Once in Bend, the first things we did was go for a walk at one of the beautiful parks nearby. My friend rattled off a list of options to do while in Bend and it just so happened that he owns a kayak. I kayaked in Ha Long Bay, but I’m afraid that’s about the extent of my kayak experience so I was eager to do it again.

We first stopped at Sparks Lake. It was quiet with the exception of a fisherman and a few deer we spotted. I stupidly left my camera in the car but once out on the lake, the views were beautiful. The water level was really low and at one point we got stuck out in the middle of the lake.

After paddling around for a bit, we decided to head just up the road to a small little lake called Devils Lake.

Isn’t the emerald green color of the water gorgeous?

After a beautiful, sunny day (ahem, unlike Portland weather) spent kayaking on these lakes in Bend, we worked up a bit of an appetite. And that’s when we decided to be adventurous and try a new gastronomic treat. Can you guess what we ate that evening? (Yes, I’ll be posting about it tomorrow).