As some of you may remember, Animated Meat first came to life in 2008 as a way to document some sights that managed to slip through the cracks of most popular travel websites. You may also remember that the original website was built on Apple's now defunct iWeb. From there, it migrated over to WordPress where it met an untimely demise at the hands of Russian hackers. Many of those old, pre-2012 entries have found a new home here in the Before the Now section. I would consider these posts as my starting place as a writer, probably comparable to a musician's first demo tapes. They are very rough, but I took them all seriously and wrote each one with passion. While I would like to believe that I have matured in my abilities as a writer, it is my hope that I carry this same blind passion into all of my new efforts.
Do not go to Bend and miss the Pine Tavern. This is a great restaurant with a patio area that sits right on the banks of the Deschutes River. It gets its name from the fact that there is a pine tree growing right through the center of the dining room.
They serve what can best be described as hearty fare. The weird thing is that despite the heat, the portions didn’t completely zap our energy.
A walk on the river after dinner goes hand in hand with this place.
One of the down things about Bend is that it gets hot. We made a feeble attempt to ride our bikes next to the Deschutes River only to find out that right around one o’clock, the sun is like a laser. Thankfully McMenamin’s was a welcome refuge.
This place is a one-stop shop if you plan on visiting Bend. They have a hotel complete with cabins, a pub, a restaurant, and a theater. The McNenamin’s company has several other locations built in historic sites scattered all over the Pacific Northwest.
I will always appreciate the charm of the building, but more than that, the relief from the afternoon sun.
The lessoned learned from the road is that to really enjoy a place, you need to eat local. The fare in Bend tends to lean towards pub grub. Deschutes Public House delivers the goods.
I know what’s you’re thinking. Bend is miles from the ocean. But that makes no difference because the oyster shooters were worth it.
This is a can’t miss appetizer called “Buffalo Shrimp”. Super hot and very nice. Watch out, though. The flavor will stay with you a while.
The only problem with this place is that I don’t live closer to it.
Do not hesitate for a second to take part in a Wanderlust Tours excursion. We were lucky enough to do the Starlight Canoeing, but if you look at their website, they also have caving, GPS trips, and snowshoeing to name a few.
Your guide meets you in a predesignated location. For us, it was the parking lot of a Fred Meyer. From there, you are whisked away to a lake in the surrounding mountains.
All you need to do is dress appropriately. The guide supplies everything else you will need.
The lake with the last of the friscalating dusk light.
After a quick set up, it’s off to the lake for some paddling, dessert, and stories about the constellations.
Before you invest an hour in this tour, there is an important question you need to ask yourself. Do I really like beer enough to find out how it’s made? Think before you answer, because the guides here are passionate about what they do. This is not the Heineken tour where they show you a video and then turn you loose on free samples for an hour.
If the answer is an unequivocal “yes”, then you are in the right place. No detail will be spared in explaining how this factory produces beer. First stop on the tour is the bar where they pour four, four ounce samples.
In a wise marketing maneuver, the higher ups at Deschutes placed the bar right in the middle of the gift shop. Don’t drink and shop. You really don’t need a Black Butte beanie.
Deschutes brews all of its own beer in house. This is a remarkable feat for a microbrew. As most of them expand, they have to contract brew. In other words, that’s not really a Sam Adams you’re drinking. It’s a Budweiser.
I think this was the point that Mai officially gave up on pretending to be interested. Just so you know, those brew kettles were custom made in Germany and are rolled out of one sheet of steel so there’s no welding seams.
Some La Verne and Shirley action.