On the road with the Feet & Forks

Kandi and Joyce on a rest stop walk.

The Feet & Forks hit the road this past week to hike, eat and generally have fun in the Bend/Sunriver, Oregon, area. This first post will be about our encounters on the road.

Our first little walk was at this scenic rest stop off of I-5 somewhere between Tacoma and Portland.

From top: Joyce, me, Kandi.
Nancy couldn't make the trip.

Hours later and over the river and through the woods, we pulled into the Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch in Madras, Oregon. The alpacas seemed to be enjoying the day, grazing, nursing and snoozing in the sun.

By then, I was starving. We fortified ourselves at the Mazatlan Mexican restaurant a little way down the road in Redmond.

Taco salads and quesadillas.

We got someone to take our picture in the restaurant's lobby. Love those cheery yellow walls!

THEN WE SPENT MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING HIKING AND EATING. I'LL BLOG ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT POST.

These next few photos are from the drive home. We had some spectacular skies and mist in the mountains as we headed back on 26 through the high desert and down through the mountains on the west side.

At the bottom of the mountain, we slid into Sandy, Oregon, and right into the parking lot of Joe's Donut Shop. Fabulous, fresh donuts! I ate a marionberry jelly donut there and brought home two maple bars for the friend who told me about Joe's and two custard filled chocolate iced donuts for myself. Yum! Joe's was started in 1974 by a guy named ... Joe.

Traffic through the Portland area is always backed up, and yesterday was no exception. But we entertained ourselves with music and talk. It's amazing how we can fill a six-hour drive with talk about everything from new restaurants to computer shortcuts.

Now that my car is back home in the garage, I realize how dirty it got on some of those unpaved roads. I almost hate to wash away the memories.

More tomorrow.

Have a colorful day