Bend, Oregon

Central Oregon Road Trip

Sunday, May 22, 2022 

Bend, Oregon

64 degrees and sunny!

We needed to pick up a few groceries, so we drove south to Fred Meyers in Redmond then headed down to Bend (45 minutes south of our campsite in Culver) to do some exploring. First stop, coffee! Bend has over a dozen coffee shops and we decided on Thump Coffee since it's near a couple of bookstores we wanted to visit. Thump has a relaxed, artsy vibe, reminding us of The Mill in Lincoln (NE). I had a Spicy Mayan Mocha and a Nutella cream cheese type of croissant. Rod had the same pastry and a latte. Delicious! My mocha was true to its name; much spicier than the Mexican Mocha that I previously had in Sunriver, but still very good.

Fueled with caffeine and sugar, we headed out to explore downtown Bend. Our first stop was at Pegasus Books. It's a funky little store with a large selection of comic books, graphic novels, anime & manga, role playing games, sports cards, toys, as well as fiction and nonfiction books. It's a small store with narrow aisles and there were several people browsing, so we decided to move on. 

Our next stop was Dudley's Bookshop, which we both immediately loved. Spacious and well-lit, we wandered around perusing the shelves and displays. The second floor is large and inviting, perfect for relaxing with a stack of books and a coffee or listening to an author's reading. I enjoyed chatting with one of the booksellers about my current read, as well as Rod's upcoming book release. We already had our fill of coffee and danish, but we'll be sure to sample their treats next time we're in town. 

My kind of bookstore!

I would apply for a job if I lived closer.

We wandered around town and started to think about getting lunch. Bend Brewing Co. looked promising, especially with their large outdoor patio overlooking a grassy picnic area and Mirror Pond. A Steely Dan tribute band was performing, and we got to listen as we enjoyed our beers & lunch.

Rod had the Korean pork belly bowl, and I had a fabulous chicken caprese sandwich with the most delicious peach and tomato chutney. I know where I want to get lunch next time we're in town!

As we walked back to the RV, we spotted this pretty little garden. The irises were stunning. It was a fun outing and we're already looking forward to another visit to Bend.