Woke a bit later and saw that the weather was overcast. By the time we had breakfast etc it was 11.30. Drove to top of pilot butte which has 360 degree views over Bend. The butte is a larve mound. The road to it was hairpin and very narrow. The butte is flat at the top. You could see the mountains all around Bend plus the sprawl it has become. The sun came out and the clouds cleared as we were up there. Wonderful. After taking in the views - back in the car. We had decided to go to the lava lands. Driving down the road (the same one we driven up from diamond lake), the lava lands were about 10 miles south of bend. By the side of the road huge piles and drifts of molton black lava that had solidified. It looked very unreal. We paid $5 to get in and were given a timed ticket. This gave us half hour. We drove the car up this even more narrow and winding road than pilot butte in a corkscrew fashion and ended very high at the top of lava butte. The views were again 360 and stunning. Mountains were surrounded by dense pine forest broken up by the road we had just driven on. The forests went on as far as the eye could see. we could se mount batchelor with snow on the top. There was a look out point where the park rangers looked out for fires. On one side you could see where the firest was broken up by lava. There were huge swathes if it. Had a photo taken with the ranger and after taking in the biews our time was up.

Drove back down and stopped at the visitor centre. This told the story of the landscape.

We continued on our drive to the 97 and cut across the 40 through three rivers to join the cascade lakes highway. This wss mile sfter mile of forest. We saw hardly any cars. We could not see the reservoir as it was off road. Decided to stop at elk lake. There was a loop drive around it. Nobody said it was a dirt track. Once i started i could not stop. Thiught the suspension would go but made it eventually to find that the other end was just off the road!!! There was little sign of too mamy people around in elk lake apart from a few cabins and seats and a place where people got married. Two wood seats and a canopy over.

Very peaceful. At last we saw an eagle soaring high above. Magnificant and spotted with the binoculars DAP got me as a leaving present. Very happy we left elk lake and continued on the drive through the forest and the views. We carried on through the cascades and stopped at devils lake where we saw anither eagle very close up. Wow wow wow.

A little nervous as down to less than a quarter left on petrol. Set back to bend and visited theteak old mill district which is a shopping area. Found some roundabouts on main roads. First ones this trip.

Had a coffee and banana cake and walked around this fairly new area. Huge stacks from the old mills have been preserved.

Got back to the loft and changed. Walked to the bend brewing company. (BBC). Managed to get in after ten minutes wait. Ordered a margarita and martin had an ipa golden ale. Very nice. The margareta was large. Ordered a steak and spinach salad and martin had a burger. All very nice. Had room for a pudding. Walked back and thought yet agin we saw more wonderful scenery.