An experienced thru-hiker is continually called back to Oregon’s stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Remarkably, one of the first things I noticed at the Oregon-California border of the Pacific Crest Trail was a weathered, wood-burned sign nailed to a ponderosa pine: CA/OR. Just south of Ashland, that humble marker represented far more than a state line. It marked 1,699 miles of metamorphosis: My calves were swollen to the size of Cosmic Crisp apples; my thighs resembled Superman’s, bulging and clearly defined. Months of sleeping on the ground and moving with earth’s rhythm had reshaped how I saw the world.
The Pacific Crest Trail(opens in new tab) didn’t begin my transformation—it deepened it. Four years earlier, a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail had introduced me to the freedom of long-distance backpacking. But the PCT promised something bigger. The trail winds through deserts full of rattlesnakes and waterless miles, plunges into snow-filled valleys and peaks in the Sierras, and touches volcanoes—real volcanoes that, to a Midwestern girl raised on adventure novels, felt almost mythical. Hiking the PCT wasn’t simply another trail but was the next step in my quest to live a life full of adventure.
The Pacific Crest Trail spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada across California, Oregon and Washington. Several people are credited with conceiving the trail in the late ’20s and early ’30s, including avid outdoorswoman Catherine Montgomery(opens in new tab). The route connected existing trails and was designated as a National Scenic Trail in 1968 before being officially completed in 1993.
The 455-mile-long Oregon portion starts near Donomore Pass and ends at the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks. I finished my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2006, years before Cheryl Strayed introduced millions of readers to the trail through Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. By then, thru-hiking was still a relatively quiet pursuit. I shared the trail with roughly 300 fellow hikers. Today, thousands set out each year, drawn by the same promise that captivated me: the chance to discover just how much a long walk can change a person.
I moved to Bend in 2008 to keep hiking. The PCT was in my backyard now, and I’ve gone back to it time and again. Thirty-three miles of the PCT pass through Crater Lake National Park. An alternate route diverges from the main route at the Dutton Creek Trail junction and traces the rim of the caldera, allowing hikers to take in views of the lake and Wizard Island.
I realized the only part I had skipped on my thru-hike—a 57-mile gap due to the Black Crater fire—was now easily accessible. This section of the trail, arguably the best part, ushers hikers along the shoulders of volcanoes including Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack and the hulking Mount Jefferson.
Other Central Oregon highlights include huckleberry bushes that bulge with fruit in late summer and deep-blue lakes that provide a cool respite after miles and miles of hot hiking. Curious hikers who want to experience the quintessential volcanic section of the Oregon PCT will need a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit(opens in new tab) for a day hike or short backpacking trip.
From Santiam Pass, hikers can embark on a 10-mile hike below the summit of Three Fingered Jack. Look for backpackers when driving over Willamette Pass. From the Willamette Pass Trailhead, a three-mile hike leads visitors to the clear blue waters of Rosary Lakes where they can camp, swim and give high-fives to passing hikers on their way to Canada. Elk Lake is only a mile off the PCT. Lunch at the resort will likely lead to meals shared with hungry thru-hikers that can’t resist a slight detour for a cheeseburger and a cold beer.
In the years since moving to Oregon’s high desert, I’ve discovered every season has its draw on the trail. The native creeping Oregon grape turns multiple shades of maroon in the fall, and well-trained hikers can forage for golden chanterelle mushrooms (peak season is September through November)—a welcome addition to any trail meal. The cooler temperatures mean fewer bugs, and when permit season ends in mid-October, it’s easy to do a day hike from Sisters Mirror Trailhead or McKenzie Pass.
In the winter, Ray Benson Sno-Park, about 30 minutes northwest of Sisters, provides access to cross-country ski trails that cross the PCT; I’ve made it a New Year’s Eve tradition to welcome the new year by sluicing through the snow or, at the very least, taking a photo with a PCT sign. Skiing into Mount Thielsen’s shoulder to set up a snow camp is a thrilling backcountry adventure. Skinning South Sister from the Obsidian Trail junction is a rigorous day-trip near the PCT.
Emma “Goldfish” Lawson at camp while on the trail
Finding Community and Connection on the Pacific Crest Trail
The power of the PCT lies largely in people. The community is welcoming, vulnerable and playful, qualities I think we all embrace more when we’re away from screens and the demands of modern life. One year, I set up a grill to make burgers and veggie dogs for hikers along the trail. I met a couple from Arizona, who became packrafting, rafting and southwest-hiking buddies.
I’ve met lawyers, doctors, college students and housekeepers on the trail, but you’d never know what they do because dirt is the great equalizer. While on the PCT we fantasize about hot water and describe the incredible sunsets we were able to witness. We are united in the miles we’ve walked and the conversations about life we’ve had. I find folks to be their most authentic selves on the trail. We are all united in a love of nature.
Along the trail, hikers can learn about history, geology, flower identification and how Indigenous peoples lived on this landscape for thousands of years. Kiosks illuminate details about the areas you walk through, while listening to audiobooks about what interests them along the trail or using iNaturalist or Seek apps to find out the names of flowers and trees around them help to continue the education.
The Pacific Crest Trail reminds us that we don’t always need centralized heat and running water. Some of my favorite moments on the trail have been the simplest: laying under ponderosa pine trees and listening to the wind sway the heavy branches overhead, feeling the warm sun on my face as I drifted to sleep, smelling the tangy berries of the manzanita shrub. In these moments, I became a part of the forest floor. The PCT was home.
Photo courtesy of Oregon Field Guide
The Heart Behind The Hike
One of the Pacific Crest Trail’s long-standing traditions is a network of volunteers known as trail angels. This informal program of residents near the PCT helps hikers with everything from a ride into town or a hot meal to a shower or a place to spend the night.
In Oregon, trail angels are especially active during the summer months, when northbound thru-hikers (the typical direction) move through our PCT-adjacent communities. Trail Angel Central(opens in new tab) is an online community focused on connecting hikers with volunteers offering transportation, lodging, resupply assistance, laundry facilities, trail updates and other support, and local Facebook groups can also offer the same.
Many angels also provide “trail magic,” unexpected treats like cold drinks or fresh fruit at road crossings and trailheads that can lift spirits after long days on the trail.
Interested in becoming a trail angel? The PCTA encourages starting with simple acts of generosity, whether that’s offering a ride into town, sharing local knowledge, offering refreshments or doing trail maintenance. Volunteers can also add their services to Trail Angel Central’s directory or join regional Oregon angel groups to connect with hikers.
“An unforgettable adventure was completing a 24-hour challenge, hiking from midnight to midnight through the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. One of the highlights was seeing Mount Jefferson glowing under a full moon. After the PCT, I know how strong I am and that I can move through whatever life brings my way.”
Fun Fact: “I actually met my husband on the PCT! We ended up hiking most of the trail together, and now we get to explore trails all over the world.”
“Hiking the PCT taught me mental clarity, adaptability and persistence even when I felt burnt out. As a BIPOC hiker on the PCT, I had to learn to trust my inner instincts without relying on social validations. For BIPOC hikers, the trail becomes a space to challenge stereotypes and internalized limitations.”
Fun Fact: “My trail name is ‘Chef.’ A lot of hikers cold-soak, but I prefer hot meals like ramen noodles in a spicy peanut butter sauce.”
“I have a bad habit of reading too heavily into situations. Not all suffering is in service of something greater. You can do everything right on the trail and still get the blister, still snap the hiking pole, still not make it to the finish line. Sometimes, it just isn’t your day. ‘That’s okay.’”
Fun Fact: “I can’t pass those single-serve packets of tuna in the grocery store without gagging. I consumed over 80 on the trail.”
“When I think back on my time on the PCT, I remember nearly six months’ worth of sunrises and sunsets and the locals who pulled over for me as I threw up my thumb to hitchhike into town. I also learned just how capable my body was of doing hard things. When I am 80 years old, I want to look back on a life where I chose to experience all the things it had to offer.”
PCT Hack: “Add a cup of dehydrated minute rice and an extra pinch of salt to any of those expensive freeze-dried backpacking meals. It’ll stretch one single-serving pouch into two to three meals.”
Bianca “Bee” Corrado
High School Spanish Teacher & Content Creator | San Diego, California Just finished hiking Instagram:@beeswildlife(opens in new tab)
“Hiking the PCT has been the most difficult, rewarding and liberating thing I have ever done. You will learn about yourself, experience the most beautiful wild spaces and become part of the most wonderful community. Hiking the PCT will change your life.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon
Do I need a permit to hike the PCT in Central Oregon?
It depends on where you’re hiking. Many day hikes and overnight trips in the Central Cascades Wilderness require a Central Cascades Wilderness Permit between late May and mid-October. If you’re thru-hiking the entire PCT with a long-distance permit, different rules apply. Always check current permit requirements before your trip.
What is the best section of the PCT in Central Oregon?
Many hikers consider the stretch between Willamette Pass and Santiam Pass one of Oregon’s highlights. The trail passes beneath Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson, with access to alpine lakes, lava landscapes and sweeping Cascade views.
When is the best time to hike the Oregon PCT?
Most hikers visit from July through September, when snow has melted from higher elevations. Fall offers cooler temperatures, vibrant foliage and fewer mosquitoes, while winter provides opportunities to cross-country ski or snowshoe where the PCT intersects winter trail systems.
Where can I see Crater Lake from the PCT?
The official PCT passes west of Crater Lake National Park, but hikers can take the Rim Alternate Route to enjoy spectacular views of the lake and Wizard Island.
How difficult is the Oregon section of the PCT?
Compared with California and Washington, Oregon is generally considered one of the more moderate sections of the trail. Grades are often gentle, though hikers should still prepare for long distances, high elevations, changing weather and exposure to sun.
Local vintage dealers and shop owners find pieces with stories to tell.
“The history of clothing is really the history of the United States of America,” said Todd Beckwith, as the vintage clothing expert sifted through racks in his Redmond showroom curated with embroidered gabardine bowling shirts, thick Cowichan sweaters, 1930s Harley-Davidson belts and World War II flight jackets. One jacket was worn by an Army Air Forces bomber crew. “That jacket dropped bombs over Germany,” he said, “and it ended up in a trunk at a woman’s yard sale.”
Todd Beckwith, owner of Royal De Luxe
Royal De Luxe Vintage Clothing
With multiple warehouses in Central Oregon, the owner of Royal De Luxe, a true vintage fashion company, is one of the industry’s most prolific collectors. “I try to have such a selection that it’s overwhelming to people,” said Beckwith. Instead of offering just a handful of American-made vintage Levi’s 501s, he wants shoppers to choose from dozens. Beckwith also supplies wholesale inventory to many Central Oregon vintage shops and spends nearly 11 months preparing for his annual pop-up at Coachella. He also sells at Stagecoach and the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas.
Along the way, his client list has grown to include Brad Pitt, Billie Eilish and Justin Trudeau, while local shoppers can find his collection at his downtown Bend pop-up inside Casa de Stela or by appointment. Every piece comes from a pawnshop, a thrift store, a garage sale, an estate sale or an antique store, but might make its way to Melrose Avenue. Beckwith also retails at Fred Segal. “I’m a real picker. I’m a denim dog. I love the hunt. It requires traveling all the time,” said Beckwith. “You leave at 8 a.m. on a Thursday and go to the Grange Supply store in Burns.”
Preserving American Fashion History
The longtime La Pine resident is also an encyclopedia of American fashion knowledge. Beckwith can trace Levi Strauss to the California Gold Rush, explain Carhartt’s 1889 beginnings in Detroit, or connect Henry Ford’s famous $5 workday to the moment clothing became more accessible to ordinary Americans. “Instead of being able to afford just one coat, now you could get the brown, you could get the twill, you could get the hickory,” said Beckwith. “It’s really a part of how this country grew.”
Beckwith, who was raised between San Francisco and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, began thrifting as a teenager and has shod horses as a farrier for more than 40 years. “I grew up with Dickies, Ben Davis and Levi’s. So, cowboy and every kind of other culture on the planet,” said Beckwith.
Rather than discard damaged pieces, he repairs and rehabs them by cropping jackets and adding patches. He also transforms 1950s Beacon robes into jackets inspired by one worn by Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson. High-end fashion labels such as Ralph Lauren’s Double RL may reproduce the look, but nothing compares to the original. “I think it’s cooler when you get the real thing,” said Beckwith.
Back among the racks, he paused to pull out a mint-condition gabardine Western shirt Gene Autry might have worn. “Someone loved it, right?” said Beckwith. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to keep caring about this thing and send it down the road.”
Casa de Stela co-owner Jess Bercovici has chased vintage finds since her teenage years in Los Angeles, when she and her sister built entire wardrobes by shopping Jet Rag’s legendary dollar sales. “I always had my foot in vintage,” said Bercovici. “There’s something to be said about having a pair of jeans that have been worn in by somebody else for 40 years,” she said. “That wash can’t be replicated.”
Bercovici founded Casa de Stela in 2010 while living and working as an archaeologist in Guatemala. She began collaborating with local artisans to create ethically made fashions. Expanding into vintage felt like a natural next step for her boutique on Bond Street. She co-owns the shop with her mother, Pam. “My brand’s whole mission has been ethical fashion and sustainability, and vintage is the most sustainable thing that exists,” said Bercovici. “You’re not putting a new product into the world.”
After years of producing clothing with artisans overseas, Bercovici met Beckwith and found a partner who shared her appreciation for authentic Americana.
Today, the boutique blends carefully selected vintage with contemporary fashion, making it easy to see how vintage pieces can fit into a modern wardrobe. The shop stocks more than 300 pairs of vintage Levi’s, sourced by Beckwith, alongside French workwear, floaty Casa de Stela floral dresses and Le Bon cotton cardigans. “I’m constantly hunting for that perfect 1950s leather jacket,” said Bercovici. She stocks buckskin rodeo jackets, buttery suede bombers and even rare heirloom pieces, such as a hand-beaded jacket from the 1920s valued at $1,200.
She and Beckwith have begun offering Selects, private appointments for clients searching for specific vintage pieces. “Finding that unique fringe jacket that no one else is going to have—that’s what makes it special,” said Bercovici.
There’s a big difference between a thrift store and a vintage shop, says Good Bad Rad Vintage owner Jenna Pauley. To be called vintage, items must be at least 20 years old. Unlike thrift stores filled with donated goods, every piece in the vintage marketplace on SE 3rd Street has been hand-selected by one of 22 vendors. Clothing and home goods are thoughtfully sourced, cleaned, repaired and restored before ever reaching the sales floor, giving shoppers an edited collection instead of racks to sort through.
Good Bad Rad is a destination for long dresses from the ’70s, suede skirts, vintage sportswear, festival fashion and everything in between. “I love vintage clothing because it allows you to show your personality instead of being told what’s fashionable.”
For fall, Pauley, a third-generation vintage and antique dealer, has collected flannels, sweaters and warm jackets. Pauley believes vintage fashion is thriving in Central Oregon because locals support small businesses. “I love that all of the vintage stores in town are different,” said Pauley. “Having a vendor-based store allows us to offer something for everyone.”
Step inside Old Boy Vintage and it’s easy to lose track of time. Housed in a former automotive garage built in 1915, the Bend shop on Greenwood Avenue with brick walls showcases a wide range of vintage clothing. “People who are new to it and want to find out more are blown away by the fact that we take clothes that are 30-plus years old, we save them, fix them up, and bring them back to life,” said owner Ezra Watson.
Watson’s collection spans decades, with everything from Western wear and Hawaiian shirts to turquoise jewelry and vintage children’s clothing. Watson feels like a treasure hunter when he finds items such as a pair of pale blue Lucchese ostrich leather cowboy boots and a 1950s University of Oregon varsity jacket with its original Duck patch.
Some museum-worthy pieces—a tie from a NASA employee who worked on the Apollo 11 mission, an original City of Bend sign from the 1920s, and a 1949 Central Oregon Community College sweatshirt Watson and his girlfriend discovered at a flea market in Yokohama, Japan—aren’t for sale.
“It is rare to see a garment last for 50, 70 years,” said Watson. “When you do come across something like that, it gives you motivation to continue looking and continue searching.” Watson also supplies vintage garments to fashion designers looking for authentic inspiration.
For him, vintage is ultimately about expressing individuality, whether it’s a 1970s prairie-style dress or a pair of baggy JNCO jeans. “I feel like fashion is becoming more of a thing in Bend, and we’re super happy to be a part of that,” said Watson.
Big Chief Vintage’s new location in Sisters occupies a historic building that once housed a hardware store in the 1940s and later a Native American art gallery. Pendleton jackets hang beside Navajo blankets, antique saddlebags and bear skin coats. Every corner reflects owner Mike Davis’ story and interests.
The co-founder of the Born-Free Motorcycle Show in California and its Texas counterpart, Davis has built a career around selling vintage motorcycles. His experiences and expertise shape the shop’s distinctive mix of motorcycle culture and Western heritage. “I buy what I like,” he said. “I don’t necessarily buy what sells.”
Davis moved into the larger space in June, giving him room to display everything from 19th-century buffalo-hide jackets and Angora wooly chaps to vintage Harley-Davidson and Triumph T-shirts. One prized Triumph tee, identical to one Bob Dylan wore in a 1965 photo shoot, took Davis three decades to find. “You will never find another one of these,” he said.
The shop’s name and logo are also personal. Davis, who is half Cherokee, wanted Big Chief Vintage to honor Native history while capturing the spirit of the old trading posts that inspired the store. “The word ‘chief’ is not a bad word,” he said. “It’s a powerful word. It’s a respectful word.”
Look at the crowd mixing at Big Chief Vintage, from musicians to tourists visiting from Japan, and it’s clear Big Chief Vintage is more than a retail space; it’s an immersive experience. “I don’t treat it as a business, which is terrible,” Davis said with a laugh. “It’s a personal hobby.”
[Click the left and right arrows on the image below to see more Big Chief Vintage images by Cody Rheault]
Inside Revival Vintage on Bend’s west side, racks invite shoppers to step into another era, whether they’re searching for a statement coat, a Victorian treasure, or the perfect outfit for a 1920s-themed party.
“I think we’re looking for anything to remind us of the good old days,” said owner Shasta DeArmond, who opened Revival Vintage in 2019 and moved to the location off of Galveston Avenue in 2024. “When people walk into my shop, their eyes light up.”
Older shoppers reminisce as they browse, while younger visitors hunt for one-of-a-kind items they won’t find anywhere else.
“I’ll get a lot of people who have never walked in here, but they’re shopping for a costume, and they need help styling for a specific outfit,” said DeArmond. “They leave here beaming because they were originally going to buy something off Amazon.” DeArmond says about 60% of the store’s inventory comes from consignment, with each piece carefully chosen. “When people ask what I’m looking for, I tell them, ‘Anything dope,’” she said. “Does it look cool? Does it have great texture? Is it colorful?”
DeArmond specializes in fur and faux fur coats, particularly trench-length styles perfect for concerts, festivals and nights out. Showstoppers in the store, decorated with stained-glass light fixtures, include a geometric 1960s mink coat, a tapestry jacket with zippered pockets, and rare Victorian- and Edwardian-era garments such as a bodice with a beaded rooster design. “They don’t make anything like they used to, so it’s not just cheap old clothing. It’s better quality than what a lot of stores make today,” said DeArmond.
For her, vintage offers more than sustainable fashion. It gives people the chance to express themselves through pieces with history.
Vintage Shopping in Central Oregon: What to Know Before You Go
What’s the difference between vintage and thrift?
According to Good Bad Rad Vintage owner Jenna Pauley, vintage pieces are at least 20 years old. Unlike a thrift store filled with donated goods, vintage shops typically offer pieces that have been individually sourced, cleaned, repaired or restored before reaching the sales floor.
Where can I shop for vintage clothing in Central Oregon?
Bend is home to Casa de Stela, Good Bad Rad Vintage, Old Boy Vintage and Revival Vintage, along with a Royal De Luxe pop-up inside Casa de Stela. Big Chief Vintage is located in Sisters, and Royal De Luxe also has a showroom in Redmond.
What kinds of vintage pieces can I find around Bend?
A little bit of everything. The shops featured here carry finds ranging from vintage Levi’s, Western wear and 1970s dresses to cowboy boots, fur coats, workwear, motorcycle T-shirts and rare garments dating back to the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
Can I get help hunting down a specific vintage piece?
Yes. Royal De Luxe and Casa de Stela offer Selects, private appointments for clients looking for specific vintage pieces. Revival Vintage also helps shoppers style outfits for specific occasions, including themed parties.
Why shop vintage instead of buying something new?
For these Central Oregon shop owners, it’s about more than nostalgia. Vintage offers a way to wear something distinctive, extend the life of existing clothing and preserve pieces that may have already survived for decades.
What’s the secret to finding something great?
Keep an open mind. As Revival Vintage owner Shasta DeArmond puts it, her criteria can be as simple as: “Anything dope.” Sometimes the best vintage find is the piece you weren’t looking for.
Floor-to-ceiling photos brimming with hundreds of smiling faces surround Marlene Moore Alexander in her teaching studio in the heart of Bend. With her eyes sparkling, she shares stories of her students from the past 50 years, most of whom she is still in contact with. Clay masks and thank you notes are pinned about, while sculptures, mosaics, crochet, looms and fused glass tell stories of the hands that created them, and document a legacy of inspiration.
Known for her distinctive painting style, Alexander’s impact as an artist, curator and teacher has stretched far beyond her studio, imprinting the art of seeing on generations of children; on patients, staff and visitors of St. Charles Medical Center and Partners in Care; and on countless public spaces around Bend.
“I still love what I do as much as when I started,” she said, a bright magenta streak in her hair reflecting the spirit of the studio she calls Creative Arts—a place where all who enter are cherished for being their true selves.
How the Central Oregon Landscape Shaped Marlene Moore Alexander’s Art
Rooted deep in her Missouri upbringing, Alexander’s artistry grew from moments spent in her grandmother’s garden. “She was always pointing out colors and textures—like the tiny legs on a preying mantis,” she recalled. “My grandmother taught me how to see.”
Alexander’s keen awareness developed into a photographic memory, storing every minute detail of what she observed: “It’s what inspires me to do what I do, even the littlest things—like the spikes that poke you on a cactus,” she said with a smile. Her natural propensity for art led her to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1968, laying the foundation for her lifelong career.
“Lil’ Annie”
Employing oil, acrylic, watercolor, alcohol ink, charcoal, gold leaf and layered collage, Alexander creates paintings that range from abstract to defined, and are born from her experiences in the natural world.
“I love the desert east of Bend,” she shared, describing the landscape that has been her muse since she moved to Bend in 1971. “I watch the wind blow grasses to create patterns. With the distant hills, the sky, the trees, the rock formations—I can look and think out there, alone where it’s quiet.”
A motto for her artistic process, the word KISS stands atop her easel. “It means, ‘Keep It Simple Silly,’” she said with a chuckle.
Alexander has been a juried member of the Northwest Watercolor Society and the Watercolor Society of Oregon, and her work has earned bronze, silver, gold and platinum merit awards. Her pieces have been exhibited in numerous galleries across the country, and has been featured in publications such as Northwest Originals: Oregon Women and Their Art, and The Palette Magazine.
“My Friend Myrlie” (Myrlie Evers-Williams)
50 Years of Teaching Young Artists in Bend
In 1976, Alexander founded her art school with encouragement from fellow Bend mothers and inspiration from a book on art education written for the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
For 50 years and running, she has taught the art of seeing, and even COVID-19 couldn’t deter her. Alexander built plexiglass cubbies and set up an air purifier to ensure her students would continue to have an outlet for expression.
Two essential goals have shaped every activity she designs: to nurture her students’ ability to see the world with creative eyes, and to inspire them to honor and celebrate their own unique lens.
“I tell them, jump out of the box and be you!” she said.
Many have become artists themselves, or grown up to be leaders in the community. Gesturing to the pictures of children surrounding her, Alexander shared, “Here’s Melanie Kebler, she’s now mayor of Bend. And this is Blair Struble—she told me she relies daily as an orthodontist on the fine motor skills she developed here.”
Commenting on Alexander’s ongoing influence, Struble reflected, “Marlene taught me to be confident in my own creativity and to not be afraid to tackle any project. That has impacted my approach to life and helped me tremendously in my career. To Marlene, nothing is ever wrong, ugly or incorrect.”
Bend native Betsy Weedman spent her childhood walking from what is today’s Highland Magnet School at Kenwood up the hill to the art studio adjacent to Alexander’s West Hills home. On “art class day,” she would eagerly anticipate what the activity would be.
Years later, Weedman would bring her own children up the hill to share a multigenerational experience—a common theme for many of Alexander’s long list of students.
“There was no question I would have my kids participate in her classes. What an honor and a privilege for them,” Weedman said, noting that all her nieces and nephews were in Alexander’s classes, too, and that her daughter, Katherine, returned as a teenager to be an assistant.
“Marlene’s dedication to children is something special,” Weedman added. “Her contribution to the art world in our community will last for generations.”
Bringing Art and Healing to St. Charles and Partners in Care
“Art is healing for the soul,” Alexander said, a sentiment that fueled her efforts to fuse art and healthcare, seeking an arts in medicine graduate certificate from the University of Florida College of the Arts.
She was an original member of Bend’s Art in Public Places group and a member of the national Society for the Arts in Health Care. She founded the Arts in Care and a rotating gallery program for Bend’s Partners in Care, and began the Arts in the Hospital program at St. Charles in 1990, serving as the coordinator for 12 years.
“Marlene turned St. Charles into the most magnificent art gallery, with pieces from all over the world,” Dana Buckendahl, a 33-year employee of St. Charles, shared. “Her contributions formed the true arteries and veins of the hospital, bringing life to every room and hallway, and inspiring the biggest shift in health and healing. Her impact is jaw-dropping.”
From designing art carts for patients’ rooms and leading writing workshops for doctors to introducing music, movement and other mediums, Alexander brought art to everyone who entered the hospital.
“A photograph still hangs on the wall of a man who, after becoming quadriplegic in an accident, was taught by Marlene how to paint with his mouth,” Buckendahl said. “Marlene created a place of magic.”
For the right kind of person, scuba diving has an almost addictive quality. That was certainly true for Sarah Clark’s parents, Mike and Liz Simpson, after their first dive on a vacation in Cozumel, Mexico, in 2002. “My dad loved it,” Clark recalled. Her parents returned to Bend, went to Powder House—where classes were held at the time—and became certified.
A few years later, another dive trip, this time to Roatán, Honduras, cemented their obsession. This time, they came back and bought Powder House’s scuba division. They opened Central Oregon Diving in 2005. The dive school and retail store on Greenwood Avenue sells snorkeling and scuba gear, hosts local cleanup dives, organizes international dive trips and provides diver training, including open-water certification classes.
Scuba Diving Classes and Certification in Bend
Clark has been running the business alongside her parents since close to the start. Still, even as the shop’s first employee (and eventual co-owner), she didn’t get certified herself right away, holding off for more than a year. “You don’t want to do scuba with someone else motivating you,” she said. “You need to be motivated to do it.”
Even with no ocean or coral reef in sight, landlocked Central Oregonians seem to lean into the sport. “Every year, we’re certifying 100 people or so in the brand new beginner course,” said Jonathan Ingram, the store’s office manager and its primary dive instructor. “And that’s just people who’ve never done it before.”
Central Oregon Diving Instructor Jonathan Ingram with Sarah Clark.
How Scuba Divers Train in Central Oregon
Training begins in a shallow pool, where students can practice breathing and learn basic underwater skills before moving into open water. Then they head to Cultus Lake, which has become the shop’s preferred training spot, thanks to its gradual sandy entry and reliable visibility, even if only between 3 and 30 feet. Depending on the time of year, Central Oregon divers will also head to Clear Lake, Lake Billy Chinook or Elk Lake, according to Ingram.
Where to Scuba Dive Near Bend
The cold water and limited visibility at the lakes might not seem particularly appealing to some, but for plenty of divers, it’s hardly a deterrent. “If [the lake] is deep enough, you’ll find a diver at it,” Ingram said.
Plus, the water may not be as cold as people think. “We have students going up to the lake [in spring], and the water temp’s gonna be in the low 50s. It’s not too bad. But that same lake, come middle of July, is going to be close to 68, 70 degrees,” he explained.
Practical learning in a Prineville pool.
Why Central Oregon Lakes Work for Scuba Training
While lake dives may have less range than ocean dives, they have become undeniably ideal for training. “At the lake, there are not as many distractions of seeing all the different fish,” Ingram said. “So you can actually focus on working on your skills.”
Stripped of the spectacle of tropical reefs, the experience of lake diving can become less about what you’re seeing and more about how you’re feeling.
“[Diving] is very rhythmic,” said Clark. “And there’s still a lot of beauty at the lake—there’s sand, there are rocks and there are crawdads. It’s the perfect unplug. You can really just focus on being there, where you are.”
Yes. Divers train and dive in several Central Oregon lakes, including Cultus Lake, Clear Lake, Lake Billy Chinook and Elk Lake. Central Oregon Diving certifies about 100 new beginner divers each year, according to Ingram.
Where can you learn to scuba dive in Bend?
Central Oregon Diving offers diver training, including open-water certification classes. Training begins in a shallow pool before students move into open-water dives.
Where do scuba divers train near Bend?
Cultus Lake is Central Oregon Diving’s preferred training location because of its gradual sandy entry and reliable visibility. Depending on the season, divers also visit Clear Lake, Lake Billy Chinook and Elk Lake.
How cold is the water for scuba diving in Central Oregon?
Ingram said lake temperatures can be in the low 50s in spring. By the middle of July, the same lake can approach 68 to 70 degrees.
What is visibility like when scuba diving in Central Oregon lakes?
At Cultus Lake, visibility can range from about 3 to 30 feet. While lake diving offers fewer underwater distractions than tropical diving, Ingram said that can make it particularly useful for practicing scuba skills.
What can you see while scuba diving in Central Oregon?
Central Oregon lake diving doesn’t offer the tropical fish and coral reefs associated with many ocean dives. Clark describes a quieter underwater landscape of sand, rocks and crawdads—and an experience centered as much on the rhythm and focus of diving as what there is to see.
A steady force in Central Oregon’s emergency medical response community, Captain Petar Hossick of Bend Fire & Rescue spent 36 years redefining how lifesaving care reaches people in critical moments. Retiring in 2026 after 26 years with Bend Fire and 10 with Sunriver Fire, he leaves a legacy of innovation, mentorship and deep commitment to patient care.
Honored with multiple awards, including the Oregon EMS Impact Award and EMS Provider of the Year, Hossick championed advancements that shaped modern EMS across the region. Beyond protocols and programs, his legacy is the collaboration he created by uniting agencies and mentoring generations of responders in what’s now known as the “Bend Fire Way.”
Framed by tall rustling trees and a sparkling river, a stage reigned by theater magic comes to life as the sun goes down. The audience quiets as the first notes of the overture fill the air. Months of preparation and attention to every detail will soon be on display, mesmerizing the assembled fans eager to be entertained.
Central Oregon supports live theater performance, with at least 11 youth and adult theater companies in the area producing more than 30 shows yearly. While interest in theater is high, the region has a shortage of indoor venues that accommodate large audiences. Theater in the Park (TIP), from Lay it Out Events, addresses the lack of performance space by taking it all outdoors, transforming Bend’s Drake Park into a 1,000-seat theater for two nights each August. For seven years, TIP has brought together locals and visitors for an annual musical theater performance enlivened by the natural environment. “It’s a thousand people all cracking up together with the river and the sunset as a backdrop,” said Lay It Out Events Producer Aaron Switzer. “It is Drake Park at its best.”
Auditions for the 2026 show, The Producers, brought out thespians from professionals to emerging local talent.
Behind the Scenes of Theater in the Park in Bend
Eight months before curtain call is when Michelle Mejaski and Desi Thrower, TIP’s co-directors, first meet to exchange ideas about productions to bring to the stage. After approval from the producer and financier, they apply for rights and then wait. Little can be accomplished until the show title is finalized. Then the work begins.
The TIP production of The Producers, showing August 14 and 15, is a favorite for the directors. Mejaski also acts as choreographer for the show, and Thrower steps in as the costumer. They enlist a vocal director, music director, lighting and sound master, plus a set designer, then the planning sessions begin. It’s now four months to curtain time.
What It Takes to Build an Outdoor Theater in Drake Park
Before the show is known to the public, and before any actor has the opportunity to envision themselves in the spotlight, the usage rights and a venue must be secured. These are the first financial obligations the producer—or community theater organization—shoulders. Depending on the location, the duration of use and the production rights, the cost can range from $8,000 to $20,000 or more, ahead of any prop, costume or production crew expense.
For The Producers, costuming is tricky given a big production number and the fact that each supporting actor will likely play several roles. Some costumes will need to be rented, others sewn and others pulled together from community theater closets. In creating the set design, TIP must take into account that there will be only two days available to build it on site in Drake Park’s public space. Due to multiple scene locations in The Producers, the stage will require several backdrops.
Michelle Mejaski and Desi Thrower are co-directors of The Producers.
The People Behind Theater in the Park
Funds are primarily allotted for sets, props and costumes, production crews, plus TIP is committed to paying its actors. As with most community theater productions, volunteers round out the crew by filling day-of-show roles.
While the productions now pay for themselves, Switzer initially considered the two-day performance each year to be a gift to the community. “You need a passion for it. I get to work with great people like Michelle and the actors,” Switzer said, adding that he and Mejaski have worked together since the beginning of TIP as a theater company.
Cut to three months prior to curtain call—this is when auditions begin. Some seasoned thespians arrive with confidence, ready to belt out their 32 bars of a show tune with ease, while other community members walk in tentatively, looking around for some piece of courage to grasp. For the most part, they know they are about to give up most of their evenings for the next three months to bring entertainment to the community.
Auditions for the 2026 show, The Producers, brought out thespians from professionals to emerging local talent.
Why Bend’s Community Takes the Stage
As with the production team, all actors involved in bringing this musical to life have day jobs. Among the group auditioning for this year’s cast are a high school math teacher, library public service specialist, hospital pharmacy technician, human resources manager and a moving company laborer.
A past production of La Cage aux Folles.
The Magic of Opening Night
On opening night, lucky audience members will scan the stage as the actors make their entrances. In the words of The Producers character Franz Liebkind, “Gentlemen, it is magic time.” This moment is what keeps the cast and crew going when their workdays are long and rehearsals are never-ending. Mejaski sums it up for all of them: “I do this for the love of theater and my friends, and my Bend community.”
Theater in the Park Presents The Producers on August 14-15, 2026 | Drake Park, Bend
Theater in the Park Bend: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Theater in the Park in Bend?
Theater in the Park is an annual outdoor musical theater performance from Lay It Out Events that transforms Bend’s Drake Park into a 1,000-seat theater for two nights each August.
Where is Theater in the Park held?
Theater in the Park takes place at Drake Park in Bend.
How long does it take to prepare for Theater in the Park?
Planning begins eight months before curtain call. Auditions begin three months before curtain call.
How many people does Theater in the Park accommodate?
Theater in the Park can accommodate up to 1,000 people in Drake Park.
New ownership, inventive cocktails, live music, and a chef driven menu have transformed Portello Lounge into one of Bend’s most talked about destinations.
Guests sang along during Music Bingo, conversations carried throughout the lounge, and nearly every table was full.
Cocktails came in vintage glassware, and the murmur of conversation drifted from the bar onto the patio. It was the kind of atmosphere people usually expect to find in the middle of downtown Bend.
Owner Bryan Smith pouring a customer favorite Spicy Cucumber Margarita | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Since purchasing the Northwest Crossing destination in July 2024, Bryan Smith and Rachel Fishman have reimagined the experience through creative cocktails, chef driven cuisine, live music, and a calendar packed with events designed to bring people together.
“We walked in and immediately saw what was possible here,” Fishman says. “The location was incredible, the character was already there, and we knew we could create something special.”
Today, Portello has become the place many locals discover once and immediately start telling their friends about.
You will find several disco balls hanging from the ceiling of Portello Lounge | Photo by Mountain Tides Photography
A Familiar Address with a New Personality
When Smith and Fishman first walked through the doors, they found a beloved neighborhood business with loyal customers, a strong reputation, and nearly two decades of history.
