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I headed over to the second summer flea market a couple Saturdays ago where a dozen vendors were selling furniture, art, French knick knacks like signs that say “bain” and “chambre,” Eiffel Tower inspired jewelry, vintage clothing, antique buttons and more. I enjoyed milling about the grounds, looking at trinkets and exploring Pomegranate’s pleasant shop, which is housed in an old wood-shingled split level building. A separate shed-like structure accommodates the garden part of the home and garden shop.

In addition to the French Flea Market, the day was also occasion to celebrate lavender, the feathery purple plant popular for its soft herbal scent. Shoppers came to buy buckets of planted lavender, lavender sachets, and lavender soaps and lotions. I also had a little cup of lavender lemonade inside the main store.

I came away from the flea market with a flower press for $7.00 and a trio of fancy French soaps (one of them lavender, of course) for $3.00, and left feeling inspired, refreshed, and maybe a little bit French.

If you go:

When: The next and final French Flea Market will be held on Saturday, August 23 from 10am to 4pm.

Where: Pomegranate Home and Garden, located on 120 NE Bend River Mall Drive (on the perimeter of the Shopko Shopping Center, and across from the Macy’s parking lot), off of Business 97/ US-20.

Other: It’s free to browse, but bring some cash just in case you find that perfect gift for your niece’s end of the summer wedding shower.

Farewell Bend Park offers 22 acres of tidy paths, big grassy areas, picnic tables, a playground, and brilliant views of the Deschutes River and the abutting marshy areas. I pass the park, which stretches alongside Reed Market Road, nearly every day, and look forward to the view–a layered panorama of snow-capped mountains, evergreens, the sparkling Deschutes and grassy fields– every time.

Last week when friends were visiting from Portland, we stopped at Trader Joe’s (on Highway 97), bought some bread, cheese and hummus, and hauled our loot to Farewell Bend’s grassy lawn. We enjoyed a sunny riverside picnic and did our best to avoid the flying Frisbees. Since Farewell Bend is a newer park, its baby trees provide little shade, but the park has several covered picnic areas for this purpose.

The park’s wide lawns practically beg for games of Frisbee, soccer, or volleyball (bring your own net). Or, if you’re less athletically inclined, you can walk or bike on the paths, stopping to read the plaques that explain the history of Farewell Bend, the city’s original, wordier name. The park also has a jetty that extends into the middle of the river for more up close and personal river views.

The entire park is stroller and kid-friendly. Children can play on the big plastic play structure, which includes a climbing rock (plastic, of course). Restrooms are available in the middle of the park, conveniently next to the play structure and the largest covered picnic area.

Parking at Farewell Bend can be a little tricky depending on when you go. All the spots are parallel and the lots fill up early on weekends since Farewell Bend is a popular starting place for river floating. If you can’t find a spot in the lots alongside the park, you can head up Reed Market Road and park at the Old Mill Shopping Center (turn left at Bond Street and take another left into the parking lot). There is a path that leads to Farewell Bend that is accessible behind Red Robin. It’s about a half mile walk, but beautiful and better than skipping the park entirely because of the parking situation.

Comfy, funky and a bit like hanging out in your bohemian aunt’s uptown loft, Townshend’s is a spot of hip and cozy sophistication in downtown Bend. The décor, a cushy mix of candy-colored couches, dark wood and brick, is as inviting as the spicy aroma that clouds your head as you walk into the Bond Street shop. The loose-leaf menu is a 12-page tea volume, with 84 varieties of green, white, black, oolong, chai, rooibos, máte, and herbal teas. All loose-leaf teas are available hot or iced in 3 different sizes, including a pot to share among friends. Townshend’s also serves tea lattes and bubble tea, a sweet creamy tea with tapioca balls that you suck up through a special wide straw.

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A friend and I spent the greater part of a Friday morning at Townshend’s, she with her schoolbooks and I with my laptop. We settled into two orange chairs and I quickly connected to the free wi-fi, an easily accessible strong signal. My friend got a sweet taro bubble tea and I finally decided on an icy pint of pear and pomegranate tea, perfectly refreshing on this warm summer day.

Townshend’s attracts a mixed crowd of students, ladies meeting for a spot of tea and conversation, downtown shoppers stopping in for a cup of tea to go, and chic hippy types ordering loose leaf teas by the ounce. If you choose to linger, you can entertain yourself with one of the board games stacked on the table adjacent to the counter, which I noticed en route to the restroom, located through the shop’s back door.

The shop, on 835 NW Bond Street, is open daily from 9am to 10pm, so you can get your tea fix nearly all hours of the day and evening. I’ve been to Townshend’s three times since I discovered it, and I think it’s safe to say that I’ve found a new favorite spot.

I spent a lovely, lazy afternoon at Sparrow Bakery this past week and actually preferred the out-of-the-way location, feeling as if I had discovered a secret treasure. Sitting at one of five tables in the itty-bitty shop, I lingered over iced coffee and an ocean roll, a layered, flaky roll topped with a unique blend of spices of an almost Southeast Asian flavor (tarragon? nutmeg? cinnamon?-whatever it was, it was really good). While Sparrow Bakery does offer free wi-fi, I opted for a more old-school afternoon, bringing only my journal and a pen.

