Our Visit to Bend Oregon

A cozy inviting mountain getaway with a cosmopolitan feel is what we found when we arrived in Bend, Oregon for our visit with my Dad, Step mom Dawn, and my Aunt Kay.

We arrived at Dad & Dawn’s house in the evening of the 29th to a warm greeting, a glass of champagne for me, and nice red wine for Kevin. Then we were off to the Deshutes Brew Pub for dinner. Good Burger! Good Beer!

The following day we wandered through Downtown Bend, had a bite at the Downtowner which overlooks Drakes Park and Mirror Pond, sampled wine at the Wine Shop & Tasting Bar, and bought really great used, broken-in, comfortable, Cowboy Boots at a near by shop. By the time we completed our boot purchases it was time to head back to Dad & Dawn’s for more wine!

We visited my Aunt Kay the following morning, then the Cowboy boots came on for Halloween, where we attended a friends Halloween Block Party - where I bumped into an acquaintance from High School. Small world! We then took ourselves and our boots to the Old Mill Martini Bar for Halloween cocktails - or, what we called “Boots & Booze”. Soon Anthony’s was calling our names for dinner where we dined on fish tacos and fabulous Hawaiian Nachos. Yum!

Our final day in Bend began with a beautiful 3 mile hike along the river trail with the dogs, a drive up to Mt. Bachelor, and a “must do” tour of the Deshutes Brewery where they host free tastings and a great tour. We left the brewery with our favorite brew - Black Butte Porter, tasting glasses, and t-shirts. The day ended with a wonderful Sea Bass dinner cooked by my Dad…and of course, more wine!

With a mix of the arts, culture and charm nestled in the middle of beautiful hiking trails, pine trees, rivers, mountains and lakes, we found that Bend provides an ideal four-season playground for Oregonians and many California transplants. If you love Skiing, golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, rafting, great dining, and the arts, you’ll find it all in Bend.

A little Bend History
“Two railroad barons, James J. Hill and E.H. Harriman, began laying tracks that would later open the doors to logging commerce and tourism. The Brooks-Scanlon and the Shevlin-Hixon mills were the largest timber mills of their day, making Bend a very prosperous place to live, work and play.
Though the mills have long been closed, but the lifestyle and the vibrant culture of a booming town remains. Today, the old Brooks-Scanlon mill is humming once again, not with sawmills but with the sounds of people enjoying shopping, dining and entertainment in the renovated Old Mill District. The historic Downtown area, full of art, fine dining and unique shops is bustling with year-round activities and events. Relax in Drake Park and listen to music for free while indulging yourself with offerings from Bend’s finest restaurants. The stars shine as bright in the sky as they do on the stages of the Les Schwab Amphitheater, the Tower Theater, and the Athletic Club of Bend. Everything keeping with tradition and culture of welcoming new people to a place called Bend.”