Portello had built a loyal following over the years, earning a reputation as a neighborhood wine bar where guests gathered over charcuterie boards, bruschetta, paninis, and a curated wine list.
“We were drawn to what Portello already meant to the neighborhood,” Fishman says. “Our goal was to take everything we loved about it and introduce some of our own creativity along the way.”
The couple introduced changes gradually, adding their own personality while preserving the qualities guests had come to appreciate. They built custom shelving themselves, added a decorative back bar, and incorporated plush velvet couches, lounge chairs, antique glassware, candles, floral wallpaper, and disco balls that reflect their love of hospitality and entertainment.
“We wanted people to walk in and immediately feel welcomed, stay a little longer than they planned, and leave excited to come back,” the owners say.
Drawing from their own love of music, Smith and Fishman made live performances a priority, giving local artists a stage while offering guests something new to discover each weekend.
Cocktails Inspired by Stories Worth Sharing
Portello may have expanded its cocktail program, though wine remains an important part of the experience.
“We still carry the same amount of wine by the glass,” Smith says.
The difference comes through creativity. Guests can order a Smoked Maple Bacon Old Fashioned, a honey Apricot Daiquiri, a Green Tea Negroni, or a seasonal Cantaloupe Sour made with house-prepared ingredients.
“People describe it as summer in a glass,” Fishman says.
Cocktail at Portello Lounge | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Several drinks carry personal meaning. The Miss Moxie cocktail pays tribute to Smith’s late father, who often used the word “moxie” when talking about courage and taking chances. The tribute extends beyond the cocktail menu, inspiring the name of the couple’s business, Smith Moxie LLC. Another drink, The Gregory, honors Smith’s father through his favorite combination of gin and orange juice.
Every cocktail is made to be memorable without taking itself too seriously.
“People connect with drinks they know,” Smith says. “We just like putting our own spin on them.”
Sunset Boulevard Salad | Photo by Tina Paymaster
The Food That Keeps People Talking
The cuisine has evolved alongside the lounge’s broader transformation.
Working closely with Chef Nikki Munk and the culinary team, Smith and Fishman have focused on creating a menu that feels fresh, welcoming, and worth talking about. New dishes, house-made ingredients, and globally inspired flavors have helped establish a growing reputation among guests while allowing the menu to continue evolving.
“Our goal has always been to create food that surprises people and gives them a reason to come back,” they say.
Guest favorites include Moroccan carrots served over whipped honey feta with pistachios, house-made meatballs, a honey mustard chicken sandwich, and a Caesar salad that regularly earns rave reviews from diners.
Photo by Tina Paymaster
“I can’t tell you how many people have told us it’s the best Caesar salad they’ve ever had,” Fishman says.
The collaborative approach between ownership and the culinary team has helped Portello continue refining the menu while maintaining the welcoming atmosphere that defines the lounge.
The Night Everyone Wants a Seat For
While some restaurants become known for a signature dish, Portello has become known for a night of the week.
Wednesday Music Bingo has grown into one of the venue’s busiest events, regularly filling seats throughout the lounge. Behind the microphone, Fishman keeps the energy moving by playing recognizable hits and encouraging friendly competition, and plenty of audience participation.
“People ask if it’s really like that every week,” Fishman says. “And the answer is yes.”
Live music every weekend, Taco and Tequila Tuesdays, wine specials, seasonal events, and community fundraisers have helped Portello develop a loyal following while attracting newcomers who may never have visited Northwest Crossing before.
Why Guests Keep Coming Back
Great food and cocktails may bring people through the door, but relationships are what keep them returning.
Bryan and Rachel after Portello Lounge was chosen for the cover of the 2025 Savor summer issue | Photo by Bootsie Boddington
Community remains central to Smith and Fishman’s vision for Portello. Alongside expanding the food and beverage menus, the couple has hosted charitable events supporting causes ranging from Alzheimer’s awareness to mental health initiatives while building the relationships that have become such an important part of Portello’s identity.
They also credit much of Portello’s success to the team that helps create the experience guests have come to know and love.
“Our staff is amazing,” Fishman says. “They’re fun, kind, and they genuinely care about creating a great experience.”
Many guests first discover Portello through a recommendation from a friend, a social media video, or a glimpse of a packed patio, then quickly understand why the lounge has developed such a loyal following.
While Portello continues to honor its neighborhood wine bar roots, Smith and Fishman have created a lounge that is uniquely their own.
Jules Henry was working as a product design engineer at Apple—his dream job, collaborating with a cadre of cutting-edge talent on the first iPad in 2010, a pivotal point in tech history, and the next-generation, thinner iPad. It was akin to a graduate degree in manufacturing while a revolutionary product was being developed: multiple trips to China, learning industry standards for materials sourcing, integrating complex components, innovating with big teams.
After about two years, though, he felt burned out from stress and neglect for his creative self. During one of those long flights to China in a luxurious business class seat, halfway through a glass of champagne in the pure, offline space when Wi-Fi didn’t reach most planes, he was receiving messages anyway. They were of the nondigital type, telling him to get back to the natural world and work with his hands.
Photo by Cyr Beckley
Soon after, his father was having heart issues, and Henry took a three-month leave to return to Big Sur to help. It was just what he needed, too. A friend taught him how to weld, and he was hooked. He began making chairs as gifts for his father and friends.
The Burning Man Chair That Launched It All
In 2012, preparing to head to Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, he built the precursor to what would become the Volo—a sculptural, curved, oversized rocking lounger made for two with folding tires and a shade canopy—in about a week. He pushed it out onto the playa and left it for anyone to experience.
“It really came through me as this offering of joy and an opportunity to be together with someone you care about,” Henry said.
The positive reaction was immediate, becoming the seed of a company. FR33FORM—the 33 a nod to numerology’s “master teacher” of spiritual upliftment of humanity—took shape, its chairs, swings, tables and sculptural stools all handcrafted in Henry’s Bend workshop.
Each creation is “a vehicle for consciousness to soar”—furniture designed to hold the body in comfort, quiet the mind and open awareness. The key is vestibular stimulation: the gentle, rhythmic movement his pieces allow—like rocking a baby, or drifting in a hammock, that lets the nervous system drop into a regulated, settled state.
“That’s our highest purpose,” he said. “Furniture that expands consciousness. A lofty goal.”
How the Vibe Chair Came to Life
That philosophy found a new expression about six years ago, when acclaimed furniture designer Charles Gibilterra came to Henry to remake a chair he’d designed in the 1970s. Henry couldn’t resist but told him that if they were to redo it, it had to move.
The result is the Vibe—an aluminum-frame chair that delivers what Henry calls freedom of movement. Where other chairs rely on concealed springs and pivots, the Vibe’s flex is built into the material itself. Aluminum gives the same yield strength as steel but with three times more movement, keeping the sitter gently, almost imperceptibly active.
While developing the chair, an idea struck: to create a frame from a single continuous piece—aesthetically pleasing and conveying the message that vital energy recirculates infinitely as we move.
“There is no beginning, and there is no end,” he said. “That’s what you see…no start point or end point to the structure, it’s looping.”
Furniture That Encourages Movement and Connection
The Vibe is FR33FORM’s most accessible piece yet (priced at $550, compared to $8,000 for the Volo), with implications Henry didn’t anticipate. At the massive spring High Point Market trade show in North Carolina, some visitors were moved to tears, recognizing in the chair something their neurodivergent children had been missing all along—a seat that works with the body’s natural need to move, rather than against it.
All of FR33FORM’s pieces are built for the outdoors because Henry believes nature invites what he calls “soft fascination”—a broad, effortless awareness we’re built for. His furniture, he said, is meant to meet you there.
Recognized for her leadership by the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, Catalina Sánchez Frank received its 2026 Advancing Women Experience Grant, honoring leaders promoting gender equity across Oregon. She became the first female executive director of the Latino Community Association in January 2025, bringing more than a decade of experience advocating for immigrant communities in Oregon, including serving as vice chair of the Oregon Secretary of State Translation Advisory Council.
At LCA, Sánchez Frank leads a bilingual team acting as a trusted bridge for Latine families across Central Oregon, connecting community members to immigration legal services, housing, workforce and health resources, and culturally rooted programs that foster belonging and opportunity. She also serves on regional advisory groups focused on health equity and community wellbeing.
A Bend resident since 2015, Sánchez Frank immigrated with her family from Colombia during a period of civil unrest. “I am deeply honored to receive this grant and to represent the extraordinary women who pour their hearts into mission-driven work,” she said.
In case you needed a few more reasons to fall in love with Bend and Central Oregon, the food scene here transcends small-town output, making the region a destination for foodies across the country. Even more specifically, the dessert offerings have such breadth and variety. It’s striking how deep the bench goes for truly remarkable, decadent treats.
In a world that can feel increasingly rushed, a truly sublime confection is like a truce with time itself. It’s a pause that invites you back into presence—something unhurried and entirely worth it—a sweet reminder to delight in our days, not just get through them.
Whether it’s small-batch popsicles, gluten-free death-by-chocolate, silkily divine gelato, or a singularly perfect tiramisu, some of the finest desserts in the high desert can be found. Apologies in advance for any drool or sticky hands.
Glory Popsicles | Photo by Tambi Lane
Glory Popsicles Nostalgic Summer Treats
Steven and Shanna Nunes are the former owners of Dreams Rolled Ice Cream. They knew that the evolution of frozen desserts was just beginning when they launched Glory Gourmet Popsicles in the summer of 2024. What followed for the Nuneses was a period of careful experimentation, recipe development and refinement, rooting the brand in craftsmanship, creativity and a love for exceptional treats.
One of the (many) remarkable things about Glory Gourmet Popsicles is the intentionality behind the craft. When imagining the popsicles of childhood, the mind goes to those punchy reds, blues and greens that promised a sweet release of ice-cold fruitiness. The Nuneses remember those bright, summer colors of nostalgia, but ditch the chemicals, creating popsicles without dyes, fillers or preservatives. Instead, they use a plant-based thickener and flash freezing to create the creamy texture of their fruit pops. The vibrant colors come naturally from the fruit itself.
“We also love supporting our community by sourcing from small businesses whenever possible, incorporating ingredients like locally grown rhubarb from Frosted GF Delights, a local cottage baker, and locally roasted coffee and espresso, as well as local dairy products for our cream-base popsicles,” Shanna said.
With flavors such as mango chamoy, blackberry ginger lemon, chocolate sea salt and Metolius chai, there seems to be a limitless sense of playful experimentation to Glory’s summer salivations. Find them at the Redmond Farmers Market, or spot Glory rolling through private events all season long.
Don’t miss:
Mango Chamoy
Blackberry Ginger Lemon
Chocolate Sea Salt
Metolius Chai
Bonta Gelato | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Bonta Authentic Italian-Style Gelato
One of the easiest ways to tell if summer has truly arrived is to check the line in front of downtown Bend’s Bonta Gelato. If the queue has crossed the alley and started to encroach on the Oxford Hotel, you know that summer is in full swing and that the town is ready for some of the finest gelato found anywhere outside of Europe. Fortunately, there is a second location on Galveston Avenue.
The science might be unfamiliar, but most know the tastes of gelato well. General Manager Peter Curran gave a brief masterclass. “It’s similar to ice cream, but with three distinct differences that I believe make it yummier and better for you. The first being that it is much denser than ice cream.
This is a result of a slower churning process, versus the faster whipping process that ice cream uses. The second is that it doesn’t include eggs. Lastly, it contains more milk and less cream than ice cream.”
The sweet, sweet chemistry in combination with the notes of stracciatella, a classic Italian flavor, makes for a Bonta customer favorite. The delicate dark chocolate flakes combined with the fior di latte base create an alchemic masterwork that shapes what dreams are made of. From the gentle essence of caramel in the dulce de leche to the nostalgia-soaked goodness of its orange cream flavor that tastes like a creamsicle, Bonta crafts world-class treats right from its Bend creamery.
Don’t miss:
Stracciatella
Dulce de Leche
Orange Cream
Locations in Bend:
Downtown Bend
Galveston Avenue
Blissful Spoon | Photo by Tina Paymaster
The Handcrafted Elegance of Blissful Spoon
While Blissful Spoon is a staple for breakfast, brunch and its elegant Moroccan dinner service (when the space morphs into Papillon three nights a week), it’s the dessert case that has claimed a spot in Central Oregon’s collective consciousness. The gluten-free case is not only packed with an ever-rotating selection of pastries, cakes and cookies, but is also ample evidence for the world at large that treats don’t need wheat to be divine.
Owner and food genius Miki Bekkari keeps the selection rotating based on the seasons and what can be sourced locally. “This time of year, we’re moving into our spring and summer items, so the lemon-berry scones are now back. We also have our bestsellers, like the Tuscan almond cookies, lemon twist cake and flourless chocolate cake,” said Bekkari. “In the winter, people will find more things like apple cinnamon cake and walnut bars, while the summer might have things like savory grab-and-go hand pies or tequila lime cake.”
If you or someone you love has never tried the flourless chocolate cake, remedy this immediately. The dish doesn’t just melt in your mouth like a good cake should, but is indistinguishable in flavor from its gluten-involved counterparts. From the delicately tart citrus punch of the lemon twist cake to the gently rum-infused canelés and their tender, custardy centers, Blissful Spoon explores desserts that manage to walk the line between nostalgic and groundbreaking. And they make it look easy.
Don’t miss:
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Lemon Twist Cake
Lemon-Berry Scones
Tuscan Almond Cookies
Seasonal offerings range from apple cinnamon cake in winter to tequila lime cake and savory hand pies during warmer months.
Oh My Goodness Bakery | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Why Bend’s Dessert Scene Stands Out
What makes Bend’s dessert culture remarkable isn’t simply the variety—it’s the craftsmanship behind it.
Local makers emphasize seasonal ingredients, small-batch production and thoughtful sourcing, creating everything from naturally colored popsicles to gluten-free pastries and authentic Italian gelato. Together, they prove that Central Oregon’s sweet side rivals destinations far larger than its size might suggest.
Completing one of the world’s most demanding 250-mile ultramarathons, Bend’s Heather Jackson placed 4th among women and 12th overall at the May 2026 Cocodona 250. The former Princeton ice hockey captain adds this to her six Ironman titles, 16 Ironman 70.3 wins—including a World Championship podium—and a course record at Ironman Lake Placid.
Also a U.S. National Team track cyclist, Jackson’s path has taken her from New England to Thailand and Southern California before moving to Bend in 2010. From her base in Central Oregon, she continues to pursue elite gravel and ultra racing events. Her record-setting 2025 win at the Unbound Gravel XL, a 350+ mile ultra-endurance gravel cycling race, cemented her as one of the United States’ most versatile endurance athletes.
OnePeak Medical explains how alcohol affects sleep, weight, anxiety, and overall health, plus practical tips for healthier drinking habits this summer.
Summer in Central Oregon means outdoor concerts, lake days that turn into long evenings around the firepit and a wedding or festival every other weekend. Routines change. Bedtimes drift, social calendars fill up, and the rosé starts pouring at four o’clock on a Tuesday. We tell ourselves it’s a well-deserved summer ritual.
Most people never stop to ask a simple question. How is alcohol actually affecting my health?
At OnePeak Medical, providers look at the full picture of health, including how sleep, nutrition, movement, stress, and lifestyle choices affect wellness. Alcohol is one factor that often deserves a closer look, especially during summer when consumption tends to increase.
Is Moderate Drinking Really Safe?
Many people still believe a daily glass of red wine offers heart health benefits. While earlier studies suggested potential advantages, newer research paints a more complicated picture.
Alcohol is a dose-dependent toxin, meaning the effects increase with the amount consumed. Even moderate drinking can influence sleep quality, recovery, metabolism, and overall health.
One of the most common questions providers hear is, “How much alcohol is too much?”
The answer varies from person to person. Factors including age, genetics, body composition, hormone levels, medications, and existing health conditions all play a role in how alcohol is processed.
What works for one person may create significant health challenges for another.
Moderation and mindful drinking habits can support better sleep, energy, recovery, and overall wellness.
Why Alcohol Affects More Than Your Liver
Most people associate alcohol-related health concerns with liver disease, but its effects show up throughout the body.
Alcohol can interfere with the body’s ability to build and maintain muscle mass, which becomes increasingly important after age 40. It can also contribute to weight gain, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance, and increased inflammation.
If you’re exercising consistently, eating well, and still struggling to lose stubborn abdominal weight, alcohol may be part of the equation.
Many patients are surprised to learn how significantly alcohol can affect their progress even when they don’t consider themselves heavy drinkers.
Does Alcohol Really Affect Sleep and Anxiety?
Better sleep is one of the most common benefits people report after reducing alcohol consumption.
Yes.
While alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, it often reduces sleep quality later in the night. Many people wake more frequently, experience less restorative sleep, and feel less refreshed the following morning.
Alcohol can also contribute to anxiety.
A growing number of people describe experiencing “hangxiety,” a term used to describe feelings of nervousness, irritability, or low-grade dread after drinking. Even individuals who consume only a few drinks may notice increased anxiety, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, or mood changes the next day.
Because alcohol is a depressant, it can also worsen symptoms in people already struggling with low mood.
Patients who reduce their alcohol intake frequently report better focus, steadier energy levels, improved sleep, and greater emotional resilience.
What Happens When You Stop Drinking for 30 Days?
One of the most effective ways to understand alcohol’s impact is to take a temporary break.
Research has linked 30-day alcohol resets to improvements in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, liver health markers, and weight management. Many people also notice clearer thinking, deeper sleep, and increased energy.
A month-long break doesn’t require a lifetime commitment to sobriety.
Instead, it creates an opportunity to evaluate how alcohol affects your body and determine what level of consumption aligns with your health goals.
Practical Tips for Healthier Drinking Habits
If completely eliminating alcohol doesn’t feel realistic, small changes can still make a difference.
Try these provider-recommended strategies:
Decide before arriving how many drinks you’ll have.
Alternate alcoholic beverages with water or a nonalcoholic option.
Schedule at least two or three alcohol-free nights each week.
Eat a balanced meal before drinking.
Stay hydrated throughout the day.
Pay attention to how you sleep and feel the next morning.
Paying attention to your habits is often the first step toward better health.
Reducing alcohol may support muscle recovery, weight management, and exercise performance.
A Healthier Relationship With Alcohol Starts With Honest Reflection
Every person metabolizes alcohol differently. The challenge is that many of alcohol’s effects develop quietly over time.
When someone says they handle alcohol just fine, they’re usually referring to how they feel in the moment. Blood work, sleep quality, mood, recovery, and long-term health often tell a different story.
As summer celebrations continue, consider checking in with yourself.
Are you drinking because you’re enjoying the occasion, or because alcohol has become your primary tool for managing stress, sleep, or social situations?
That simple question can reveal more than any hangover ever will.
At OnePeak Medical, providers work with patients to identify lifestyle factors that may be affecting their health and create sustainable plans built around long-term wellness. Sometimes, a healthier future starts with something as simple as taking a closer look at what’s in your glass.
For more information, schedule a visit at OnePeak Medical
As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it’s also an opportunity to look further back—and forward. Long before 1776, Indigenous peoples built the trade networks, stewardship traditions and cultural foundations that shaped Central Oregon. Today, those communities continue to influence the region through conservation, language preservation, storytelling and cultural leadership.
Indigenous Traditions Continue to Mold Central Oregon
Romaine “Smokey” Miller, an elder of the Klamath Tribe, held two eagle feathers, with beadwork on each end, blue for sky, green for earth. He uses them in traditional purification ceremonies, or smudging, to “speak from our heart, not from our ego or our pride…for a better future for our children,” he said. Miller touches the feather to the top of a person’s head, acknowledging that spirit comes from a place higher than we can comprehend.
For spiritual wisdom and counsel, he goes from his home in Redmond to the Deschutes River, where its current has flowed free and clear for as long as Indigenous tribes’ seasonal travel, fishing and trade routes shaped life across the high desert, thousands of years ago. While the United States is marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, the people and cultures who knew this landscape first are evolving, surviving and thriving.
How Indigenous Trade Networks Shaped Central Oregon Before 1776
At the Museum at Warm Springs, Executive Director Elizabeth Woody describes what was happening here in 1776: The region’s tribes of the Columbia Plateau were deeply connected to a vast trade and information network—aware that newcomers from the East were coming. The Wasco people served as a central hub, fluent in neighboring tribal languages, English, French and Chinook jargon. Woody’s own grandfather spoke seven dialects, plus English. These tribes—the Nez Perce, Northern Pauite, Umatilla, Tenino, Wasco and Yakama among them—had long defined themselves by exchange and would extend that spirit even to the newcomers arriving on their lands.
Indigenous Knowledge Helped Early Settlers Adapt to Central Oregon
That spirit of exchange didn’t end with colonization—it adapted. That adaptation came at enormous cost—forced removals, extermination, the systematic dismantling of language and sovereignty—yet the knowledge and relationships endured. When ranchers began homesteading in Jefferson County around 1910, many arrived without the knowledge to survive the high desert, Woody said, and tribal families stepped in to help. Through what became known as “sister ranches,” they taught settlers how to manage cattle through the winter, helped each other with branding, and shared medicinal herbs and knowledge of how to grow food in an unforgiving climate, said Woody, whose grandfather had such a partnership.
How the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Lead Salmon and Water Conservation
That tradition of stewardship—of tending not just to tribal lands but to the broader community of living things—continues in the tribes’ leadership on water, land and salmon conservation efforts that benefit all of Central Oregon. Through its 1855 treaty with the U.S. government, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs hold senior water rights on rivers such as the John Day and the Deschutes. Water, Woody notes, is their first medicine. “We were placed here by the Creator to take care of and to speak for those that cannot speak,” she said. Tradition is what works best, refined over generations. “Take only what you need. Do no harm.”
The Museum at Warm Springs Looks to the Future
It’s a philosophy Woody is now weaving into the museum’s future. The museum is raising funds to renew its permanent exhibit, originally built in 1993. The $3 million project received a $1.5 million grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust, which the museum must now match. The renewed exhibit, planned to open in 2028—the museum’s 35th anniversary—will update outdated systems and expand the story to include where Warm Springs is today and the tribes’ connection to their 10.5 million acres of ceded lands.
Jingle dancer Acosia Red Elk is a member of the Umatilla tribe. | Photo by Amanda Freeman, Ampkwa Images.
Indigenous Stewardship Influences Conservation in Central Oregon
At the same time, the tribes’ philosophy of stewardship is increasingly being recognized in managing Central Oregon’s most pressing resource challenges. Robert “Bobby” Brunoe, a Wasco and Warm Springs tribal member who manages environmental and water resources for Warm Springs Power and Water, puts it into practice. A lifelong fisherman, he can’t cast a line until after the traditional salmon feast each spring—tribes don’t fish or gather until ceremonies have honored the Creator’s gifts. “It’s like Christmas morning,” he said of heading to Sherars Falls on the Deschutes, where tribal members still build wooden scaffolds over the water to net salmon by hand, just as his grandfather did.
Tribes think not in 20-year plans but in “seven generations,” according to Brunoe. “We are very patient,” he said, “as long as we’re moving that needle.” That long view is increasingly validated by Western science. Prescribed burning is one example—tribes were managing forests with fire long before it became an accepted conservation practice. “We’ve read the land, and know this is what’s needed,” he said.
The Hood River Basin tells a similar story: When tribes began salmon restoration work there in the early 1990s, the river had none. Through a tribal hatchery and years of patient work, salmon now spawn and thrive there. That type of stewardship on the Warm Springs Reservation has produced one of the healthiest bull trout populations in the Lower 48. Lake Billy Chinook, which borders the reservation, is one of the only places in the United States where a nontribal angler can catch and keep a bull trout, with a fishing permit available through the tribes’ website.
Preserving Culture Through Film, Storytelling and Tradition
It’s a place that filmmaker LaRonn Katchia knows well—he grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation and now brings Indigenous perspectives to broader audiences. His Emmy-nominated 2025 documentary Guardian of the Land, produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting, and inspired by the 2024-2025 “Sensing Sasquatch” exhibit at the High Desert Museum, explores Bigfoot through oral histories from tribal leaders who regard Sasquatch as a revered protector and spiritual relative. “There’s so much land there that is still untouched, especially on the reservation, and it shows how we need to preserve that,” he said.
He also contributed to Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience, about the legacy of Indigenous boarding schools and the path toward healing. “It was an obligation to honor those ancestors, to honor those relatives,” said Katchia, who is based in Portland. OPB had approached him about such projects at the Bend Film Festival in 2023, where Katchia hosted a panel discussion about Indigenous perspectives in film with actress Cara Jade Myers of Killers of the Flower Moon and Ryan RedCorn, a writer for the award-winning comedy-drama television series “Reservation Dogs.”
Katchia is at work on his next film, Songs of Warm Springs, which grew from a discovery: an album of traditional women’s social dance songs recorded in the 1970s, pressed on vinyl and still held at KWSO, the tribal radio station in Warm Springs, and now on Spotify. Katchia hopes the film, expected to be released next year, will allow elders to pass those songs to younger generations before that knowledge is lost.
Brunoe said he carries a core message into each of his conversations about tribes and their place in Central Oregon today. “We’re still here. Don’t forget us.”
Alysia Littleleaf (Klick’ump) is a descendant of Warm Springs, Wasco, Yakama Nation, Goshute, Ute, Shoshone and Sto’lo Nation. Dress is by Native designer, Lauren Good Day. | Photo by Chad Brown
A New Home for Indigenous Stories at the High Desert Museum
An Expansion at the High Desert Museum Makes Space for Education and Exhibits
As the Museum at Warm Springs begins a renovation, the High Desert Museum in Bend is undergoing an expansion of its own. One of the most significant Indigenous Plateau collections in the nation almost left Oregon entirely, but the new 24,000-square-foot wing will allow those objects to be seen anew.
The new space will increase the museum’s capacity for exhibitions, education and community engagement, adding new classrooms, expanded gallery space and new event and gathering spaces. It includes the renovation and reinstallation of the permanent exhibition dedicated to the Doris Swayze Bounds collection—with some 7,000 items from the surrounding region. The pieces came to the museum in 1990 when the Bounds family chose to keep it in the homeland rather than send it to the Smithsonian or other large, competing institutions. Bounds, a banker from Hermiston, spent her life building relationships with tribal leaders and families, and the objects reflect those connections—some were given to her as gifts at funerals and celebrations of life.
Developed in close collaboration with an advisory committee of Indigenous members, the reimagined galleries will center contemporary Native voices and perspectives, emphasizing the continuity of Plateau cultures and their enduring relationships to the high desert landscape.
The objects carry a power that transcends history, said Executive Director Dana Whitelaw. “These sovereign nations are our neighbors,” she said. “They have been living here and contributing to this landscape and these rich, deep stories that make Central Oregon so vibrant.”
A drink that was once hard to come by, matcha is now ubiquitous in cafe culture. The finely milled Japanese green tea has long been central to traditional tea ceremonies and today shows up everywhere from pastry cases to skincare products. The fascination with matcha may come from its flavor. It is both striking and grounding: grassy, a little bitter and slightly sweet, with a caffeine lift steadier than coffee’s. Plus, it harbors an abundance of antioxidants and amino acids. Matcha varies in quality, from ceremonial-grade to culinary powders used in baking, it is prized for its vivid green color and refined texture, and is brought to life by tactful whisking to produce its signature silky texture.
The Strawberry Matcha Latte from Pika Pika in downtown Bend takes the drink to another level. Served over ice from the shop’s cafe window, a reusable cup is filled with a layer of premium grade matcha, milk and strawberry, transpiring into a mouthwatering sunset of colors. An abundance of ice comes into play before the first sip, when a big shake combines the layers.
A pleasing rhythm between fruit and tea follows. Strawberry aromatics open each sip, then slip aside as the matcha arrives with a satin, nutty finish. The tea flavor remains present and, like any good matcha, is free of clumps or chalkiness. Because the strawberry purée is made with real fruit rather than syrup, the matcha gets the chance to speak for itself while the sweet and umami sides of the palate enjoy the harmony.
Once difficult to find outside specialty tea shops, matcha has become a staple of modern cafe culture.
The finely milled Japanese green tea has long played a central role in traditional tea ceremonies. Today, it appears everywhere from pastry cases to skincare products.
Part of its appeal is its distinctive flavor profile: grassy, slightly bitter and gently sweet, with a caffeine boost that tends to feel steadier than coffee. Matcha is also known for its concentration of antioxidants and amino acids.
Quality varies from ceremonial-grade matcha to culinary powders used in baking, but the best versions are prized for their vibrant green color, refined texture and smooth finish.
What to Know About Pika Pika’s Strawberry Matcha Latte
Drink: Strawberry Matcha Latte
Where: Pika Pika, downtown Bend
Best For: A refreshing summer drink with balanced fruit and tea flavors
Served over ice in a reusable cup, the drink arrives with distinct layers of strawberry, milk and matcha. Before the first sip, a generous amount of ice helps blend the ingredients into a smooth, chilled beverage.
What It Tastes Like
The experience begins with bright strawberry aromatics.
As the fruit notes fade, the matcha takes center stage, delivering a silky texture and nutty finish. The tea remains present throughout, avoiding the chalkiness or clumping that can diminish lesser matcha drinks.
Because the strawberry component is made with real fruit rather than syrup, sweetness never overwhelms the tea. Instead, the two flavors complement one another, allowing both the fruit and matcha to shine.
Central Oregon has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s most popular Fourth of July destinations. Summer weather has arrived, the Deschutes River is ready for floating and the beer has never tasted more refreshing. Bend’s streets are plastered with red, white and blue, and there are plenty of family-friendly events and outdoor adventures to enjoy. From the historic Bend Pet Parade to floating the Deschutes River, here’s where to celebrate the Fourth of July in Bend with floats, fireworks, festivals and good old-fashioned fun.
The Bend Pet Parade
Start Independence Day with a more-than-century-old Bend tradition: the beloved Bend Pet Parade. This festive march invites pets of all shapes and sizes (plus a few stuffed animals) to parade through downtown with their humans in tow. The event takes place on Friday, July 4, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. Participants walk the route to Drake Park along the Deschutes River. The parade is free to attend or join, but please leave rabbits, cats, and aggressive animals at home. Read more about the history of the Bend Pet Parade.
Float the Deschutes River
Few activities capture summer in Bend better than floating the Deschutes River, and the annual Bend Freedom Float adds a patriotic twist to one of the city’s favorite outdoor traditions.
Participants launch from the Park & Float station on SW Bradbury Way and float through the Old Mill District, past Bend Whitewater Park and into Drake Park. For a smooth return, purchase a Ride the River shuttle pass in advance to hop on between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Consider wearing water shoes and packing sunscreen!
Photo by Nate Wyeth
Spend the Day at Bend’s Lakes and Trails
Escape the heat with a refreshing dip in a high desert lake. Spend your day swimming or paddling at Sparks Lake, Elk Lake, or Devils Lake, each offering views of blue water and the Cascade Range and Mount Bachelor. The lakes also offer ample beach space, making them perfect for an all-day hangout. Some of the best summer hikes in Bend include trails with memorable views, such as Tumalo Falls, Green Lakes, and Pilot Butte. Parking is typically free or incurs a small fee, payable at trailheads, depending on your location and permit needs. There are 65 miles of trails within Bend’s city limits.
Celebrate at Bend Breweries
For a more laid-back kind of Independence Day, Bend’s breweries are the place to be. Head to GoodLife Brewing to sip craft beer on the grass while playing corn hole. Bend Brewing Company offers riverside seating and picnic-style vibes. Over at Crux Fermentation Project, sprawl out and enjoy some food trucks and bocce ball. Worthy Brewing on Bend’s Eastside has plenty of seating, warm string lights to illuminate the space after sundown, and a third-floor observatory worth exploring.
Photo of Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, by Tina Paymaster
Join the Bend Freedom Ride
The Freedom Ride has evolved from an underground bike parade into an epic pre-party that winds its way through downtown Bend. Expect to see bicyclists sporting wigs, tutus, and often plenty of skin. Riders loosely gather at Pioneer Park around 11 a.m. The real energy often lies in the spontaneous chaos as the route unfolds toward Columbia Park (known as “Pirate Park” by many), where most revelers eventually land. Though it ends at a playground, the Freedom Ride is not for kids.
Fourth of July Celebrations at Central Oregon Resorts
Photo courtesy of Sunriver Resort
Sunriver Resort
Sunriver Resort pulls out all the stops for the 4th of July with a weekend of family-friendly fun. In addition to the annual bike parade and festival in The Village from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the resort hosts several festive events. Bring your furry friend to the Patriotic Pets photo competition on July 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A Pickleball Partner Challenge on July 4 offers fun for all skill levels (solo players welcome). On July 5, sample local brews at the Red, White & Brew tasting from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunriver’s Fourth of July weekend festivities also include a Summer Concert Series and a sunset river float on Friday, July 3 at the marina.
Brasada Ranch
Brasada Ranch is celebrating the Fourth of July with a full day of family-friendly festivities on July 4. Highlights include a cookout featuring burgers, hot dogs, live music and lawn games. There are also pony rides and ranch activities in the Front Pasture. All-American festivities continue in the evening with a Barn Party complete with a corn dog food truck, s’mores, line dancing, a mechanical bull and roping activities for kids. Adults can sip poolside cocktails from Brim Bar while kids devour popsicles from Glory Pops. There will also be a special appearance by Reptile Zone.
Black Butte Ranch
Black Butte Ranch offers a day of classic American festivities on July 4. Enjoy a morning fun run, bike decorating and parade, flag ceremony, BBQ picnic, and live music on the Lakeside Lawn. Kids of all ages love the dunk a cop tank, slip ‘n slide, and old-fashioned games. Adults can try the latest golf gear during Golf Demo Day on the fourth, or unwind with poolside spa treatments. It’s a festive day filled with laid-back mountain charm.
Fourth of July Events Beyond Bend
For those looking to explore beyond Bend, neighboring cities throughout Central Oregon host their own unique Fourth of July celebrations. In Madras, the day kicks off with a community breakfast, followed by an old-school parade, flag ceremony, and festivities featuring local food and live music. La Pine’s Frontier Days runs from July 1–5 and is a beloved hometown festival complete with lawnmower races, an apple pie baking competition, living-history reenactments and a fireworks display.
Redmond brings the fun with a patriotic downtown parade, a family-friendly fair, and a fireworks show at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds & Expo Center. Prineville hosts a vintage-style celebration with a parade, live music, artisan vendors, and a grand fireworks finale. In Sisters, the annual Sisters 4th Fest includes a pancake breakfast, a 3-mile fun run, a car show and a pie-eating contest. It’s a charming spot for families and festive spirits alike.
The Fourth of July is one of the busiest and most festive weekends of the year in Bend. Popular activities include watching the Bend Pet Parade, floating the Deschutes River during the Bend Freedom Float, and spending the day at nearby lakes and trails. Visitors can also head to Sunriver Resort, Brasada Ranch or Black Butte Ranch for family-friendly holiday events and activities.
Where to See Fireworks in Bend, Oregon?
There is currently no public Fourth of July fireworks show within the city of Bend due to wildfire risk and Central Oregon’s dry summer conditions. Large fireworks displays are typically held in surrounding communities rather than in Bend itself. Visitors looking for fireworks can head to Redmond, Prineville, La Pine or other nearby towns that traditionally host Independence Day fireworks celebrations. Check local event organizers for the latest schedules and updates before traveling.
Where Are the Best Fourth of July Events in Oregon?
Some of Oregon’s most popular Fourth of July celebrations take place in Bend and Central Oregon, along the Oregon Coast, and in the Willamette Valley. Bend is known for the Bend Pet Parade and river floats, while nearby communities such as Redmond and La Pine host hometown parades, festivals and fireworks.
Is July a Good Time to Visit Bend, Oregon?
Yes. July is one of the best times to visit Bend. Warm, sunny weather creates ideal conditions for floating the Deschutes River, hiking, mountain biking, paddleboarding and enjoying outdoor dining. The city’s summer event calendar is in full swing, and nearby lakes, trails and mountain destinations are generally accessible. Visitors should expect larger crowds and higher lodging demand around the Fourth of July holiday, so advance reservations are recommended.
