Bend, Oregon

If you’re looking for a city with natural beauty, lots to do, friendly people, and plenty of brew-pubs that’s also dog-loving and bike-friendly, Bend is the place for you.

We were fortunate to have Rick and Joy show us around their home turf while we visited for three days.  

We parked Thor at a beautiful RV park called Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort. As the name suggests it is halfway between the towns of Bend and Sisters and the grounds were so lushly landscaped they were like a garden.

Bend is located in central Oregon and is near mountains, lakes, rivers, and forests. Mount Bachelor ski resort is nearby. 

If you want to fill up your growler with craft beer while you get your car filled with gas, the Growler Guys at the local Chevron station can help you out. State law in Oregon does not allow self-service gas pumps. So I guess the Growler Guys saw an opportunity to provide beer service along with the full-service gas. There are about 30 craft beers on tap. You can sample before you buy. Tables are provided right there in the gas station if you want to sit while you have a cold one.

Jack got to take a hike around beautiful Suttle Lake with his dog buddies Augie and Soli. The trail went right along the water’s edge and the dogs took full advantage of the easy access to swimming. 

We checked out the fish hatchery:

I’m in love with this picture of Mt. Jefferson at the headwaters of the Metolius river:

Here’s Tumalo Falls:

Joy and I hiked here one morning while Chris did an 18-mile bike ride:

Chris now has RV garage envy. Rick had this garage built for his motorhome:

I bet you didn’t know the last Blockbuster left in America is in Bend:

 

We walked through a vast field of lava rocks that had spewed from a volcano thousands of years ago. They were like pumice. It felt like a scene on Mars.

I learned we were in a “high desert”, meaning a desert at a high elevation. I also learned that lakes at a high elevation are called “alpine lakes”. 

We visited the “Old Mill District” of Bend, a revitalized historic area at the site of an old lumber mill alongside the Deschutes River. It’s a popular spot for tubers and kayakers going down the river. There’s even some artificial rapids installed in the river for surfers. I bet the lumber mill workers from days past never envisioned the river would be full of tourists floating along instead of timber.

We appropriately topped off a day of sight-seeing with some cold Deschutes beer.

I hope this didn’t sound like too much of a travel blog. We saw so much and were very impressed with Bend. And there’s even more to see and do so we’ll just have to return some day.