THURSDAY, 20 AUGUST 2020; BEND, OREGON

 Thursday, 20 August

Another beautiful sunny day.

We took Bella on a hike up Pilot Butte.  It is a lava dome that was created from an extinct volcano.

It rises 500 feet above the surrounding plains.  Bend is on of four cities in the US to have a volcano within its boundaries.  Portland, with Mount Tabor, is the only other city in Oregon with a volcano within its city limits. Jackson Volcano in Jackson, Mississippi, and Diamond Head in Honolulu are the others.

Pilot Butte is a popular hiking destination with two trails to the summit, each gaining about 490 feet in elevation.  There is also a 1.8 mile trail around the base.  The park had 949,968 annual visits in 2018.

We hiked a mile up the dirt trail.  It went in a circle around the butte up to the top.  

Mt Hood with the ridge on fire in front of it.  Taken from Pilot Butte

View of Bend, OR from Pilot Butte

Then we hiked back down along the road and then paved trail.  It was a nice hike and as usual, Bella loved being out.

We returned to the rig and took quick showers and then drove into town. 

We each got a heavenly, 90-minute massage.  Oh My,  it has been awhile and was much needed. I had knots in my neck, in my shoulders, and in my butt along the sciatic nerve.  Much better afterward.

After our massages we went to a Bar-B-Q place we passed along the way that advertised Tri-tip sandwiches.  They were delicious.

From there we went to Costco and then Rite Aide to pick up a prescription and a few items.  Then back to the rig.

I put groceries away and settled in for a nap.  Rob went off for a cardio work-out bike ride.

We didn’t feel like eating dinner after our late sandwich.  We went for a walk around the RV Park instead.  

We met a nice couple who had two Chiweenies like Bella.  One was a female, almost 10 years old and she was very friendly and liked Bella.  The other was a male youngster who they kept away from Boo as he is a bit unpredictable.  They are from Morgan Hill, CA and bought a house here in Bend two years ago.  He is a fire fighter on vacation.  They bought their house and then rented it out which is why they are here in their RV.  They will move here full time in two years when he retires.  They were a nice couple.

We continued to sit outside until bed time.  It was a wonderful day and a lovely evening.