A “Bend” in the Road… July 7, 2008

On the 4th of July we drove from San Francisco to Bend, OR. Matt’s sister Christie road along with us to surprise their dad. I spent most of the 9 hour ride in the backseat reading “The Choice” by Nicholas Sparks in its entirety. He is one of my favorite authors.

We arrived in Bend just in time for the fireworks. A beautiful show that was shot off the top of Pilot Butte viewpoint…which happen to catch on fire during the show…but they kept on going.

Saturday morning we woke up to crisp, fresh air. Something we currently do not have in the desert. I’ve been told its 115 with humidity back home. Not fun…and not missing it! I was shocked that the clouds disappeared so quickly and just in time for our afternoon hike along the Deschutes River. What could have been a quick hike along the 3 mile trail, turned into a afternoon photo shoot. With dueling cameras, Matt, his sister, dad and myself all had our digitals with us and ready to go. I think I topped everyone taking over 225 photos on our hike. Matt came trailing in second place with just under 200. What can I say…I’m a bit of a camera slut. During the hike Matt and I fell in love with Bend. You’re surrounded by beautiful nature and so many outdoor activities. For me, summertime is about being outside, hiking, playing in the water, BBQs….not keeping cool in the A/C.

After the hike we headed downtown…less than a mile…and made our way to the Bend Brewing Company, where Tonya, the head brew master, really knows her stuff and has awards to prove it. My personal favorite was the Outback, a similar taste to my favorite…Fat Tire.

Saturday night we took a little trip to Best Buy…home of wireless routers. Being in Bend for over a week, Matt and I knew we could not go that long with out internet on our laptops….we just wouldn’t know what to do. Now the Ward residence in Bend is wifi and ready for connection….