Where can I swim near Bend on the Fourth of July?
Popular swimming destinations near Bend include the Deschutes River, Sparks Lake, Elk Lake and Devils Lake. These high-elevation lakes offer cool water, mountain views and opportunities for paddling, picnicking and relaxing on the shore.
What breweries are good for Fourth of July celebrations in Bend?
Bend Brewing Company, Crux Fermentation Project, GoodLife Brewing, and Worthy Brewing are popular choices for Fourth of July gatherings. Each offers outdoor seating and a festive atmosphere that pairs well with a summer holiday weekend.
Doesn’t it feel a bit conspiratorial to propose oysters and caviar for a night out in the high desert? No coast in sight nor salt in the air, just the Deschutes River and the smell of ponderosa pines. And yet, the reward for such a suggestion is palpable: total oceanic harmony within this landlocked landscape. From wood-fired oysters and smoke-seeped caviar to fresh oysters on the half shell, a thriving seafood culture lies in wait.
Viaggio Wine Merchant | Photo by Alyson Brown
On the Half Shell
Forty-eight hours out of Washington’s Hood Canal, one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier oyster inlets, a shipment of Hama Hama oysters arrives at Viaggio Wine Merchant—just in time for its monthly oyster night, held on the first Friday of every month. “We start at 3 o’clock and they sell fast,” team member Gordon Benzer said, “so your best bet is to arrive before 5:30.” Hama Hama oysters are mild and clean, with a sweet, crisp finish and just enough brine to remind you where they came from. The rotating lineup of wines and craft beer, along with menu specials, takes care of the rest.
Viaggio Wine Merchant | Photo by Alyson Brown
The Hook & Plow leans into the simple pleasure of a great oyster on the half shell, letting the bivalve speak for itself. The presentation is classic: seasonal shells on ice, mignonette (the bitey vinegar-and-shallot sauce) and lemon—staple oyster companions for a reason. Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club also presents a strong opening move at dinner or happy hour. The oyster starter arrives with mignonette, lemon and a house made hot sauce crafted with Aleppo peppers and vinegar. Subject to change, the mignonette follows the kitchen’s whims. It may be imbued with anything from grapefruit to Thai spices. Oysters rotate weekly, mostly from Washington, British Columbia or Alaska. Meanwhile, around the block in downtown Bend at The Hudson, several varieties are available on the half shell alongside a fermented chili hot sauce.
If a proper seafood craving is pulling at you, head to Kusshi [Guide to Seriously Fantastic Fish and Sushi in Bend] and review the chalkboard for the day’s oyster offerings. They make for a brilliant warm-up before the polished sushi that comes next.
Yoli | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Where to Enjoy Caviar in Bend
The Caviar Juk at Yoli turns a small bowl of Korean rice porridge into an exhibition. The warm, loose and savory grains arrive in a glass bowl enclosed in smoke. When the lid is lifted tableside, smoke billows out to signal that it’s time to eat. Black truffle threads throughout to deepen the restorative porridge into an even richer bite. Osetra caviar is spooned on top to introduce just the right amount of citrusy brightness. “It’s like a warm hug,” as one server put it. The Caviar Ppang is a natural progression—where the former is soft and settling, this dish is structured and playful. A brioche waffle arrives with each square alternately filled with foie gras purée and egg, finished with chives and a crown of osetra. Ultra-flaky, crisp outside, tender within, the waffle carries a light jammy sweetness contrasted by the foie gras’ earthiness. Each bite moves from crisp to soft, sweet to salty.
Yoli | Photo by Tina Paymaster
For those who prefer their caviar by the mother-of-pearl spoonful, Ariana offers a caviar service with sustainably harvested kaluga hybrid, crème fraîche, chives and fingerling chips.
Best of Both Worlds
At Olvi, the osetra caviar arrives in a glass jar, flanked by a bowl of ridged potato chips and a cool, creamy accompaniment of crème fraîche. It’s a high-low approach that is at once modest and glorious. If new to caviar, perhaps start here. The first taste prompts one of those delighted “mmm”s. A generous dollop of caviar on a dressed-up chip is saline and buttery, then a malty depth sticks around. Sampled on its own, each pearl of caviar dissolves quickly. But when layered onto a chip with a swipe of the crème, the umami blooms and the texture rounds out—the bite becomes something smoother and entirely more difficult to put down.
Olvi | Photo by Tambi Lane
Pair the osetra with oysters to discover a marine note in a different register that is, likewise, saline and buttery. Unlike the caviar, the oysters are lush and ask for nothing more than mignonette and lemon. The creamy quality comes from the oyster body itself. Complement the dish with a glass of rosé while sat at Olvi’s front porch, and your spread will be sure to turn the heads of Galveston Avenue’s passersby.
Lady Bird Cultural Society | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Lady Bird Cultural Society offers another full expression of this specialty seafood duo. Pacific Northwest oysters arrive fresh and cold in their shells. On the menu also, a wood-fired version: oysters on sourdough with prosciutto, their brininess deepened by smoke and tempered by the richness of the cured meat. Then there is the Grand Cru Champagne & Caviar Service. The Champagne’s acidity clarifies the caviar’s salt—a combination that lifts and extends the experience on the palate.
Bos Taurustakes on a different iteration of caviar. Start with the F%¢K’N Cone. It’s as cheeky as it sounds, a playful carrier for two kinds of fish eggs, salmon roe and caviar, plus poppy seeds and lemon crème fraîche. Order alongside the Hama Hama oysters, and you’ll have your fix of the sea before the inevitable transfer to the renowned Wagyu.
Foie Gras Floret, F%#K’n Cone and Cotton Candy | Photo by Benjamin Edwards
Grab & Shoot on the Go
Not every oyster moment calls for a reservation. The Mother Shuckers food truck at Podski keeps things simple. Find Pacific Northwest oysters on the half shell or oyster shooters served in a shot glass with cocktail sauce and lemon. It’s both fun and satisfying. Sebastian’s Seafood offers another option entirely: take it all home. Useful to know when the night calls for staying in—snag oysters to go and a bottle from the wine selection on the way out.
There are many ways in Bend to invite these ocean treasures to the table. However it unfolds, it won’t be anything short of marvelous. Gifts from the ocean.
Oyster & Caviar FAQ
Where can you get oysters in Bend?
Several Bend restaurants serve Pacific Northwest oysters, including Viaggio Wine Merchant, The Hook & Plow, Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club, The Hudson, Kusshi, Lady Bird Cultural Society and Bos Taurus.
Where can you get caviar in Bend?
For caviar service and caviar-focused dishes, visit Yoli, Ariana, Olvi, Lady Bird Cultural Society or Bos Taurus.
What kinds of oysters are served in Bend?
Many restaurants source oysters from Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. Hama Hama oysters from Washington’s Hood Canal are among the most commonly featured varieties.
What’s the best place to try caviar for the first time?
Olvi’s osetra caviar service with potato chips and crème fraîche offers an approachable introduction for first-time caviar eaters.
Are there casual places to eat oysters in Bend?
Yes. Mother Shuckers at Podski serves oysters on the half shell and oyster shooters, while Sebastian’s Seafood offers oysters to take home.
Can you get oysters and caviar together in Bend?
Yes. Olvi, Lady Bird Cultural Society and Bos Taurus all offer opportunities to enjoy oysters and caviar during the same meal.
A Bend father recalled heading to The Grove with his toddler for a treat when they stumbled upon a group dancing to upbeat electronic music. Before joining the line at Thump Coffee, they veered toward the growing crowd dancing on the patio in the morning sun. Some people were dressed for outdoor adventure; others were still in pajamas. “The communal joy was incredibly infectious,” he said. “We had no idea this was a recurring event.”
His experience isn’t atypical—at least, not in Bend. Spend enough time in town, and chances are you’ll encounter into one of these pop-up dance parties. They’re hard to miss, sometimes drawing crowds of 100 people or more.
Why Bend Keeps Turning Coffee Runs Into Dance Parties
One of the groups behind the movement is Get Up and Groove, organized by Cameron Larson along with his friends Sage Loughlin and Parker Wright. Since 2023, they’ve hosted regular dance parties and cold-plunge events in Bend’s public spaces. “The goal was always community and connection,” Larson said, thinking back to when Get Up and Groove first started. “And the community I’ve built, the friends I’ve made since then? It feels good.” The events are free, open to all ages, and costumes are welcome.
Larson is also a big believer in the health benefits of dancing, especially in the morning. “Morning is when the nervous system is most elastic and receptive. Before phones, caffeine overload, work stress or social masks set in, the brain is open. Movement and rhythm in this window can shape the tone of the entire day.” Local mental health therapist Kathryn Kemp agreed. “Dancing is such a wonderful way to tune in and safely reconnect to your body,” she said. “And it shouldn’t require special expertise—or alcohol—to enjoy. It’s great that the community has built a way for people to collectively access the healing that embodied movement provides.”
Wellness perks aside, beginning the day with coffee and a jig is simply fun. One regular at the morning dance gatherings said starting the day with movement outdoors—sun on your face and the smell of coffee in the air—feels like turning the volume dial of energy all the way up. The scene, they said, often turns into a joyful swirl of people laughing, grinning and spinning each other around like guests at Bilbo Baggins’s birthday party.
If you’re not a morning person, good news: not all of Bend’s dance parties start at sunrise. Groups like Mobile Dance Party host evening pop-ups during Downtown’s First Fridays and holiday celebrations. And around town, no matter the time of day, unexpected places regularly transform into dance floors—from Miller’s Landing and Brooks Plaza at The Commons Cafe & Taproom to The Pantry, Century Center and Dandy’s Drive-In.
Get Up and Groove hosts parties nearly every week and shares upcoming dates on social media. Other events are more elusive, with details passed along through word of mouth. So ask around, follow local businesses online and keep your ears open. You never really know when your morning coffee run or evening stroll might turn into a dance party.
Q: What is Get Up and Groove?
A: A Bend-based community group that hosts free dance parties and cold-plunge gatherings in public spaces around town.
Q: Do I need dance experience to participate?
A: No. The events are open to all ages and designed for anyone who wants to move, connect and have fun.
Q: Why are many events held in the morning?
A: Organizers say dancing early in the day can boost energy, encourage connection and help set a positive tone for the hours ahead.
Q: Where do pop-up dance parties happen?
A: Gatherings have popped up at places including The Grove, Miller’s Landing, Brooks Plaza, The Pantry, Century Center and Dandy’s Drive-In.
Q: How can I find the next dance party?
A: Follow Get Up and Groove and local businesses on social media, ask around and keep an eye out for community events. Some gatherings are announced publicly, while others spread by word of mouth.
A New Musical Rosie the Riveter, Created by Bend Resident Marilyn Magness
Was Rosie the Riveter a real person, or a mythical character created in the tradition of American folklore? A musical created in Bend hopes to answer that question.
Rosie the Riveter was the powerful poster girl in a polka-dotted bandana who became the patriotic symbol for a generation of young women who traded in their vacuum cleaners and baking pans for riveters and blow torches. She is the symbol of the most striking labor shift in American history. Throughout World War II, more than six million “Rosies” left home to begin work in military plants and munitions factories, challenging traditional notions of female capabilities and helping ensure Allied victory.
The Musical Rosie the Riveter was Written, Directed and Produced in Bend to Bring History to Life
Produced by Thoroughly Modern Productions, Rosie the Riveter makes its world premiere on June 18 and runs through June 21. It features a cast of 34 actors, singers and dancers performing music inspired by the 1940’s big band era. It was written and directed by Bend resident Marilyn Magness, whose career includes Broadway experience and more than four decades with Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, where she served as executive creative director. According to production materials, Magness drew inspiration from her mother, Alllys Goy Magness. who was among the women known as “Rosies.”
Meet Real-Life Heroes at the Tower Theatre as Rosie the Riveter Shares a Story of History and Service
Magness was inspired by the Rosie the Riveter as one of the most recognizable symbols of the World War II era. The musical serves as a tribute to those who contributed both on the home front and overseas during a defining period in American history. It was created to preserve the stories of World War II veterans and civilians before they are lost to history. Outreach efforts have included connection with three living “Rosies” who are expected to attend the performances.
A Musical About Past Generations and Connected to Today’s Creative Community
While the story is rooted in a historic moment, the production also reflects the increasing number of locally developed works reaching professional stages. Rather than bringing a touring show to Central Oregon, the musical was developed by local artists and producers, adding to the region’s expanding reputation as a center for arts and cultural programming.
The thinking in Sunriver is that community happens not in lines, but in circles. Seventeen miles southwest of Bend, the same meadows where wagon trains circled in the 1800s still beckon travelers to come, slow down and lose themselves in the beauty of Central Oregon. Tucked into the woods, and dotted with eleven traffic circles (there is no circle eight), more than 3,000 acres comprise this community where travelers and locals alike come to get away from their overscheduled lives and out into nature.
The History of Sunriver
These fields and forests have hosted a variety of people throughout history. During World War II, the government purchased 5,500 acres for Camp Abbot, an Army Corps of Engineers combat-training facility that housed thousands of soldiers from 1942 to 1944. The last remaining building, the officers’ club, still serves as a place for social gatherings, hosting weddings and events in the Great Hall at Sunriver Resort.
In the late 1960s, a group of developers envisioned a residential community centered around a resort and Sunriver was born. Like home but without the hassles of regular life, the scenic vacation spot continues to entice visitors to come enjoy recreation like hiking, tennis, river kayaking, fly fishing, birding, horseback riding and world-class golf, as well as running and biking around Sunriver’s more than 30 miles of paved pathways. Even with so many options for activity, perhaps the best part of Sunriver is the chance to really relax, whether it’s in a hammock or a hot tub, and enjoy the luxury of leisure time.
Summer in Sunriver
In the summertime, guests can swing golf clubs at one of four golf courses, including Crosswater, a former host course for a PGA Legends Tour stop. Splash down a waterslide at aquatic centers such as SHARC or The Cove. August brings in classical strings for the Sunriver Music Festival, and families flock to the Twilight Cinema Nights, showing free movies under the stars in August.
See: Benham Falls
One of the largest waterfalls on the Upper Deschutes River, Benham Falls is also one of the easiest and the most accessible hikes. Walk or bike the 6.6-mile paved out-and-back trail that connects the resort to the falls, where singletrack side trails offer various route options for longer treks.
Play:Golf and Family-Friendly Activities
Recreation opportunities abound at Sunriver, which was designed with fun in mind. Play golf at one of four golf courses, splash in the water park at SHARC, go horse riding at the stables or see local wildlife up close at the nature center. At night, gaze up at the summer sky and see stars at the Oregon Observatory.
Eat: Restaurants and Breweries
Serving Sunriver since 2004, South Bend Bistro blends Italian influences with Northwest ingredients. Chef Day has curated a menu that tells a story of the Northwest through regional flavors and ingredients. For something more casual, grab bites and beers at the original Sunriver Brewing Company located in The Village at Sunriver.
Shop: The Village
From sports shops to retail, The Village at Sunriver features stores with souvenirs for all seasons. Seek stylish finds at Village Threads, take kids to the ever-popular Tumbleweeds Toys or stop in at Sunriver Books & Music to pick up a good read and hear a local author’s book talk.
In search of a summer holiday, we sometimes feel that pull to escape, to chase something entirely different from our everyday routine. But what if the reset you’re craving isn’t hundreds of miles away? What if it’s right here, tucked into the folds of Central Oregon’s high desert? Before you pack for a road trip or a weekend at the Oregon coast, try retreating closer to home. Try glamping in Bend and Central Oregon.
There’s No Need to Escape When Central Oregon is Right Outside
Photo courtesy of Green Rock Retreat
Quiet Reprieve: Green Rock Retreat
Just 30 miles north of Bend, near Smith Rock State Park, lies Green Rock Retreat. This alcohol-free, off-grid sanctuary is designed for overnight stays for those seeking stillness and a reprieve from modern life. Some come alone while others find their way to Green Rock via facilitated events, such as the Oasis wellness retreat hosted by Where the Wilds Are in July, a men’s health intensive on Aug. 27 or the Soulwise gathering during the fall equinox on Sept. 10.
Luxury tents dot the 50-acre property, each with organic linen bedding, a private outdoor shower and a deck with expansive nature views. Many retreats at Green Rock observe “noble silence” through breakfast, prepared by a private, on-site chef. Days are often filled with hiking, yoga, art therapy, guided meditation, dips in a sacred splash pool, or visits to the on-site labyrinth and prayer trees. “There’s a vortex here, I swear. You can feel it,” said Nicole-Amanda, the steward of Green Rock Retreat.
Photo by Cheryl Parton
A World Away: Lake Simtustus Resort
An hour’s drive from Bend, Lake Simtustus Resort is a sun-drenched high desert retreat untrammeled by the buzz and chaos of daily life. Once a humble fishing camp, the resort has evolved since 2018 into a boutique lakeside escape with not just RV rentals and hookups, but 15 upscale contemporary tiny homes, each with a private hot tub and deck overlooking the water.
The lake itself is a reservoir with 540 surface acres and plenty of water to enjoy the resort’s paddleboards, kayaks and pontoon boats. After playing on the water, guests can pop into the sauna or head to pickleball courts, a putting green or the resort’s tipi event space. Watersport rentals at Dockside are open to the public, too, so a day trip to Lake Simtustus can feel like traveling a world away with no plane ticket required.
Photo Courtesy of Campfire Hotel
A Local Hotel With Camp Vibes: Campfire Hotel
Campfire Hotel and Pool Club has what it takes to “camp” in comfort right in the center of Bend. The hotel, mere blocks from downtown, merges vintage Pacific Northwest style with rock ‘n’ roll soul for a lively, music-filled stay. Inspired by ‘60s and ‘70s motor lodges, cofounder Tod Breslau infused childhood road-trip nostalgia into this retro-modern, community-driven spot, and it shows. All 100 rooms have instruments such as guitars and mandolins. The property’s fire pit and heated saltwater pool serve as central hubs for live music, DJ pool parties and karaoke throughout the summer.
There’s no need for an overnight booking to enjoy Campfire’s amenities. Enjoy a Scouting vibe, complete with fishing poles and themed cocktails at its Canteen Bar. Splash into the heated pool or relax in the hot tub with a $20-per-day pass for the Campfire Pool Club. The 10-foot-wide fire pit is a setting for local music events with plenty of room for gathering, s’mores and singing along.
Photo courtesy of Bivvi
Tow and Go: Bivvi and 360Sierra
There’s no need to choose one destination when you can bring comfy accommodations with you. The mobile A-frame cabin developed by Sisters’ company Bivvi Camp offers a modern take on a tiny home. The name Bivvi comes from the word bivouac, a small shelter that can be packed and deployed in the wilderness. Find a favorite summer space (or expand accommodations in your own backyard), park and stay awhile.
Another Central Oregon company, 360Sierra, designed a fleet of ultra-light trailers to tow behind most cars, from Subarus to Sprinter vans. Hook up and have the combined experience of tent camping with the mobility of RVing. Maneuver it to park just about anywhere and glamp under the stars.
In the high desert of Central Oregon, beer is spoken about in the same way some people talk about religion or the weather—it is an omnipresent, life-affirming force.
We are a region built on the backbone of the IPA, where Boneyard’s RPM has achieved icon status; a place where the scent of Citra hops practically hangs in the air like a mouth-watering fog.
But if you pull your nose out of that West Coast hop obsession for a second and look toward the unfettered fringes, you’ll find a group of liquid alchemists playing a much longer game of wild fermentation.
These brewers have moved away from the “grain to glass in two weeks” hustle. Instead, they are embracing a philosophy rooted in three patient pillars: wood, honey and the most precious ingredient of all—time.
Van Henion Brewing by Arian Stevens
What is Wild Fermentation in Beer?
But what is wild fermentation, and what makes a beer brewed with this method so different from your average pint?
Van Henion Brewery by Arian Stevens
Mark Henion of Van Henion Brewing describes it as a process of introducing diverse bacteria and yeasts, most notably Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus.
“The most traditional method is the Belgian-style lambic,” Henion said. “They brew the wort [unfermented beer] and then leave it in a coolship—a large shallow tank—and open up the windows or vents and let it naturally ferment from the microbes in the air.”
Van Henion Brewing in Bend by Arian Stevens
It is essentially a contract with nature—a philosophical engine where humans must be as non-disruptive as possible while trusting nature’s ecosystem to help craft a small-batch work of alcoholic art.
“It’s how people knew how to make things before they discovered microorganisms,” Arney said. “In the old days, people knew about fermenting, but they didn’t know how it worked. They’d have a ‘magic stick’ that hung on a wall. They would put it in whatever they’re trying to ferment. Yeast would be living in the wood of that stick and kick off fermentation.”
They did not know it was yeast.
“The whole reason I went with wild fermentation was to make something completely natural—the broth, the raw materials; [It’s] the way that people used to ferment things,” Arney said.
Head brewer, Michael Frith, of Funky Fauna Artisan Ales, with co-owner and wife Danielle Burns, by Arian Stevens
Funky Fauna Artisan Ales and Wild Beer in Bend
Michael Frith, head brewer of Funky Fauna Artisan Ales—which he co-owns with his wife Danielle Burns—is putting the art back in artisan ale one barrel at a time. From catching wild yeast in the clean, crisp air of Sisters to opening their new tasting room in Bend, nothing about Funky Fauna feels—or tastes—by the book.
“There’s a constant microcosm of yeast and bacteria living around us with numerous ways to harvest or culture it,” Frith said. “We use wort and the cold open air to inoculate a wild culture for fermentation.”
One of the easiest comparisons, he said, is a sourdough starter made from flour and water. “If we were to ‘add’ a strain of yeast from a commercial yeast laboratory, I would no longer, personally, consider that wild.”
Funky Fauna Artisan Ales by Arian Stevens
While “bacteria” might sound intimidating, Funky Fauna’s tap list is remarkably approachable, even while tasting unlike a typically fermented beer.
The Sea Plague, a wild oak-aged saison with Oregon seaweed, wasabi root, ginger, lime and sea salt, is deceptively playful—the ginger provides a crisp initial bite while the seaweed offers a savory finish. Dueling Cats, another standout saison brewed with Oregon marionberries and rhubarb, is a tart, light-bodied sipper made for a high-desert summer.
Lazy Z Ranch Wines by Ely Roberts
Mead Your Maker: Lazy Z Ranch Wines
Wild fermentation is not just for beer. John Herman of Lazy Z Ranch Wines in Sisters uses many of the same principles and philosophies to craft some of the Pacific Northwest’s most distinctive mead while ethically and sustainably producing honey in biodiverse, regenerative bee pastures.
Herman takes his stewardship of the ranch—one of the oldest in Sisters—seriously. He focuses on mead because he believes it is one of the most environmentally sustainable adult beverages on Earth.
“I like to give expression to nature,” Herman said. “I do not come at fermentation wanting to bend it to my will or force it into some fixed flavor profile. I want to accentuate what is already there and present it well. For me, the job is to guide, discover and marvel, not dominate.”
Lazy Z Ranch Mead by Ely Roberts
The results are immediately apparent. No two meads taste remotely the same, and gone are the sickly sweet syrups often associated with mead.
The Estate Traditional Style carries vanilla and apple aromas with bright caramel and cardamom flavor that deserves to be savored.
Lazy Z Ranch Mead by Ely Roberts
The Carrot Blossom Traditional Style begins with an earthy, full-bodied depth before swirling into aged rum notes that pair perfectly with a sunset behind the Three Sisters.
Even for those with only a passing interest in mead or wine, Lazy Z Ranch is worth the visit. If not for the views, then for a conversation with Herman about what he hopes people take away from the ranch itself.
“It’s an invitation to leave things better than we found them,” Herman said. “People will see a real working ranch and a farm that is trying to function as a healthier system for land, animals and people. I hope what they take away is not just that they tasted something good, but that this way of farming and making things is possible.”
John and Renee Herman, Owners of Lazy Z Ranch Wines by Ely Roberts
Why Wild Fermentation Matters in Central Oregon
It’s easy to stay in our brewery comfort zones. Central Oregon is a delightful wonderland covered in them. That’s why pioneers like Funky Fauna, Lazy Z Ranch and The Ale Apothecary are so vital. They fearlessly buck trends to follow an unfiltered, all-natural bliss.
As Bryon Pyka of Terranaut Brewing notes, the future of the small-batch and craft scene belongs to those who “seek out and latch onto quality, innovation and places where they find a sense of community.”
During a time of short-lived trends, these makers remind us that the most enduring flavors are the ones that arrive wild, unfiltered and funky.
Wild Fermentation Q&A
What is wild fermentation?
Wild fermentation uses naturally occurring yeast and bacteria from the environment rather than relying entirely on commercial yeast strains.
What makes wild beer taste different?
Wild beers often develop tart, funky, earthy or complex flavors because of the diverse microorganisms involved in fermentation and aging.
Is wild fermentation the same as sour beer?
Not always. Many wild beers have tart characteristics, but wild fermentation can also create earthy, floral, savory or fruit-forward flavors without intense sourness.
What is Brettanomyces?
Brettanomyces—often shortened to “Brett”—is a wild yeast strain commonly used in wild ales and saisons. It can create funky, fruity or earthy flavor profiles.
Where can you try wild fermentation in Central Oregon?
Funky Fauna Artisan Ales, The Ale Apothecary and Lazy Z Ranch Wines are among the Central Oregon makers exploring wild fermentation through beer and mead.
What is mead?
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey with water. It is sometimes referred to as honey wine.
Amid whitewashed walls and shelves lined with clay vessels, wide open surfaces become spaces for discovery at HWH Ceramics in Tumalo.
For ceramicist Heidi Weiss Hoffman, the path to clay began long before pottery. Raised as the daughter of an artisan baker, she learned patience, chemistry and craftsmanship in the kitchen under the guidance of her father, a pastry chef whose career took him to hotels around the world.
Those early lessons eventually shaped her work as a potter.
After her parents, Hans and Leslie Weiss, opened Hans Restaurant in Bend, Weiss Hoffman spent the next 24 years immersed in every aspect of the restaurant business. Following a continued career in food and beverage, a ceramics course at Central Oregon Community College opened an entirely new creative direction.
Now, through HWH Ceramics, she creates vessels, lamps, wall pieces and kitchenware rooted in experimentation and quiet, organic form.
“The vessel is humankind’s original art form.”
A Studio Built Around Process
Inside Weiss Hoffman’s studio, slabs of clay rest in corners while kilns fire nearby. Works in every stage of completion fill the space.
Her pieces often carry earthy palettes, textured surfaces and subtle irregularities that recall mid-century ceramic design while remaining deeply connected to the natural world.
Each object feels intentionally tactile.
Whether crafting kitchenware, garden pots or sculptural decor, Weiss Hoffman leans into forms that invite touch and interaction rather than perfection.
From Wheel Throwing to Hand-Building
Though she began by throwing pottery on the wheel, Weiss Hoffman eventually gravitated toward hand-building and coiling techniques.
“This process is where the meditative space comes into play,” she said. “I can start a piece, and time slips by.”
She describes clay as both unpredictable and freeing.
“Clay is fickle, but it has this plasticity that allows you to be as free as you want to be,” she said. “It’s so vast—it’s endless.”
The slow pace of ceramics has also reshaped her relationship with control and patience.
“I may have one idea, but by the time it gets done, it’s completely different.”
The transformation from raw earth to finished vessel can take weeks, requiring pauses between stages for drying, firing and refinement.
“I can only build [a piece] so far, then I have to let it rest,” she said. “And I don’t come by patience naturally. It’s frustrating at times, but I love it. It brings me so much joy.”
Learning Through Community
Before becoming a full-time ceramicist, Weiss Hoffman spent three years taking ceramics courses throughout Central Oregon to immerse herself in the local arts community.
She credits instructors and fellow artists—including studio mate Marité Acosta, along with Moe Carolin-Anderson and Erin Hasler—for helping shape her artistic development.
In 2025, Weiss Hoffman served as a juror for Art in the High Desert in recognition of her expertise and growing presence within the regional arts scene.
Inspiration From Oregon and Beyond
An avid outdoor enthusiast, Weiss Hoffman draws inspiration from Oregon landscapes as well as international travel with her husband, John.
“My brain is constantly looking and asking, how can I apply what I’m seeing to a vessel?” she said.
A large vase in progress sits atop her worktable, textured with deep ocean blues. “I never liked the color blue until I went to Greece,” she said with a laugh.
The places she experiences become part of the visual language of her work.
“I take it all in, and it becomes the fabric of who I am—and hopefully, that translates into my art.”
Heidi Weiss Hoffman is a Central Oregon ceramic artist and founder of HWH Ceramics in Tumalo. Her work includes handcrafted vessels, kitchenware, lamps and sculptural ceramics inspired by nature, travel and organic form.
Where is HWH Ceramics located?
HWH Ceramics is based in Tumalo, just outside Bend, Oregon.
What kind of pottery does HWH Ceramics create?
HWH Ceramics creates hand-built ceramic vessels, kitchenware, garden pots, lamps and wall decor with earthy palettes, textured surfaces and organic shapes.
How did Heidi Weiss Hoffman become a ceramic artist?
After decades working in the restaurant and food industry—including 24 years connected to Hans Restaurant in Bend—Weiss Hoffman discovered ceramics through classes at Central Oregon Community College and later transitioned into pottery full-time.
What inspires Heidi Weiss Hoffman’s ceramics?
Her work is inspired by Oregon landscapes, international travel, natural textures and observations from everyday life.
What techniques does Heidi Weiss Hoffman use?
While she began with wheel throwing, Weiss Hoffman primarily focuses on hand-building and coiling techniques in her current work.
What is the style of HWH Ceramics?
Her ceramics feature minimalist, organic forms with subtle irregularities and tactile surfaces that echo mid-century ceramic design and natural landscapes.
Was Heidi Weiss Hoffman involved with Art in the High Desert?
Yes. Weiss Hoffman served as a juror for Art in the High Desert 2025.
Where can I see more of Heidi Weiss Hoffman’s work?
Barbecue is a craft. A ritual. It’s a long game that involves smoke, patience and likely a folding chair. Rooted in region, culture and community, each style of preparation carries its own flavor, technique and friendly rivalries. Call it barbecue, barbeque, BBQ or just ‘cue. It all counts, as long as it’s smoked. Not grilled, not rushed, and definitely not the kind of backyard affair where the smoke comes from lighter fluid and someone’s forgotten the buns.
Two main styles dominate the smokers in Central Oregon: the stripped-down steeze of Texas, and the saucy, soul-fed traditions of the South. Sure, sauce always plays a role, but it’s never the whole story. Each style has been honored and reimagined by seasoned pitmasters with something to say, preferably from behind a smoker the size of a small boat.
Photo courtesy of Flosa’s Barbecue, by Cyr Beckley
Texas BBQ: Meat, Salt, Smoke, Done
If barbecue had swagger and a pair of cowboy boots, it’d be Texas-style. The approach is bold, straightforward and obsessed with beef—especially brisket. Sliced thick, seasoned with little more than salt and defiance, it’s coaxed over smoke until it yields like butter. Sauce is an afterthought, the meat is meant to hold its own.
That philosophy anchors Flosa’s Barbecue, a roving operation from chef-owners Jordan Grosser and Mark Goodger which treats Central Texas barbecue as a blueprint and a springboard. “We want to be playful all the time,” said Grosser. A permanent home is on the way, but for now, Flosa’s is popping up across Central Oregon with smoke, soul and a few clever surprises. The brisket is textbook perfection, smoked over Oregon oak in a 24-foot Moberg offset smoker until the bark crackles and the inside is so tender a fork feels like overkill. Beef cheeks get a 10-hour smoke-and-bathe treatment in tallow, while pork belly burnt ends are served with a whisper of Szechuan spice. The sweet potato salad isn’t afraid to wander from its picnic-table roots. And the pudding is so satisfying that it earned the nickname “Banana Crack.”
Tucked inside Cross-Eyed Cricket, Hattie’s BBQ keeps things Central Texas pure: smoke in the air, salt on the fingers and meat that barely needs a blade. The team grinds its own sausage, makes its own sauces and rotates fun specials like smoked Loco Moco or adobo ribeye tacos. Prineville’s Renegades BBQ is literally throwing logs on the fire. They use local juniper wood to smoke their meat, turning out brisket, tri-tip and ribs with an unmistakable high desert twang.
Southern BBQ: Low, Slow, Sauce, Soul
Southern barbecue is a patchwork of traditions pulled from porches, pit shacks and Sunday suppers. Pork usually takes the lead, supported by beef, chicken and ribs. If Texas BBQ is the strong, silent type, Southern-style hums a tune while stirring the pot.
Photo of the Owners of Craft Kitchen and Brewery, by Tambi Lane
At Craft Kitchen and Brewery, the smoke rises early and stays late. Co-owners Courtney and Mark Stevens built the place piece by piece, fueled by beer and smoke-thick hours. Courtney grew up in Atlanta, where barbecue wasn’t just something you ate, it was something you lived.
“Football, tailgating and barbecue were the holy trinity,” she said. That same spirit is woven through Craft Kitchen’s menu, where standout ingredients do most of the preaching. “Start with the best stuff and let the smoke do its work,” Courtney continued.
The Southern Pride smoker, packed with orchard wood, hums nearly around the clock. Pulled pork is almost a two-day process. Brisket is seasoned with salt and pepper only. Burnt ends, carved from the crusty, fatty point of the brisket, are fall-apart succulent and gone in the blink of an eye. The vibe leans cozy and communal, with housemade sauces on every table and cold beer, such as Craft’s Driftwood Lager, to complement the ‘cue.
Photo of Craft Kitchen and Brewery by Tambi Lane
Baldy’s Barbeque, a longtime local favorite, turns out slow-smoked classics across three locations in Central Oregon. Baby Back Ribs are a fall-off-the-bone specialty, spice rubbed and basted in Baldy’s award-winning sauce. The BBQ Sundae, a layered bowl of mashed potatoes, baked beans, pulled pork, slaw and a drizzle of sauce, is pure comfort food chaos. Curbbq keeps the rules loose, blending barbecue traditions from everywhere worth tasting. Then there’s West Coast BBQ. No strict lanes, just whatever tastes good over smoke. Its brisket grilled cheese is legendary: melted cheese on crunchy sourdough and dipped in a secret-recipe chipotle BBQ sauce.
Barbecue isn’t just a meal. It’s a fire-lit, slow-built, deeply human kind of alchemy. Gone in a few grateful bites and totally worth it. As for picking a side, Texas swagger or saucy Southern soul, let’s just say it’s a delicious problem to have.
New to the BBQ Scene in Bend: Runaround Sue
The creative minds behind Bend’s beloved El Sancho are trading corn tortillas for butcher paper, transforming their former westside taco shop on Galveston Avenue into a permanent sanctuary for smoke and wood. Leaning into the bold, stripped-down steeze of Austin-style Texas barbecue but keeping things playful with a distinct Tex-Mex flair, Runaround Sue is all about the late-night ritual. They feed their top-tier smokers well past midnight, coaxing meats over wood until they hit absolute perfection. The result is textbook brisket that melts like butter, smoky hot links with a serious snap, and a lineup of house-made sides that aren’t afraid to break from tradition. Paired with local draft beers, cold cocktails, and a sun-soaked outdoor patio, this newcomer brings plenty of swagger and deep culinary roots to the Westside. It’s proof that in Bend, the ‘cue scene just keeps getting bigger, bolder, and completely worth the wait. Learn more about Runaround Sue and see their menu here.
Mark your calendars, cycling fans! The iconic Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium returns to Bend on June 21, 2026! This classic bicycle race provides a front-row seat to racing with support from community volunteers and the Horner Cycling Foundation. Get ready for a day of exhilarating crit racing for all ages and skill levels, all while supporting the development of junior road cycling in Central Oregon. Don’t miss out on this fantastic event! Keep reading below to learn more.
