Bend is known for its breweries. Check out the Bend Ale Trail Craft Beer Tour. Even if you do not drink beer, most of these locations have other beverages, food, outdoor fire pits, and can be a great place to hang out. Here are some favorites: -Monkless Belgian Ales -Bend Brewing Company -Crux Fermentation Project -10 Barrel Brewing Company -GoodLife Brewing Company
Here are some recommended Restaurants and Food Card Pods to visit in the Bend area: -Pine Tavern (cozy, American style, by the river) -Zydeco (our favorite for special occasions) -Spork (best eclectic cuisine in town) -The Grove (cafeteria style market hall in newer neighborhood- Northwest Crossing) -Thump (for coffee and excellent croissants) -Sparrow Bakery (try the ocean roll!) -Backporch Coffee Roasters (great coffee) -Lone Pine Coffee Roasters (get the Belgian waffle!) -Bonta (gelato!) -The Podski Food Cart Lot -On Tap Bend -The Bite Tumalo (10 minutes north of Bend in Tumalo)
Smith Rock is one of the natural wonders of Oregon. It is a very scenic park with great hiking trails and rock climbing. Spring is one of the best times to visit this park. Thursday, May 4th we plan to meet here to go on a group hike with anyone who is interested. We suggest these two hiking loops: -Misery Ridge Trail Loop: 3.7 miles total -Summit Loop: 7.3 miles total
Wanderlust Tours is a great tour company in Bend that offers guided trips. Trips in the Spring include: kayaking, canoeing, exploring lava tube caves, snowshoeing, and hiking. View the website for more details.
Beautiful trail along the Deschutes River and a great place to hike, trail run, mountain bike, kayak, fish, and picnic. This area is different from the Deschutes River Trail that goes through town (see separate entry). The trail's total length is 10+ miles but you can make the hike as short or as long as you would like. There are several different parking areas to access this trail. This trail is relatively flat and should be good for all hiking levels. Our wedding ceremony will take place along the Deschutes River Trail.
There is the Deschutes River Trail that goes through the National Forest and there is also the Deschutes River Trail that goes through town. Here is a popular walking loop in town that is close to the Old Mill District.
Shevlin Park is a beautiful place to visit with great walking trails. This is our favorite park close to home.
97-foot waterfall on Tumalo Creek.
There is often spring skiing available on Mt. Bachelor well into May each year.
Phil's Trailhead is a popular spot for mountain biking in Bend. There are trails for all levels here. Pine Mountain Sports is a great place to get mountain bike rentals.
This is a great paved trail for walking or biking that parallels Century Drive/Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway to the Cascade Lakes Ranger Station. You can rent bikes at Sunnyside Sports or Pine Mountain Sports.
Walk up a cinder cone (a kind of old volcano) in the middle of Bend, with expansive views of the city, the surrounding area, and the snowy mountains west of town.
Two beautiful waterfalls along the McKenzie River are Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls. See our map at the top of this page for their location. Sahalie Falls was the waterfall in Disney's Homeward Bound movie. There is an easy ~2 mile hike called the Waterfall Loop that allows you to see both of these falls. Another popular spot in the McKenzie River area is called the Tamolitch Blue Pool. This is an out-and-back hike that is 3.5 miles. This area is 1-1.5 hour drive from Bend.
The Columbia River Gorge is the largest national scenic area in the US. For those of you who may be staying in Oregon longer and want to visit different areas, we highly recommend visiting the Columbia River Gorge. It is about ~3 hours from Bend and ~1 hour from Portland. Spring is the perfect time to visit especially to see all of the wildflowers. See map included at the top of this page! We suggest: -Drive the Historic Columbia River Highway and view the waterfalls along the way -Visit the town of Hood River -Hike in the Columbia River Gorge -Scenic drive on Highway 35 (Hood River Fruit Loop) -Go to Mt View Orchards and Grateful Vineyard for beautiful views and great food and drinks.