In anticipation of our upcoming move, Tom and I began purging and packing up our apartment. I made an effort to visit all of my favorite hiking trails and paddle spots, including cycling the 42-mile Banks to Vernonia trail. Temperatures soared through June and July this year.
We also attended several goodbye dinners and parties with family, friends, neighbors, and work colleagues. I will miss our charmed life in Portland.
My friend Sarah moved to Bend last year; I was excited to see her new life in central Oregon. I drove up on Thursday via scenic Highway 22, stopping at Clear Lake for a paddle. The sunny and windless conditions enhanced the water's visibility.
Another hour on the road put me in Bend. Sarah gave me a tour of her townhouse before we caught up at downtown's Pizza Mondo. Sarah is a nomadic nurse turned software coder, and a terrific dog mom. We strolled to Bonta Gelato for dessert. Vegan nerds!
On Friday, we packed up the car and stopped for breakfast burritos at Strictly Organic. Then we drove to Tumalo Falls, a 97' waterfall on Tumalo Creek. Instead of the traditional loop hike, we started along the Tumalo Falls Trail, climbing to a viewing platform above the falls. We continued a few miles upstream to additional waterfalls. It was hot and buggy all weekend; Alice loved cooling off in the creek!
That afternoon, we took our paddle boards downtown to float on the Deschutes River. We shared a delicious Thai dinner at Sen. Then we treated ourselves to cheesecake from Little Slice of Heaven.
On Saturday, Sarah and I took the pups to Good Dog--an off-leash dog area with an extensive trail network along the Deschutes River. What a fun weekend!
 |
| Alice, Shae, and Lady |
On the way back to Portland, I drove north through Maupin to stop at White River Falls State Park. White River Falls plunges 90' over a basalt shelf. A steep, rough 0.7-mile trail travels deep into the canyon to a historic hydroelectric power plant at the base of the falls, then on to Lower White River Falls.