Event: Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium Date: June 21, 2026 Location: Downtown Bend Course: A .7-mile loop using Wall, Bond, Oregon, Minnesota, Lava and Franklin streets Race types: Junior, masters, professional and community races Extras: One-mile run and kiddie bike race Beneficiary: Horner Cycling Foundation’s youth cycling mission
What is Exciting about the Criterium in Bend
The crowd gathered early, anticipation building as they stood three rows deep to watch for the first cyclists to round the corner. An announcer called out the names of those leading the peloton as they streaked past in a blur of colors. Cheers of encouragement mingled with clanging bells as the athletes vanished for another circuit. Fans look forward to the excitement each year as the fast-paced Cascade Cycling Classic’s Criterium returns to downtown Bend.
Photo by Joe Kline
A Historic Race, Reimagined for Today
Started by former professional riders and Bend residents Megan and Chris Horner, the Horner Cycling Foundation has resurrected the most popular stage of the Cascade Cycling Classic. Spanning from the late 1970s to 2019, the event was one of the longest-running stage races in North America, drawing both professional and amateur cyclists to sprint across the scenic roads and streets of Central Oregon for multiple races across successive days. The foundation opted to condense the race from five days to a more manageable single-day race, also known as a criterium.
Why the Race Changed
Molly Cogswell-Kelley, race director and executive director of the Horner Cycling Foundation, explained that the multiday stage race had reached its natural conclusion before the pandemic hit. Additionally, Bend’s rapid growth posed logistical challenges for a summer race, contending with factors such as peak tourism season, ongoing road construction and the ever-present threat of wildfires.
“Bike racing has always been a big part of summers in Bend, especially with the Cascade Classic,” said Megan. “In recent years, bike racing has been missing in Bend, and I think Bend has been missing bike racing.”
“Being able to bring back at least one great stage of the Cascade Classic feels like a huge step.” She added that the criterium was a personal favorite of both hers and Chris’s from their racing days. “We can’t wait to be there when the racing kicks off again.”
The Horners Behind the Return
Chris Horner rode professionally between 1996 and 2019, winning the Tour of Spain in 2013. He also competed in the Tour de France seven times and in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He has been a Tour de France commentator for NBC Sports and on his YouTube channel, The Butterfly Effect. Megan spent a decade bike racing in the U.S. and internationally. A former U.S. National Road Racing champion, she has been practicing law since 2011 and is the managing partner of Horner Law, LLP.
The mission of the Horner Foundation is to develop youth cycling in Central Oregon, create opportunities for kids to ride and race bikes, as well as develop a junior road cycling team that is both inclusive and socioeconomically accessible. With a focus on skill development and team building, the Horners hope to foster a life-long love of cycling.
Who Is Racing
The criterium includes multiple racing categories for a range of ages and skill levels.
Race categories include:
Junior athletes
Masters racers
Professional men
Professional women
Community participants
The event will also serve as the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association’s Criterium State Championship for juniors, ages 10 to 17, and masters, ages 40 and up.
The Professional Cycling Races Downtown Bend
For the professionals, the day culminates with the much-anticipated men’s and women’s races. Riders will race as many laps as possible in a set time; race officials signify the last lap by ringing a loud bell.
This year’s course still runs along downtown Bend’s two major streets, Wall and Bond. Organizers have also added segments on Oregon, Minnesota, Lava and Franklin streets, creating a .7-mile loop with more turns.
“The course from 2017 was a bit boring, so we added more turns which helps prevent bunching in the field,” Cogswell-Kelley said.
She said riders with strong technique will excel on the new course, especially in the elite races.
Why Spectators Should Go
The criterium is built for watching. Unlike longer road races, this downtown loop brings riders past spectators again and again, making it easy to follow the action even without deep cycling knowledge.
“People who remember the thrilling event know you don’t need to know anything about cycling to get the energy and rush of the event,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “You can’t describe the feeling when the peloton is going by at more than 40 miles per hour.”
Bikers passing by in Cascade Classic | Joe Kline
The Bigger Mission
The Horner Cycling Foundation’s mission is to develop youth cycling in Central Oregon. The foundation works to create opportunities for kids to ride and race bikes, while building an inclusive and socioeconomically accessible junior road cycling team. Through skill development and team building, the Horners hope to foster a lifelong love of cycling.
Published July 2024
The crowd gathered early, anticipation building as they stood three rows deep to watch for the first cyclists to round the corner. An announcer called out the names of those leading the peloton as they streaked past in a blur of colors. Cheers of encouragement mingled with clanging bells as the athletes vanished for another circuit. Fans look forward to the excitement each year as the fast-paced Cascade Cycling Classic’s Criterium returns to downtown Bend.
Photo Joe Kline
Started by former professional riders and Bend residents Megan and Chris Horner, the Horner Cycling Foundation has resurrected the most popular stage of the Cascade Cycling Classic. Spanning from the late 1970s to 2019, the event was one of the longest-running stage races in North America, drawing both professional and amateur cyclists to sprint across the scenic roads and streets of Central Oregon for multiple races across successive days. The foundation opted to condense the race from five days to a more manageable single-day race, also known as a criterium.
Ron Hayman, Gavin Chilcott and Tom Schuler, circa 1987. | Photo courtesy of Bob Woodward
Molly Cogswell-Kelley, race director and executive director of the Horner Cycling Foundation, explained that the multiday stage race had reached its natural conclusion before the pandemic hit. Additionally, Bend’s rapid growth posed logistical challenges for a summer race, contending with factors such as peak tourism season, ongoing road construction and the ever-present threat of wildfires.
“Bike racing has always been a big part of summers in Bend, especially with the Cascade Classic,” said Megan.
“In recent years, bike racing has been missing in Bend, and I think Bend has been missing bike racing.”
“Being able to bring back at least one great stage of the Cascade Classic feels like a huge step.” She added that the criterium was a personal favorite of both hers and Chris’s from their racing days. “We can’t wait to be there when the racing kicks off again.”
Photo Whit Bazemore
Chris rode professionally between 1996 and 2019, winning the Tour of Spain in 2013. He also competed in the Tour de France seven times and in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He has been a Tour de France commentator for NBC Sports and on his YouTube channel, The Butterfly Effect. Megan spent a decade bike racing in the U.S. and internationally. A former U.S. National Road Racing champion, she has been practicing law since 2011 and is the managing partner of Horner Law, LLP.
Photo by Whit Bazemore
The mission of the Horner Foundation is to develop youth cycling in Central Oregon, create opportunities for kids to ride and race bikes, as well as develop a junior road cycling team that is both inclusive and socioeconomically accessible. With a focus on skill development and team building, the Horners hope to foster a life-long love of cycling.
The criterium offers multiple racing categories, from junior athletes to professionals. The event will serve as the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association’s Criterium State Championship for juniors (ages 10 to 17) and masters (ages 40 and up). Bonuses include a one-mile run and a kiddie bike race.
For the professionals, the day culminates with the much-anticipated men’s and women’s races. Riders will race as many laps as possible in a set time; race officials signify the last lap by ringing a loud bell. This year’s course still runs along downtown’s two major streets–Wall and Bond, but organizers added segments on Oregon, Minnesota, Lava and Franklin streets, making it a .7-mile loop.
Photo Whit BazemoreChris and Megan Horner | Photo by Ely Roberts
“The course from 2017 was a bit boring, so we added more turns which helps prevent bunching in the field,” Cogswell-Kelley said. She noted that riders with good technique will excel on the new course, and spectators will have lots of opportunities to see their skills showcased, especially in the elite races.
“People who remember the thrilling event know you don’t need to know anything about cycling to get the energy and rush of the event,” said Cogswell-Kelley. “You can’t describe the feeling when the peloton is going by at more than 40 miles per hour.”
Driven by community impact, Oregon State University–Cascades developmental scientist Shannon Lipscomb is helping advance how Central Oregon supports children and families facing adversity. As associate dean of research and faculty advancement and professor of human development and family sciences, Lipscomb leads nationally funded work focused on resilience, early learning and trauma-informed practice. Her projects include Roots of Resilience—a program funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, now scaling statewide—as well as studies supported by the National Institutes of Health that examine children’s health, school readiness and environmental exposures. Through OSU-Cascades’ Human Thrive Research Lab and community-engaged projects, her work reflects a deep commitment to equity, early intervention and helping Central Oregon’s children, educators and communities thrive.
Sam Bousfield
Innovator + Entrepreneur
A lifelong innovator, Sam Bousfield—a Prineville-based aerospace entrepreneur—has spent decades turning cutting-edge ideas into real-world solutions. As the designer and CEO behind the Samson Switchblade flying car, his work is reshaping how we think about regional travel, blending sports-car performance with certified flight in a vehicle that fits in a standard garage. In December 2025, that vision earned national recognition when he received the GSA Global Innovator Award and a U.S. Congressional Medallion at a Capitol Hill ceremony, honoring what lawmakers recognized as the only viable flying car ever produced. Ideas that took flight in Central Oregon are now being brought to a global audience by Bousfield and his company, Samson Sky.
Todd Dunkelberg
Leader + Librarian
A champion for the Central Oregon community, Todd Dunkelberg has shaped how Central Oregonians connect to knowledge and one another. Dedicating 26 years to the Deschutes Public Library system—including more than 16 as library director—his leadership has guided the district through the Great Recession, a global pandemic and major bond-funded expansions, with a focus on keeping libraries open, welcoming and staffed. Beginning his career as a children’s librarian, he brought a deep respect for learning at every age to his work after moving to Central Oregon in 1999. As he prepares to retire in fall 2026, Dunkelberg is helping usher in a landmark moment—the opening of the new 100,000-square-foot Central Library at Stevens Ranch in May. Bright, energy-independent and community-centered, the space reflects the Deschutes Public Library’s enduring vision and the commitment to Central Oregon.
Nestled in downtown Bend’s Brooks Alley, the long-awaited Dear Irene has finally opened its doors, and in every last detail, it lives up to the anticipation. With elevated cuisine, stylish design and artisan cocktails, the restaurant offers an innovative dining experience.
Meet Chef Jonny Becklund
Chef Jonny Becklund, backed by two decades of experience, and his wife, Irene, are the creative forces behind the restaurant’s chic ambiance and ever-changing menu. The space is full of edgy accents, playful wallpapers and captivating textures, beautifully complemented by clean lines, fine art and gracious service. The result is an atmosphere that effortlessly balances fun and sophistication. Even the bathrooms showcase artistic flair, highlighting the extreme care and attention to detail that went into the creation of the space. Sip cocktails on velvet couches in the back lounge, sit at the bar or explore the full menu cozied up in an upholstered velvet booth.
Creative Cuisine in an Elevated Atmosphere
Then, there’s the food. The King Salmon Crudo is a colorful composition of tomatillo leche di tigre, yuzu kosho, shaved radish, jalapeño, chili oil and crispy garlic, skillfully combining textures and flavors for a refreshing start to your meal. Next, the honey roasted heirloom carrots are roasted to perfection and served with lemon labneh, hazelnut and pistachio dukkah, pomegranate molasses, lemon oil and mint, creating a beautifully balanced, sweet, and nutty vegetarian delightful that melts in your mouth.
The Spanish prawns are accompanied by Iberico chorizo, fire-roasted tomato and charred lemon, transporting your taste buds to distant shores. The Little Gems salad is a light and vibrant addition to the meal, with puffed wild rice, toasted seeds, egg yolk, parmesan and tarragon lemon dressing.
For the main course, the polenta and soft cooked egg offers comfort with asparagus, mushrooms, summer vegetables, aged parmesan and salsa verde atop stone-ground white polenta. The soft-cooked egg adds a creamy richness to the polenta, making the experience satisfying to the palate.
The Drink Menu at Dear Irene
The drink menu offers its own elegant surprises. With carefully crafted cocktails and hand-selected wines, the choices are diverse and well-curated. The Dear Irene cocktail, featuring Belvedere Lake Bartezek vodka, Lustau blanc, house-made olive brine, and celery bitters, offers an enchanting mix of flavors. The Spritz-Carlton, made with Wild Roots grapefruit and cucumber gin, cappelletti, creme de peche and cava, is a refreshing and enjoyable option.
For a final course, the matcha tres leches dessert was the perfect finale, boasting a spongy cake topped with whipped coconut cream and strawberry.
Dear Irene’s meticulous curation of food, design and ambiance makes it an exceptional addition to Central Oregon’s dining scene. Whether you’re looking for a post-shopping cocktail, an intimate date night or simply a delicious meal, Dear Irene is the perfect spot for a memorable evening.
Stepping inside the creative mind of Megan Stumpfig, who goes by the moniker Īko Rabit, is a transformative and thrilling journey for the observer. Her abstract-realist paintings boldly come to life in portraits of the natural world and the astrological realm, through a variety of mixed media, including acrylic, oil and watercolor.
Growing up in Bend, Rabit recalls early memories of being drawn to observing nature and the patterns of animals in their habitats. Her first acrylic painting—of a Dalmatian, created in the 6th grade—proved she held an innate gift and set in motion a lifelong desire to create art. Today, Rabit’s work is still inspired by the infinite wisdom of nature, which she refers to as her “number one muse.” Her subjects often include animals and their symbolism, and are also widely reflective of a connection with the rich cultural contexts found in her travels.
“Gemini”
At the age of 19, Rabit took a gap year to explore Ecuador, Peru and the Galápagos Islands—an experience she attributes to giving her the confidence to begin pursuing art as a career. In the years that followed, she studied oil and printmaking at Portland State University and continued traveling and living in countries such as Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador a second time, as well as in California, where she performed live painting at electronic music festivals.
Rabit’s art serves as a tool of self-discovery, one that feels raw and deeply personal yet welcomes viewers into an ever-changing dialogue to better understand their place in the world. She describes this relationship as a curious and transformative exploration—one she hopes will stir something within others as well. It is a place she often revisits through her art, in both times of grief and joy. “The creative process has taught me how to truly trust in life,” Rabit shared. “I’ve come to realize that as long as I continue making art, everything seems to work out, and my life expands in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”
“Taurus”
This process inspires rhythms of a subtle yet energetic tapestry of patterns, colors and textures that skillfully materialize in her work. Rabit’s creative energy proves to be both fluid and dynamic, carrying over into recent projects like the illustration of an oracle deck and in a series of paintings exploring the ancient wisdom of the zodiac’s astrological archetypes. Currently, she is in the process of creating her biggest canvases yet: 12-by-8-foot and 5-by-7-foot paintings of dragons from the mythology of the lunar nodes.
Rabit’s intuitive approach as an artist keeps her fulfilled and inspired, and gives her an ability to pivot toward what she feels invited into creating at the present moment. Her diverse talent can be seen on display in Redmond at the corner of SW 6th Street and SW Black Butte Boulevard, where she and a partner created an impressive mural more than 100 feet long that captures the natural beauty and historical references of the town.
See the 2,400 sq ft, 2-wall mural in Redmond.
No matter the subject, Rabit sees her art as a powerful means of exploring the delicate intersection of the familiar with the unseen through a new lens. “I believe that nothing is static in the universe, everything is interconnected. The subjects of my art are often quite clear, bold, familiar…yet when you peer more deeply into the details, there is a whole universe and story that begins to unfold,” she described. “There is always so much more than meets the eye, within everything, when we pause enough to notice and to feel.”
Where to See Īko Rabit’s Art
Public mural: SW 6th Street & SW Black Butte Boulevard, Redmond, Oregon
When screens, slopes or late-night grinds start to show their effects, most reach for coffee. Eyeonize, a caffeinated and menthol-charged under-eye balm, offers a different solution: a pocket-sized boost that refreshes tired eyes and helps them stay sharp and focused. [Photo above: Jak Green and his son Sanjay]
Founded by Jak Green and his son Sanjay, the company blends real-world experience with entrepreneurial energy. The duo went through the Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) program together, learning how to bring the brand to the masses, and today, with a mix of personal passion and community-minded ambition, Eyeonize is finding its stride.
The Origin of Eyeonize: Solving Computer Vision Syndrome
Q: Was there a specific moment or experience that made you think, “This product needs to exist”?
A: I used to own a sales agency that represented a bunch of different brands, one of which was Skullcandy Headphones [which are popular in the gaming world]. I thought that I should develop something for the gaming community that helps them play longer and easy to use.
After researching what can happen to people when they stare at a screen for long hours—a side effect called Computer Vision Syndrome—I learned it’s an issue that impacts millions of people. Symptoms can include eye fatigue, dry eye and headaches.
A Caffeinated Eye Balm for Gaming, Driving, and Outdoor Athletics
Q: When did you realize this idea could turn into something real?
A: When I fell in love with the product! Eyeonize can benefit people who are doing all sorts of things: gaming, driving, studying, working, adventuring, snowboarding, mountain biking, traveling, playing stick and ball sports, or just anytime a person wants to be more alert and focus on what’s in front of them.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges in building Eyeonize?
A: Time, focus and resources. I didn’t want to be busy launching a new brand and not have enough time to be present with my kids. I also love working in real estate, my current day job. Plus, there are so many fun things to do in Bend. So it was difficult to focus on giving Eyeonize the time needed to bring it to life.
Like most startups, it’s expensive to invest in everything needed to grow.We’d like to scale quickly, which requires heavy investments.
Q: How has living and working in Bend shaped the way you think about your priorities?
A: There’s a supportive entrepreneurial community here, but there are also a lot of other great things to do. It’s tough to strike the balance of taking care of business while still enjoying all that Bend has to offer. Being in an active and healthy community also has us thinking a lot about the ingredients we use. It’s important for us to use the cleanest ingredients possible, so the product is not only effective, it’s also healthy and good for the skin.
How Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) Helped Launch Eyeonize
A: Bend Outdoor Worx was incredible and helped support us in the work needed to get to market, and amazing local retailers were quick to bring our product into their stores.
Having this kind of support has been fantastic for refining Eyeonize, as well as helping us build the confidence needed to keep moving forward. The community has motivated us to want to grow this into a company that provides rewarding, local opportunities and a cool company culture—something we can be proud of—and a culture supportive of adjusting schedules as needed to enjoy whatever is important in a person’s life. The work still needs to get done, but we aim to attract people who will thrive in a healthy work/life balance.
Beyond Caffeine: Reducing Eye Puffiness and Dryness for Athletes
Q: When you imagine the future of Eyeonize, what kind of impact do you hope it has on people’s everyday lives?
A: We hope it offers people a healthy habit that helps them stay tuned in. A side bonus is that it benefits customers in ways that we didn’t anticipate. People have told me how it reduces eye puffiness. I’ve experienced firsthand how much it helps with keeping contacts from drying out. Before using the product, my contacts would dry out when I went snowboarding and mountain biking.
Now I use Eyeonize when doing these activities, and it’s a non-issue.
Having a positive impact is a big motivator for us. Our plan is to give 10% of profits to social and environmental organizations that are already out there doing great work. The more we grow, the more we plan to give.
Kick off summer and kick up your heels at the fourth annual Big Ponderoo Music and Art Festival. World-class music and small-town charm intersect at the festival on June 26 and 27, 2026, in the heart of Sisters, Oregon. Big Ponderoo brings fresh energy to SFF Presents’ mission of “strengthening community and transforming lives through music and art.” With an impressive 15-act lineup performing at two outdoor stages, a free community art walk and celebration, plus room for camping, Big Ponderoo has all the ingredients for a true festival experience. Bring your picnic blankets, dancing boots, or bare feet and get ready for an intimate music experience filled with an incredible lineup of Americana, alt-country, blues, and bluegrass talent with the soul of Sisters.
The creation of Big Ponderoo has been a long-time dream at SFF Presents (producers of the long-running Sisters Folk Festival). It was born out of a collective vision and desire to create something new and fresh early in the summer that would widen the festival’s audience base, Communication Manager Erin Pihl explained. The light-hearted name reflects the energy that inspired the creation of the festival. Ponderoo is a play on the word ponderosa, said Pihl.
“Our creative director Brad Tisdel wanted to celebrate the massive ponderosas that characterize Central Oregon, as well as a sense of place, and the fun, fresh feel we envisioned for the festival,” she said.
At Big Ponderoo, taking place under the sun, moon, and stars, music lovers are invited to bring their tarps and chairs, tents and sandwiches, and camp out. Big Ponderoo camping reservations are now open at three convenient locations in Sisters. Additional camping for the festival can be found at Indian Ford Campground, Cold Spring Campgroundand dispersed camping on the plentifulNational Forest landsurrounding Sisters.
Where to Watch
Musical performances will take place at Village Green Park, conveniently located in the center of town under Central Oregon’s trademark ponderosa pines. The lineup for Big Ponderoo is filled with vibrant talent sure to get you grooving. See bands like Quattlebaum, a harmony-driven bluegrass band with a hypnotic blend of vintage folk and raw, gritty vocals. Portland, Oregon-based John Craigie rallies a closeness around music anchored by his expressive and stirring songcraft and emotionally charged vocals. Be sure to also check out the Fireside Collective, a newgrass turned eclectic jam band on stage on Sunday. Enhancing the festival’s music scene, Big Ponderoo is also hosting the Ponderoo Arts Experience throughout the week, exploring self-expression through the visual arts, including a dynamic Art Stroll complete with more live music at 13 galleries around Sisters.
The War and Treaty at Big Ponderoo 2023 | Photo by Rob Kerr
Why Attend Big Ponderoo
Big Ponderoo brings a different energy to the myriad music festivals in Central Oregon. Since it is an independent, nonprofit event, attending Big Ponderoo is an investment in the community, and festival goers will feel that friendly, close-knit community energy.
“We are offering something very intimate where you’re up close and personal with the artists,” said Pihl. “Going to Sisters makes you feel transported back in time, to a quieter pace. The festival will have that laid back, getaway feeling.”
Building a new home from the ground up isn’t for the faint of heart. Learning new skills to turn a dream home into a reality may be even more daunting. Mike and McKenna* dove headfirst into a building project with Timberline Construction of Bend to create a coastal-cottage meets Pacific Northwest Craftsman home on the Deschutes River in Bend’s Whiskey Flats neighborhood.
Avid surfers who met living and working in Southern California, their time on the water during a visit to Central Oregon left an impression.
“I thought, ‘I can surf, but [also] live in the mountains and be surrounded by nature. I want to live here,” said McKenna. “The fact that we can live on the river and literally paddle up [stream] to surf here is very cool,” added Mike.
They put in an offer on the property with three structures, including a dilapidated main house, even though it wasn’t on the market. When it was eventually accepted, the couple decided to replace the older home with a slightly elevated residence because of the property’s flood plain designation.
Mike took on the role of home architect and learned Chief Architect software to create technical drawings and blueprints. McKenna, whose mom had a career in interior design, took on the bulk of interior design duties, researching and selecting furniture, fixtures and lighting.
Nature Inside and Out
Rather than building a more modern home, the couple, who are both originally from the East Coast, sought a timeless aesthetic that felt like it had always been part of the neighborhood. Using Mike’s family Cape Cod home as inspiration, they worked with architects and Timberline owner Kristian Willman to create a coastal-influenced abode with an earthy color palette.
“The exterior is dominated by cedar shingles, which deliver the classic, weathered texture the owners wanted,” Willman said.
The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home was positioned to maximize connection to the outdoors and river views. “We want [visitors] to see the river when [they] walk up,” said Mike.
The main living area has a 24-foot folding glass door that opens fully to a covered deck with a Cement Elegance firepit and landscaped yard. The homeowners preserved as many trees on the property as possible. Second-story rooms—including the primary bedroom, where oversized doors lead to a calming, light-filled space with a vaulted ceiling and a balcony—feel connected to nature with views of the river and mature oak and cedar trees. Plants serve as the main pop of color in many of the rooms. “I wanted it to feel like a greenhouse,” said McKenna.
The front yard, designed and installed by Land Effects, is one of the homeowners’ favorite features; in summer it bursts with sunflowers, hydrangeas and cornflowers.
Going the Extra Mile
In the living room, with decorative beams and a see-through fireplace with Montana Moss natural stone veneer, McKenna chose a deep sectional sofa by Crate & Barrel that invites gathering and lounging, and a distressed Artisanse Long Amalfi Console Table that feels plucked from a chic beach house.
Mike and McKenna fell in love with the farmhouse-style communal dining table at Viaggio Wine Merchant and ordered a custom, reclaimed-wood table from the same maker, Aragon Signature Designs in Medford. The bouclé and oak dining chairs are delicate yet functional. The library-like nook and window seat between the dining room and kitchen is one of McKenna’s favorite spaces.
“It came together very cohesively, everything from the wood floors that we picked and the cabinets to the colors,” she said. “And I loved doing the lighting.”
Favoring a mix of metals to avoid a matchy-matchy look, McKenna had fun picking out unique pieces for every room, like the sculptural McGee & Co. Elliott Pendants with a gray cement finish in the kitchen.
Riverside Living
Just as much care was extended to outbuildings and outdoor spaces. The double-sided fireplace warms not just the living room, but also the sunken hot tub outside, where the homeowners created an outdoor spa with a cold plunge and an outdoor shower. “We’re in the river, into the hot tub, then into the shower,” said McKenna. The construction project also included a light remodel of an existing ADU into a sunny guesthouse with a kitchenette stocked with antique glassware, and the conversion of a standalone garage into a flexible office space.
Mike and McKenna have turned their attention to putting the finishing touches on one last room, the nursery, with a starry skies rug and a whimsical hot air balloon light fixture by Leanne Ford. The couple is welcoming their first child soon.
For every human that has walked the earth, their ancestors hunted outside together, built shelters, swam in lakes and rivers, and even migrated to survive together. Nature has always been an integral part of our DNA. Community, belonging and the outdoors are at the core of our being. [Photo above of Anna Le]
It has resonated with me since I was a young child; but it was hiking more than 2,600 miles alone on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) that helped me realize that we all have these portals to our past, and led me to write the book All Humans Outside: Stories of Belonging in Nature.
One hundred and one people from across the country, including some from Central Oregon, were interviewed and featured in the book project authored by Tommy Corey. TOP (left to right): Dani Araiz, Caziah Franklin, Mirna Valerio; MIDDLE: Amelia Dall, Kamal Bell, Joe Stone; BOTTOM: Ben Mayforth, Zachary Darden, Nicole Rivera Hartery.
From the PCT to ‘All Humans Outside’: Finding Our Shared Connection to Nature
The sound of my 4 a.m. alarm woke me each day on the PCT. I’d shuffle for a few minutes in a 10-degree-cold-rated sleeping bag, and although the temperature was near freezing, the morning air mixed with the scent of pine was comforting and warm. As I boiled water to make instant coffee, I was reminded of early mornings camping when my dad would make breakfast on a cast-iron skillet, drinking his Folgers out of a giant Stanley cup as he waited for my brothers and me to get up. Minutes later, fully awake, I would throw a Hyperlite pack over my shoulders, ready to hike another 32 miles on the trail.
Priyam Patel
When I reached the Trinity Alps Wilderness in Northern California, I couldn’t help but feel a stinging nostalgia. I had run, hiked, played, laughed and cried in these mountains every summer since I was 9 months old, snuggled into a backpack strapped on my dad’s shoulders before my own feet could carry me on the trail. Despite feeling a connection to my family and this mountain range, exploring a wild and familiar place by myself was just as lonely as it was comforting.Throughout the five-and-a-half-month journey, while some moments were scary or unnerving, most of them left me feeling empowered and brave, and sharpened my awareness of how much humans need connection to each other and to nature.
That recognition led me to compile photographs and short stories of 101 people from across the United States. The project, All Humans Outside, encapsulated the theme of not just belonging in nature, but the way human connection exists by way of the great outdoors.
The Heart of ‘All Humans Outside’: Recording Stories of Shared Origin
During interviews for the book, I asked subjects about their connection to nature, and often they spoke about their connection to others or a desire to belong. As I listened and began shaping those voices into stories, the theme of belonging surfaced again and again.
It wasn’t until I was halfway through writing the book that it clicked: Belonging to a place breeds a longing for further connection to each other. It’s why we carry such vivid memories of home, a childhood camping spot or a vista where we watched the sunset. Nature reminds us where we come from, and when we recognize our shared origin, we can’t help but search for deeper connection with those around us. Plus, nature is free and available to us all.
Belonging is what led me to travel across the United States for two years, photographing each person in the spaces that they felt most connected to. While celebrating the individuals and their stories, I was able to record them on land that felt familiar, meaningful, or even like home, to enliven and reiterate that message.
Social media has conditioned us to admire lone silhouettes on a ridgeline. I was flooded with the same praise when I finished my thru hike as if that independence, resilience and solitude were the highest achievements of being outside. But my earliest memories of nature were never about grandiose outdoor accolades, they were about togetherness—much like the people who shared their stories with me. Nature, for me, was about those cast-iron scrambled eggs and bacon and the smell of my dad’s coffee seeping through the nylon tent as our wake-up call—it was always belonging.
Anne Le
All Humans Outside reminded me that a purposeful life is finding connection with other humans in the outdoors and anywhere life welcomes it. Today, the truest lesson I have come to hold dear isn’t how to wake myself up in the dark and hike 30-plus miles a day, but just how deeply human it is to want someone else there when the sun rises and the coffee is ready. The people on these pages have turned their outdoor world into a playground for human connection and true belonging.
“Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting,” a quote that is attributed to Mark Twain, is possibly apocryphal and is absolutely apropos. Whether your preferred drink is bourbon, IPA or ginger ale, your daily life is supported by a highly orchestrated and at times fragile balancing act between supply and demand for water. In the best-case scenario, this balancing act is a case of “no news is good news:” The taps keep flowing, irrigated crops keep growing and hydroelectric dam-powered lights keep glowing. At other times, equilibrium is lost and the news cycle fills with stories of floods or droughts. [Above photo: Natural springs from the Middle Fork of Tumalo Creek eventually flow through the Bend Municipal Watershed.]
Oregon’s Water Crisis: Navigating the Confounding 2025-2026 Winter Season
In the Pacific Northwest, the start of the 2025-2026 winter was a confounding one. Ample mid-October snowfall had skiers and snowboarders hanging their mountain bikes in their garages and scrambling to sharpen their edges and wax their bases. Early season hopes were quickly dashed, however, with a dry November followed by a damp but very warm December that kept the precipitation more wet than white. This resulted in record-high river levels paired with record-low snowpacks in many places. The seesaw behavior carried on into January. There was enough snowfall to get the chairlifts spinning at local ski resorts, but the high-pressure system and sunny skies that followed led to deflated announcements of paused operations.
Here, a portion of Bridge Creek’s flow is diverted from the stream and routed into Bend’s municipal water system for treatment and delivery.
From Cascades to Canals: A Primer on Central Oregon Hydrology
If you’ve climbed South Sister or another Cascade peak and had a good look around, you already know a few things about hydrology and water resources. From the Cascade crest, a look to the west plunges down into the McKenzie River and eventually the Willamette River watersheds. Dominated by Douglas fir, the western slopes of the Cascades see 80 to 100 inches of precipitation in most years.
To the east is the Deschutes River watershed, which is thirstier as it is located in an area with annual precipitation totals of only 10 to 20 inches per year, and its landscape is punctuated with ponderosa pines, their deep roots better suited to tap water deep below the surface. This west-to-east transition cleaves Oregon like an axe and is one of the most striking things about driving through the Columbia River Gorge between Hood River and The Dalles.
Snow and water resources in Oregon are really a story of where, when and how much. Regarding where: The west-to-east transition exemplified by precipitation and vegetation also exists in winter temperatures, with Bend and Burns far colder than Beaverton and Brownsville. All of these spatial patterns layer together to control where snow falls in the state. The Willamette Valley is plenty wet, but too warm for much snow. Eastern Oregon is plenty cold, but too dry (Wallowas excepted) to produce significant snow accumulations. This leaves the skinny Cascade crest as the sole purveyor of the meters-deep snowpacks for which the Pacific Northwest is known.
Science helps monitor snowfall.
Why the Cascade Snowpack is Our Most Vital Water Reservoir
The when of water availability can be just as important as the how much when it comes to planning for water use later in the year. In western Oregon, where it is too warm for significant snowfall, the rise and fall of its rivers largely mirrors the seasonal patterns in rainfall. In the event that this timing is not convenient for users, including cities and farmers, it can be (and often is) changed through water infrastructure such as surface water reservoirs, groundwater recharge basins and distribution networks of canals and aqueducts. In colder areas that experience snowfall, there can be a several-month delay between when water falls from the sky and when it runs off in a river.
This delayed gratification is worth the wait, however, because the lag helps to reduce flooding, and keeps stream temperatures cool and aquatic species happy well into the summer. In effect, the snowpack is as much a reservoir as are Green Peter, Detroit and Lookout Point lakes. The snowpack “reservoir” has the added benefit of being distributed over the landscape and, as a result, it treads lightly. It requires no heavy construction or environmental impact statements, and it does not impede fish passage or hold back sediment.
With water and snow in such high demand, it makes sense to develop ways of keeping our eye on them. Water is the easier subject, by far. Reservoirs behind dams are just big buckets after all, and the volume of water they contain is simple to determine. Water in the ground may be out of sight, but by monitoring wells, scientists and water managers are able to estimate how much is down there. Water in rivers is accurately measured by a network of hundreds of gaging stations in Oregon. These gaging stations measure the elevation of the water surface and use an equation to convert this to a water flow rate (in cubic feet per second). The superpower of these stations is that they give the lay of the land. River flow at any location is the response of a watershed to all of the hydrologic processes that have occurred upstream.
The original aqueduct was drilled beneath Smith Rock in the mid-1940s.
The Future of Snow Science: How NASA and Volunteers Map the Deschutes Watershed
Snow has a higher price of entry for those who want to study it. First of all, it is not neatly packaged, like the water sitting behind a dam or flowing in a river. By distributing itself across vast expanses, snow plays very, very hard to get. In some areas, it can be costly, tiring or dangerous to measure. Secondly, snow changes quickly from one location to the next and from one day to the next. Just when scientists think they’ve got it all figured out, they don’t.
The snowpack in Oregon is continuously measured by dozens of automated SNOTEL—SNOwpack TELemetry—stations that determine how deep the snow is and how much water is in it. Snow levels are also measured manually at dozens of other locations called snow courses, where trained personnel take samples of the snow once a month and weigh it to see how much water it contains. A third type of measurement uses lasers carried by drones, airplanes or satellites to create very detailed and accurate maps of snow depth.
The Community Snow Observations (CSO) project is bringing all of these efforts together in the mountains west of Bend over the next three years in an effort to improve what we know about snow and water in the upper Deschutes River watershed. Initially supported by NASA and now by the Bureau of Reclamation, CSO will be collecting snow depth data from volunteers armed with avalanche probes and smartphones. The project will also measure snow depths with laser-instrumented planes flying over the basin.
In addition to monitoring the snow, all of these measurements will help computer programs to better model the arrival and departure of the season’s snowpack. For community members who want to contribute to this effort, the CSO Project welcomes volunteers.
This fusion of hands-on measurements, remote measurements and computer models is a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Each tool has something to say about the past and the present of snow on the landscape. And the more we learn about today, the more confidence we can have in our ability to predict tomorrow. However, it might be the unpredictability of snow that makes it so magical. As poet Frederick Seidel wrote, “Snow is what it does; it falls and it stays and it goes.” Read more about Community Snow Observations here.
The Crooked River flows below an aqueduct created to irrigate arid farmland.
The Smith Rock Aqueduct
Written by Cheryl Parton
Carved into the basalt cliffs above the Crooked River canyon, the Smith Rock Aqueduct is easy to miss. Rock climbers and hikers come for the routes and views, but they may not notice remnants from some of Central Oregon’s lesser-known but most consequential pieces of history.The aqueduct infrastructure quietly carried water across the gorge for decades, bringing farmland to life.
It dates back to the late 1930s when the federal government was investing in irrigation projects across the West. As part of the federal Deschutes Project, overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the job was ambitious: moving water from the Crooked River to dry farmland north of Bend.
Engineers faced a formidable challenge at Smith Rock, where the sheer rock faces plunge hundreds of feet into the canyon below. Rather than reroute water or lose elevation, designers opted for a steel pipeline supported by reinforced concrete piers to span the gorge. Construction was completed in the 1940s and played a key role in regional development.
