31 October 2017
15 October 2017
08 October 2017
06 October 2017
Bend - Tumalo Falls
Today we drove 15 miles outside of town to hike Tumalo Falls. The Falls and mountains really are that close to downtown Bend. The hike was fairly easy, but the scenery was beautiful. We had great weather again as you can see from the pictures below.
This weekend is the Bend Fall Festival. There were a lot of things to see downtown after the hike, like street musicians, food trucks, booths, etc. We walked around for a little bit before dinner to get the full experience but decided to eat inside. We were glad to see a cool event like this going on in Bend's quaint downtown area.
We had dinner at the old (original) location of the Deschutes Brewery before they moved to the larger, modern facility they use today. Stacey and I both agreed that the pizza we split was one of the best we've had in a long time. We (mostly I) both tried one of their sampler beer trays as well. We don't like eat like this very often...really only when we're on vacation. The nice thing about staying near the downtown area is that you're close to numerous great restaurants that are only a 5 minute walk away.
This weekend is the Bend Fall Festival. There were a lot of things to see downtown after the hike, like street musicians, food trucks, booths, etc. We walked around for a little bit before dinner to get the full experience but decided to eat inside. We were glad to see a cool event like this going on in Bend's quaint downtown area.
We had dinner at the old (original) location of the Deschutes Brewery before they moved to the larger, modern facility they use today. Stacey and I both agreed that the pizza we split was one of the best we've had in a long time. We (mostly I) both tried one of their sampler beer trays as well. We don't like eat like this very often...really only when we're on vacation. The nice thing about staying near the downtown area is that you're close to numerous great restaurants that are only a 5 minute walk away.
05 October 2017
Bend - Pilot Butte and Deschutes Brewery Tour
Today was another beautiful sunny day in Bend. In the morning we drove to the top of Pilot Butte to get some good pictures of downtown and the mountains with the sun at our backs. It is a really pretty area.
In the afternoon we attended a free tour of the Deschutes Brewery. I had already heard and sampled some of their beers in Colorado. Deschutes is Central Oregon's version of New Belgium or similar craft beer maker. The tour was fun and each person got four complimentary samples in their taproom before/after the tour.
We walked around downtown a little at night and had a nice dinner. The day was pretty low key. Lots of driving around and seeing the area today.
In the afternoon we attended a free tour of the Deschutes Brewery. I had already heard and sampled some of their beers in Colorado. Deschutes is Central Oregon's version of New Belgium or similar craft beer maker. The tour was fun and each person got four complimentary samples in their taproom before/after the tour.
We walked around downtown a little at night and had a nice dinner. The day was pretty low key. Lots of driving around and seeing the area today.
04 October 2017
Bend - Old Mill District & Deschutes River
Today was the first day of our vacation without the kids. We got into Bend late last night, so first thing this morning we got our first views of the downtown area. The downtown area is small, but really nice. Lots of nice shops, clean, and newly built. I don't think there was much to see in Bend until recently. It used to be a sleepy logging town but had transformed itself into a trendy vacation destination, mostly centered around all the outdoor activities in the area.
We walked 5 minutes from our hotel room and grabbed some breakfast and coffee downtown. Another 5 minute walk and we were out of downtown and to Drake Park. The first picture is of Mirror Pond, which is essentially a slightly dammed portion of the Deschutes River than runs through town. The park has a similar feel to Manito Park in Spokane with the pond and the large trees.
After working midday we walked over to the Old Mill District for a late lunch. Overall we logged six miles of walking today since we also walked around the paths that loop around the Deschutes. The Old Mill District is also new with lots of higher end shops. From the name you can probably tell that they redid the old industrial area centered around the old logging mill. REI now occupies the building and some of the features from the Old Mill still remain inside.
The area is growing a lot for obvious reasons. Other than the ocean, you can do just about anything outdoorsy in Bend. This includes tubing and paddle boarding and other fun things along the river. My initial impressions are that it's a lot like the nicer parts of Colorado, but with more options. The people are very active (we see lots of joggers and cyclists) and seem very happy. The weirdos seem to have stayed in Portland so far, and it still has somewhat of a small town friendly vibe. The downtown is small and nice, but also with some cool shops and restaurants worth visiting.
You can probably tell that it's sunny and pretty as well from the pictures. These pictures are also shots of some of the more lush areas around downtown. As soon as you head into the mountains you get forests of Ponderosa Pines just like around Colorado Springs and it's more dry. On the easy side of town it's very dry. Sitting at 3,600 feet the air feels like Colorado, light and cool, and the sun is a little more intense than at sea level. It really does feel like a combination of the Northwest and Colorado.
We walked 5 minutes from our hotel room and grabbed some breakfast and coffee downtown. Another 5 minute walk and we were out of downtown and to Drake Park. The first picture is of Mirror Pond, which is essentially a slightly dammed portion of the Deschutes River than runs through town. The park has a similar feel to Manito Park in Spokane with the pond and the large trees.
After working midday we walked over to the Old Mill District for a late lunch. Overall we logged six miles of walking today since we also walked around the paths that loop around the Deschutes. The Old Mill District is also new with lots of higher end shops. From the name you can probably tell that they redid the old industrial area centered around the old logging mill. REI now occupies the building and some of the features from the Old Mill still remain inside.
The area is growing a lot for obvious reasons. Other than the ocean, you can do just about anything outdoorsy in Bend. This includes tubing and paddle boarding and other fun things along the river. My initial impressions are that it's a lot like the nicer parts of Colorado, but with more options. The people are very active (we see lots of joggers and cyclists) and seem very happy. The weirdos seem to have stayed in Portland so far, and it still has somewhat of a small town friendly vibe. The downtown is small and nice, but also with some cool shops and restaurants worth visiting.
You can probably tell that it's sunny and pretty as well from the pictures. These pictures are also shots of some of the more lush areas around downtown. As soon as you head into the mountains you get forests of Ponderosa Pines just like around Colorado Springs and it's more dry. On the easy side of town it's very dry. Sitting at 3,600 feet the air feels like Colorado, light and cool, and the sun is a little more intense than at sea level. It really does feel like a combination of the Northwest and Colorado.
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