Petersen Rock Garden

After our late lunch at the Black Bear Diner in Bend, we decided to go take a look at the Petersen Rock Garden and Museum, one of the area's "must see" attractions. It's north of Bend about halfway to Redmond.

We were greeted by several of the resident
 peacocks on the property. 

He was a particularly handsome guy.

Born in Denmark, Rasmus Petersen built his garden during the last seventeen years of his life as a tribute to his adopted country. He collected rocks, petrified wood, glass and shells from around Redmond and began building these structures when he was 52. The Garden is still owned and run by his grandchildren.

 This structure shows the typical appearance of the construction throughout the Garden. What you can't tell is the scale. This "house" is maybe a foot and a half tall.

Petersen used a number of materials besides rock. these are Abalone shells. 

A tribute to Independence Hall 

The back of Petersen's "Independence Hall" 

 And the end of the "Hall"

The Museum houses rocks, crystals, petrified wood, and information about the creation of the Garden. 

Amethyst crystal in the Museum 

Petrified wood from Oregon

Museum collection of arrowheads

 Guess who?

Rock adorned concrete arch bridge   

Seven-foot tall Statue of Liberty 

Crossing one of the rock-adorned concrete bridges 

 Large chunk of obsidian in one of the structures

A lily blossom in the pond

On our way back to our Camp Sherman campground, we decided to stop at Tumalo State Park which we'd read was in the area. We drove into the park but didn't find anything we we interested in doing given the heat of the day so we didn't stay. We stopped at a local DQ for a cool treat and then a local grocery store before heading back home.