Serendipity...just the way we like it!

When we left the breath-taking view of Mt. Bachelor refected in still icy Lava Lake this morning, we didn't know what the day would bring. Some days are like that. We only knew that it was time for a Wal-Mart pit stop and the city of Bend, OR was our destination. Darcy is always reading up on the highlights ahead and taking down suggestions from friends, both long time and just discovered. As we neared the city, a sign for the High Desert Museum caught our attention. We recognized the name from our "To Do" list, so in we went. For nearly four hours we were mesmerized by the story of the "Old West" as it played out in west central Oregon. The exhibits showing the transformation over time of the people and their life styles, the animals and the natural surroundings were spectacular. Exhibits were both inside a lovely spacious series of buildings and outside amidst the Ponderosa pines. Volunteers in period costume of 1850 created a living history for the visitors. A great variety of live animals make up a permanent part of the displays. We joined the raptor presentation on an outside patio and learned a lot about hawks. A traveling collection of wolves and bears, life-like but stuffed, had such an interesting story with it that we went to that room twice. Life-sized bronze statues of many animals claiming the area as their home were placed throughout the walkways outside. A shared cinnamon roll and coffee made a perfect end to the afternoon. We are looking out at the snowy Three Sisters Peaks from the Municipal Park in Sister, Oregon tonight. Since we are near the downtown shops, we're about to go in search of an ice cream.