The sunny interior of the shop has a solarium feel, with windows and two screen doors allowing for plenty of natural light. Slate grey and goldenrod walls are decorated with large paintings by a local artist, many of them featuring a bird motif. Outdoor seating is also available, with tables shaded by the willowy vines crawling along the brick exterior.

In addition to scones, cookies, and croissants, the bakery also features fresh salads made from local ingredients and yummy-sounding sandwiches, including a croque-monsieur, a classic French sandwich with grilled ham and cheese. Drink offerings include lattes, espresso and French press coffee as well as loose-leaf tea, steamers and hot chocolate. An organic ginger brew on tap also peaked my interest- perhaps another time.

The skinny on Sparrow Bakery:

Where: 50 SE Scott Street. From downtown Bend, take NW Colorado Ave, following the road across the 97 Parkway. From the Old Mill District, take SW Bond, turn right onto Wilson Avenue and take a left onto 2nd Street, which turns into SE Scott Street.

Hours: Summer hours are from 9am to 2pm, Monday through Saturday.

As per the Bend Parks and Recreation website, the Deschutes River Trails are divided into five different sections according to terrain and location. As far as I can tell, I entered the trail on the east side of South Canyon Reach, across the street from the south end of Farewell Bend Park on Reed Market Road.

It’s amazing what beauty can be found just a few miles from home. As my friend and I walked down the trail our eyes were filled with a panoramic view of the broad blue river, flanked by evergreens and topped with a pale late afternoon sky. I couldn’t stop taking pictures as we walked along the well-cleared dirt path.

The trail meanders alongside the river and through wooded clearings, gaining elevation ever so slightly along the way. We came to a few forks in the road where the trail connects to others, but we stayed mostly on the low trails, keeping the river in sight. While bicycles are not allowed on this particular part of the trail, we did pass a few dog-walkers, joggers, a fisherman, and a young man clutching bouquet of wildflowers.

After crossing a bridge and making our way back along the other side of the river, we emerged on the west side of Reed Market Road, not far from the place we had entered across the street. We figured the entire loop was around 3 or 4 miles, and this particular part of the Deschutes River Trail is moderate enough for families with young children. My friend and I even spotted a lone picnic bench less than a mile from the trail entrance, begging for riverside picnics or an open air round of Scrabble.

A friend and I headed downtown in the early evening on Saturday to check things out. We were able to squeeze into a 2-hour parallel spot on Louisiana Avenue, off of Wall Street, and walked a block over to Bond Street, where our senses were greeted with wonderful sights, scents, and the promise of wonderful tastes. After walking up and down the street, checking out the offerings of the 40 vendors, my friend decided on a plate of Thai food for $6 and I got a miniature Kobe beef burger for $5. While in line, the man in front of me offered me a bacon-wrapped date. “That’s my dad. He likes to share,” the girl working the counter informed me. Thank goodness for generous people- that date was the single most amazing thing I’ve tasted in a long time.

As we happily noshed our food finds, we wandered up and down both ends of Minnesota Avenue, which was flanked by two stages. On one end, groups of people sat around scattered tables, watching a band perform on the Main Stage. On the other end, a smaller group gathered to watch the Iron Chef competition. While I normally love cooking shows, I realized while watching the chefs silently shuffle around the stage that on television, genius editing turns 2 hours of cooking time into snappy 5-minute clips. It’s a little different watching chefs braise a piece of fish in real-time, silently, and with little commentary, so we didn’t stay long.

After poking into a few downtown shops and making a couple more laps around the stands, we finished our Bite of Bend experience with bright orange Thai Iced Tea and Pomegranate Lemonade. We reached the car just as it began to rain, and left the event with stomachs full of food and minds brimming with mental lists of new restaurants to check out at a later date.

What to know before you go:
Bite of Bend is a free, family-friendly event. Local vendors offer everything from pizza and popcorn to fine wine and gourmet treats. With “bites” priced from $1 to $7, Bite of Bend makes for a relatively inexpensive (and yummy) date night. Stay for the live entertainment and competitions and you can make an entire evening out of it. This year Bite of Bend took place on Saturday from 11am to 10pm and Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Find out more at the Bite of Bend website, and get your taste buds ready for next year!

We arrived around 6:00, an hour before the rodeo began, and parked in the field next to the arena, guided by mounted police officers. I was pleasantly surprised that parking was free and readily available. My friends and I bought our tickets ($10 for general admission) and settled into the red section of the arena. This particular night was Family Night, so children under 12 are free. While family night implies less drunken cowboys to deal with, it also means swapping drunken cowboys for sober wriggling children. I spent part of the night worrying that the small child in front of me might fling pieces of ketchup-drenched hotdog my way. On the flipside, there’s nothing cuter than two-year-olds dressed in little cowboy hats and miniature red cowboy boots. Plus, many of the child-toting families left halfway through the rodeo to send their little buckaroos to bed.

Throughout the night we cheered for cowboys as they roped and wrestled steer, rode bucking broncos and wild bulls, and broke in wild horses. I also spent much of the evening gasping and cringing and wondering how watching men in tight jeans voluntarily risk their lives became part of American culture. Luckily no one was seriously injured, but there were some near tramplings that made my heart lurch out of my chest.

