I could have easily stayed spent another week eating, hiking and drinking my way through Portland but after four glorious days, it was time to make the drive back to California. Since we had already driven up the coast on the way there, we opted to head east on the way back along Highway 26 through Mount Hood National Forest.
There was so much that I wasn’t able to capture with my camera because we were driving but the views of Mount Hood from the highway were breathtaking. My original plan was for us to stop off at Buzzard Point to take in the view from afar but unfortunately the road leading there was completely snowed-in. So instead we drove up to the Timberline Lodge which sits right on the southern slope of the mountain.
We all got to stretch our legs for a bit and then it was back in the car to make the drive to Bend. The scenery went from lush and green to a dry dessert within a couple of hours.
Along the way we stopped at the Peter Skene Ogden Scenic Viewpoint to get in a little more walking and sight seeing. Again, my pictures just don’t do it justice. The views were beautiful.
By the time we got to Bend we worked up an appetite so we stopped at Next Level Burger for lunch. I ordered their classic burger, Brandon got a loaded chili dog and we both split a kale salad. Oh, and I washed it all down with a local kombucha they had on tap. ‘Twas deeeeelicious.
Of course I had to find a bakery for a treat to take with me on the road. I grabbed a cardamom brioche bun from The Village Baker and it was amazing. Bend gets two thumbs up for food!
