We dropped by on a hot weekday afternoon and were so glad we did…read more The museum has a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits - we saw them all but ultimately much preferred the indoor ones (both for summer heat and curation). Highlights included a very interesting retro 80s style exhibit on volcanoes that taught us a lot about the local geography. The kids also loved the beautifully done diorama'd historical rooms although more signage explaining some of thoughtful details would have been appreciated. The current art auction was also great to puruse, some beautiful and creative works there. We went to one talk at the amphitheatre that we found surprisingly dry. The otter exhibit was also fun to see as well as learning about the awesome lampreys. We stayed about 3.5 hours and probably could've lingered longer.

While visiting in Bend we decided to check out the High Desert Museum, which was very informative…read moreand interesting mixing of live and set exhibits and broken down to inside viewing of sudden stage of dessert conditions and living and animals living in the area. They also have an outdoor exhibit with live and items of the pass you will see along the way though out the area. They have places to sit and rest but the outdoor path can be a little steep in certain area, if you have a hard time walking, you might want to enjoy more time on the indoor exhibits. They have a restaurant and gift shop with area to sit if you need to rest. The restrooms are clean & well maintained and they even have handicapped restrooms. The parking is large and if someone has trouble walking you could drop them off in the front where they have benches they can wait until you get back from parking the car. Have much more pictures but only allowed so much you can put on.

This review is for 2 different trails. 1. Big Obsidian Flow…read moreTrail was a short and unique trail in Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Oregon. It was a ~0.7 miles round trip that took ~30 minutes to complete. Trail begins on a dirt path and shortly becomes a stairway to the obsidian lava flows. The lava flows were extremely rocky so hiking shoes are recommended. At the highest point of the trail was a distant view of Paulina Lake! Decent sized parking area at the trailhead. Restroom available at the parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/zshtzzNOCI0 2. Located 5 minutes from the Big Obsidian Flow Trail, Paulina Falls Trail was another short and rewarding trail. It was a ~0.5 miles round trip that took ~30 minutes to complete. Trail was mostly a decline towards the bottom of the waterfall on a dirt path! Limited parking area at the trailhead. Restroom available at the parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/Q28kfFT9QM0 The Lava Lands Visitor Center was about 30 minutes away.

We did the 1.1 mile Trail of the Molten Lands while in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The…read moretrail paved and in good condition. It is uphill and some spots are steep. There are informational signs in different sections of the trail. It was incredible to see how far the lava rock stretched. We stopped in the visitor center as well as the lava river caves and lava butte. We werent able to do the Pauline falls or Obsidian parts as the storms came in quick and hard. It is definitely a sight to see though. Its a milder trail than some others we've done this week and is an easier walk for most of the trail. There is also a half way point to loop around and you dont have to do the steep uphill portion to the look out area.

Definitely worth a visit! So much good history to read about here. If you're looking to beat the…read moresummer heat and learn a bit more about Bend this is the spot.

We decided that this week we would explore the Deschutes Historical Museum as part of our weekly…read moreexploration adventure. We were not disappointed! Parking was easy. There is a parking lot at the museum, plus there is street parking. The museum is contained in a 100+ year old schoolhouse. The small gift shop has several books that we want to add to our collection thereby ensuring that we will return multiple times. We spent about an hour and a half studying the exhibits and did not see everything. For me the most interesting part was the railroad contribution to the logging industry. Next time I want to spend more time in the bicycle exhibit. Before we left, we had an interesting conversation with the friendly and helpful museum staff. This is a great place to learn about early Bend history.

This free museum is in a former bank, and showcases Crook County history. It was bigger than I…read moreexpected, and I'm glad we took the time to stop. The museum director was manning the desk and helpfully answered our questions and gave good hiking advice.

One of Prineville 's best kept secrets…read more Outstanding curated collections of pioneer, Civil War, even Revolutionary War relics well displayed and managed. Great staff. Prineville is fortunate to have this next-level expertise.