We began and ended the night with the rodeo queens, who wowed us with their barrel racing and sparkly western-wear. And for the mid-evening specialty act, a cowboy known as the One Arm Bandit corralled two huge bulls on the top of a trailer.

The festivities ended around 10:15, but we didn’t emerge from the crowded parking lot for another 25 minutes. I would have considered waiting in the arena for the crowds to die down, but I was pretty anxious to get to a warm place, as I’d neglected to bring a jacket with me.

When: This year’s events took place on June 13-15 and began at 7:00 each night, with 1:00 performances on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend festivities also include a parade on Saturday and a breakfast on Sunday. Check the Sisters Rodeo Website for more information.

Where: From Bend, take Highway 97 to Highway 20 West. When you get into Sisters, the rodeo arena and parking will be on your left. The large signs and long line of cars are hard to miss.

Amenities: Rows of Port-a-potties are available for your restroom needs. Various stands around the arena offer a variety of not-so-healthy but delicious food. My friends and I had elephant ears ($4 each), ice cream ($3 for one scoop), a medium soda ($2.50), and freshly made curly fries ($4). I also saw giant burritos, nachos and hotdogs for sale.

Cost: $10 general admission, kids 12 and under free on Family Night. On Saturday and Sunday ticket prices were $10, $12, and $15.

What to bring: A jacket or blanket (once the sun goes down all heat disappears), money for tickets and treats.

After parking in a 2-hour lot behind Wall Street, my roommate and I spread out our blankets, unpacked our picnic lunch of Safeway sandwiches and raspberries from the Saturday Market (across from the library on Wall Street), and relaxed in the (finally) warm weather. From our sunny spot we watched the swans majestically float by and laughed at the ducks diving into the water, their little tails tipped up and feet flailing. The presence of ducks is evidently famous in Drake Park because when I was Googling all things Bend before I moved up here, I found a website selling t-shirts that said “I stepped in duck poop at Drake Park.” Fortunately I was able to hop around enough in the grass to keep the t-shirt’s message from becoming a prophetic one, and my time at Drake Park was duck poop-free.

Much like the parks of Europe, Drake Park is a gathering place for a wide variety of people, which makes it a wonderful place to people-watch. I saw families, couples, groups of high school age friends, dogs running alongside bicycles, and downtown shoppers sauntering through the park, recovering from stints of retail therapy.

Drake Park stretches along NW Riverside Blvd, and I have yet to explore its entire 13 acres. I did locate a new-looking restroom near the center of the park while I was wandering around, but I’m sure there are more treasures to be found. The park is a perfect locale for lazy afternoons, family outings, a date night accompanied by wine, cheese and poetry, or a leisurely bike ride. It’s certainly much cheaper than a European vacation- just watch where you step.

Tumalo Falls is just a 12 mile drive outside of Bend heading west on Galveston Road which turns into Skyliners Road. Take Skyliners road to Tumalo Falls Road, following the signs along the way. The signage for the falls is a bit confusing, with signs pointing in conflicting directions, but if you cross the one-lane bridge over Tumalo Creek and veer left, a two and half mile unpaved trail will take you straight to the falls.

We parked, grabbed a $5.00 park pass, and walked a few steps up a trail to catch our first view of Tumalo Falls. We were amazed at how rectangular the falls appear, largely due to its wide mouth of water that noisily surges down in perfectly straight lines about 100 feet, joining forces with Tumalo Creek.

After admiring the waterfall for a bit, we headed up the hill on North Fork Trail, which gradually gains elevation and offers a closer view of the falls. We looked out over the waterfall, commenting on the snowy white patches still visible amongst the dark trees on the hills before us. Little did we know we would soon be plodding through this same snow in a few moments.

The trail next to the falls loops up and around, connecting to Happy Valley Trail, which should perhaps be renamed “Snowy Valley Trail.” Even in late May, patches of snow still lined (or covered) much of the trail. As we gained elevation, small patches gave way to large mounds so much of our hike was spent climbing up and down these snowy heaps. Mokie couldn’t have been happier, rolling around in the snow and sliding down the hills on her belly. She was quite entertaining to us and to passers-by who witnessed her manic baby seal impersonations.

My friend and I weren’t as delighted with the snow as Mokie was, however. And since Chacos aren’t exactly the best shoes for snow mountaineering, we decided to turn back, wandered back towards the creek‘s edge, found a lovely spot on a fallen log and pulled our books from our backpacks. We read for a while, took one last look at the waterfall and headed back to the car, Mokie in tow.

If you go:
- The waterfall is beautiful and worth seeing, but I would wait until later in the summer to hike on some of the higher trails, unless you don’t mind schlepping through leftover snow piles.
- Restrooms are available in the parking area. Once you‘re on the trail, though, you’re at the mercy of nature.
- The trails that lead to the waterfall viewing areas are pretty mild (and quite short) and would be appropriate for families with young children. Strollers probably wouldn’t fair as well, however.
- As we discovered, Tumalo Falls is entirely dog-friendly.