winding river.

Between the Wrays and the Rodas we were kept pretty busy and we thanked them profusely for all their hospitality.  We so loved this area and wished we could have stayed longer, but our journey continues….