The impact was lasting. Reliable irrigation transformed thousands of acres of high desert into productive farmland, fueling Jefferson County’s agricultural economy. Potatoes, alfalfa and grain became staples, and rural communities grew alongside newly irrigated fields.
As Smith Rock gained international recognition as a climbing destination and state park, the aqueduct faded into the background, hardly noticed. The 1945 Smith Rock canal system was replaced by a pressurized pipe system as of 2022 to modernize water delivery.
Today, the Smith Rock Aqueduct stands as a reminder of an era when federal engineering projects paved the way for Central Oregon’s future.
Just off the highway en route to the Redmond Municipal Airport, an unassuming strip mall is hardly a place associated with escape or excitement. Yet tucked into this unlikely setting, Xalisco Latin Cuisine transports diners straight to the Mexican state widely regarded as the birthplace of many of the country’s most iconic dishes. Drawing from the Jalisco region’s robust cuisine—where pre-Hispanic traditions meet Spanish influences—the restaurant is centered on family recipes and regional specialties. Many are reimagined with elevated touches that reward diners with creativity and quality, and defy the restaurant’s modest exterior.
The dishes reveal a place built on family, second acts and a deep emotional connection to food. For owner Maria Medina, Xalisco is a culmination of decades of lived experience, migration and resilience—served daily.
Tacos Kraken
Dedication is evident in the food. The carnitas—slow-cooked, tender, richly flavorful pork—is Medina’s mother’s recipe. The fundamentals come into focus in other specialty dishes such as the carne en su jugo (a Jalisco specialty of beef simmered in a savory tomatillo broth with beans and fresh garnishes), arrachera (marinated skirt steak) and tacos de camarón, or shrimp. “If you can do the basics really well, it says a lot about a menu and a place,” said Medina.
Maria Medina and Ángel Buenrostro Medina
One of the lesser-known menu items is torta ahogada, a traditional Guadalajara-style sourdough-bread sandwich of braised pork or pork belly carnitas, in a salsa of dried chiles and tomato with red onion and lime. “That’s a dish that a lot of people have never encountered before, and it’s one of my favorites. It’s just a classic that is delicious,” said Medina. “I always recommend it spicy as well. It gives it a good extra kick.”
Tropical Tequila cocktail
For Medina, food has long been a source of comfort and connection, especially when she arrived in Los Angeles from Mexico, “freshly 21 years old and feeling so homesick, and so alone really,” she said. Finding familiar food helped ease that isolation while working as an office administrator for a textile business.
Medina moved to Redmond from Los Angeles about a month before opening Xalisco in May of 2021 in her 50s while navigating a new chapter of life following her divorce. “It’s never too late to start something new,” she said.
Ahi tuna tostadas
Had she known more about the challenges of the restaurant business, she likely wouldn’t have taken the leap, she said, but what made it possible was family. Medina’s brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephews, grandniece and daughter all play roles in the restaurant, from the kitchen to the dining room. “I was never alone,” she said. “Without them, we would not be where we are.”
At the helm of the kitchen is Medina’s nephew, Ángel Buenrostro Medina, who studied gastronomy in Guadalajara. His training shows up in creative renditions of family and traditional recipes—an approach that has helped develop a cadre of devoted regulars. Among them are Dawn and David Haffey of David Haffey Fine Jewelry in Redmond, who have frequented Xalisco at least twice weekly since it opened, after one of their own customers recommended it.
Margarita flight
When they first saw the location, they didn’t have high expectations, but their presumptions vanished with the first bite of camarones momia, bacon-wrapped shrimp finished in a rich, creamy sauce. Other standouts soon followed, such as the arrachera. Dawn enjoyed margaritas made with freshly squeezed limes. What struck the couple just as deeply was the atmosphere. “They treat you like family,” said David. “You can feel the love that goes into the food.”
That mix of culinary creativity and authentic hospitality has turned an unlikely spot into a gastronomic destination.
There are few things in life better than a delicious sandwich. Naps and dogs come to mind. But perhaps Liz Lemon said it best, “All of humankind has one thing in common: the sandwich. I believe that all anyone wants in life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.”
It’s a seemingly simple concept. Put some stuff between two pieces of bread. Shove it into your mouth hole. Enjoy the bliss.
Not all sandwiches are created equal, however. Anyone who’s ever opened a rusty-hinged Care Bears lunchbox to discover a soggy, squishy tuna fish sandwich would agree. A sandwich should be a work of art. A truly excellent sandwich is about finding that perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Breakfast Sandwiches in Bend
At breakfast, anything goes. An oozing sauce. A satisfying crunch. A savory filling. No spoon or plate. Just a hearty two-fisted affair to point your day in the right direction.
What do you get when you cross-grilled cheese with French toast? A Monte Cristo. Café Sintra in downtown Bend has perfected this indulgent sandwich. Scrambled eggs, grilled ham, Havarti cheese, “dijonnaise” and a dusting of powdered sugar make the Monte Cristo the best of all worlds—salty, sweet and insanely cheesy.
Valentine’s Deli | Photo by Ely Roberts
Classic Deli Sandwiches at The Box Factory & Downtown Bend
Infinitely customizable and perfected over the years, a classic sandwich is all about the bread—not too soft, nor too hard. Yet it’s the ratio of ingredients that makes the experience.
Valentine’s Deli in the Box Factory always stacks their sammies high with the ideal balance of veggies to meat. The Simple Tom—juicy turkey, provolone, shredded lettuce, dill pickles, red onions and tomatoes on a Sparrow Bakery hoagie—is an absolute gem. Classics are classics for a reason. Why mess with perfection?
For the most mouthwatering mashup, try the Meatball Parm from Planker Sandwiches in downtown Bend. Spicy meatballs and crushed tomato sauce add a kick of heat while melty mozzarella blisters in all the right places. Served on a perfectly toasted sourdough roll, this unpretentious sammie feels like a hug from your Italian nonna.
Dagwood, Josie K’s | Photo by Ely Roberts
Sunriver’s Towering Deli Favorites
Remember Dagwood Bumstead from the comic strip Blondie? He was constantly careening around the room with an enormous, towering sandwich. Channel your inner Dagwood with a sky-high sandwich from Josie K’s Deli and Kitchen in Sunriver (shown here). The aptly-named Dagwood is made with thinly sliced turkey, ham, and salami with provolone cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, onion, dill pickle, tomato, pepperoncini and Josie K’s special dressing served up on a Big Ed’s hoagie roll.
“You can do whatever you want with a sandwich.” -Kellen S., 14-year-old sandwich savant
Global Fusion: The Iconic Carnitas Sando at Spork
Sandwiches are loved by people all over the world. No matter what small corner of the globe we live in, eating a sandwich is all about enjoying the moment.
Carnitas Sando, Spork | Photo by Ely Roberts
Please put your hands together for Spork’s Carnitas Sando (shown here), a delicious fusion of carnitas, morita chili sauce, cotija cheese, onion, fried egg, cabbage, radish, cilantro, yuca chips and chili mayo served up on a toasted Big Ed’s roll. The flavors are complex, the amount of spice is just right, and the pork—which is roasted for hours—is the perfect combination of a crispy outside with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth center. Dine like a local and enjoy dinner at Spork too.
“There’s a sandwich out there for everyone.” -Lucas N., rock climber and sandwich egalitarian
Nashville Hot Chicken and European Classics in Central Oregon
The average American eats close to 200 sandwiches per year. We are a nation full of mad scientists experimenting with new combinations in the quest for the perfect flavor delivery system.
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, Tin Pig | Photo by Ely Roberts
There’s nothing wrong with a little spice at The Tin Pig, a Southern cuisine food truck currently parked at Ponch’s Place. Their Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (shown here) is over ½ lb. of hand-breaded, hormone-free fried chicken topped with dill pickles. But the real kicker is the slathering of spicy hot paste and extra spices—Nashville style—that creates an intoxicating explosion of heat and flavor.
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, Tin Pig | Photo by Ely Roberts
If gooey and outrageously cheesy is more your thing, try the Croque Monsieur from Sparrow Bakery in NorthWest Crossing. A “grown-up grilled cheese and ham sandwich with more oooh-la-la,” as described by the folks at Sparrow, the Croque Monsieur is a real knife-and-fork sandwich. This savory delight is made with ham and Gruyere cheese on brioche bread, and doused with a shallot-infused bechamel sauce that totally steals the show.
Prost’s Schnitzel Sandwich is a simple yet satisfying meal that’s become a crowd favorite. A Carlton Farms pork loin is pounded until thin and then breaded and fried. Schnitzel relies on bold toppings, and this sando rises to the task with tangy sauerkraut, house mustard, aioli and German Gruyère cheese.
“My superpower is making sandwiches disappear.” -Ezzy the Dog, a good girl easily distracted by sandwiches (and squirrels)
Farm-to-Table Freshness at The Farmer’s Deli
If the secret to a great sandwich is the sum of its parts, The Farmer’s Deli in Downtown Bend is doing the math perfectly. They take the “local” label seriously, stacking their creations with local produce and meats that taste like they were plucked from the earth this morning. Served on Sister’s Bakery bread that holds its own against a generous helping of greens, it’s the kind of meal that makes you feel energized rather than ready for a nap. It’s honest, unpretentious, and exactly what a neighborhood deli should be.
Their Turkey Pesto is a masterclass in bright, herbaceous flavor, featuring thick slices of oven-roasted turkey, provolone, and a pesto mayo that ties the whole garden together. Served on fresh bread that holds its own against a generous helping of greens, it’s the kind of meal that makes you feel energized rather than ready for a nap.
Creative “Wiches” at ‘Wich Doctor Sandwich Co.
For those who believe a sandwich should be an experiment in bold, unconventional flavors, ‘Wich Doctor Sandwich Co. at the Pine Shed is the ultimate laboratory. This husband-and-wife team specializes in scratch-made “Wiches” that bridge the gap between elevated cuisine and the comfort of a toasted roll.
Take The Linda, for example: a complex layering of green-chili-braised chicken thighs and smoked chicken breast, topped with house-made pickled peppers and lime aioli on a buttered Sparrow Bakery hoagie.It even comes with a side of their signature coconut habanero hot sauce for those who want to dial up the heat.
Local Favorites at Midtown Yacht Club’s Bread and Bunny
If you’re looking for a sandwich that feels like a full-blown event, follow the locals to Bread and Bunny at Midtown Yacht Club. Their approach is simple but effective: source the best bread in the region (shoutout to Sisters Bakery and Sparrow) and stack it with a generous, gravity-defying confidence.
The Madi Melt is a local legend in the making. It’s an “ode to Madison” that features smoked turkey, melted Havarti, and thick-cut bacon, but the real magic is in the details—a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey and “Madi Mayo” (spiked with cherry peppers) for a sweet-and-spicy kick that keeps you coming back for more.
Is there a sandwich we missed and need to try? Let us know by email so we can get it added to the list. Head over to our FOOD & DRINK section for more articles on the Central Oregon restaurant scene, or visit our DINING GUIDE to plan your next dining adventure.
I think I figured it out, but much later than most of you. I was one of those people that initially balked at the concept of a smash burger, unable to wrap my head around wanting anything other than a half-pound monstrosity, dripping with mayo, some sort of spicy aioli, a pickle or six, and a tomato thicker than a smash burger patty itself. Honestly, I thought the concept was a brilliant way to sell me a smaller burger for a similar price as a large one. [Photo Above by Alyson Brown]
Oh, how wrong I was. There is a science to the smash burger, one that seems deceptively simple on the surface, but is so easy to botch that the difficulty spike is downright intimidating. While heat, fat, seasoning, lacy edges and a juicy center are all key ingredients, what I realized from the following chefs and Burger Geniuses is that the approach is to be taken seriously. Underestimating a smash burger is to have failed at having a good one.
Americana Burger | Photo by Tambi Lane
A Growing Business is the Americana Burger Dream
Its own success story, Americana Burger went from an unassuming Sprinter van food truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Bend in less than five years, and today has a line to the door within seconds of opening. What’s remarkable about Americana and its owners Olivia and Joseph Franco is that, even when nine out of 10 people in Bend will tell you it’s their favorite burger, Olivia doesn’t think she’s reached her full potential yet.
“[The] concept was a fluke off of wanting to have an American bistro truck. The burger was as far as that concept went, and we ended up doing just the burger,” said Olivia. “We didn’t even sell fries in the beginning. Smash burgers presented a challenge. I wanted to work on them after cooking so many cheeseburgers in my career. I don’t think I’ve perfected them yet, though.”
Try The Popper—with pickled jalapeños, jalapeño cream cheese, white American cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, ranch, secret sauce, shredded lettuce, fresh tomato with a double patty on a brioche bun—and get close to smash burger perfection.
Blue Eyes Burgers and Fries | Photo by Alyson Brown
Nostalgia and Quality at Blue Eyes
“Smash burgers are how burgers really started,” said Parker Vaughan, owner and head chef of Blue Eyes Burgers and Fries. While opinions, legends and stories vary, most agree that the origin of the smash burger (also known as a smashburger or smashed burger) goes back to the Great Depression when, in order to make the meat go farther, cooks would smash the patties to stretch the portions.
“They were street food meant to be cooked fast and be flavorful,” said Vaughan, who is also a student, teacher and historian of the burger. “And like all great food, regional versions started popping up all over the country and led to chain restaurants such as Fosters Freeze, White Castle, Whataburger, In-N-Out and one of my favorites, Krystal. Believe it or not, before these places were commoditized, they were amazing burger spots where everything was made from scratch.”
Regardless of origin, we’re definitely in the throes of a smash revival. Nostalgia hit me when entering Blue Eyes, whose location off Greenwood in midtown Bend immediately sent me back to being 6 years old and getting a dipped cone at the Fosters Freeze my grandpa built in Paradise, California.
At Blue Eyes, quality is a priority, and while you might pay a bit more than other burger joints in town, the burger is worth every cent. The company uses locally sourced, 100% grass-fed beef from Pitchfork T Ranch in Sisters, buns developed by Vaughan and baked by M’s bakery, and scratch-made onion rings. Put a Rainshadow Double in your mouth and tell me the combo of Duke’s Real Mayonnaise, pickled jalapeño, bacon, BBQ sauce, onion rings, a griddled sweet bun and Pitchfork T meat magic isn’t burger alchemy.
WillieBurger | Photo by Alyson Brown
Simplicity is the Key at WillieBurger
The magnificent WillieBurger rocks a very simple menu. Order a single, double or triple smash burger from Andrew George, the owner and chef who knows what makes a perfect burger and doesn’t mince words about achieving it. He explains it’s butter on a grilled bun, paper-thin onions, a meatball pressed to a certain size without over-smashing and then, the edges are “rolled” to get a lacy, crispy edge but still have a juicy thicker center. “[We] modestly season with our secret seasoning, flip, add a little house sauce directly on the patty and then top with cheese. A double patty. Nothing else,” said George.
“The cheese melt on a smash burger from this food truck found at Deschutes Brewery’s Tasting Room still lives in my dreams.”
Creating a Following, from New Orleans to Bend
Mike Aldridge, owner and chef of MidCity SmashedBurger, was early to the smash burger revival when he founded his franchise in New Orleans during the pandemic. When he opened a Portland food truck in 2021, he sold 1,000 burgers in eight days. The Bend truck is at 3rd Street’s Waypoint Hotel where you’ll find a Smashy Boi, which for $6 is one of the best burger deals in town: The char on the 80/20 Oregon beef sourced from Painted Hills is tender, juicy and without flaw.
“Smash burgers, for us, were always meant to be nostalgic,” said Aldridge. “A small, affordable cheeseburger that is simple but stands out for a couple reasons. A smash burger is the ‘family-friendliest’ burger there is.”
Pardon a ridiculous metaphor, but I think I’ve figured out what makes a smash burger so remarkable. Each smash burger is like a perfectly curated and crafted snowflake. Over three weeks, I’ve tried even more than I’ve mentioned here and no two were the same.
I think at first it was easy to look at smash burgers like a fad that would go the way of pogs or pet rocks, but they’re not and they shouldn’t. Sure, the mediocre ones will fade away, but the real genius chefs, like the ones on these pages, aren’t just out to make a buck on a skinny burger. They are about striving to build a new version of an American classic; elevating something so simple, yet so easy to get wrong. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
During the Great Depression, the construction of a neoclassical U.S. post office in downtown Bend provided much-needed employment. It also gave people hope with its grand brick-and-terracotta façade, featuring column details and Art Deco flourishes. Reborn as a 23-room hotel, The Westman Hotel in Bend has once more become a beacon of light and a community gathering spot. After visitors and guests enter the rectangular foyer with its soaring 16-foot ceilings and a lobby bar, they’ll find stories that unfold in every elegant corner.
A Personal Connection to Bend
The Westman co-owner Gil Burgess, a successful businessman who grew up in rural Oregon, remembers trips to Central Oregon with his family, where they would buy sandwiches at a local deli, walk around downtown Bend and camp on the Metolius River.
“I have a lot of fun memories of Bend. It was a very special place to me growing up,” said Burgess.
During dinner, his business partner asked a profound question, “What if we did something that would spark joy in both of us? What would that be?” Eventually, they decided on hospitality. When the old post office came up for sale, they jumped on it, determined not to let it go the way of Bend’s Pilot Butte Inn that was demolished in 1973 despite having a historic designation.
“It was really important for us to maintain all the historic elements of the post office and do it the right way,” said Burgess.
Hospitality at the hotel extends to pets.
Preserving a Landmark
Burgess and the hotel’s management group, Embarcadero Hospitality, prioritized saving as much of the building on the National Register of Historic Places as possible. They preserved 175,000 bricks, 1,900 square feet of gold terrazzo flooring, 1,700 tons of concrete and 44 original windows, while also creating a luxurious hotel with modern comforts, like an oversized heated outdoor soaking tub.
Interiors are a modern take on Art Deco with nods to Mountain West style. Senior interior designer Jenny Baines at LRS Architects of Bend and Portland was tasked with selecting interior finishes, furniture and fixtures.
Baines chose five Kelly Wearstler schoolhouse-style pendant light fixtures for the lobby. Echoing the shape of the space’s pilasters, Artistic Frame barstools feature fluted bases. The jewel box of a parlor features rich green velvet sofas and a handmade brass fireplace crafted by MW Designs in Salem. There’s a river rock art installation on the wall and a dramatic charcoal crystal light fixture.
“High-end hospitality in Oregon needs to have a level of elegance, but it also has to have casualness to it. People don’t want stuffy, they want comfortable,” said Baines.
Inspired by the building’s history, architecture and the surrounding landscape, guests will spot walls painted U.S. Forest Service green—the Forest Service was an original tenant—and dark blue, a nod to the night sky. Pops of dark gray and rich brown recall postal uniforms and leather mailbags.
Find a spiral staircase leading to the sleeping loft.
The Woman Behind the Name
The hotel’s name honors Minnie Westman, the first woman mail carrier west of the Mississippi River. In the 1880s, Westman rode horseback across Oregon delivering mail, encountering difficult terrain and even bears along her route. Her story became a source of inspiration throughout the hotel.
On the main floor, visitors will find custom wallpaper by local artist Mikayla Bivona that celebrates Westman’s adventures through a distinctly Western lens. Her perseverance also became a fitting symbol for a project that required creativity and determination at every turn.
Solving the Puzzle of Historic Preservation
For architect Brian Emerick and his Portland-based firm, Emerick Architects, transforming the post office into a hotel presented a unique set of challenges.
“There are a lot of constraints, but that’s part of the fun,” Emerick said. “It really demands a lot of creativity to try to crack that code and figure out the puzzle.”
Working within the building’s original footprint ultimately became an advantage. Existing square footage and oversized windows allowed designers to create larger guest rooms than might otherwise have been possible.
Rooms pay homage to the building’s history.
Each of the 23 guest rooms, including 15 suites, has a unique layout. Lower-level rooms have outdoor patios with firepits in old window wells to let in natural light.
The Mailroom Suite, one of three guest rooms with spiral staircases and loft sleeping areas, has a fluted marble fireplace.
The corner Franklin Street suite showcases one of Baines’ favorite details: handstitched cashmere scarf-like draperies that accentuate the verticality of the spaces. Each guest room has a white oak kitchenette with a built-in refrigerator, a design reminiscent of a high-end home.
Bend woodworker Aaron Johnson created postmaster-style desks for rooms.
A Gathering Place Once Again
In the early 1900s, people would congregate in post offices to receive news about loved ones during wartime. It feels fitting that this important building is once again a gathering place. At the lobby bar called Minnie’s, the menu includes a Minnie Westman-inspired Smoking Revolver cocktail and a refreshing Marionberry Bramble with Wild Roots gin, fresh lemon juice and marionberry puree, along with a plate of tater tot waffles topped with Pacific Northwest smoked salmon.
The care taken to create The Westman experience extends to all the senses. When visitors walk into the hotel, they’ll immediately smell the intoxicating scent of cedarwood atlas, sandalwood and oakmoss blended with an oregano tincture. It’s a signature scent created by Bend-based natural perfumer Kristine Ambrose.
“I wanted to capture the scent of Central Oregon, but I also wanted to include the entire region through the lens of Minnie and the routes she took,” said Ambrose. Portland-based interior mural and hand-painted wallpaper company Lonesome Pictopia applied gold leaf to lobby windows inside, creating a swirling, storm-like effect.
The Westman is a love letter to Bend and the building’s history, from the walnut wood postmaster-style desks made by Bend woodworker Aaron Johnson to the post office’s original vault door emblazoned with an American eagle emblem, showcased in a special suite called the Vault.
Just like the 90-year-old ficus trees in the lobby, which lived in the post office for decades, the stewards of this project haven’t forgotten the roots of this space, “What we’ll have here cannot be duplicated or replicated,” said Burgess.
It was a bluebird day when six friends and I gathered at the far edge of Dutchman Flat, near Mount Bachelor. There hadn’t been much fresh snow, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Whatever the conditions, we were giddy with anticipation for the adventures ahead.
If it were summer, we’d be on the shoulder of the Cascade Lakes Highway, watching cars whiz past toward a multitude of lakes, trails and summits. But with its gate closed for winter, the unplowed road has transformed into a snow-lover’s playground.
A Trip to Elk Lake Resort in Winter 2026
This year, thanks to Elk Lake Resort’s new emphasis on trail grooming, the area is more accessible than ever for cross-country skiers. With its new state-of-the-art PistenBully 400 snowcat, the resort is consistently grooming the 11-mile, mostly downhill stretch from Dutchman Flat to the lake, plus a 7-mile loop around it.
When the snowcat churned up to us, leaving perfect corduroy in its wake, we loaded overnight bags into the cab, which also has room for guests to ride inside. We stepped into our skate skis and set out to traverse one of the most scenic landscapes in Central Oregon. We paused near Sparks Lake to take in the panorama of peaks from South Sister and Broken Top to Mount Bachelor. We glided past hillsides of black volcanic boulders topped with snow and through forests of pine and fir.
It wasn’t all downhill—the few rolling ascents were enough to make us appreciate arriving at the lodge. We cozied up to a woodstove and gave the lodge pups, Ace and Tex, scratches behind their ears. It was time to enjoy a well-deserved beverage, just as folks have done at Elk Lake for more than a century.
A Bend Landmark, Reinvigorated
Since the Wilcoxen family built the first Elk Lake lodge in 1921, Bend locals have flocked to the resort’s shores. The resort has survived wildfires and droughts, added all-season cabins and amenities, and has changed ownership several times. In 2025, a group of Bend families purchased Elk Lake Resort with the shared vision of updating the facilities while preserving its history and rustic spirit.
“Our goal is to restore this iconic resort and elevate the experience, with a focus on responsible stewardship of the lake,” said Ken Natoli, co-owner and assistant general manager.
That meant upgrading infrastructure, blending new fixtures to match old logs and historical decor, and overhauling the kitchen. The new food and drinks menu incorporates locally sourced products, and keeps old favorites like elk chili and burgers. The renovation held surprises, too, like uncovering an original stone fireplace in the back of a storage room. Now cleaned and restored, that fireplace serves as a touchstone to the past and a focal point in the lodge.
Unlike other local areas, Elk Lake’s groomed trails are open to snowmobilers, as well as snowshoers, fat-tire bikers and dog-sledders. Trail etiquette encourages everyone to stay aware of other users and slow down as needed. Preserving the grooming is part of trail etiquette too, especially as more skiers join the mix.
“In past years, no one thought the Nordic ski community would support this lodge, so grooming trails was not a priority. We’re betting they will. So far we’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm,” said Natoli. And with a full calendar of events, including ski-in, shuttle-out moonlight dinners, Elk Lake is now on a must-do ski touring list.
Expanding the Map of Local Groomed Trails
Steve Roti, president of Meissner Nordic Ski Club, and Tina Pavelic, a Nordic ski instructor, have seen growing enthusiasm for adding skiable miles, beyond the trails at Meissner Sno-Park and Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center. All three areas post grooming updates on Nordic Pulse, an app specific to ski trail conditions. With more local options online, skiers can compare conditions and make the most of their time on the trails.
As Roti noted, the High Cascades often have a prime quality and quantity of snow. “Because Elk Lake sits in the center of the Cascades, the area holds more snow than on the east slope—far more than at Meissner, even though the elevation of Elk Lake is lower than at Meissner,” he said.
For Pavelic, skiing into Elk Lake brings a different perspective. “It’s more like a European ski experience, skiing point-to-point through a spectacular landscape, ending at a warm lodge with food, and the option to shuttle back. Also, these trails are perfect when training for long-distance races,” she said.
Skiers can expect the same wide, rolling trail conditions on the 7-mile loop around the lake. Ski in a clockwise direction, and the wide, open trail ascends gently before unfolding through dappled shade, which can get icy. Ski counter-clockwise for punchier hills and easier descents. Either way, watch for the sign to Hosmer Lake, about midway on the loop. It’s worth the walk along the short ungroomed spur to check out the lake and the view of Mount Bachelor.
Adding 18 miles of groomed trails puts Bend on a par with renowned Nordic ski areas like Galena, Idaho, and Winthrop, Washington, according to Roti.
“We’ve now exceeded 100 kilometers of groomed trail with varying steepness and difficulty. That’s the standard for top-tier destinations, but this one is close to home.”
What Else to Do at Elk Lake Resort in the Winter
Skiing is not the only way to break a sweat at Elk Lake. Behind the lodge, close to the frozen lake, sits a barrel-shaped, wood-fired sauna. More than an antidote to post-ski chills, spending time in the intense, steamy heat relaxes sore muscles, lowers stress and promotes deep sleep.
During our weekend at Elk Lake Resort, my group of friends reserved the sauna for a late afternoon session, after a ski around the lake loop. The sauna benches were big enough to hold the seven of us, and we ladled water over the hot rocks for a rush of steam. Through the sauna’s window, we watched the lake’s ice glow lavender in the twilight. But what really caught our attention was the hole cut into the ice, just a short walk away.
Twenty minutes into our sauna session, the cold plunges began. Dashing across the ice, taking a deep breath, we jumped into the waist-deep icy water, dunking as deep and as long as we could stand it. Skin tingling, spirits lifted, we’d return to the sauna for more heat. The sauna session left us both invigorated and calm, warmed from the inside out, connected to this lake in a new way.
The next morning, we walked out beyond the cold plunge hole to the middle of the lake, where the ice was thick and free of snow. A soft booming sound echoed from below the surface, a tuneful moan like whales singing. One friend recognized it as the sound of the ice itself, expanding and changing.
Back at Dutchman Flat, we glanced down the trail we came from. A ribbon of corduroy gleamed in the sun, offering an invitation to return to Elk Lake and the deep connection to nature, now more accessible year-round.
For many, the word aloha is associated with a greeting. But for Gerry Lopez, aloha is a way of being. Rooted in Native Hawaiian values, it helps guide how people treat one another, the land and themselves, plus it’s a core value of the namesake snowboarding event he founded. The Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge will be held for its 14th year at Mt. Bachelor March 26 to 29, 2026. [Photo above:Chauncey Sorenson, by Grant Myrdal]
Gerry Lopez | Photo by Sebastian Tronolone Jr.
Much of the aloha behind the Big Wave Challenge is inspired by early Hawaiian surfing contests that Lopez, a resident of Bend for the past 30 years and one of surfing’s big-wave pioneers, experienced when he was a kid, before professional surfing events existed. “The surf contests were a kind of celebration, a gathering of all the different surf clubs and the different families and communities that would all come out to support,” Lopez said. “It was a real celebration of aloha. It wasn’t like this dog-eat-dog thing. It was: Come, we have this surfing contest, someone’s going to win and others aren’t gonna win, but afterward we’ll all eat and have a good time.”
Photo by Grant Myrdal
Surf Culture Inspires Bend’s Snowboarding Event
If surfing is the trunk of the board-sport tree, snowboarding is the branch that reaches to the mountains, but shares its roots in self-expression, style and progression. Similar to early snowboard events in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Big Wave Challenge event harkens back to a time when contests felt less like a competition and more like a community gathering, paralleling the events from Lopez’s childhood days. Many participants are focused less on winning and more on having fun, being in the moment with others and having the shared experience of witnessing the creativity on a course that changes every year.
Temma Tamai | Photo by Sebastian Tronolone Jr.
Hosted by Mt. Bachelor since 2010, and inspired by the mountain’s wave-type terrain and Lopez’s own love of snowboarding. The Big Wave Challenge has been infused with community spirit from the beginning. Across the years, it has raised money for a number of causes through registration fees, auction items and donations. This snowboard-only competition gives riders of all ages and abilities the opportunity to express their creativity on a world-class, custom-built, surf-inspired course made up of banks, hips, spines and quarterpipes.
Gerry Lopez | Photo by Sebastian Tronolone Jr.
The Gerry Lopez Big Wave Challenge also translates the aloha spirit of generosity and care into meaningful action by directing all proceeds toward local individuals and organizations in need. Individuals like Pat Malendowski and Michele Schnake, two long-time Central Oregonians, have each significantly contributed to the sport of snowboarding locally and globally, and are both battling cancer. This year, 100% of proceeds from the event registration and online auction will be used to support Malendowski and Schnake in their treatment. The Big Wave Challenge also partners with organizations like Oregon Adaptive Sports and Urban Surf 4 Kids to provide access to board sports.
Nathan Jacobson | Photo by Grant Myrdal
Lopez characterizes the event as a collective achievement rather than a personal one, and he showcases the spirit of aloha through humility by crediting the success of the event to everyone involved. He emphasizes that without the efforts of the whole community—specifically mentioning the volunteers, Mt. Bachelor and the individuals who participate—the event wouldn’t be possible. “Everyone always thanks me for the event, but it’s really not me; it’s everyone. I always want to say, ‘No, no, thank everybody else,’” said Lopez. “It’s a lot of people coming together and making a big effort on their part. I think everyone showing their aloha pumps up the whole event.” Even by deflecting praise and highlighting the contributions of others, Lopez demonstrates that aloha isn’t just something you say; it’s something you practice. Read more about the Big Wave Surf Challenge here.
Tune in to the full interview with Gerry Lopez on Bend Magazine’s “The Circling Podcast” with Adam Short. As always, our podcast can be found on all major podcast platforms.
When Bend local Nate Nielsen began looking for a gym, he wanted more than a warehouse of equipment. A lifelong sports fan, Nielsen was focused on strength and mobility for golf and pickleball, but he also wanted a community.
“At most gyms, people plug in their music and ignore each other. I wanted a welcoming environment where people get to know and support each other,” said Nielsen.
He’s not the only one drawn to a different approach to fitness. From teens to seniors and weekend warriors to pros, today’s athletes seek a more holistic approach, one that builds strength as it supports body, mind and spirit. It’s a new perspective on weight training to build more than muscle mass—it elevates metabolism and bone density, ignites speed and power, and boosts mental health and resilience.
Coach Marcus McGovern, leading a class.
Nielsen found the community he’d been seeking when a friend invited him to BOSS Sports Performance, a strength and fitness training hub in Bend that embodies this approach to fitness. “The facilities and coaches are both impressive, but the energy is contagious, especially with all the student-athletes. I immediately wanted to be part of it,” he said.
Cultivating Strength, Starting with the Kids
Kevin Boss
Kevin Boss founded BOSS Sports Performance in 2014, after retiring from a professional football career that included a 2007 Super Bowl win for the New York Giants. His vision for the business was clear: use everything he’d learned in football to teach not only sports, but persistence and confidence in young athletes.
From Boss’s perspective, resilience is a byproduct of strength training, especially in teens. “There’s no instant gratification in the weight room. You have to keep showing up, and the reward comes slowly. Seeing kids grow into their abilities is the best part of my job—and that will always be the heart of what we do,” Boss said.
Brooklyn Fobi, of Bend, is one of those teens. She’s a Bend High School junior aiming to play college volleyball. “The training helps me in volleyball with more vertical and explosive strength on the court. It keeps me disciplined, and that will help me in college,” she said. For Fobi, it’s the coaches who make the difference. “You can see that they feel like a family. The coaches are so approachable and positive, and they know me,” Fobi added.
Coach Christian Parr
Since its beginnings with an initial focus on youth, the gym has grown to include adults at all levels, from professional athletes during their offseason to amateur enthusiasts who want to up their game on the trails, ski runs and courts. Addressing this wide variety of goals and abilities, coaches tailor group classes to allow each individual to succeed at their own level. As Boss put it, they want to make workouts the best part of the day.
Come for the Coaching, Stay for the Community
How does a fitness center cultivate that sense of community? Marcus McGovern, coach and director of adult fitness at BOSS Sports Performance, sees it as a top-down intention. “Kevin brings our staff together into a close-knit team that cares deeply for each other and the work we do,” he said. The team’s enthusiasm for strength and health spreads to the clients and infuses the gym with energy. As McGovern explained, being surrounded by positive people is the best way to adopt a healthy, happy mindset that sets the tone for the rest of the day.
“Everything we do in the gym is designed to serve life outside the gym—to help people keep doing what they love, injury-free,” said McGovern. “Bend is full of wildly active people, and strength training is like putting on armor. It protects your body against injury from the forces that can beat us up, and makes us more durable.”
This approach is what keeps clients like Nielsen and Fobi coming back. “When everybody knows your name, you feel welcome. You go for an hour, move your body, interact with friends—that sets you up for a good day,” said Nielsen.
Strength plus community equals resilience outside the gym. Kevin Boss seems to have found the formula for turning exercise into the best part of a day.
Whether grown in a humble kitchen garden or contributing to the 2021 Nobel prize, a story of chili peppers is an epic tale of diaspora. The ancient fruit grew wild in South and Central America, traveling to Europe, India and China before flaming culinary passions across North America. Capsaicin is the ingredient that makes eyes and noses run, but it was proven with that global science prize just a few years ago, it’s all a genetic ruse. Capsaicin activates a pain receptor intended to protect a body from actual fire. With chilis, the tongue experiences the thrill without the danger, like a scary movie or the plunge of a rollercoaster. It’s not real fire, even if the tears are tangible.
When it comes to culinary adventure, local makers, mixologists and chefs eschew the Scoville spiciness scale gauntlet of the YouTube show “Hot Ones” for the deep flavor and enticing heat of a deliciously balanced dish or sip. There’s nothing like a bit of spice to take the chill off a day in winter wonderland, and chili peppers ignite cuisines and melt seasonal ice with the most delectable of fires.
Simón Latin Cuisine and Margaritas
Hot, Sweet and Spicy at Simón Latin Cuisine
Warm up on a cold night with an order of Aguachiles from Simón Latin Cuisine and Margaritas. This traditional dish from the Mexican state of Sinaloa is made with tiger prawns, serrano peppers, marinated red onion, cucumber, lime and cilantro. “The heat of the chilis,” said chef and owner Roberto Cardenas,“combined with the crisp bite of cucumber and the sweetness of lime,” is best accompanied by a seasonal margarita with fresh pomegranate juice—the perfect picante antidote for winter doldrums.
Cocktail menu creator Brian Moe looked to the tradition of Western movies to inspire the spicy libations at The Coyote. True Grit’s zip derives from a dried chili infusion into the bourbon, while Blazing Saddle builds its fire from tequila that undergoes a house-made process of infusing the Mexican spirit with cumin and cilantro. The seasoned tequila is combined with mezcal (for a subtle smokiness), fresh lime juice and triple sec, and is served in a rocks glass rimmed with Tajin, adding a salty, citrus and spice flavor to the profile.
