Eagle Crest - Redmond, Oregon

Leaving our trailer behind at the Refuge, we took a one week Condo vacation to The Eagle Crest Resort just west of Redmond, Oregon.

We had a homey two bedroom/two bath newly renovated Gold Crown unit overlooking the Deschutes River.

The living area along with spare room and laundry were on the lower level. The Master Suite and a balcony was upstairs.

Kurt loved the new Weber Gas Grill and proceeded to delight us with some tasty meals.

The High Desert Museum just south of Bend has a variety of indoor and outdoor exhibits set in a 135 acre forest. Nature trails feature trail side exhibits about wildlife, forestry and settlement in the area.

There is an optional rapture show as part of their summer program. We got to be up close and personal with a Barn Owl, Peregrine Falcon, and a couple of hawks.

We stopped in Bend for a short factory tour and tasting of Goody's Ice Cream and Candy.

Pilot Butte is a lone cinder cone rising 511 feet above the city of Bend. From the summit there is a fantastic view of the Cascade Range as well as a bird's eye view of the city.

A short hike down the Deschutes River leads to the Benham Falls.

Benham Falls is more of a boiling rapids down a narrow chute than an actual falls. The river drops 95 feet in less than a half of a mile.

Bend, Oregon, is the home of Deschutes Brewery, a craft brewer. At least a dozen other micro or craft breweries call this town home. They even have a beer tour bus that takes visitors around to seven breweries.

We took a 45 minute tour of the Deschutes Brewery. There we sampled the eight varieties of beer that were on tap in the tasting room.

Smith Rock State Park, north of Redmond, became world famous in the 1980's as a rock climbing destination for beginning to expert climbers. We didn't climb but we enjoyed the scenery and watching others navigate the rock walls.

Cove Palasades State Park, north of Redmond, encompasses Round Butte Dam and its reservoir, Lake Billy Chinook.

Three canyons have been carved by the Deschutes, the Crooked, and the Metolius Rivers.