While passing by this sign along the roadside stating Petersen Rock Garden, got my attention so I…read morelooked it up and it seemed very interesting. The owner of the property would pick up stones from within a 85 mile radius and started making rock structures. In the museum the have a show case of many different types of rocks and crystal and gems that he found while collecting rocks for his garden and inside the museum they have a dark room with black lights that bring out the different colors of the gems and rocks. Very interesting place to relax and have a picnic and enjoying the scenery with your family.

amazing place. Not huge but fun to walk around for a bit…read more Museum has excellent rocks and explanations. Peacocks are strutting around the grounds. Donations suggested

I wouldn't recommend the private planetarium experience. It felt like a waste of money...the…read moretechnology was outdated and we spent a lot of time waiting for the guide to figure things out.

We went with three generations. The children enjoyed it the most. During the day, we had an…read moreopportunity to look at the sun through a special telescope. There are also amazing views at night at the observatory. It is a fun outing that will last an hour or two. If you are only interested in night observation the observatory also has evening events. The staff and volunteers are very knowledgeable and friendly. I recommend stopping by.

Acquired an awesome Vernon Haskie cuff after communicating with Chris and LaRita. Knowledgeable,…read moresuper professional, and they represent their talented artisans well....I respect that. Smooth transaction, swift delivery for these times, great communication and tracking...cuff fit perfectly.

La Rita Chapman was a gracious curator and had lots of passion and historical knowledge of each…read moreindividual art piece in her gallery. We bought a small piece from DeAnna Suazo of the Tewa and Navajo tribes. I can't wait until she has some Shoshone pieces to show!

The Lava lands visitor center has a small gift shop, staff out front with times for a guided tour,…read morethey have souvineer penny smasher and a small museum about the volcano and fossils. It also had the trail heads for the trail of the Molten lands, the trail of the whispering pines, the roadway up to lava butte, as well as information on the lava river tunnels, and other things in this portion of the park.

Lava Lands is part of small cinder cones on the northwest side of Newberry Volcano, a massive…read moreshield volcano rises to the southeast. This region is characterized by extensive lava flows, including the 7,000-year-old flow from Lava Butte, a prominent cinder cone. How I like to see as much as possible is by mountain bike. From Lava Lands parking lot pick up the 4 mile fast flow furious fun single track for 4 miles curving through Ponderosa Pines following lava fields. Ride through the lava rock featuring panoramic views of snow capped mountains. At the end of Black Rock single track connect with the Deschutes River and ride along at least a mile to Benham Falls - so magnificent! Continue riding 5-10-XX more miles filling up your passion bucket in the natural wonders following and flowing with the Deschutes River. I fulled up my bucket for 20 miles - at time rivers flows with power and times as still as a lake. Let's go! Wherever the powerful river flows! Wherever the peaceful river goes! Many feel the pace only the river knows - as I did flow along by mountain bike!

Great air museum at the Madras airport. Lots of air worthy WW2 aircraft and artifacts…read more Very clean and orig sized and AC on a hot day!

What a find!!!! Such history! This is worth a detour or even a special trip if you like airplanes…read moreor war history. Wow! We went on a weekday and had the whole place to ourselves. All of these planes (and there are a LOT of planes) are in flying condition and they take them out and fly them on occasion. If your schedule if flexible, give them a call to see when they will be flying and maybe you can witness that spectacle! Anyway, allow a couple of hours to go through the museum and be sure to read all the signage and displays. Wonderfully curated!!!

Beautiful museum, very informative. Learned a great deal. We packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed it…read moreoutside on one of the tables.

Beautiful little museum, with so many fascinating artifacts, photographs and informative signs, it…read morewas cozy, and awe inspiring at the same time. Apparently built 30 years ago to Smithsonian standards, and it shows. Great gift shop too... try the huckleberry caramels.... Biggest issue to be aware of is to call and confirm the hours for the day you want to visit. For example, yelp says closed today, yet it was not. It also closes for an hour at lunch time, so if your visit will overlap 1-2, bring a picnic with you!