I made my first important life decision when I was six years old: I choose Squirtle as my starter. This decision was made on a brand new GameBoy Color, and motivated by a desire to be competitive against my brother’s Charmander. A lot of people will comprehend those statements, but for the confused and uninitiated, […]
Outside
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Go Here 7/6-7/13
Lavender In Bloom Central Oregon’s high desert environment allows for the cultivation of some of the most beautiful and unique floral life in the world. Budding and seasoned florists can get a dose of that wildlife at Tumalo Lavender Farm. The farm grows the calming, purple flower, which reaches full bloom in mid-July. Visitors can […]
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Enduring the High Cascades
Riders compete to finish 100-mile bike race
With its mix of mountainous terrain and high desert flatlands, Bend is a mountain biker’s paradise. The trails here offer a variety of challenges and sights, and their abundance makes it easy for riders to spend at least a week exploring all of them. Or, they can compete in The High Cascades 100 and see […]
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Mercury in Our Air, Water, Soil and Fish
In April of this year the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a warning about consuming too many bass found to be contaminated with excessive amounts of mercury in fish tissue sampled from a number of water bodies across the state. Dave Farrer, Ph.D., toxicologist in the Environmental Public Health Section at the OHA Public Health […]
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Go Here 6/29-7/6
Bend Kayak School Learn the skills necessary to navigate the whitewater rapids of Central Oregon! The Bend Kayak School is offering beginner classes this summer. These immersion classes will teach amateur kayakers how to safely and expertly maneuver kayaks downriver. The class will be spread across two days, and attendees can expect personal instruction that […]
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Dining on the Waterfront
Wanderlust tour explores taste buds and lake life
For Dave Nissen, founder of Wanderlust Tours, coming up with new ideas is a group effort. “We at Wanderlust often find ourselves hanging out, sipping on suds at the end of the day, and brainstorming what would knock people’s socks off,” he said. After 23 years in business, Nissen and his team of guides and […]
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The Sweet Sounds of Spring
Thanks to hearing device technology from Central Oregon Audiology, I am acutely aware of the cacophony of hundreds of male Pacific tree frogs in Central Oregon’s irrigation ponds, decorative water features, and drainage ditches that are making their presence known to one and all. They are gleefully summoning their lady-friend partners to come join them […]
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No Snow, No Problem
Mountainboards help riders conquer the summer slopes
If there’s one drawback to summertime in Bend, it’s the lack of snow on the mountains. Skiing and snowboarding down Mt. Bachelor and the other wintertime slopes is an exhilarating experience that isn’t easily replicated. But just because the snow has melted, doesn’t mean those mountains are useless. Mountainboarding is an alternative extreme sport that […]
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Go Here 6/22-6/29
Cascade Lake Kayak Tour For explorers looking to rest their feet, taking to the water offers a unique way to discover Central Oregon’s natural wonders. Paddle into the High Cascade Lakes for a spectacular and relaxing session of kayaking with Wanderlust Tours. A naturalist guide will give a crash course on paddling before leading kayakers […]
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The Perfect Day
Breakdowns, books and baby eagles in the Oregon Outback
When my wife, Sue, and I start out each morning to conduct our golden eagle survey for the Oregon Eagle Foundation, we never know what the day will hold, except that it will be a wonderful adventure, and at some point we’ll end up lost in Oregon’s Great Sandy Desert, and we’ll be very happy […]
