The "old" mill is really all new shops of all kinds such as REI and Orvis; and shops such as Talbots, Chicos, Coldwater Creek (my personal favorite) and more. They have movie theaters and lots of restaurants throughout. During the summer they have free concerts, fundraising bike rides and more. I can imagine how packed they must get because the area was very busy yesterday in the early afternoon. And, it is along side the Deschutes River, a huge recreation area. We saw people in canoes and kyaks from Sunriver north to Bend. In the back ground is Mt. Bachelor that still has lots of snow. It is all very beautiful!
For nearly a century, timber production was the unchallenged king in Bend, most of it taking place in the Old Mill District. Hardy men used axes, crosscut saws, horses, and "high-wheel" rigs to cut down huge Ponderosa pines in the surrounding forests. "Mill B" site makes up the largest portion of the current Old Mill District. At the peak, Mill A and B were the largest pine sawmills in the world, running around the clock and employing more than 2,000 workers each. In 1950, facing dwindling timber supplies, the area was reduced to Mill A which closed in 1983 and was in a state of near ruin before being restored in the early 1990s. The old brick powerhouse buildings and their three towering smokestacks still stand, silently testifying to the district's colorful past.
After wandering around the Old Mill area Ted and I went south to Sunriver. It is a planned community and a huge resort area of 3300 acres. They have four golf courses with one running throughout the resort itself. They have a spa, fitness center, an airport for small planes and a marina where they rent kyaks and canoes. They have tons of restaurants and a little shopping area. There are 35 miles of pedestrian and bicycle walkways, 26 tennis courts, two pools and more.
We chose to go to dinner at the Trout House, a small restaurant right on the Deschutes River at the marina. We were there early and got a seat right on the river where we could watch the kyaks and canoes returning to the boat ramp next to the restaurant or to the marina. We had a great server. I ordered a strawberry margarita and it came in a small hi-ball glass with a silver milkshake container for the rest of it! It was huge! Ted had wine. For happy hour they had a lady making small homade cheese stuffed tortillas right there in the restaurant. They were delicious. We had a delicious dinner (I had shrimp stuff empanadas) and the waitress brought us icecream drizzled with fresh strawberries for our anniversary treat!
Watching out the window it was getting darker and darker so we headed back to the campground...just in time. We got inside and the skies opened up. It was pouring rain, thundering and lightning! It even started to hail for awhile! Max got scared with all of the thunder! Luckily it stays light until after 9:00 p.m. and the sky cleared up, not a cloud anywhere! Max and I went out for a walk along with all the other dogs!
Loving my husband..."Ain't Life Grand!"
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