Pretty uneventful flight although the descent into the Portland airport was bumpy with a lot of turbulence. We were in the second row from the back (used our Aeroplan miles) which is unusual territory for Lana. In fact, we sat beside each other which is also a rarity when we travel together. Normally, she pays more for her seat and will get upgrades due to her Super Elite status with Air Canada. We did enjoy the AC lounge prior to our flight. ;-)
Picked up our rental car at the Avis counter and used our GPS unit to navigate to Bend which is about a three hour drive southeast from Portland. Per normal practise, our GPS unit took a while to calibrate itself to our new location and the freeway was pretty close to the airport. It always seems like forever, but it's really maybe 5 mins of feeling anxious and tense waiting.
Where is Bend?
Our rental car is a Ford Taurus. Good vehicle for longer distances and it has decent pickup speed. We took the picture at Trader Joe's in Bend.
As we were driving through what must have been the distant suburbs of Portland we came across an area off the side of the road which was full of food trucks. It was slightly before 12 Noon so this was a great option for a casual lunch. When we were getting our food we needed to ask one of the food truck owners where we were? Welcome to Sandy, Oregon. This is on the way to Mount Hood and Bend.
Yes, we are in Sandy, Oregon.
Food truck heaven right beside Pioneer Boulevard. In fact this main road has a two hour parking zone on both sides of this main street. We figure there were about 8 food trucks. Other names for food trucks are roach coaches or gut trucks. We love food trucks as there are opportunities to try different local cuisines in a casual place. Cash only. You can purchase alcoholic drinks although you can't take them with you to drink. You can even order a Mimosa at the breakfast food truck.
Lana saw a long lineup of locals at this food truck. As well, the vast majority were Hispanic-looking workers so it must have tasty tacos and burritos. Eventually, Lana made it to the front of the line. There are tables where you can sit and enjoy your meal. They even have toilets available which was more than the local fast food joints could claim.
Lana's order of three tacos; beef, pork and chorizo. Very authentic and tasty. Rice and beans were a good complement. Total cost = $8USD.
Randy's order at Joe Daddy's BBQ. Delicious Cubano sandwich ($9), baked beans ($3) and a 'real raspberry fruit smoothie' ($9) purchased at another food truck. Wow, I really love a good Cubano sandwich; ham, roast pork, swiss cheese and pickles. This came in a wrap. The baked beans were super good. Yes, the real fruit smoothie tasted like real fruit and gave me brain freeze!
While I was waiting for my food order and then my fruit smoothie I chatted with the owners as these are 'one person' operations. Very friendly guys. At various times while we were eating our lunch the sun came out and it got really hot. Blue sky with some clouds so the sun would come and go.
We continue our drive into the centre of Oregon. First part of the drive was up into Mount Hood ski area so heavily forested. There's a rise in elevation and then a slow descend into totally different scenery. For much of our drive to Bend it looks like being around Princeton, Merritt and the south Okanagan of British Columbia. This is what we mean by being in the Twilight Zone? Very dry and small trees. Very flat in many parts as well. Then we came across these weirdly shaped bluffs like being on the Canadian prairies.Appears to be many farms which focus on hay and wheat crops.
Lots of traffic going both ways along Highway 26 East and then Highway 97 South. Some passing opportunities and fortunately there are some super fast drivers. We only saw one police vehicle the whole time. With the one lane highway sections we normally got caught behind semi-trucks. We arrive at Bend around 15:00 and quickly find our Airbnb loft apartment. It is very hot with blue sky and the occasional cloud. There is a river near by and many people floating the river in inner tubes or canoes. We are very close to Hixon Park.
Living room section of our Bend Airbnb. We are above a commercial floor with pretty good views from this height. Seems to be a quiet area. It is a one bedroom with an ensuite. Decent size kitchen and wooden floors throughout the suite. Keyless door lock access and a walk-up one floor. Parking available in the rear of the building or up to four hours in the front of the complex.
Eventually, we drive to the closest Trader Joe's to purchase groceries for our five night stay. We decide to rely on Lana's iPhone Google Maps app, but it does not establish the bluetooth audio connection over the car stereo system until we actually arrive at the mall location and turn the car off! Yikes, we made it anyway. Our total bill = $100. We plan on two dinners in our apartment, as well to make lunches and have fruit for breakfast.
Next stop is Starbuck's for an iced chai. Lana's Google Maps system is working with the car stereo so all is good. This Starbuck's is located at Albertson's in a mall. My usual observation when visiting Oregon is this is a pretty homogeneous white demographic. Where are the African Americans, Hispanics and Asians? Other than the one asian sitting in the car next to me?!??!! :)
After the flight and then the long drive and for both of us, it's been a very busy travel day. Plus the day before Lana came from Boston and Randy from Kelowna so we decide we will eat in tonight. We pick up a pizza and a flatbread at Trader Joe's. We find a locally made 22 ounce Blackberry Avid Cider made with 'real juice' and 6.2% alcohol. We pair this with the pepperoni pizza and mushroom flatbread. Plus, Lana loves hard cider! It is not super sweet so very enjoyable. Pretty casual dinner while we update the travel blog and Lana tries to stay current with her work emails.
It is a beautiful night in Bend. What is Bend known for? Basically, it is known for many craft breweries, outdoor sports and the last remaining Blockbuster Video store in the world. We decided to make this our destination as a result of various friends commenting on the hiking ops and the food/drinking culture. The weather forecast a few days ago was very optimistic for sun and warmth for most of our visit. The latest weather forecast is for a great day tomorrow, but the remaining days of our central Oregon time will be rain.
Our last remaining task for the night is to figure out our hiking destination. With the weather forecast this may be our only opportunity for a longer scenic hike. Randy researches our list of 'best hikes' and we figure out a great hike. Lana finds Netflix so she is happy. Plus, drinking hard seltzer she discovered in Trader Joe's. Hey, we are on vacation!
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