An Outing in Oregon

Some photos courtesy of Maya Gomez and Anthony Gomez — agphotography.com

During Spring Break, my family and I had the privilege of visiting the cities of Bend and Eugene in Oregon. Adventure abounds both in the wilderness and in the urban areas of the beaver state, but we would not have had nearly as many adventures without my aunt and uncle and our new baby cousin.

We stayed at the beautiful Mount Bachelor Village right on the banks of the Deschutes River. We hiked on the trails next to the river one morning, observing the nature and wildlife while soaking in the crisp, fresh air. The surrounding forests and flowers on the drive from Bend to Eugene took my breath away. We had to stop at some points along the road on the way back for some pictures. The presence of nature is also strongly felt at the University of Oregon in Eugene. U of O is a gorgeous campus dotted with majestic trees and colorful blossoms.

Most of our urban adventures took place in the streets of Bend, especially on Wall St. and specifically with food and shopping. Mt. Bachelor has bikes for rental, so we rented some and rode into town for many delicious meals and exciting shopping excursions.

While shopping, we wandered into cute little shops, each selling unique things. Paper Jazz sells decorated stationary, aromatic candles, lotions, incense, and homey keepsakes. Ju Bee Lee sells colorful clothing, simple yet elegant jewelry, and books bursting with information. Très Jolie was one of my favorite shops; it took me a while to make a difficult choice between hand-made soaps that smell amazing! I finally decided on the comforting and clean scent of vetiver, a root commonly found in India and Asia. My favorite shop was Ranch Records, a rockin’ record store. There, I could not help buying a Taylor Swift 1989 record after looking at other artists such as U2 and Smashing Pumpkins.

 

Some historic sights that we saw while walking around Bend were the famous McMenamins Pub and Brewery as well as the alluring Tower Theatre. We also visited the quaint little town of Sisters on the way to Eugene.

Our taste buds ventured to try new flavors as well. One of my favorite meals was from the Village Baker. I devoured Turkey with Strawberry Salsa sandwich (which also contained lettuce, mayonnaise, and brie) accompanied by Rosemary’s Chicken Soup and a rosemary roll, and I topped it off with a Caramel Apple Tart. This meal was eaten on a perfect picnic in the park. At the Summit Tavern, my mom and I tried a spicy — and I mean SPICY — habanero carrot soup. Seriously, unless you like having watery eyes and a stinging mouth, stay away from this stuff. Of course it can be cooled down by some delicious (seriously the best ever) Oreo Cookie ice cream from Goody’s Ice Cream Parlor or some rejuvenating iced mocha from the Palate Coffee Bar.

As you can see, Oregon is full of adventurous experiences, and I hope to return some day for more wandering.