Bend,OR or Bust

"In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of mountains; it will be exhausted above the hills and all nations will stream to it." Isaiah 2:2

Rumors of Bend have made it to my ears over the years. I have heard of its trails, resorts, and its ambience. I have always kept it on my list of places to go, much like a list of good books to read or sports to try. Having almost gone last year, it seemed that 2020 might be the year…and we recently made the journey. 

We arrived on a beautiful winter day in February. First stop: Smith Rock State Park. This rock climber’s paradise was awesome. Having watched the movie Free Solo I can now see how this sport really grabs people’s adrenaline, attention, and lifestyle. This is the kind of rock that can easily be viewed as a true climber’s destination. 

Not into scaling walls like Spiderman? There is plenty of hiking. We went up a great trail called Misery Ridge Loop. You can stop at the top rock, First Kiss, while on Misery Ridge. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think? (Thank you, Alanis for that wording.) I think I’ll pause on that tangent. J

One of the best things about Bend is Mt. Bachelor ski resort. It is wonderfully well groomed and smooth where it should be…but plenty of more challenging terrain is available as well. It is, of course, famous for being able to ski around the entire mountain – 360 degrees. Although the weather did not cooperate as fully as would have been preferred (that can happen at any resort, after all) and the Summit chair was not open, my family had a blast. It was easy to get a lot of runs in and the views are amazing. The particular day that my family went it, was a chilly 19 degrees. It was a day of fast skiing with great groomers, no lines, and tired legs at the end of the day. 

The town of Bend was a fun place to grab a bite to eat or coffee. At 3,600 feet, it is fun to shop and take it all in, with a few shopping areas to choose from. Bend was having their annual “Winter Fest” the weekend that we visited. It was a bit chilly for us to go to an outdoor festival but locals and visitors alike didn’t seem to think much about it. 

All in all, I like Bend; I bet you would, too. I anticipate coming again soon. It would be fun to make a summer visit – it’s as famous for the Deschutes River, hiking, and mountain biking, and more. The rumors are no longer spinning in my head about the high desert of Oregon. This is an outdoorsman’s destination with biking, hiking, climbing, skiing, and rafting and more. What a great place!