Lunch in the Volcano

Dutch Oven Event

We attended the Dutch Oven show in La Pine today. I was surprised to find that, in additon to booths featuring food and Dutch ovens, there were also booths with knives, antiques, wood carvings and chainsaw bears. We enjoyed samples of Dutch oven cooking including baked eggs, chicken and potatoes, and fry bread. The Indian fry bread was the best I'd ever tasted. The secret, according to the Native American-looking woman cooking, was that she cooked with shortening instead of oil, so the bread is light and soft instead of heavy and chewy. She'd learned to make it as a little girl.

Bi-Mart

After the show, we did some shopping at Bi-Mart in La Pine, a discount store similar to Target, but employee owned. Following Rachel Ray's advice about asking the locals where to eat, I asked the cashier where the best place to eat in La Pine was. She suggested a local restaurant but added, "Don't order the special." Then she said if we wanted something really good, we should eat at Twin Lakes, about ten miles east. I've been dying to go there anyway, so that's where we headed. Last time we tried, the roads were covered in snow and we turned around.

The cashier also likes El Pescador in Sunriver, and we chuckled at having similar tastes. She explained that she'd moved to La Pine from Napa, California, so her tastes were California tastes. No wonder we liked the same food.

Twin Lakes

The twin lakes, Paulina Lake and East Lake, are both volcanic cones in the Newberry Caldera that have filled with water. We ate at the restaurant on the shores of Paulina Lake, inside the caldera. It's been 1300 years since the last lava flow, so we didn't sweat it.

We followed lunch with a drive past the two lakes, then up to Paulina Peak, with incredible views in all directions. The air is hazy from the fires west of Bend, but the photos still came out fine.

Finally, we hiked to Paulina Falls, a beautiful pair of waterfalls just west of Paulina Lake. You can check out our pics on Flickr: Twin Lakes Photos.

Blue Jay Feeding Frenzy

Evidently the blue jays decided to spend Labor Day Weekend in our backyard. We had five of them squawking around, so I went out and sat on the back deck with raw peanuts and walnut bits. I'd do my special whistle, then toss nuts on the deck and sit there as the jays came and ate just a few feet away. I'm looking forward to the day when I have a blue jay eating out of my hand again.


Blog Tag: Travel