Another spicy sip: Dogwood at the Pine Shed serves the Beesting, mixed with aged tequila reposado, habanero, honey, mint and lemon on the rocks, making it spicy and bright. Dogwood at the Pine Shed, 821 NE 2nd St., Bend
Wild Rose, Bend
Level Up with Thai-style Sukiyaki at Wild Rose
The Thai-style Sukiyaki at Wild Rose can be ordered with a spice level of three, four (very spicy) or five (extremely spicy), and is composed of clear glass noodles stir-fried in a spicy fermented chili sauce with garlic, Napa cabbage, egg and Chinese greens with a choice of protein. When it comes to this family recipe from the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, chef Paul Itti isn’t pulling any punches. Forewarned is forearmed.
Fred Giacomini forged his own chili destiny working in the restaurant business before creating his brand, fRED Sauce. The adventure began in 2018 with a four-ingredient recipe—Fresno chilis, red wine vinegar, garlic and sea salt. He discovered Cherry Bomb peppers at a Portland farmers market and bought 10 pounds. By 2019, his order was upped to 7,500 pounds, then fermented and bottled into 400 cases of fRED Sauce. Today the fRED Sauce lineup includes the original hot sauce, with medium heat at the back of the tongue and sweetness up front. The best-selling Green Sauce, added in 2021, gets tartness from tomatillos and sweetness from lime, with a whisper of smoke. Habañero Red, introduced in 2022, has “creeper heat,” balanced with roasted red peppers, carrot juice and sweet onions to enhance food, not dominate it.
More Local Hot Stuff
Sakari Farms produces a suite of 13 sauces that showcase the supernovas of heat—from Carolina Reapers, Maruga Scorpions to Peach Reapers and Ghost Peppers. Bend Sauce’s new owners, David Rabe and Jason Berry, keep tongues tingling with Chipotle Hot Sauce and Smokin’ Hot Honey. And watch for chili, ginger and garlic-infused vinegar from Cultivate Farms.
There’s a good reason why Lifty’s restaurant and bar has an eclectic menu: Owner Chris Justema has been feeding Bend for decades and knows the diverse tastes of his patrons. He and his wife, Elizabeth, created it to be an extension of the mindset of Bend, something Justema calls, “Après anything.” Lifty’s celebrates family, community and connecting through shared passions and experiences. In fact, this is how the restaurant got its name in the first place. “I’m a die-hard skier and have been my whole life,” Justema said. “And I have a soft spot for all the lift operators who feed my passion and get zero credit.”
On any given day, patrons might be found relaxing around a firepit after burning their quads on hill repeats, tackling a mountain of nachos while watching a game on a big screen in the dining room or enjoying a drink—alcohol optional. This is exactly the point. After running Cascade Lakes Brewery, one of the first stops on the road down the hill from a ski day, for decades, Justema was ready for the next evolution with an emphasis on local favorites.
The menu reflects the broad tastes of Bend. Head Chef Alan Skelton has been given a clear mission to pull off the culinary trifecta: create unexpected whimsy, offer healthy options and absolutely nail the classics. With full autonomy to change the menu with the seasons, Skelton blends global flavors with Central Oregon favorites. “People come with different tastes, and we make sure not to stick to one type of food,” Justema said.
While the burgers, wings and salads are all well executed, Lifty’s menu stands out because of the bold, international dishes. The potstickers, for instance, balance lemongrass with savory chicken, and have a crisp crunch. Add a dip into the tangy and spicy Korean barbecue-style sauce with notes of ginger to ignite a gentle burn.
The colorful drunken noodles feature wide rice noodles tossed with peppers, onions, Thai basil and a rich, aromatic drunken sauce. The pork belly adds savory depth, but even without it, the dish would hold its own.
The Italiano sandwich is molto bene. Hot capicola and pepperoncini create a little heat between slices of airy schiacciata bread (a cross between focaccia and ciabatta). Order it with fries; they’re worth the extra calories.
Lifty’s also approaches drinks differently. Bend is a beer hotspot, and Lifty’s gives tribute to that tradition with local favorites and a rotating selection for those looking to discover something new. Justema goes a step further, paying equal attention to nonalcoholic beverages. “I feel like a lot of places ignore the NA drinker,” he said. “We want to change that. Some people still want to drink, they just don’t want the alcohol.” The result is a menu that treats NA beers, wines and mocktails with the same respect as any craft IPA or house cocktail.
Then there’s the surprise of a sand volleyball court with a very good reason for it—the Justemas are also supportive parents. Their daughter, Harper, was a competitive volleyball player in high school, and they wanted to honor her and the Bend beach volleyball tribe by giving them a place to gather and play.
While Lifty’s welcomes anyone from anywhere in need of fuel, it keeps its focus local. “We’re not in downtown, we’re off the beaten path,” said Justema. It’s a destination spot—a nice way of saying people are not likely to stumble upon it. But Lifty’s is worth seeking out, because whatever Bendites are into, this spot is up for après anything.
Winter in Central Oregon is yin and yang. Under clear sunny skies, you might feel giddy walking the Deschutes River Trail wearing one layer of wool under some afternoon sun, then boom: temps drop overnight, tightening the air until it crackles and pushes mercury toward single digits. But Bendites are resilient and curious. They don’t hibernate as much as recalibrate. When the cold settles in and stays awhile, locals lean into rituals old and new: a 6 a.m. yoga class by the light of a Himalayan salt lamp? Yes. Hushed steps for you (and your dogs) on fresh snow-covered trails after a storm? Feels like walking in a dream. People kindle their creativity when daylight runs short and darkness sets in at 4:30 p.m. Bend’s winter is about staying connected, and cold can be a catalyst, even if some of the activities sound like a dare. [Photo above by Martin Sundberg]
Stihl Whiskey Bar | Photo by Alyson Brown
Winter Things to Do Inside – Bend, Oregon
When the air outside freezes, Bend’s indoor culture doesn’t just hunker down, it comes alive. For whiskey lovers, Oregon Spirit Distillers, Central Oregon’s first grain-to-glass distiller, and Stihl Whiskey Bar offer flights and education. Taste history, and debate the build of a perfect Old Fashioned.
Hands warm up and get dirty with clay when potters’ wheels are in motion. Find classes for beginners or studio space for rent at Camp Clay, Mud Lake Studiosand Supplies, and Synergy Ceramics. Cold days are for creating a line of specialty mugs or your own version of a “Ghost”-like moment with a favorite partner in pottery.
Morning coffee isn’t just a ritual, it may be a wake-up and warm-up necessity. This winter, learn more about what’s in that cuppa joe. At Still Vibrato, roaster and owner Clint Rowan serves scientifically calibrated coffee and helps customers become their own baristas. Learn about grinds, water ratios and techniques for French press, pour overs, Aeropress or espresso from Rowan’s brewing notes found on the Still Vibratowebsite. Watch beans being roasted in real time at Lone Pine Coffee or Thump Coffee’s NorthWest Crossing location.
Stihl Whiskey Bar | Photo by Alyson Brown
Escape the bite of winter temps by tucking into an English-style pub, The Cellar, serving cask-conditioned ales and meat pies. At Emerald Loop, dark green walls, a wood-burning fireplace and Jameson Irish Whiskey-glazed wings complement pulls of draft Guinness stout.
The Olympics aren’t the only winter games. Silver Moon Brewing’s Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo hosted by Dusty Riley and Stacia Guzzo serves as both entertainment and a fundraiser for local nonprofits. Modern Games offers a full schedule of play, including board game socials and regular Warhammer Wednesdays. Brainiacs and pop-culture savants can find trivia nights almost every night of the week throughout Central Oregon. At Portello Lounge, music bingo might include a classic rock theme as owner, and Robert Plant lookalike, Bryan Smith pours wine and co-owner Rachel Fishman plays MC. Happy hour feels like a full night out when dark comes early, and you’re home by 7 p.m.
There’s no need to put tri-season pursuits on hold for the winter quarter. Keep spokes rolling by fat biking on snow-packed trails. Rent a bike at Between Evergreens, Pine Mountain Sports or WebCyclery, and head out to try one of five new trails as part of the Wanoga Downhill Trails Project. There’s no need for elevated heart rates, just binoculars, to participate in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, taking place February 13 through 16. During the event, keep an eye out for resident species returning to Central Oregon’s treetops, parks or backyards, then report on the Merlin Bird ID or eBird apps.
When the temperatures dip, connect with the community at Bend WinterFest from February 13 through 15 as it transforms the Old Mill District into a winter playground. Expect glowing fire sculptures, ice-carving demos, its Hot Cocoa 5 or 10K run, and the crack of boards in a Pump Bump Jam contest. The pump track itself is a work of art. Live music from Brandi Cyrus, Tiffany, Saxsquatch and a Blondie tribute band creates harmonized notes of winter, and dancing is a way to keep warm from the inside out.
There’s something about an underground space. While others abide by the norm of striding along sidewalks, stepping below street level is a sojourn to discover the hidden, the secret, the unusual at the Underground Book Gallery. Descending steps, you find the subterranean world of Justin Schlosberg—artist, writer and curator for the analog soul.
Step into a world of creativity.
The bustle of nearby NW Wall Street fades as you step into the low-ceilinged, 600-square-foot space lined with roughly 20,000 used books, from beat poets and classics to a mass-market sci-fi paperback collection and antiquarian finds. What at first seems like strictly a bookstore quickly reveals its other self: art gallery. Among the shelves, black pen-and-ink works catch the eye. The art depicts the Elusive Taloned Penguin, Schlosberg’s spindly-armed take on the Penguin Books icon. On the canvases, the Schlosberg’s Penguin spouts off “factoids,” quirky, satirical musings and mischief, drawn with Ralph Steadman-esque gonzo print, ink splatters and blotches.
Find a mixture of new titles, used books and bits of history.
To wit: Factoid #557 is mixed media—the penguin strums a guitar drawn as a wedding couple dances under festival string lights, and words reveal that the Elusive Taloned
Penguin gigs classical guitar at weddings. “Incidentally,” it’s explained, “this couple met playing pickleball.” Factoid #911 tells us the Elusive Taloned Penguin was fined$50,000 for betting on himself in professional laser tag, spent a month in federal prison with cellmate Pete Rose, but “fortunately, it didn’t exclude him from being inducted into the Laser Tag Hall of Fame in 2002.” Penguin is inked on the glass of a framed 1949 Life Magazine cover devoted to French alpine racer Émile Allais who is airborne and leans over his ski tips. A thought bubble over the flightless bird’s head says, “Wow, that’s photoshopped.”
The character came to Schlosberg a few years ago, when he riffed on the publisher’s logo with a nibbed ink pen in hand. “I extended the arms on it and wrote a little story to go along with it, what I called ‘factoids,’” said Schlosberg, black ink stains lining his hands. His girlfriend, Bernadette Foley, who cofounded the shop, liked it and encouraged him to make more.
“They’re kind of like the mascot of the store now—and [the penguin] has all these different adventures.”
In 2022, Schlosberg opened the shop with mostly art and a few books after operating a bookstore in Breckenridge, Colorado, for 19 years. Underground Book Gallery could be considered out of the box, as could Schlosberg’s own books. My Family Album began when Schlosberg opened what he thought was a John Adams biography box set and discovered, not books, but a stash of someone’s family photos from the 1950s and ‘60s. Curating the images, he mounted them on album pages and began layering on his darkly humorous calligraphy.
Neil Anderson plays at the shop piano.
His next book, A Peculiar Day in Coney Island, was a short story that Schlosberg reworked as a young adult book, collaborating with a friend on the art. It tells the metaphorical tale of a boy who wants to be treated like an adult. Things change on a strange day in Coney Island when he meets Mysterioso, who runs the freak show. The book is an exploration in much the same way a visit to the bookstore is filled with mystery and discovery.
Justin Schlosberg.
On First Fridays, Schlosberg pours sake, and musicians pull up a seat at the piano. Other nights, the group Upstairs Poetry hosts readings. Any time in this subterranean spot, though, offers a journey beyond the ordinary and into the delightfully eccentric world that Schlosberg has crafted for creativity, humor and serendipity.
When snow has begun to fall again after a fairly long dry spell, my heart flutters at the change in weather. Snow is my love, and I’ve spent close to 30 years shooting video and photos of skiers and snowboarders in the backcountry.
There looks to be a break in the storm a couple days away with forecasted sun, so I line up a trip with two trusted friends and athletes, Andrew Orlich and Griffin Biancucci, to head into the backcountry and document the day from start to finish. Andrew is a seasoned vet skier—he could’ve been a pro, but chose otherwise. He is kind, hard-working, has a strong knowledge base in snow science, and is highly talented. At just 20 years old, Griff is a young snowboarder, yet we work well together because of his ability to send it off of anything, to collaborate, work hard and have a positive attitude. Shooting in the backcountry isn’t easy by any means. The conditions, communication, timeliness and effort go beyond just trying to have a “fun day in the snow.” We are out there trying to create incredible imagery together. I work well with others who understand this and want to get after it.
Since 1994, I have been acquiring knowledge about Oregon’s backcountry, which has created quite a library of locations to choose from. On this trip, I want to take Andrew and Griff to an area that has volcanic terrain on steroids. The zone has everything from pillow stacks and massive volcanic archways to volcanic tunnels, hefty cliffs and tight, technical lines. I call Griff and Andrew, explain the location, time and assignment. They are stoked and are in.
Sleds Before Sunrise
At 4:30 a.m. my alarm goes off and I wake up excited, with gear prepped and a bit of nervousness—you never know if the sun will show, how good (and safe) snow conditions will be and how the day will go. The number of times I have been shut down by weather, shitty snow or tricky athlete dynamics, and failed to get a shot, is beyond counting, but I always hope for the best and continue to try. Even “failing” in the snow is where I want to be.
I arrive at the sno-park under the star-filled dark sky before the 6 a.m. call time. I am always early. Griff and Andrew arrive early, too, and we are off to a great start. We load the three snowmobiles (or sleds) up with gear, do beacon checks and head out to get our first pre-dawn shots as we head out to the location with incredible snow.
The next step will be punching a trail in on the sleds to our transition point from where we start our touring/splitboarding. Getting there takes effort in skill, guts and navigation. Griff, unlike me, is an animal on the sled and leads the way. We arrive at the transition point as the sun begins to rise, and begin the tour. Vibes are high and the crew is gelling.
Setting the Scene in the Backcountry
We arrive at the location to set up the angle we will be working from and to dig an avalanche pit. The information from the pit is good, indicating the snow should be stable and give us the opportunity to create the shots we’re visualizing. I’ve witnessed avalanches take athletes out, and I’ve been hit by avalanches while shooting. Say what you want about my risk-taking, but I take precautions and try my best to be safe, but even then, things happen in the snow.
Andrew and Griff attack the zone all day long, totaling over a dozen lines/hits a piece. They love the dynamic range, and I am loving the photos we are capturing. As days like this transpire, I am filled with elation. We are three humans intertwined with the earth, using our passion to experience epic moments while creating beautiful imagery. This was a 10/10 day.
Not much else brings me the level of joy I feel by being in the snow with a camera.
In her studio’s top-floor perch overlooking the Old Mill District, Jennifer McCaffrey’s canvas is situated next to a window framing a dynamic, unfolding sky. It is a setting for daily discovery, a space where she crafts landscapes that capture thematic patterns of land and light. [Photo above by Bec Ellis]
McCaffrey has always been drawn to the sky’s endless depth, an appreciation she contributes to growing up in the Midwest. The sky often serves as the mood setter for her paintings, an ever-changing canvas that inspires the connection between the external world and the landscapes within.
From her earliest memories in small-town Indiana, McCaffrey was an artist in a variety of forms such as dance, piano and painting. After receiving her degree as a physician assistant (PA) and starting her family, she found herself craving the “float state” in the margins of her days—moments she described when time would effortlessly float away.
She recalls experiencing this most when painting during the fringe hours at her kitchen table while her children were asleep. After relocating to Bend in 2018, Central Oregon’s poetic beauty became a catalyst for her art.For McCaffrey, this was found among alpine meadows, on the still shores of glacier lakes and in the shadows of jagged peaks. “Part of my creative rhythm is to play first before I can create,” McCaffrey explained. “I need to fill up the cup of inspiration by spending unhindered time in these landscapes.”
“Three Sisters Nocturne”
This cup seems to overflow effortlessly into her work as she mixes rich palettes of oil paint to masterfully recreate scenes of serenity and splendor: the billowing clouds of an alpenglow sunset, a winter afternoon’s snow-laden silence or the ethereal majesty of Broken Top’s ridgeline. To capture her subject’s depth and intensity, she stretches raw linen over canvas with a coat of clear gesso on top to augment the texture and color of the fabric, and then paints directly on it.
“My art tends to be a combination of whatever is going on with me internally coupled with what I see in a landscape,” she described. “I’m often trying to create a movement or a mood. Landscapes tend to be a great format to convey that.”
“Smith Rock Lookout”
McCaffrey’s paintings range in style from abstract to impressionistic, creating moments that are suspended between the perceived and the felt. She believes landscapes are alive within all of us, that the inner and outer are always in communication with each other. This is inspired by a quote from a former professor which guides her creative process: “If you cracked us open, you would find landscapes.”
After her third child was born, McCaffrey rented a studio space to put more time toward her painting practice. “Since becoming a mom, my art has become therapy. My goal is to crack myself open to see what is inside of me at the current moment,” she shared. “There are still pieces of myself that I need to take out and examine, and art is the way I express that, by putting it into paint and onto canvas to create a composition.”
Jen McCaffrey | Photo by Bec Ellis
McCaffrey likens this process to a form of excavation—a gathering of inspiration and a sifting before landing on a concept or color palette. Then, the magic begins. Visitors to the Old Mill District will see her work as the featured artist for its Winter Art Series.
“I want consumers of my art to have an encounter, a moment of connection when they recognize something they cherish…whether that is the actual composition itself or just a feeling that calls to something deep within and draws them in.”
Connection—to community and to the outdoors—drives Giddyup Glove founder Sherrise Erlandson’s entrepreneurial spirit. From her inventive beverage holder to her podcast that encourages young people and adults to embark on listening adventures while finding peaceful moments together, Erlandson has created a community filled with joy and wondrous spirit. As for the glove, what may seem like simply a quirky product is a functional one: a beverage holder that keeps hands toasty and drinks cold. But more than that, it encourages gathering outside in the months when Central Oregon weather might suggest otherwise. At fireside chats to mountainside meetings, this mitten beckons people to mingle and forget the cooler temperatures to forge connections.
What inspired you to create the Giddyup Glove, and how did the initial idea take shape?
It started with a simple winter observation: Good company, cold air and hands that tapped out too early. Someone looked at my early mitten mockups and said, “Why not take it up the wrist?” and that one line unlocked the whole concept. I wanted something cozy and clever that would let people stay outside longer without juggling between warmth and comfort. That’s how the Giddyup Glove was born—a mitten with a built-in drink holder that insulates both your hand and your drink.
What is one of the biggest challenges you faced in developing the glove?
Time: I’ve been developing everything myself—from design and sourcing to sewing, packaging, marketing and sales—so there’s never enough of it. Every improvement, every material test, every stitch has come from long nights and a lot of persistence. Balancing creativity, production and business strategy as a one-woman show has been my greatest challenge and, honestly, my greatest teacher. It’s forced me to stay adaptable and resourceful while building something that truly feels like mine. And coming out of the other side of that challenge, I’m now looking toward hiring my first employees. The persistence absolutely paid off.
How has the community responded to Giddyup Glove?
The response has been incredible. People try it on and immediately smile. The most common thing I hear is, “This is genius. I never knew I needed this—but here it is, and I do.” You’re going to be seeing them out and about more and more now that I’ve perfected the design for my flagship version. You’ll spot them at tailgates at Mt. Bachelor, food cart lots on cold nights, tucked into people’s RVs and camping gear. Look for them at RendezVan and other cool-night gatherings. The Giddyup Glove is a staple for anyone who loves staying outside a little longer.
Where do you see the Giddyup Glove brand heading next?
I’m slowly growing the line with new products and thoughtful iterations, always staying true to that blend of comfort, connection and clever design. Right now, I’m working on variations that help more people with grip challenges, cold sensitivities, Raynaud’s syndrome and other conditions that make winters less enjoyable. The goal is to keep creating gear that makes life outside easier, warmer and a little more joyful for everyone.
I’m also looking forward to creating clothing, beanies and ear warmers that pair with the gloves. And even farther on the horizon, but still in the works, are seasonal variations of the glove that might look a little different, but will help to get your giddyup on when floating the river and relaxing lakeside.
What excites you most about the future?
I can’t understand how people get bored. There’s always so much to do, discover and create. In the future, I’d love to tie together the Giddyup Glove with my podcast, “The Giddyup Guide to the Galaxy,” a meditation series for kids and their adults. I’ve started using some of the names of the gloves in the podcast, but the names are going to be applied to planets and realms within the galaxy I’m creating in the podcast. As I develop more gloves, I will introduce them into the galaxy.
Tune in to the full interview with Sherrise Erlandson on the new “Birth of the Brands” podcast series. Bend Magazine’s “The Circling Podcast” with Adam Short can be found on all major podcast platforms.
The guitarist carries his instrument to the center of the stage. Music blasts as the audience screams. With a determined smile, he raises the guitar above his head and smashes it to the ground with pure rock and roll fury. No, this isn’t a 1960s London underground club. It’s the grand opening of School of Rock Bend. [Photo above – School of Rock brings the study of music to the stage. Photo by David Kindler]
Owners Jeff and Niki Reading decided to open the music school after stumbling upon a School of Rock performance in Seattle. Watching their daughter mesmerized by the young musicians showed the pair the true power of music, even though they were not musicians themselves.
“Music is unique among the arts, as well as the most accessible,” said Jeff. “Pretty much everyone has music in their lives.”
Coaching starts with a song | Photo by Cody Rheault
Music Education for All at School of Rock
In 1998, music teacher and entrepreneur Paul Green opened the first School of Rock location in Philadelphia, with a desire to show children the importance of performing with others. To date, it has spun off more than 400 locations worldwide, as well as a 2003 eponymous movie starring Jack Black. The School of Rock Bend carries the band-oriented tradition by teaching a sense of community in a safe space. The school offers four-month sessions that culminate in a performance at a local venue. Its first event is scheduled for January 2026, where students will perform British Invasion and ‘90s rock songs.
School of Rock Bend has three youth programs, depending upon children’s ages: Little Wing, Rookies or the Performance Program. They also offer classes for adults. Weekly throughout the session, students have one private lesson and one group lesson, plus The Method App provides home practice direction. The school’s curriculum begins immediately by teaching a song first, to instill belief and self-confidence in students.
“In one session, kids and adults will learn to perform a rock show with a band of peers on stage,” explained cofounder Niki Reading. “It’s not just about hitting the notes. We’re teaching stage presence, teamwork and connection, confidence and vulnerability, and the historical context of the songs.”
“I hope every kid learns what it feels like to make music with others; to listen, collaborate and build something together,” adds Music Director Beverly Anderson. “It’s not about perfection; it’s about showing up, trying something new and realizing you can do it.”
Jeff Reading, Kiki Castro and Niki Reading; Front: Beverly Anderson | Photo by Cody Rheault
A Rock and Roll Studio
SunWest Builders and Tricorn Black, who led the interior design of the space, transformed the school’s northeast Bend building into a rock and roll studio. This included two group practice rooms and nine individual instruction rooms, all appropriately named after iconic musicians from Jimi Hendrix and Jack White to Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys.
Since School of Rock Bend focuses on performance, the Readings placed importance on having an instructor team made up of some of the top-performing musicians in the area. In addition to acting as music director, Anderson plays keys and sings with local band Mamas Boy, performs solo, and is an actor. She was most recently the lead in “Once” at Bend’s Greenhouse Cabaret.
“My dad got me into music,” explained Anderson. “He’d pull me up on stage with him when I was 5, and that’s where I first felt the magic of performing. I didn’t have any formal training until much later, so I’ve always understood both sides of learning—the joy of figuring things out through play, and the depth that comes with understanding theory.”
Whether the goal is to grow up to be a rock star or just have fun with friends, the School of Rock Bend helps students discover the wonders of playing music with others. Pyrotechnics and hair spray aside, the school teaches the community spirit of rock and roll. “Music connects people,” said Anderson. “It always has and it always will.”
Bombaci Handmade Pasta proves that by pairing high-quality ingredients and total attention, pasta becomes its own kind of pleasure. Founders Gabriel Rossi and Annette Solis started the business in the spring of 2024 after years of working together in restaurants, from Denver, Colorado, to the Australian Outback. The husband and wife team tried many food projects at home, but pasta was the one that stuck. It offered craft, variation and endless room to learn.
Their dough starts with flour imported from Italy, which Rossi trusts for its consistency and flavor. For their stuffed pastas, they add a touch of semolina and use a generous number of egg yolks, making the dough soft but strong. The couple developed the ratio to hold fillings without weighing them down. But Bend’s dry climate forces constant adjustments. Some days require more water, some days less. The dough changes with the weather, and the makers follow its lead. Even with machines kneading their dough, Rossi and Solis finish each batch by hand.
Gabriel Rossi and Annette Solis
For its stuffed pastas, Bombaci’s dough sheets are rolled out on wooden tables and folded individually into their respective shapes. Rainshadow and Godspeed eggs are a staple in the kitchen. Local ranchers and farmers, such as Well-Rooted Produce, Boundless Farmstead, Seed to Table and Pitchfork-T, regularly provide sources for fillings.
During market season, each week brings new flavors from the Sisters, NorthWest Crossing and Downtown Bend farmers markets. Off-season, flavors change about every other week. The Bombaci team never feels boxed in when it comes to flavor development: If a creamed corn and braised beef filling feels right one week, they try it.
When Bombaci added an extruder to its kitchen, a machine that pushes dough through a bronze “die” to create noodle shapes that can’t be formed by hand, it opened the door to offer pasta variations such as bucatini, rigatoni and campanelle.
“Quality is the absolute top priority; we’ve obsessed over it.” Rossi said. “We use awesome ingredients. We’ve both lost so much sleep over pasta.” Solis added, “It needs to be delicious.”
It’s quality that drives every decision in the Bombaci kitchen, down to the packaging. Rossi and Solis discovered that candy boxes help control moisture due to their hybrid cardboard and plastic composition. This allows Bombaci to deliver fresh stuffed pasta that is tender and never brittle.
Bombaci pasta is meant to inspire the home cook to explore flavor in the kitchen. Stuffed shapes ask for very little, perhaps brown butter, a bit of salt and a handful of grated cheese. Extruded shapes can welcome more, such as a meat ragu or simply vegetables cooked down in olive oil. Rossi often recommends blistered cherry tomatoes with their mushroom agnolotti: one tomato and one agnolotti per bite, a surprisingly tender forkful that balances sweetness and umami. Bombaci gives people a way to cook at home with minds open to the creative possibilities of flavor, from simple preparations to the most eclectic.
If you asked me last year, I would have pessimistically told you I had never had a true valentine. However, if there’s one thing growing up in Bend has taught me, it’s just how wrong that statement is.
While the day traces back to ancient Roman tradition, today’s celebrations are less about roses and reservations and more centered on community and connection. That sense of love is written as part of Oregon’s history. It became the nation’s 33rd state on February 14, 1859. Which means, Bendites know how to celebrate love. Keep reading for 14 ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Bend this year.
I felt it in 2019 at Summit High School when student Callan Valentine raised enough money to give every single girl in the school a rose so no one would be left out. I still have the crimson petals, dried and preserved in a glass jar.
I see it each year in downtown Bend when the Waldorf School of Bend hangs thousands of handmade felt hearts on trees, bike racks and storefronts, turning an ordinary winter’s walk into something magical. In 2025, Waldorf students decorated the city with more than 2,400 hand-sewn hearts. It’s a simple reminder that on Valentine’s Day in Central Oregon, love isn’t merely performative; it’s heartfelt.
No Reservations Required Options in Bend on February 14
Many eateries open their reservations 30 days in advance, and it’s no secret that when it comes to February 14, a table can be hard to come by. If you’re looking to get into high-demand restaurants, try these tips to help secure your spot at a table:
Pull up a seat at the bar. Several of Bend’s most popular restaurants don’t take reservations when it comes to their high-top barstools. To increase your odds of scoring a spot, arrive early. Try your luck at Bosa, RBC, Ariana, Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge, or a favorite spot that might be booked for the night.
For an evening escapade with no reservations required, head to Blacksmith Public House’s Valentine’s party in Redmond, Oregon. With free entry, enjoy a trifecta of live music, seasonal cocktails and none of the unnecessary stress.
Opt for scrumptious takeout in the comfort of your own home. Lean into the date with another type of rose: Pick up Northern Thai food from Wild Rose in downtown Bend, the $14 Valentine’s Day special from food truck Wildfired Bend, or a heart-shaped tray of tacos from El Taquero food truck.
Dining Alternatives in Bend Valentine’s Day
Dinner isn’t the only meal on February 14. A lunch or afternoon spread might be the perfect remedy to cure reservation anxiety.
Bevel Craft Brewing’s beer and sweets pairing on February 13, kick starts the holiday with a combination of craft IPAs and desserts. Leave the event with recipe cards to recreate the sweetness at home.
Wild Petals Provisions, Bend
At Wild Petals Provisions in downtown Bend, create a personal and decadent charcuterie board to share with your special someone. Owner Nancy Zadoff often has locally grown flowers to add to a distinctive meal.
Known for their creative sugar cookies, Sparrow Bakery bakes edible Valentines. Pick up sexy-themed sweets or more G-rated confections by ordering online. Inside the secretive pop-up tent outside the NorthWest Crossing Bend location, you’ll find naughty cookies branded with word play, amongst other types of decorative, physical play.
Check out more flirtatious, adult-themed sugar cookies from the Downtown Redmond food truck Kooki, or opt-in to their family-friendly cookie decorating class on February 7 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. It’s perfect for beginners or intermediate bakers, so bring your girls, your kids or simply yourself and make new friends! Enjoy two hours of baking bliss that will linger on the taste buds for days and in your memory forever.
Sweet Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Class, photo courtesy of Kook’i of Redmond, Oregon
How to Celebrate Galentine’s (or Palentine’s) Day in Bend
On Galentine’s Day (officially February 15) it’s a time to show the women in your life how deeply they matter to you. If you are anything like me, the friends in your life are foundational to your well-being.
Valentine’s Day Shopping Markets
Kick off Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day early with the holiday tradition of shopping. Find everything in one place during Bend’s Love & Local Makers Market hosted at Juniper Preserve, on February 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy music, a chair massage, and shop at more than 30 local vendors. If you feel especially spontaneous, add a flash tattoo.
Bend WinterFest in the Old Mill District runs from February 13-15. The streets are energized, filled with vendors, art and sports exhibitions, live music, and tons of goodies. If you’re a Mt. Bachelor pass holder, entry is free.
In nearby Redmond, stroll through the Valentine’s Day Sip & Shop at Wild Ride Brewing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find goods that sing of romance like candles, permanent jewelry, flowers, sweets and plenty more.
Where to Go for Self Care on Valentine’s Day
The active lifestyle in Bend is energetic, but sometimes it’s important to take time to slow down.
At Anjou Spa, a steadfast part of the Bend community for more than 15 years, enjoy a seasonal Valentine’s Day Special, available to book through February 22, 2026. The Love Is in the Air Facial involves strawberry, chocolate and champagne, and it’s the ultimate romantic nod to personal care. If a massage is what you’re after, be sure to look into the Ember and Citrus Valentine’s Massage Experience, whether to enjoy solo or with a special someone.
Spa Brasada extends Valentine’s Day through the end of March with some great deals. Enjoy a Chocolate Decadence Pedicure full of passion (literally), featuring a passionfruit foot soak, scrub, massage, and polish for a shiny finish.
Chocolate Decadence Pedicure at Spa Brasada, Brasada Ranch
Celebrate Valentine’s Day Outdoors in Bend
People flock to Bend for the nature scene and often stay because they fall in love. This holiday, whether solo or accompanied, celebrate your love for the incredible environment that surrounds Central Oregon.
Make a weekend of the holiday at Wanderlust Tours’ Romance on the Snow journey from February 13-15. Snowshoe around Mt. Bachelor and the adjacent areas of the Deschutes National Forest of the Cascade Range. If you want to venture a bit further, sign up for Wanderlust Tour’s holiday adventure to Oregon’s sole National Park, Crater Lake, on February 14. See the deepest lake in the United States with strikingly clear blue water that, even if you’ve seen it once, will always take your breath away.
Wanderlust Tours Romance on the Snow Event
If you are a season pass holder for Mt. Bachelor or want to buy a lift ticket, enjoy a couple of hours at the Boneyard Backcountry Bar events on February 14-15th. Dabble in Bend’s beer offerings, mountain adventures and dance to a live DJ. Mountains, music and mouth-watering brews at the top of a ski lift? What more could you ask for?
A Table in Bend for One
Last but certainly not least, remember that Valentine’s Day in Bend is as much about loving yourself as it is a romantic or friendly gesture. After all, love is in the air in Bend, and it includes the kind of love you give yourself.
For Bend athletes, the path to the Winter Olympics is more like a steady current of training than a surging pipeline. For some, it’s a childhood dream, and for each one it takes a combination of talent, circumstance, sheer determination, community support and dedicated coaching. Every four years, a flow of such athletes converges in one place as they set their sights on sport’s grandest reward: a gold medal. In February, the Winter Games return to Cortina d’Ampezzo for the first time since 1956. The homecoming resonates with fans who won’t just be watching for medals; they’ll feel connected to their Central Oregon home by tracking skiers they once saw grinding out intervals in freezing fog, or cheering for the kids who learned to race at Mt. Bachelor long before they honed timing as precise as an atomic clock. The Olympics command the world’s attention, but at its heart are stories of how ordinary lives, shaped by place and people, arrive on the world’s biggest stage. [Introduction written by Cheryl Parton]
Photos courtesy of U.S. Ski Team | Portrait: @vargophoto | Action: Marcus Hartmann
RAVI DRUGAN
Originally hailing from Eugene, Ravi Drugan started skiing in Bend with nonprofit Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) after losing both legs in a train accident at age 15. “I’ll never forget my first day monoskiing with OAS,” he said. “My instructor, Ben Sparrow, shared the love of skiing and gave me the opportunity to ski every day.”
Drugan’s foundation lies in freeskiing, which he honed carving through the trees, bowls and terrain parks at Mt. Bachelor—now one of his many sponsors—as well as at Hoodoo Ski Area. Once he set his sights on racing, he began training with the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah, focusing on the high-energy monoskier X discipline—a freestyle event featuring rollers, berms and jumps. [Read about the history of Mt. Bachelor]
His breakout moment came at the 2015 X Games, where he earned bronze in Mono Skier X, a result that helped propel him onto the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team the following season. At the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, Drugan was the only Team USA para-athlete to race in every event. He posted top finishes of 10th in Slalom, 17th in Super-G and 20th in Giant Slalom.
Now entering his sixth season with the national team, Drugan is competing on the World Cup circuit across Europe—including stops in Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France—as he works to secure qualification for his second Paralympic Games.
With years of experience and renewed momentum, Drugan is eyeing stronger results in 2026. His goal for the season: “Ski fast, take chances, have fun, and hopefully get some results on the podium,” he said as he charges toward another chance to represent Team USA in the Italian Alps.
Photos courtesy of U.S. Ski Team | Portrait: @vargophoto | Action: @goodenouf
HUNTER HESS
Bend native Hunter Hess has been a member of the U.S. Freeski Team since 2017, steadily climbing from the rookie team to the pro level. He got his start with Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) at age 6—launching a career that’s seen him progress from local halfpipes to the global stage. Hess narrowly missed qualifying for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but since then, he’s been on a steady rise. With back-to-back X Games bronze medals in 2024 and 2025, plus three more World Cup podiums, Hess has firmly established himself among the world’s top halfpipe skiers.
