In the initial planning process, Bend was not even on my list. But after reading so much about it and hearing such rave reviews, I thought it might make a good mid-point relaxation stop on our trip. So after Burns, we hopped in the SUV and headed west to the central Oregon playground of Bend.

I have to admit, after the openness of eastern Oregon, Bend was a difficult transition. It's a largish city (close to 100,000 population). It has traffic jams, tourist attractions, hotels galore, and is really the Oregon center of outdoor sports such as hiking, fishing, golfing, and skiing. I was ready to leave as soon as I got there. But since it was too long a drive to go somewhere else, we decided to take advantage of some of the special locations that make Bend attractive (after a helpful visit to the Tourism Center to get maps).

Bend, like so much of Oregon (who knew? I didn't!), is centered around volcanoes. Just south of town is the Lava Lands Visitor Center, Lava Butte, and Lava River Cave, all part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Lava Butte is a 500-foot high dormant volcano just outside of Bend. You can drive up to the top, where there is a fire lookout and visitor center. From on top, you get great views of the surrounding countryside, although the day we were there, you can tell everything is a little smoky. There were major forest fires burning in southern Oregon, spreading smoke as far north as Bend.

Around the base of the mountain were miles of lava fields, from the last eruption about 1,500 years ago. From the rim looking down, you also got great views of the extinct (?) caldera. Just a short drive away was the Lava Cave.