Asher "read" the sign to us. I had to chuckle when he said "no crackles" for the "no fireworks" photo.
Our favorite experience here was floating the Deschutes River thru Bend. We had walked around the Old Mill District
one night and ate dinner at Red Robin while watching people float past us on the river. We just had to try it.
Outdoor dining at Red Robin on the left. Asher loves the Statue of Liberty and points it out every time he sees it. You'd be surprised how often we see one. He wanted his photo taken with this one. I'm excited to take him to the one in Vegas this winter and the actual one sometime in the future!
A bison sculpture made of old parts on display in the Old Mill District.
Running thru Drake Park
On our way to the Sunriver Nature Center, we were impressed with the biking trails that run thru the town and around
the village center. The kids enjoyed looking at the egg collection, the live reptiles and petting the snake.
They examined different specimens under a microscope.
When they held these animal photos up to the light, it would reveal their bone structure.
Asher was impressed.
We took a tour at the Oregon Spirits Distillery where they make bourbon and whiskey for 10 months of the year, and a few other specialties in the off months. They use a mix of locally grown corn, wheat and barley to make their bourbon. We watched the mash bubbling in the large blue tank as it ferments. After it settles, it goes into the still and what comes out is separated into what's called the head, heart and tail. The head is the first batch that comes out with a super high proof, too potent to use as anything other than a cleaner. The heart is the bulk of the batch, the desired result. The tail is the last bit that has nothing wrong with it, but it's just not as quite desirable as the heart. It goes back into the still with the next batch.
The heart batch comes out of the still at 160 proof, it's then blended with water to bring the proof down before going into the barrel. They use new medium char barrels then age for three years to achieve their rich color and distinctive taste. Finally it's bottled for sale at 80 proof.
They have an "adopt-a-barrel" program, with multiple benefits. One is that when the three year aging is up, you get all the bourbon in your barrel and you get to keep the barrel. We saw one barrel that the owner had set aside, designed to mature for his daughter's 21st birthday.
After our tour, we tasted some of their products. Of course we tried their CW Irwin bourbon, Wild Card Absinthe and Blackberry Cordial, but then Daddy tried the Scorpion Peppered Vodka, made with scorpion peppers, the hottest in the world! Twice as potent as ghost peppers! She diluted it with some water so Daddy's tongue wouldn't catch fire. Seriously though, Daddy said it would be delicious in a margarita which reminded me of our San Diego neighbor, Larry, who made his own jalapeño infused drinks.
you get my grand babies out of that booze joint
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