Now based in Park City, Utah, Hess trains full-time with the U.S. team, but he credits MBSEF and longtime freeski and snowboard director Coggin Hill as the foundation behind his rise. “He pushed for us super hard,” Hess said, speaking about the crew he came up with, including Gabe Ferguson and Jake Mageau. “He got us the coaches we needed and created a system that worked for us.”
Outside of competition, Hess channels his creativity into the film series MAGMA, which he produces alongside teammate and Olympic gold medalist Alex Hall. The project follows the duo as they explore unique terrain and push the boundaries of freeskiing both in and out of the halfpipe.
Action photo by @untraceableg
ZACH JAYNE
Zach Jayne grew up skiing with MBSEF, with coaches Bill Hokanson and Olympian Dan Simoneau. At Summit High School he helped the team secure four consecutive state titles, and he was the 2022 Oregon high school state champion his senior year.
Jayne took those skills to the University of Utah Ski Team, which has earned four NCAA championship titles in the past five years. His performance also earned him a spot on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard cross-country development team for the 2024-25 season.
Now a senior at Utah, Jayne competes across all disciplines, but said sprint is his strongest Olympic opportunity. He shared that sprinting rewards power over endurance and comes with a degree of luck and unpredictability that can favor younger athletes like himself.
This winter, Jayne’s ambitions extend beyond the Olympic conversation. He’s targeting an individual NCAA title or podium, hopes to make his World Cup debut and is targeting a peak performance at the U23 World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, in March. While Milano Cortina 2026 remains a dream, he frames it with perspective: qualifying would be “amazing,” but not making the team “doesn’t impact my development” as he plans to continue skiing professionally after college.
Photos by Robin O’Neill
ANNA SOENS
A familiar name in Bend’s outdoor community, Anna Soens is known for her remarkable athletic feats—including summiting Mt. Hood just two years after a climbing accident left her partially paralyzed from the waist down. Since then, she has gone on to master a range of adaptive sports, from mountain biking to sit-skiing. She first discovered sit-skiing at Mt. Bachelor during the 2016-17 season through OAS and quickly became a powerful freeskier. Her talent didn’t go unnoticed; local Paralympians soon began “chirping in her ear,” encouraging her to test her skills in the competitive Para-alpine world.
Last winter, Soens decided to commit. The 2024-25 season was her first on the Para-alpine racing circuit. She trained with an adaptive program in Winter Park, Colorado, while continuing to work with MBSEF when back home in Bend—all while maintaining a full-time role as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Her debut season was decisive. She earned wins in domestic FIS races, including a sweep of both slalom and super-G at Eldora, Colorado. She also competed at the Europa Cup in Austria, contributing to the U.S. women’s team securing two additional Paralympic quota spots.
By spring, Soens had finished the season as the top-ranked women’s sit-ski racer in the country, putting her in strong contention for one of the six U.S. quota spots for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games. While the ever-modest Soens jokes that her approach has been “faking it till I make it,” her rapid rise on the Para-alpine skiing circuit speaks to her inherent athleticism and mastery, giving her a very real shot at these Paralympic Winter Games.
Photos courtesy of U.S. Ski Team | Standing: Sarah Brunson
DAVE REYNOLDS
Dave Reynolds enters the Milano Cortina 2026 cycle as one of the most accomplished slopestyle and big air coaches in snowboarding, for what will be his third Olympic Games.
Reynolds helped shape a generation of Olympic talent. He coached Chloe Kim to halfpipe gold at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games. At PyeongChang 2018, serving as the U.S. co-head slopestyle coach, he guided athletes to four medals: Red Gerard’s breakthrough slopestyle gold at age 17; Jamie Anderson’s slopestyle gold and big air silver; and Kyle Mack’s big air silver. That year, he was U.S. Ski & Snowboard Coach of the Year and International Coach of the Year. Under Reynolds, the U.S. slopestyle and big air squad earned three X Games medals, 11 World Cup podiums and an overall World Cup title that season. The team added another Olympic silver at Beijing 2022, courtesy of Julia Marino in slopestyle.
A Bend native, Reynolds first pursued his own snowboarding and soccer career before transitioning into coaching as a cofounder of the MBSEF youth snowboard program with Howard Friedman in 1998-99. Today, he works as an independent coach with a roster of top-level snowboard athletes aiming for Milano Cortina 2026 including Red Gerard who will look to Reynolds as he seeks to reclaim gold on an Olympic podium.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Ski Team
STEVE PORINO
After reporting on 11 Winter Olympic Games, Steve Porino has become a familiar face. He may be recognizable after living in Bend for 16 years before his move to Sun Valley. Skiing since he was 3, and racing by age 6, he had his own downhill career as a member of the U.S. Ski Team from 1988 to 1990. Porino covered his first Winter Olympic Games as a print journalist in 1998 and has been part of NBC Olympic broadcasts since 2002. “I’ve been super lucky to be part of the most-watched moments in sports,” he said. “Every four years, the stakes are higher, and you feel it. For me, the joy is the people and the stories you don’t get to tell every day.” [Written by Cheryl Parton]
ANNIE FAST
A writer in the snowboard and ski industries, Annie Fast is the former editor of TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine. She has covered freeskiing and snowboarding at four Winter Olympic Games and wrote about the Paris Summer Olympic Games in 2024. This year, Fast will be based in Livigno for a front-row seat to the halfpipe, slopestyle, big air, snowboard cross, aerials and moguls venues. “I take inspiration from these athletes—whether physically pushing themselves to perform, overcoming the challenges to become the best or developing the mental game to quiet their minds, focus and perform under incredible pressure.” [Written by Cheryl Parton]
“Yoga should be a habit like brushing your teeth,” said Suzie Newcome, who was born in Bend and is the owner of Namaspa Yoga Community, Bend’s first yoga studio founded in 2006. She welcomes the recent influx of yoga studios. “You should practice every day for mental and physical health. Meditation is like showering for your brain,” she said. [Photo above by Kylen Camille | Groove Yoga]
“One day I hope there are more yoga studios than fast food restaurants.”
Central Oregon, especially Bend, is inching toward Newcome’s dream. Especially in recent years, new fitness studios have popped up—whether they be for yoga, spin, pilates or barre. This is in sync with a national trend. Fitness studio membership levels are growing, according to the Health and Fitness Association. In Deschutes County alone, there are 65 registered businesses in the category and even more classes offered as part of community centers or in private groups making the number hard to quantify.
Photo by Tambi Lane
“COVID-19 destroyed all of us,” said Tate Metcalf, board member of the Oregon Health & Fitness Alliance and owner of Sisters Athletic Club.
“Studios were the most affected; around 30% permanently closed.”
But the fitness studio picture is much more rosy in Central Oregon. According to employment numbers from Deschutes County, fitness studios have not only made it back to pre-pandemic levels but have surpassed them. Nicole Ramos, a regional economist with the Oregon Employment Department, who specializes in regions east of the Cascades, reported 2024 employment numbers in the fitness studio industry were around 10% higher than in 2019.
Photo by Kylen Camille
In part, that may be attributed to population growth, but also that Bend’s median household income is about 10% higher than Oregon’s average—the number for Deschutes County as a whole is almost the same. But the area was intriguing even in 2008, when Portlanders Sadie and Chris Lincoln founded barre3, a workout system inspired by ballet-barre exercises. They presciently saw Bend’s potential and opened one of barre3’s first franchises in Bend in 2009. Today, barre3 has national locations with 200 studios across 41 states, Canada and the Philippines.
Henry Kim | Photo by Kylen Camille
The active, outdoor-oriented culture of the region lays a heavy finger on the scale. Rachel Day moved to Bend from Salt Lake City in 2022 and opened Form Pilates in the Discovery West neighborhood in 2025. Her studio specializes in cross-training, injury prevention, performance improvement and building endurance, especially for people who do repetitive motion sports like running and cycling.
Photo by Kylen Camille
Day recognized the crossover from what much of the population enjoys: hiking, biking, paddling, skiing and running, among other sports. “People want to go outside to work out, but it’s really cool to see people coming into class because they value the three-dimensional fitness you get from pilates, which improves both their performance outside and their overall health.”
Studios for Strength and Community
“Studios can be people’s ‘third places,’ like church, where they get to hang out with like-minded people and feel like they are part of something,” said Metcalf. This sense of community is a way to create bonds between people as a different type of “core” strength. Then there’s the health benefit: “[The interest in] yoga is growing because it works,” said Namaspa’s Newcome. “It’s not a fad. It’s entering the zeitgeist that yoga helps with joints, inflammation and imbalances in the body. Practicing yoga extends longevity in the outdoor sports that people love. People are understanding that.”
Amber Hayes has owned Groove Yoga in Northwest Bend since 2013, and agrees. “There’s plenty of room for all of us,” Hayes said.
“There’s not one kind of class for everybody. It’s awesome that studios are each offering their own spin. The commonality is we all want to make a difference.”
You’ve probably seen them, those early-morning dots inching their way up Mt. Bachelor while you’re still in the parking lot, buckling boots. They’re the “earn your turns” crowd. The folks who climb Leeway for a little prework exercise or to tag the Cone without using a lift. But look closely and you’ll spot the serious ones: with skinny skis, tiny packs and tight-fitting outerwear. They move with quiet purpose, part monk, part mountain goat, and entirely unfazed by the fact that they’re skiing the “wrong” direction.
These aren’t casual uphillers. They’re ski mountaineers, a niche-but-growing group dedicated to endurance, efficiency and the counter-intuitive joy of going uphill fast to go downhill even faster. Once a year, they all converge for a kind of reunion-slash-sufferfest called VertFest, Bend’s annual celebration of all things uphill on snow.
The Idea of VertFest
“The idea of VertFest was really to get the backcountry community together in a single space,” said Trevor Miller, cofounder of the event. It’s Central Oregon’s yearly dive into “verticulture” and the world of ski mountaineering, or “skimo” to those in the know. Part race, part backcountry skills clinic, part block party for people who think uphill is the fun direction, the event raises money for the Central Oregon Avalanche Center (COAC) while giving skiers and riders a safe, structured space to learn backcountry travel skills.
The race features multiple divisions, including the beginner-friendly Rookie Rally, a one lap, up and down of the Cone. The elite course threads its way up Leeway to Pine Marten Lodge, drops into Ed’s Garden, climbs back up and descends to Red Chair twice. Alongside the racing are gear demos, beacon workshops, kids’ activities, and a crowd of friendly masochists who show up simply because movement in the mountains feels good.
In the Know of Skimo
At its core, skimo is backcountry skiing stripped down and sped up. Instead of hunting powder on wider skis, skimo athletes climb on ultralight gear with skis barely wider than a hand, and boots that often weigh less than a pizza. Like backcountry skiers, they rely on climbing skins and walk-mode bindings to move efficiently uphill. At the top, they rip off skins, lock heels, ski down and do it again as fast as their lungs allow. It’s part endurance race, part mountain craft and part gear-shaving obsession.
“The smallest detail can make a difference—like how you pack your skins, which line you ski, the gear you choose,” Miller said. Even downhill skiing becomes strategic. As elite racer Chris Jones puts it, “People think it’s all uphill, but a huge amount of time is in transitions and how you ski downhill.”
Jones, now in his 40s, made his name as a professional cyclist racing at the national and international level before turning his competitive instincts toward the mountains. When he discovered ski mountaineering, he found a sport that blended endurance, efficiency and technical skill, an appealing constellation after years of structured bike racing. The transition stuck. He quickly became one of Central Oregon’s top skimo athletes, made the U.S. National Team and won VertFest in 2024. What keeps him hooked isn’t just the competition, he said, but the simple thrill of “going fast in the mountains and trying to be efficient.”
Miller sees that same appeal in the people who show up for VertFest every season. While the event attracts a handful of elite racers, he says, “Ninety percent of the people are friends and family who just want to support the backcountry concept.”
That communal magic is part of why skimo has taken root in Bend’s skin-track culture, where a parade of beanies bobbing uphill at 7 a.m. is nearly as common as a Sprinter van in the West Village lot. For athletes like Jones, that shared grind can be addictive. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said.
Founding a Mountain Festival
VertFest itself began humbly with roots that go back to the King and Queen of the Cone. This was a proudly homespun race organized around 2010 by educator and local outdoor fixture Kevin Grove. Around the same time, Miller and his friend Jon Tapper were building what would become COAC, then a volunteer group offering avalanche education and snowpack summaries for backcountry travelers. As the backcountry community grew, so did the desire for an event that blended education with celebration.
The spark to found a festival came from the wider Northwest skimo world. Grassroots races at places like Crystal Mountain and Alpental Ski Resort enjoyed support from deep-pocket sponsors like Outdoor Research as well as the Northwest Avalanche Center. When Outdoor Research tied those races into a regional series in the early 2010s, Miller and Tapper saw an opportunity for Bend. They brought VertFest to Mt. Bachelor in 2012, and the response was immediate. The series eventually dissolved elsewhere, but COAC kept VertFest going because the Central Oregon community clearly cared.
Today, VertFest feels like the natural expression of Bend’s mountain culture: part fundraiser, part workshop, part joyful winter chaos. It’s one of those unique events where elite racers and first-timers share at least part of the same course before gathering afterward to trade stories about blown skins, steep bootpacks, and whatever weather the mountain delivered.
And if you expect a podium of superhuman twenty-somethings, you’d be thinking of the women only. Athletes such as Anna Gibson, Sarah Burke and Samantha Marin, who’ve all shared the podium, were in their twenties when they earned their medals. But VertFest’s fastest male elite racers tend to be in their early to mid-40s, and in the 2025 race, a 60-year-old was a top finisher. Along with Jones, ultrarunner Max King and this year’s champion, Andrew Parsel—who jumped from fifth to first—have all claimed podium spots. Like high-altitude mountaineering, the best skimo athletes have a lot of experience.
But for all the carbon gear and lung-searing effort, VertFest isn’t really about wattage or winning. It’s about what makes mountain life in Bend so magnetic: people getting outside together, testing themselves, and sharing something steep and beautiful in winter.
As Miller puts it, “Even if you’re slow, there’s still an enjoyable element of climbing through the woods under human power with views of those mountains.”
When the snow and ice settle over Bend, those of sane mind and body tuck their running shoes in for a long winter’s nap. Those of us who simply cannot not run find any way we can to get those miles. Fearing a slip on the ice? Not in treaded runners (screws placed by the like-minded folks at FootZone for free). See a layer of snow on a favorite trail? Good thing for toothed YakTrax. Feel a chill in the air? Can’t touch me with my mittened hands and layers of insulated gear. And when mountain trails require planks instead of tread, head to these locations recommended by Lucas Alberg, author of Trail Running Bend: Great Loop Trails for Every Season. [Photo Above of Tulie Budiselichby Martin Sundberg]
Badlands, Bend
The loose sand of summer solidifies into hard-packed running perfection at the Flatiron Rock Trailhead when cold temperatures set. While it rarely snows there, crowds tend to stay away during winter, so trails are quiet and serene.
• Head to Flatiron Rock, a 6.5-mile lollipop loop with little elevation gain for a fast, flat jaunt through old-growth junipers, low-lying sagebrush and rock outcroppings popping out of the volcanic landscape.
Colton Gale and Alli Miles run year-round | Photo by Cody Rheault
Radlands, Redmond
The landscape of northeast Redmond is classic high desert: low scrubs give way to lava rock formations and sprawling mountain views. Because of the lower elevation there, it has little snow accumulation, and with exposed trails, the winter sun shines with warmth.
• The Bobber Loop is a 3-mile circuit with the option to add length on the single tracks that flow through low-lying brush and over lava rock outcroppings.
Photo by Martin Sundberg
Maston, Redmond
With nearly 20 miles of trails that take runners along lava-rock-lined routes to views of the Deschutes River, this network of paths is a winter dream. From short loops through junipers to long meandering circuits, the trails here remain relatively snow-free yet cold-packed, the perfect conditions for free-flowing dirt miles.
•From the Maston Trailhead, run the perimeter of the area on a 12.5-mile jaunt that takes you through all the highlights: river views, juniper trees and mountains in the distance.
Smith Rock | Photo by Martin Sundberg
Upper Shevlin Park, Bend
Shevlin Park is another year-round, close-to-home option, and with a series of new trails in the upper portion of the park, runners can enjoy their creek and mountain views in one short run. While this area gets snow, the upper trails get less accumulation. Pack traction in case a patch of ice or snow pop up along the route.
•Park at the Shevlin Commons Trailhead, and run into the park via the Discovery Trail. Choose your own adventure on the loops that spread out in front of you, such as Western Larch Trail to Shevlin Loop Trail, which offers open plateau views of the Three Sisters and dips into the forest, a greatest hits of high desert running.
Smith Rock, Terrebonne
The rocky landscape of Smith Rock State Park is a year-round playground, but it’s especially sweet for runners in the winter when the Terrebonne location provides a reprieve from snow, while offering climbing options to keep trail legs in shape.
•Misery Ridge to River Trail is a 3.7-mile loop with some serious elevation gain of almost 1,000 feet at the start as you ascend a series of switchbacks and stairs, followed by a measured descent to the river below.
For more than 40 years, Baldhead Cabinets has been in the metal manufacturing business, and the past 20 years have been spent crafting high-end metal cabinets that transform garages, barns and utility spaces into durable, well-designed extensions of the home. Family-owned and operated, the company moved to Bend more than 20 years ago and manufactures everything in-house. The company also travels across the country to install its systems, ensuring every detail is done right.
Built to last in any environment, Baldhead’s precision-engineered cabinets appeal to homeowners who value craftsmanship, longevity and clean design. CEO Peter Fleming says that while their cabinets are made of steel, the company’s real strength comes from its focus on family, hands-on work and respect for customers who expect excellence.
In Central Oregon, where outdoor living is part of everyday life, homeowners rely on their garages and storage spaces to hold gear for biking, skiing, camping and more. Baldhead’s systems are designed for that lifestyle, from heavy-duty shelves for equipment to secure cabinetry that keeps gear clean, organized and protected from temperature swings. We go inside Baldhead Cabinets with CEO Peter Fleming.
Baldhead Cabinets has a long history. How did it all begin?
CEO Peter Fleming.
My parents started the company more than 40 years ago in Southern California. My mom was actually the one who came up with the idea. They were remodeling their home, and when it came time to do the garage, they couldn’t find anything that was well built—everything on the market was cheap. She said, “Why don’t we make cabinets out of metal?” My dad and our engineer sat down together and designed the first ones, and it took off from there.
How did the business make its way to Bend?
We’d been in Southern California for years, but it wasn’t getting any easier to run a business there. A client who had moved to Bend invited my parents up for an installation, and they fell in love with the area. Over a few years, they explored the idea of moving. Eventually, in the early 2000s, we relocated everything—family and business. Bend has been a great fit ever since.
What makes Baldhead Cabinets different from other storage brands?
We manufacture everything right here in the U.S. Our team handles the entire process—design, production and installation. A lot of other companies just sell you boxes and leave you to figure it out. We’re involved from start to finish. That’s important to our customers, and it’s what sets us apart.
Tell us more about your products and process.
About half of our work is custom manufacturing for other companies, and the other half is our own cabinet line—mostly high-end residential garage systems. In Central Oregon, we focus heavily on garage systems that help homeowners store and organize outdoor gear—skis, bikes and camping supplies. Our products also help with overflow storage from the house, such as holiday decor, yard tools, bulk supplies and seasonal clothing.
We also help organize storage for barns, kitchens and utility spaces. Customers or designers reach out with ideas and dimensions, and we go back and forth on the design. Once it’s finalized, it takes about four to six weeks to build and ship. If we’re doing the install, we fly out to a client’s location, deliver our product and get the installation done in a day.
How would you describe the quality difference?
It’s like comparing a cheap car to a Porsche—both get you there, but one’s built to a whole different standard. Our clients notice that difference. They’re often building their last home and want every detail done right. For them, the garage isn’t just storage or a place to throw their junk; it’s part of the home’s overall design. That’s where we come in.
A newly completed multigenerational compound in Bend unites two connected yet independent homes for a family relocating from Austin. Designed with shared outdoor spaces, wide Texas-inspired porches, and abundant natural light, the project reflects Bend Craftsmen Company’s craft-driven approach through amenities such as alder woodwork, European oak floors, cedar ceilings and a stone fireplace.
Bend Craftsmen Company is an intentionally small firm rooted in integrity, collaboration and a deep respect for the homes people live and work in. Founder Hank Hill has spent more than a decade shaping a practice where craftsmanship is both process and principle. What began as a boutique remodeling company has evolved into a collective of dedicated designers, trade partners and artisans committed to quality, sustainability and genuine client relationships.
As the founder of Bend Craftsmen Company, Hank Hill reflects on the firm’s origins, its values and its green-building practices.
Hank Hill.
How did your company begin, and what’s the origin of the name?
I started Bend Craftsmen Company in 2012 as a small remodeling company after years of working as a finish carpenter and project manager. The name “Craftsmen” comes from my time in Charleston, South Carolina, where I learned carpentry under a company called Palmetto Craftsmen. The word represents more than a style—it’s a philosophy.
For me, it’s about enlisting highly skilled craftsmen and craftswomen who take pride in their work and approach every project with integrity. I’ve always wanted Bend Craftsmen Company to stay small—a boutique builder that feels like a collaborative collective of designers, trade partners, vendors and craftspeople united by a shared commitment to quality.
What sets Bend Craftsmen Company apart from other Central Oregon design-build firms?
We’re intentionally small, and that’s by design. Remaining boutique allows me to be deeply involved in every project, from the very first meeting through post-construction follow-up. That hands-on connection builds trust and creates an intimate, enjoyable experience for clients.
The relationships we build become just as meaningful as the work itself. The journey with our clients is what distinguishes us from larger design-build firms in the region.
Do you have a signature style or distinguishing features?
While every project is tailored to the client’s vision and the designer’s direction, many of our builds lean toward a “mountain modern” or contemporary Central Oregon aesthetic. As a certified Sustainable Homes Professional through Earth Advantage, I naturally incorporate energy efficiency and sustainability into every project.
We consistently build beyond code, focusing on healthy materials, nontoxic finishes, tight building envelopes and excellent air circulation. Even smaller choices, like water-wise fixtures or advanced framing for extra-thick insulated walls, reflect our commitment to energy-smart design. Not every client goes for full green certification, but I always ensure they understand their options.
How does your green building approach differ from traditional models?
Our green building approach goes beyond meeting energy codes. It’s about creating homes that are healthier for people and the planet. We emphasize nontoxic materials, airtight construction balanced with fresh-air systems and sustainable strategies such as radiant heating and high-performance insulation.
We view the home as a living system. Advanced framing and specialized air-sealing methods help achieve impressive efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality. It’s a balance of building science, craft and conscience—something I take a lot of pride in.
Where do you see your firm focusing as Central Oregon grows?
I plan to keep Bend Craftsmen Company small, concentrating on remodeling and intimate custom builds. Staying small preserves that high-touch experience and quality that define our work. I may eventually bring on another project or office manager to balance growth while maintaining that client-focused experience. Ultimately, my goal is to continue crafting homes that reflect care, collaboration and craftsmanship—values that feel especially meaningful as the region evolves.
Once inside the multigenerational home in Bend’s Westgate development, it’s clear why the glass, steel and cedar structure that seemingly floats above the rugged high desert landscape earned the moniker The Expanse.
“You can see Bachelor, the Three Sisters, Broken Top, Mount Washington, Three Fingered Jack, Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood. The view has it all,” said Rick Berry, a principal designer at Portland-based Scott Edwards Architecture.
Berry and architect Ryan Yoshida began working with the owners in 2020 to create a home on the westernmost edge of the custom-design neighborhood, perfectly positioned to capture the views while minimizing environmental impact. When the shades are up, it’s possible to see through the house to the view that lies beyond.
The 4.5-acre site has a cross slope, and Berry and Yoshida seized the opportunity to do something different. They suggested a rectangular structure with a cantilever at one end. A great room fireplace, made of blackened steel and board-formed concrete, is the heart of the home and the house’s literal anchor, contributing to its appearance of weightlessness.
“Our clients are minimalists. They wanted something simple, clean and timeless,” said Yoshida.
Human-Scaled Design
A part-time residence for multiple families, including a brother and sister and their parents, it was important that the home was a comfortable place for two people or 10. With four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, the home feels spacious but not sprawling.
The homeowners chose FQ Designs Group in San Francisco to work on the interiors. Designer Kathy Vuong chose minimal, refined furniture and finishes. “We were captivated by the beauty of the high desert,” said Vuong.
“The Expanse home is a reflection of the clients’ love for thoughtful simplicity,” she added.
The grand entry foyer is two stories high and clad in cedar siding that discreetly conceals doors to closets, the powder room and the bedrooms. The large Bomma Tim pendants make a statement, in contrast to the more understated Apparatus Lantern sconces that flank a sculptural console.
The great room has an open floor plan and a 40-foot-long sliding glass door, blurring the line between indoors and out, and opening onto a back patio with a firepit, hot tub, outdoor shower and swimming pool. The 36-foot-long pool juts out toward the mountains. The western facade includes a deep overhang to mitigate harsh sunlight and provide shade. A porch made of thermally modified wood wraps around the end of the cantilever and serves as a viewing platform to see herds of elk and deer wander by in the afternoon.
Artful Ease
Award-winning PLACE, a Portland landscape architecture firm, which has worked on notable projects such as the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, was hired to make outdoor improvements. “How you move from the house into the landscape, that whole sequence and story, it’s important to us,” said PLACE Principal Charles Brucker.
The climate-adaptive landscaping includes native Idaho fescue and bitterbrush, as well as amur maple trees, a tough, drought-tolerant tree with beautiful fall color. A gravel band around the building helps meet firewise requirements and softens the transition from the angular architecture to the natural landscape, a patchwork quilt of scrub-shrub habitat and grasses. Low walls are made of Deschutes Basin local black basalt. “The landscape will weather the hot and the cold and still look beautiful,” said Brucker.
A balance between beauty and functionality is the goal inside. The primary bedroom features a custom bed with a headboard covered in a fade-resistant, easy-to-maintain material. The adjoining bathroom is a spa-like space coated in earthy artisan-applied plaster. In the kitchen—which features Carrara extra-white marble countertops, white oak cabinets and Miele appliances—a sliding backsplash reveals a shallow cabinet where homeowners can access kitchen items.
The B&B Italia Oskar table is a fun gathering space for meals and game nights. The Vibia Cosmos cluster pendants resemble an array of planets, and the custom wool Peshawar rug, hand-woven in Pakistan, features soft, muted tones reminiscent of the surrounding landscape.
Due to the great room’s orientation, the homeowners can sit on the soft gray sectional and enjoy the sunrise in the morning and the sunset in the evening. The expansive views are endless.
“You really feel like you are part of the landscape,” said Berry.
For more than two decades, Sam Paz, owner and founder of InterZone Interiors, has built a reputation for craftsmanship and trust among Oregon’s building contractors and homeowners. Starting as a one-man flooring installer in Springfield in 1998, Paz has grown his business into a family-owned, full-service interiors company with showrooms in Springfield, Eugene and Redmond. InterZone Interiors now offers a wide range of products, including solid wood and luxury vinyl flooring, carpet, tile, countertops, cabinetry and window coverings—a one-stop resource for anyone needing help with restoration or building projects. Known for quality work and dependable service, Paz believes success comes from hard work, community connections and a deep respect for his customers. As the company continues to expand, Paz shared his focus: providing honest service, lasting quality and interiors that reflect the lifestyles of Oregonians.
Sam Paz, owner and founder of InterZone Interiors, reflects on his origins and how his services have expanded over the years.
Sam Paz, owner and founder of InterZone Interiors.
How did you get your start in the flooring business?
I started working with my brother, installing wood floors in Lane County back in 1998. About five years later, in 2003, I decided to start my own company. In the beginning, it was just me refinishing and repairing floors, learning the products and dealing with vendors. Eventually, I opened a showroom so I could get materials directly from suppliers and serve customers faster and better.
What kind of projects did you focus on early in your career?
At first, it was all about solid hardwood floors—oak, maple, Brazilian cherry. Back then, there were no vinyl planks, just real wood. I did sanding, staining and refinishing, creating custom colors and finishes. It was hands-on work, and I still love it. There’s nothing like seeing the grain come to life after sanding and applying the finish.
How has InterZone Interiors grown since those early days?
Over time, I added more products and services. After hardwood floors, we expanded into installing carpet, tile and countertops. Now we also offer cabinets and window coverings. That’s why we changed the name from InterZone Flooring to InterZone Interiors, because we do more than just floors. I now have about seven employees in sales and another 10 to 14 installers. We’re proud to keep everything in-house, ensuring the best quality from start to finish.
What types of materials are most popular with your customers?
For flooring, luxury vinyl plank (LVP) has become very popular because it’s durable and waterproof, which is perfect for homes with pets or kids. Still, my personal favorite will always be solid wood floors. They last a lifetime. For carpets, we carry several lines, but I prefer brands like DreamWeaver DWS Select because they are high-quality, pet-friendly and easy to maintain. In Central Oregon, we see a lot of demand for natural textures and warm tones that fit the mountain lifestyle.
Tell us about your countertop and tile offerings.
We install quartz, granite, quartzite and marble—all fabricated at our Springfield shop. Quartz is a low-maintenance and budget-friendly option, while natural stone offers a unique beauty. For tile, we focus mainly on floors, showers and backsplashes. We work with both production and handmade tiles, depending on the client’s design and budget.
You also launched a new business, right?
Yes, two years ago we started Giant Custom Builders, a Springfield-based company offering restoration, remodeling and new construction services. It handles restoration and remediation for fire, water and mold damage as well as rebuilds. It fits perfectly with what we do because we already have access to all the materials and trades needed for repair and remodeling.
What drives you to keep growing your business?
I love what I do. I enjoy working with customers and my employees, and I’m proud of what we build together. My vision for the future is to continue providing high-quality service and to train the next generation, so that when I retire, the legacy will continue. It’s about leaving a legacy built on honesty, trust and craftsmanship.
Here in Rawmona’s Artisan Kitchen, dessert is more than a sweet treat. From her shop near downtown Bend, founder Karla Diaz Cano shares tamales, paleta, Mexican popsicle, Mexican hot chocolate and cakes, among other delicacies. Every creation is a way to honor heritage, health and the Earth. Unlike most chocolate cakes made with processed cocoa, this one begins with genuine Mexican cacao. Diaz Cano makes all of her cakes with minimally processed flours, such as almond for this one (other times coconut or cassava flours) and utilizes coconut oil, a natural sweetener like maple syrup, and eggs—whole ingredients that are gluten-free, low glycemic, nutrient-dense and organic. What emerges from the oven is indulgent for certain, but balanced.
Between the tiers, a silky ganache shines with cacao, coconut cream, piloncillo and Mexican vanilla bean. On top, a crumble of traditional Mexican chocolate made with cacao, almonds and rosita de cacao, a blossom that is separate from, but shades, the cacao tree—adds a layer of texture
and flavor. Diaz Cano brings cinnamon, vanilla bean and cacao from Mexico into her kitchen so that each bite celebrates the flavorscape of her native culture.
In Mexico, Diaz Cano explained, food is inseparable from community and spirituality. Every ingredient in her kitchen is chosen with intention, heralding ancestral wisdom and time-honored practices. “I work a very different palate than most,” she said. “My hope is that people are positively surprised and intrigued.”
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The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the perfect excuse to indulge in some local shopping. Central Oregon’s holiday markets are the place to get into the spirit, offering everything from one-of-a-kind gifts to warm, seasonal drinks, vibes and community cheer. Whether you’re hunting for that one-of-a-kind find or just soaking up the festive atmosphere, these markets are the ideal place to make your season even brighter. Ready to shop? Let’s go!
UPP Liquids Holiday Makers Market
November 15th | UPP Liquids
UPP Liquids Holiday Makers Market is your destination for artisan beverages and craft cocktail essentials this holiday season. From small-batch bitters and house-made syrups to unique spirits and premium mixers, you’ll discover all the locally crafted libations your bar cart needs. The festive atmosphere, expert tastings, and seasonal sips make it the perfect spot for an afternoon of spirited holiday shopping from local makers and artists.
Sunriver Saturday Holiday Market
November 29st | SHARC
For those seeking gifts with a little extra heart, the Second Annual Sunriver Saturday Holiday Market at SHARC is the place to be. This cherished community gathering brings together local artisans and creators showcasing their handcrafted treasures—from unique home décor to one-of-a-kind keepsakes. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to find meaningful gifts while supporting the talented makers in our own backyard.
Bend Moonlight Market
November 29th | Midtown Ballroom
If you like your markets with a side of eclectic fun, Bend Moonlight Market is the place to head to. With free entry and a lively mix of local vendors, food, live music, and even flash tattoos, this is the place to pick up gifts that are as unique as you are. Perfect for a festive night out with friends—and don’t forget to stop by the food carts for a bite while you’re at it.
Downtown Thump Holiday Makers Market
Dec. 5 | Downtown Thump
Thump Downtown Holiday Market brings together the best of local craftsmanship for your holiday shopping needs. Browse curated collections of handmade ceramics, vintage goods, candles, stained glass and more—all created by independent artisans.
Holiday Market at Bend Brewing Co.
Dec. 5 | Bend Brewing Co.
Looking for a holiday market where you can check out local artists’ wares with a fan favorite beer in hand? Bend Brewing Co. Holiday Market has you covered.
Sunriver Brewing Co. Annual Holiday Makers Market
Dec. 6 | Sunriver Brewing Co.
Sunriver Brewing Craft beer meets holiday shopping at Sunriver Brewing’s Annual Holiday Makers Market. Browse local artisans, snag unique gifts, and enjoy a pint or two in a festive atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to support local makers while crossing names off your holiday list.
Somewhere That’s Green Magical Markets of Merriment
Nov 29/30, Dec 6/7, Dec 13/14, Dec 20/21 | Somewhere That’s Green
If you’ve ever wanted to shop in a winter wonderland, Somewhere That’s Green is making it happen. With dates spread throughout the season, these Magical Markets of Merriment offer cookies, hot cocoa, butterbeer and a chance to meet Santa. It’s the perfect place to find something special, all while soaking in the pure holiday magic that this market serves up in spades.
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Holiday Market
November 29th & November 30th | Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards
Set against the stunning Three Sisters, Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards is offering the ultimate holiday market experience. Enjoy award-winning wine, wood-fired pizzas and locally-made gifts all under one roof. With a heated tent and festive vibes, you’ll find yourself lingering longer than you planned.
The Barn in Sisters Holiday Market
November 30th & December 6th | The Barn in Sisters
Discover one-of-a-kind treasures at The Barn in Sisters Holiday Market, where local artisans showcase their finest holiday creations. The rustic charm and festive ambiance set the stage for relaxed browsing through handwoven textiles, artisan home décor, gourmet treats, and unique gifts. With live artisan demonstrations and seasonal touches throughout, it’s an inviting escape for finding those special curated pieces.
Holiday Market at Schillings Garden Market
Schilling’s Garden Market Holiday Makers Market
December 6th & 7th | Schilling’s Garden Market
Get ready for a holiday market full of everything—from handmade wreaths to artisanal food and live music. Schilling’s Holiday Makers Market is the place to be for festive fun, with a portion of parking proceeds benefiting the Family Access Network. Plus, who doesn’t love a visit from Santa?
Photo by Julia Duke
Bevel Craft Brewing Holiday Market
December 6th & 7th | Bevel Craft Brewing
Bevel Craft Brewing transforms into a festive marketplace where craft beer meets local artistry at the Bevel Holiday Market. Sip seasonal brews while browsing handmade treasures from regional makers—custom leather goods, artisan foods, handcrafted décor, and unique gifts. The lively brewery vibe and great beer make for an unforgettable holiday shopping experience.
The Workhouse: 14th Annual Craft-O!
December 13th & 14th | The Workhouse
Craft-O! is Bend’s go-to holiday market for all things handmade. From ceramics and jewelry to candles and soaps, you’ll find all the locally crafted goods your heart desires. The relaxed vibe, live music and warm drinks make it the perfect spot for a day of stress-free holiday shopping.
