We arrived at Bend and set out to the camping spot we had booked. Booking online has its advantages and disadvantages. We are able to secure camping spots, so we don’t have to take time out of our busy schedule to go out searching for one. The disadvantage is that pictures can be deceiving. Unfortunately, when we booked, there weren’t any great photos of the site, and when we arrived, we quickly realized this wasn’t the place for us. There were hardly any trees in the campground, and the outside air was already cooking. To not have any shade was, well, horrible. We drove by our spot, which backed onto the family behind us. We would pretty much be camping on top of them. It looked like they were already stretched out into our campsite. If we set up camp, we would pretty much be sleeping with our neighbours, so we decided to get a hotel room instead. It was a nice treat as we had been out camping for the past five nights, so a room, bed and excellent bathroom facility was welcome. We were also able to charge up all our electronics.
We wanted to check out the lava river tube at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument just south of Bend the following day. We’ll drop a link at the bottom of the article. This mile-long lava river tube took us about an hour and a half to walk to the end and back to the entrance. You need to purchase a $ 5-day pass for the park and reserve your time online to head into the lava tubes, but entering the caves is free. You can rent very bright flashlights for $5, which we ended up renting 2, and we also had our own headlamps.
Once you arrive, you must attend a 10-minute safety meeting before entering the caves. They make a big point: they don’t want you to enter this cave if you have worn your clothes and shoes in other caves. This is to prevent the spread of White-nose syndrome to bats. This is an unguided tour. When you enter, you climb down a staircase, and then it is just a wide-open tunnel. It is very uneven and can be a tripping hazard for anybody. It also goes from super bright to pitch dark down there. We went first thing in the morning, and it was relatively unpopulated. There were times when no one was around us, so we would all turn off all our lights to see just how dark it was. The tube had spots where the ceiling seemed close to the top of our heads, and then suddenly, it would open up to 58 feet high. We had so much fun exploring and taking silly pictures in the lava tube. We walked all the way to the end, where we took a family picture and then returned. I would recommend this stop to anyone going through the area. It was so much fun!
As we exited the lava tube, the afternoon sun was starting to get quite hot, and we thought about trying to find a place to swim. Being from the Okanagan, there are plenty of lakes around to jump in when the temperatures are in the 30s (86+F), so we found finding something in Bend a bit trickier. There was a very busy creek and a little too crowded for us, and the closest lake to swim in was a way out of town. We gave up trying to swim and just decided to walk around the town and explore Bend to see everything it had to offer. We went to the Old Mill District. This area is unique and charming. There is an old factory with 3 smokestacks that has been converted into a retail store, REI. What can I say other than I love Bend! The downtown area was so entertaining, and there were so many stores to check out. We would return to Bend in a heartbeat; it really reminds us of home. The weather is very similar, and it has a desert feeling.
That night, we decided to head out and go to a local restaurant for a bite to eat. We walked from the hotel as it was only about 20 minutes, and this way, Jeff and I could have a couple of drinks and not have to worry about driving. The restaurant we chose to attend was Bend Brewing Company. This place had so much outdoor seating and even a food truck in their yard. At the time of our visit, this place was crazy busy. We waited for a table outside under the tent. The food and drinks were delicious, and we had a fabulous night out with the girls, but our evening was coming to an end. After settling the bill, we then begin or walk back to the hotel, discussing our plans for the following day. Once back at the hotel, we packed up in preparation for our long drive back home the next morning.
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