When Stacy and Richard Lyon crest the final stretch of their long driveway, they arrive atop a flattened knob of ancient lava. The land drops steeply away in all directions, creating sweeping views across their seven-acre property in rural Deschutes County. They joke that it’s the kind of place on which 12th-century Europeans would have built a castle. Instead, a mid-20th-century gem crowns the site, an inspired collaboration between the Lyons and architectural designer Tom Carson, owner of FUSE Design + Build.
On their first visit, the Lyons fell in love with the property. What they didn’t know was how much history, and how many surprises, it would reveal. Piecing together neighborhood lore and county deed records, they discovered the first owner was Laura Hill, a writer from the Bay Area, and her husband, who purchased the land in 1964 for “$10 and other good and valuable consideration.” The first recorded structure on the site was a 1,000-square-foot home completed in 1965.
“The single-story was built as a highly specific geometric design, taking cues from Frank Lloyd Wright, with 30-degree angles appearing everywhere,” Carson said, “which made it very interesting.” One end resembled the bow of a boat, and the other had a massive lava-stone fireplace, anchored to its volcanic base.
In the 1980s, a subsequent owner added a wing at right angles to the south end of the existing ‘60s home, bringing the square footage to 1,600 and creating an L shape.
Over the decades, other creatives were drawn to the unusual site. In 2017, five-time Grammy Award-winner Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes acquired the property. A year later, she sold it to an artist who painted the entire interior white.
The Lyons bought the property in 2019. “We spent one night, and I’m like, do you smell that?” Stacy asked Rich. “It was [like the moment in] a horror movie when you realize something is deeply wrong.” The next morning, Rich started pulling cupboards and walls apart and discovered years’ worth of floor-to-ceiling rat nests. Removing the unwelcome boarders took months, during which the structure’s underside was encased in rat wire and every possible entry point sealed during renovations.
Reimagining a Larger, More Livable Home
Besides eliminating a rat infestation, initial preparations included sandblasting white paint from the beams to restore the original wood and moving an interior wall between the hallway and the adjacent galley kitchen, expanding the kitchen’s width by 2 feet.
The Lyons hoped to keep the dramatic floor-to-ceiling lava-rock fireplace, but its massive presence dominated the planned open space stretching from the kitchen to their private quarters. Ultimately, a modern peninsula fireplace divides the living and dining rooms, adding a new centerpiece and keeping the space open.
It would be two years before the couple spent another night in the house. During that time, they worked closely with Carson to plan additions at both ends of the original L. On the short arm, they added a glass breezeway that connects to a new laundry room and garage. On the long arm, they created a dining room linked to a new primary suite by a second breezeway. With these expansions and new energy-saving windows throughout, the dwelling grew to 2,500 square feet, offering unobstructed views from Mt. Hood to Mount Bachelor.
Inside the Home
The home blends contemporary design with throwbacks to earlier incarnations—like the big wood-carved hand now displayed in an entryway niche. The Lyons discovered it under a bush, one of several curious objects unearthed on the property.
Mid-century modern design dominates the single-story layout with human-scale rooms, generous but not oversized windows and natural woods that add warmth to airy spaces with minimal fuss. “I went to YouTube University to decorate the home,” Stacy said of her approach to learning mid-century design.
The kitchen and baths feature classic subway tile, while the kitchen’s vertical-grain Sapele cabinetry adds a warm mahogany tone that carries throughout the house—from a built-in living room cabinet to the Weldtex Monterey pine panels at the original boatlike end of the home, and into the couple’s primary bedroom.
The primary suite is spacious, with a whole wall of windows facing the Cascade Range.
Its bathroom offers what the couple jokingly calls “the million-dollar view”
—a direct sightline from the toilet to the mountains.
Stacy’s favorite spot is the dining room-slash-breezeway, where sliding doors on both sides open to the outdoors. To the west, a weathered juniper anchors xeriscaped gardens that draw bees and butterflies in the summer. To the east, early light makes it the perfect place for morning coffee.
With the improvements complete, the home matches the potential of its location, proving that thoughtful design can reshape an aging building while honoring its quirky past.
Wind socks lead a path through the sagebrush as student pilots of Astro Paragliding maneuver nylon canopies into the air, “kiting” as they learn to fly. A barbecue is at the ready for post-training gatherings while Astro Paragliding’s founder, Harrison Ruffin, and his wife, Heather, instruct and tell stories from the sidelines, inviting all who arrive to share their passion for this extreme sport. A pursuit that inspires pilots to travel the world in search of the perfect launch has a home in Central Oregon, roughly 30 miles east of Bend, at Pine Mountain.
“I moved here for the flying,” said Austin Miles, an Atlanta native who now lives in Bend. “Pine Mountain is an epic launch site.”
Photo of Caleb Roberts, by Ely Roberts
Rough gravel roads carved by hang gliders in the 1960s veer off Highway 20, marking the way to this renowned free-flying peak. Chasing evening wind, pilots’ cars kick up dust as they bump along while others carry their 20-pound gliders in packs and hike the trail from the base to the mountain’s top. Then, there are those who turn their kites perpendicular to the ground in front of them and, like wielding a spinnaker on a sailboat, let the wind pull them effortlessly up the hill. A path guides the way through pine trees to a gentle, open slope where a rainbow of bright nylon canopies ruffle in the breeze, awaiting the perfect gust. The Cascade Range frames the western horizon as pilots—some in tandem—take turns running down the gentle slope to inflate their wings with wind and take flight into the open sky.
Experience the Flow
At roughly 6,300 feet, Pine Mountain’s altitude is perfect for soaring and maneuvering with a paragliding wing. The mountain’s wide-open ridge faces prevailing westerly winds that create reliable lift, so even on days with moderate wind speeds, gliders can stay aloft for extended flights. Known as “glass-offs,” Pine Mountain’s late summer evenings have predictable, smooth wind patterns that support flight in every direction. Stretching for miles, the surrounding Badlands wilderness heats unevenly in the sun forming strong thermals—ideal for experienced pilots to gain elevation by circling within them, much like birds of prey. And with plenty of landing spots, year-round sunshine and breathtaking views, Pine Mountain is a paraglider’s paradise.
Photo by Ely Roberts
Training Grounds
Below Pine Mountain’s peak, at the basecamp of Astro Paragliding, free flying is more than a hobby, it’s a way of life.
“You just show up one day and that’s your future,” paraglider Miles said upon landing an evening flight. “The addiction is real.” Creating community since 2019, Astro began with a free kiting clinics and a mission to train pilots to be better, smarter and safer. “We study the weather, we study ourselves, and we study human nature,” Harrison said.
Amidst a laid-back, friendly atmosphere, the Ruffins’ instructional school is known for its high safety standards. “We don’t train ‘sendies’ here,” Harrison said, defining those who have a more risky “send it” attitude. Intentional instruction and respect for the power of nature are at the core of Astro’s philosophy, and the success of its graduated students’ safety history speaks for itself. To earn a license to fly, pilots begin with ground school to master kiting and theory, before moving onto practice solo launches (Harrison supervises these on more forgiving sand dunes at the Oregon coast) and two comprehensive written examinations. While the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA) requires an 80% to pass, Astro accepts nothing less than a 93%. “This is aviation,” Harrison said, “A ‘B’ is simply not good enough.”
Photo by Ely Roberts
Take to the Skies
With wings rooted in parachuting technology used for WWII rescue missions and the return of NASA’s space capsules, modern gliders are lighter, more stable and higher-performing, making today’s paragliding safer than ever, according to the USHPA. Still, soaring thousands of feet in the air requires a healthy dose of courage, meticulous meteorology analysis, quality gear and intensive training to achieve symbiosis between the pilot and the wing.
“[It’s] like balancing a broom handle on your palm,” Harrison explained, adding the words of Spanish world champion paragliding pilot and instructor Raul Rodriguez: “I’m teaching you to dance and the glider is your dance partner.”
Photo by Steve Roti
If the skies are calling, head east on any sunny summer evening and look for graceful arcs punctuating the high desert sky. Whether you’re yearning to launch off Pine Mountain’s ridge, soar cross-country, hike-and-fly around the world or become a competitive aerobatic paraglider, begin by taking a tandem flight with Astro Paragliding, Desert Air Riders or Cascade Paragliding Club to experience the rush and feel the camaraderie. A partnership between Project Airtime and Astro Paragliding has paved the way for free adaptive tandem flights for those with mobility limitations, ensuring everyone has the chance to fly. Because once the weather is analyzed, the gear is checked (and double-checked), and the wing fills with wind, the high desert sky opens up to a quiet, peaceful freedom.
The teal water of the Metolius River has long been described as magical, mesmerizing visitors with its crystal clarity and rejuvenating flow. The river begins its journey at the base of Black Butte and moves prestigiously for nearly 30 miles, showcasing its standing as one of the largest spring-fed tributaries in the country. The river’s birthplace (the Head of the Metolius) can be seen from a short hike to the spot where headwaters emerge, revealing the source of its pure water with invigorating temperatures year-round. [Photo above by Steve Giardini]
The name Metolius means “white fish,” and the waters were considered a sacred source of life for Oregon’s native people. A fall visit to the Metolius reveals how its life-giving setting still casts a spell today. Mossy banks, smoothed boulders and deep pools set nature’s stage for world-class bird watching, fly fishing and hiking.
The area carved by the Metolius offers an unrivaled experience to watch summer’s leisurely hand-off to autumn, as the crisp air arrives and the vine maple leaves transform into ember hues of fiery red and golden yellow. With inspired lodging options that offer crackling fires, seasonal fare and strolls under the glowing deciduous trees, the Metolius holds the best fall has to offer for a weekend retreat.
Photo by Gallivan Photo
Lake Creek Lodge
Nestled in a cradle of wooded pines and aspens, Lake Creek Lodge embodies a vintage nod to fall during a stay in one of its 22 creekside cabins. The sprawling grounds host modern amenities while preserving the nostalgia of its 100-year history, featuring a fly-fishing pond, pickleball courts, a heated pool and 40 acres of meandering trails. Rustic yet comfortably renovated cabins (some dating back to the 1920s) can accommodate up to seven guests. Its main lodge offers an idyllic evening respite, with a roaring stone hearth, a rec room and oversized chairs to bookend a day of fall enchantment. Read more about Lake Creek Lodge here.
House on Metolius
The setting of the House on Metolius is true serenity, boasting 200 acres of private land with unrivaled views and welcoming riverside cottages. The property has been family-owned for decades, originally purchased as a summer retreat in the 1920s, and later opened to the public as a commitment to the preservation of its enduring beauty. The original 10,000-square-foot, eight-bedroom main house and eight additional distinctive cabins are available for gatherings and rentals. Framed in the distance, snow-capped Mt. Jefferson creates a picturesque backdrop inspiring wedding goers, anglers and writers alike. One thing is clear: The House on Metolius is unparalleled for nature-enthusiasts seeking privacy and impressive views. Read more about the House on Metolius here.
Photo by Gallivan Photo
Metolius River Lodges
Location is everything at the Metolius River Lodges, home to 13 modest and fully equipped cabins tucked under the ponderosa pines lining the river’s edge. Each cottage is just a stones-throw away from the Metolius and features river-facing decks that invite lazy afternoon relaxing and al fresco dining. The lodge’s sought-after proximity makes it an ideal family base from which to explore the area. Guests can stroll on the river trail to the neighborly Camp Sherman’s General Store for fishing bait and a frozen treat, or hike to Wizard Falls to see the area come alive with vivid splashes of fall color. A library and stocked game closet encourage evening merriment after the day’s adventures. Read more about the Metolius River Lodges here.
Metolius River Resort
For a more luxurious retreat, the rustically elegant Metolius River Resort features 11 award-winning cabins with knotty pine interiors and upgraded finishes like granite countertops and river-stone fireplaces. Many feature spacious floor plans and expansive decks with Adirondack chairs—a spot to enjoy morning coffee amidst the ground’s lush setting that becomes ablaze in autumn. Peace and tranquility feel effortlessly in abundance here. After a day of biking or fishing from the resort’s doorstep, visitors can enjoy tapas and a margarita at Hola!, a Mexican-Peruvian inspired restaurant located on-site. Read more about the Metolius River Resort here.
Wandering through the rambling ranch house on Swalley Road feels like a tour of discovery. Each room in the 6,121-square-foot dwelling reveals something unexpected: hidden doors leading to secret spaces, a ceiling made of cloth, a spiral staircase and wall niches that serve as small shrines to mustang horses.
The home sits on 25 acres near Tumalo and was acquired by a local family to create what they call The Sanctuary at Varekai Ranch. As longtime sponsors of 3 Sisters Equine, a mustang rescue based in Central Oregon, it was important for the homeowners to live close to the horses they help rescue.
“[The client] came to me with a strong perspective,” said Kate Darden, a Bend interior designer. “She wanted it to have an Alice in Wonderland feeling, that everywhere you go, there’s a surprise.”
Darden, along with Josh Wilhite of Copperline Homes and dozens of subcontractors who worked closely with the family over the course of two years of construction, brought that vision to life. The original scope of the project expanded beyond the residence to include a new pole barn with rustic accommodations and a medical stall for horses, a remodeled carriage house and extensive landscaping around a pond and surrounding structures.
A fabric ceiling defines the dining nook adjacent to the kitchen.
An architect designed the horseshoe-shaped, two-story ranch house, but didn’t provide the family with detailed enough drawings and specifications for construction. “[The clients] had a vision for this house that the plans did not reflect,” said Wilhite. “Only after getting into the home’s construction and working with them were we able to absorb what they wanted. Their vision was nimble and continually evolving, and they were open to advice from people with long experience. They trusted us to fulfill the mission.”
Cowboys, surfers and punk rockers bring life to the powder room’s wallpaper.
A House of Surprises
Though the owners call it a farmhouse, the home draws from a wide range of influences—Western, Pacific Northwest, Southwestern, Spanish and even modern—blending them into a cohesive living space for the couple, their three sons and five dogs.
A unifying material found throughout the home is handcrafted tile from Kibak Tile in Sisters. All bathrooms have tile accents, as do many other rooms. Darden describes working with Kibak’s Carli Strachan to select patterns, then building different color palettes to present to the client and ultimately deciding where each motif should go in the house.
Arched built-ins create a shrine to mustangs in the living room.
Darden said the client favored turquoise and terra cotta, but didn’t want it to look overly Southwestern. “Since we live in the high desert, I brought in earthy colors familiar in this landscape to complement the turquoise and clay she loved.”
The primary bath exemplifies how tile can be effectively incorporated into a maximalist design. The roomy space with a balcony features a copper, stand-alone tub, a chandelier made of eucalyptus-hued coconut shells, an ornately tiled shower and a mirror from Santa Fe flanked by custom Apparatus Talisman wall sconces. The toilet room is adorned with Anna Hayman’s vintage-inspired wallpaper in complementary patterns and colors. As a final flourish, a Victorian-era tête-à-tête loveseat invites inhabitants to linger and marvel at the dazzling display of colors and patterns.
A coconut-shell chandelier illuminates the primary bathroom.
The powder room off the home’s entryway exhibits similar maximalist tendencies. This room is cleverly tucked beneath the stairs, incorporating a vanity from India, a black vessel sink and rowdy cowboy wallpaper that, on closer inspection, reveals images of punk rockers and surfers. The bigger surprise, though, is the hidden door in the powder room that leads to a hookah lounge. Low-profile seating upholstered in plush fabrics and rich hues, including Middle Eastern–style poufs, beckons friends into a place of relaxation centered around the exotic-looking hookah.
The entryway highlights two distinctive features of the home: custom-designed lighting and hand-forged ironwork. One of two chandeliers, imagined by Darden and lighting designer Chris Ferguson of Part & Process, welcomes visitors at the door. “It’s meant to emulate a horse bit on the sides, with a light that filters through an oculus at the bottom,” Darden said. “It looks so cool at night.” Overhead, a narrow indoor catwalk is built of see-through steel flooring, allowing light to pass down into the entry while offering curious eyes below a glimpse of what’s above.
Ponderosa Forge of Sisters handcrafted ironworks around the home, including the fireplace grates and tools, a triangular dinner bell displayed outside and hardware such as towel hooks and floor registers with an interlocking “H” pattern that stands for the couple’s last name.
In the kitchen nook dining area, the ceiling— made of multicolored striped fabric—is another marvel to behold. Darden designed it after she and her client bought yards of a Peruvian textile they saw in Santa Fe without knowing where the fabric might be used.
“I had piles of fabric at my office and wondered what I was going to do with it all. Curtains seemed predictable, so I went to the project manager, Simon Doss, and told him I had this crazy idea,” Darden recalled. Together, they designed a system of building frames that incorporated magnets for snapping fabric-covered panels into place. Colored stripes with alpacas and little bears are in perfect alignment with one another. “It was labor-intensive,” she admitted, “but it turned out really nice.”
Calming Influences
While parts of the home exude playful energy, other sections shift toward a calmer demeanor. The barn room (or family room) is such a place. It’s where the family gathers around the long wooden table for meals or together on the leather couch before the Montana moss rock fireplace on game day.
“My favorite part of the house is the barn room, with its massive, super-tall vaulted ceiling,” said Wilhite. “I worried it might feel like a cavern, but the client was confident from the start. As we moved through the design process, Kate covered every wall and ceiling in wood, and we added timber-frame trusses, large light fixtures and a ‘Juliet’ balcony with a small reading space, its own library and a hidden door. In the end, it all worked out.”
From this room, the family and its guests can flow onto the outside deck that hangs over a pond deep enough for the boys and dogs to jump in and swim around. Two wicker chairs suspended from a large beam are a favorite of the homeowners for sitting or even napping.
For nighttime magic, the family and its guests can retreat to the courtyard built between the home’s two main wings. Tiny lights strung across cables and the glow of the firepit set the mood for lingering in the soaking pool or gathering under the stars with a glass of wine.
Builder Wilhite summed it up by saying, “There’s an eclectic flair to the house, and everywhere you look there’s something fun.” It reflects the family’s playful spirit and love of surprise, their trust in the design team to fulfill their vision and a desire to make Varekai Ranch a true sanctuary.
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Rock climbing brought Cassandra Fallscheer to Central Oregon in May 2019. But what happened after she looked into the clear dark sky is what changed the course of her life. [Photo by Nick Lake]
Friends had invited Fallscheer, then studying astronomy as a graduate student, on a weekend-long climbing trip at Smith Rock State Park. The first night, she unfurled her sleeping bag in the park’s camping area and, just before dozing off, looked up. “I stared at the night sky and was in awe of what I could see,” she said. The Milky Way arched overhead. Countless stars twinkled. Meteors hurtled through it all. “Each time I saw a meteor, it was like a little burst of joy that I experienced.”
She fell in love with Central Oregon’s dark night skies that weekend and, in early 2024, she helped open an observatory less than a mile away from where she first experienced them. Today, Fallscheer shares her wonder with amateur astronomers at Asterisk Observatory at The Spot—along with the chance to see the Milky Way, meteors and other celestial wonders for themselves.
Love Affair with Astronomy
Fallscheer grew up loving numbers and decided to major in math at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. When Fallscheer developed misgivings about her chosen career path, she found inspiration from a nearby source. “My roommate was an astronomer, and she would come home and tell me about all the galaxies she was studying,” Fallscheer said. Astronomy had more allure than math, it turned out.
Cassandra Fallscheer, Ph.D.
Fallscheer switched majors and dove headfirst into her new path, first serving as a summer camp docent at an observatory in her hometown of Chico, California, and later working a summer internship at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After receiving her doctorate in astrophysics, she got into teaching and is today a professor of physics and astronomy at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.
Climbing Toward the Creation of an Observatory
Fallscheer’s 2019 enchantment with Central Oregon’s night skies blossomed three years later when she attended the Craggin’ Classic Climbing Festival, held in an empty field across the street from Smith Rock State Park.
That evening, she set up her telescope and invited other attendees to take a look. Fallscheer gave a constellation tour, viewed planets and star clusters, and spied a distant galaxy alongside more than 50 fascinated climbers.
Buoyed by their enthusiasm, she inquired about building an observatory on the vacant plot. The landowner loved the idea and, within a year, Fallscheer was laying the groundwork for her new venture.
Asterisk Observatory at The Spot
Overnight Stays and Sky Views at The Spot
Less than two years after toting her telescope to Smith Rock, Fallscheer opened the Asterisk Observatory at The Spot in March 2024.
A two-part experience begins with an overnight stay in what is known as The Spot—a brand-new guesthouse that’s open in spring, late summer and autumn; the three-bedroom home comes with a kitchen, hot tub and firepit. The Spot is open to groups who want to rent out the whole place, as well as solo travelers and smaller parties who’d like just one or two bedrooms, and who may share the house with other astronomy enthusiasts.
Overnight guests can then book an additional stargazing experience in the open-air Asterisk Observatory, which resides in a small wooden structure just behind the guesthouse. There, a local astronomer—typically Fallscheer—leads a 90-minute session that includes an educational overview, stargazing, 360 degrees of night-sky viewing through a 17-inch telescope and a question-and-answer session.
“I hope they leave with a sense of wonder and awe.”
Along the way, Fallscheer wants visitors to understand the universe a little bit better and see a bit of the magic she first felt under the same starry skies on her first visit.
Read more about Asterisk Observatory and how to further experience Central Oregon’s dark skies.
Rediscovering and Rehabilitating a Historic Orchard
Crooked River National Grassland is more than earth and sky; it is a land steeped in history that whispers to passersby. Observant locals have long heard this call and noted clusters of unusual trees tucked on the hillsides across the grasslands, including in the foothills of Grey Butte near Culver. Surviving more than 120 years, the trees are a rare grove of fruit trees that persist in what is known as the Enoch Cyrus orchard, a remnant of the Cyrus homestead settled in the 1880s. [Photo above of Matt Cyrus]
Taking a bite of one of the apples that ripen in this orchard might be like tasting time itself, a shared experience eating an apple from the same tree that Enoch Cyrus did 130 years ago.
“These orchards are a unique blend of natural heritage, cultural memory and resilience; they evoke a zen that brings people together for a common cause,” said Carolyn “CJ” Johnson, founder of In-Cahoots Heirloom Apple Collaborative and one of the residents leading the charge to draw attention to these early orchards.
The fruit trees are modern day denizens from the cusp of a period known as the age of fruit diversification and migration (1801-1880), an era in American agricultural history typified by the transition from wild seedling orchards associated with icons like Johnny Appleseed to the development of varieties with more commercial potential. Before the Honeycrisp and Red Delicious apples found on grocery shelves today came hundreds of heirloom varieties used for drying, eating and cider making, important elements in the livelihoods of families on the Western frontier.
Carolyn “CJ” Johnson, Heritage Apple Corps
Heritage Apples Link Past to Present
The genetic diversity of apples is extensive. Apples are “not true to seed,” meaning the seeds in the apple you eat do not grow a tree that produces the same type of apple. The apples in the Cyrus orchard tease an imagination with names such as Yellow Transparent, Blue Pearmain, Northern Spy and Red Astrachan. But they aren’t the only varieties in the orchard. Genetic testing has identified a number of trees that do not share all of the genetic markers of any documented varieties of apple—meaning they may very well be one-of-a-kind trees that exist nowhere else on earth. Duane Ecker, a retired Forest Service silviculturist who first noticed the trees more than 20 years ago, shared how important it is to protect and maintain these apples for generations to come. “If we lose them, we have lost the genetic source of these varieties,” he said.
Cyrus Family, back row: Brian, Morgan, Joe, Connor, Emma, Matt and William Cyrus | Middle: Keith and Connie Cyrus Front: Jameson and Maeve Cyrus
In 2023, a dedicated group of fruit lovers rallied around these tenacious trees that had survived without attention, determined not only to fortify the orchard remnants, but preserve the heritage varieties and share their story with the community. The U.S. Forest Service and In-Cahoots Heirloom Apple Collaborative hosted workdays to clear brush from the orchards and undertook genetic testing to identify fruit varieties. In 2025, they partnered with The School of Ranch to create the Heritage Apple Corps.
The Heritage Apple Corps recently hosted a workday with the descendants of the Cyrus family and secured financial support from Discover Your Forest to lead restorative efforts and rejuvenate the surviving trees. “These orchards are living histories,” Forest Service botanist said Maddy Shriver said, “connecting people to their community’s past.
On the migratory superhighway of the Pacific Flyway, Oregon is an avian apotheosis, or at least a scenic resting spot on the 5,000-mile route for more than one billion birds annually. Offering cover in riverside thickets, forest understory and marshland, the state also has one of the longest bird hunting seasons in the country, duck season begins the second weekend in October and runs through January. In the same way that patterns of flight are imprinted by evolution, hunting is part of canine DNA and that goes for humans, too. [Photo above:Donny Farrell with Duke near Summer Lake, Oregon]
Widge, Gillian Murkin and Quin
Gillian Murkin was introduced to hunting 13 years ago by her husband Andrew and his dog, Mally, short for Mallard. She fell in love with the sport by watching dogs and how they worked.
“If you’ve ever seen a child with one toy at the top of their list, it’s like that for the dogs. They get that look on their faces when retrieving as if it’s Christmas, a birthday and New Year’s Eve all at once. It’s everything they love all in one moment,” she said.
Andrew Murkin and Quin
“Quin’s goal is to be where Andrew is. She’d be in his skin if she could. It makes her happiest to give up what she retrieves since her whole world revolves around him.” —Gillian Murkin
The Murkins, with their labs Quin and Widge (named for Harlequin and American widgeon ducks) have been to the wetlands near Summer Lake for opening day of duck hunting season for the past eight years, but it’s not just for sport.
“People may get a negative impression of hunting, but it’s an intentional use of time,” Gillian said. “I get to sit in nature with my dog. If we’re lucky, we’ll get something to eat, a bird or two, but the best part is the magic of being out there when nature doesn’t know you’re watching.”
Hunting allows instinct take the lead, naturally.
Roosters Are Her Life’s Work
An Essay by Gary Lewis
Pepper. I wrote her name on a piece of paper. Stuck it on my bulletin board. Looked at it a few times for the better part of a week. I knew the right pudelpointer was out there somewhere. The promise of this breed is to be a versatile dog with “birdiness,” desire, a strong field nose, endurance, pointing instinct and a family companion. I made a couple of phone calls and heard of a female puppy with no name and a purple collar, owned by the Daytons of Lost Valley Gundogs in Nampa, Idaho. We drove to Nampa, picked her up and brought her back home to Bend.
Then, at four months old, she knew it was a special day because I put a bandana on her. A red bandana meant a ride in the truck. This new fuzzy-faced pup was so young that she did not even know what she was made for. We drove north to Maupin and ended up at Sage Canyon Outfitters where I asked if I could take the puppy for a walk, let her smell the smells and hear the sounds of guns in the distance. We walked in and out of the marshes and once she jumped a pair of meadowlarks and then a snipe. She quartered back and forth, checking back to see that I followed.
Back at the clubhouse, I let her get a sniff of a rooster’s tail feathers. “This is your life’s work,” I told her. Lucky dog.
Gary Lewis and Pepper
A Dog With Heart
Sometimes we hunt in asparagus fields, sometimes in furrows sown to wild rye and sorghum. We might walk along a railroad track with a quarter mile of Russian olive and cottonwoods, tall grass and tangles of blackberry with cattails in the creek bottoms. We want to start quietly with no slamming of car doors or whistles or shouts.
If the birds are before us, there will be a scent cone to find. A dog quarters back and forth to sort through the smells, discovering, cataloging and discarding tendrils of scent. While there may be rabbits and meadowlarks in the cover, dogs know these are not our game. As a dog works out the trail, a rooster is likely to move ahead at first and then buttonhook and go back the way it came.
The dog may lose the scent and reacquire it a dozen times, but if it is experienced, it will make smaller moves, adjusting to find the scent cone again. And when the scent is strong, the dog knows to stop, often with one front foot held off the ground, its body rigid, tail flagged, afraid to move, nose and eyes locked on the spot where the bird has stopped.
We communicate with whispers or hand signals, guns muzzle-up, trigger fingers along the actions. This is when a young rooster will flush, while an older bird might lock up tighter. The bird lifts its wings and—kuk-kuk-kuk—clears the cattails and tilts into the wind and for a moment it is in range of the guns.
There is no more glorious moment than when the dog has pointed the rooster and the approaching hunter puts it to air. There is a shot, and the dog sees the bird drop and dashes forward to catch its scent again, pin the rooster to the ground then turn to seek its master.
Pepper will be going into her first full hunting season with as good a start as we could hope for. She’s a dog that back home is eager to please, knows her place at heel and by the hearth, and has won our hearts. Because she gives all of hers.
Attend an unforgettable multi-day festival experience at Cascade Equinox. This vibrant multi-modal event offers a highly-curated celebration of art and community with music, art, food, spa experiences and activities for all ages.
See both favorite nationally-recognized artists and discover new bands. Cascade Equinox has selected an eclectic roster — from well-known headliners to local favorites and new-on-the-scene artists. There’s something for everyone, with genres spanning from jam and electronic to funk, soul and bluegrass. Across six stages, energetic performances feature unique stage designs and light shows that pulse with the energy of the crowd.
Get lost in Cosmic Drip, the festival’s interactive art experience. This exhibit isn’t your classic, don’t-touch-just-look experience. Festival-goers become part of the art as they interact with the installations and get their hands dirty in the live painting lounge. Cosmic Drip offers more than just visual art, it’s an experience of the senses with music, poetry and even healing arts.
Unwind at The Oasis and The Healing Garden. Decompress at The Healing Garden with yoga and meditation classes or a session with a massage, acupuncture, chiropractic or Reiki practitioner. Finish your spa experience at The Oasis mobile bathhouse with a shower, sauna, cold plunge, or massage.
Shop, play and dine at the festival’s different environments. From indoor roller skating at the Solar Spin to shopping at The Nomadic Market, Cascade Equinox offers entertainment of all varieties. Play all day and refuel at the Culinary Commons or grab a drink at one of the festival’s many social areas—The Grotto, The Inner Circle or The Grove.
Cascade Equinox is a festival for the whole family! Cascade Equinox offers engaging day camps for children of all ages in the Orbit Family Zone. While the kids play, parents can enjoy the elevated experience of a festival reimagined for Central Oregon that recognizes the natural landscape and adds layers of an art and musical landscape.
WHEN: September 18–20, 2026 WHERE: Deschutes County Fairgrounds, Redmond, OR CascadeEquinox.com
A larger-than-life image of Will Rogers peers out over the great room. It sets the tone for many design choices that Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield and his wife Jackie made for their newly completed residence in Bend. [Photo above by Benjamin Edwards]
Jackie’s connection to Rogers, an American humorist, vaudeville performer and Oklahoma native, dates back to the early 1990s when she saw “The Will Rogers Follies,” a Broadway musical celebrating his life and legacy. Jackie’s degree in recreation and park management from the University of Oregon influences how she hosts family and friends, and how she envisioned a home. When the couple visited Rogers’ historic ranch in Pacific Palisades, both its spirit and style left a lasting impression. (It was destroyed by fire in 2025.)
Photo by Kaitlin Green
Tinker, a University of Oregon-trained architect and the designer behind many iconic Nike sneakers like the Air Jordan series, used his laptop stylus like a brush to create the image of Rogers. Set in the American West, Rogers is wearing jeans, boots and a cowboy hat, and holding a lasso.
A rope coils across the living room table, a temptation to throw it around “Rusty,” the metal steer just beyond the sliding glass doors. A replica of Rogers’ cattle brand leans against the stone fireplace, its shape echoed in architectural details and ironwork throughout the residence.
Two seats (circa-1967) from Autzen Stadium, replaced during the arena’s 2002 renovation. | Photo by Kaitlin Green
Designing a Modern Ranch House with Character
“Apart from the Will Rogers story, there’s a design story,” Tinker said. As the home’s architect, he faced the challenge of a triangular lot on a sloping hillside set in an older neighborhood off Portland Avenue. “Simplicity was the driving factor in design,” he said, adding that Bend architect Thomas Fagan partnered with him to create design plans. Another challenge was trickier: getting Jackie’s approval. “I spent five months [on various designs]. She was the most difficult client I think I’ve ever had,” he joked. “It’s a compliment because most people don’t really know what they like.” In the end, the couple found shared inspiration in the world of Will Rogers, blending western motifs with modern design that pleases both.
Tinker found inspiration from the Robert Wesley Amick painting (above the fireplace) to create the Nike Air Mowabb. | Photo by Kaitlin Green
The modern farmhouse, rectangular in form, has a great room anchoring one end. A stone fireplace, wood ceiling and exposed steel cross supports lend a rustic feel with a touch of contemporary grit. Tinker gave the room expansive windows to take in views of the surrounding neighborhood, while Jackie chose curtains, rather than blinds, similar to those in the Will Rogers house.
The other end of the home contains the private quarters: a bunkroom behind the kitchen that sleeps nine grandchildren, and above it, a second story with the primary suite, a guest bedroom and a “flex” room that serves as an office and guest space, complete with a Murphy bed. One last-minute addition from Tinker during construction was a playhouse outside the primary bedroom, cleverly tucked into a hidden space.
Photo by Kaitlin Green
“There is a story behind every corner of the house, from the hammered stairway ballasts to the wheel-brushed hemlock trim and the custom fireplace stonework,” said Sarah Westhusing, House of Milo founder and interior designer. “This project is a beautiful showcase of local craftsmanship and modern architecture.”
Photo by Benjamin Edwards
A Welcoming Home
Renowned for their hospitality, the Hatfields chose the location not just for its walkability to downtown, but for the open-door lifestyle it supports. Their daughter lives across the street with two of their grandkids, who are always running back and forth between the two homes. “Friends can stop by unannounced on their bikes and hang out on the porch or have something to drink,” said Jackie. “That’s the way we want it to be here. That’s why we didn’t build in a gated community. We want to be part of the neighborhood. It’s an invitation to connect.”
Photo by Benjamin Edwards
It’s easy to imagine friends milling around the firepits beneath a large solar tube, holding plates of home-cooked food Jackie prepares and sets on a buffet counter near the grill. When it’s time to eat, she assumes the role of a camp counselor—a position she actually held at Colorado’s Sanborn Western Camp—and rings the dinner bell.
The scene wouldn’t be complete without the Hatfield’s grandchildren barreling out of the bunkroom, a space designed just for them, with built-in cubbies, wall niches for reading lights and spots for a favorite toy or stuffed animal. “It’s perhaps everyone’s favorite room,” said Westhusing.
Photo by Kaitlin Green
Not Just a House
From the Robert Wesley Amick painting Tinker found at a garage sale—now hanging over the fireplace and inspiring the design of his Nike Air Mowabb sneaker—to the many custom, often quirky details, the home reflects his creative spirit. “[That] combined with Jackie’s consistent vision, everything works together,” Westhusing said. “The house feels full of life and personality.”
Photo by Kaitlin Green
Whether they’re hosting friends, watching their grandkids play or gearing up to ski, cycle or stroll into town for morning coffee, their Bend home is a lived-in expression of creativity, connection and warmth. As Will Rogers once said, “Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” With its open-door charm and personality-infused character, the Hatfields’ home speaks volumes—no parrots necessary.
Modern Mirage
Photo by Kaitlin Green
Privacy and personality coexist in a screenwall that creates both a sanctuary and an evocative dreamspace. Here, the Painted Hills in Eastern Oregon were the inspiration for laser-cut metal art with high contrast and low tones that is also functional, sliding open for a real-world view.
When it came time for a fourth-generation company to step into the 21st century, there was no better person for the job than Tiffany Huey. As founder and CEO of Bend-based Snowshoe Leather Care, she stepped into the shoes of her great-grandfather, who transformed the business from a hobby to become a thriving heritage brand.
Raised in Portland, Oregon, Huey has a broad marketing background and built her career with Fortune 500 companies such as Starbucks, PepsiCo. and Nestle. To help position Snowshoe Leather Care, Huey participated in the Bend Outdoor Worx program, which supports innovative outdoor-focused companies. Here, she shares her experience of respecting a company’s history while accelerating it into the future.
What is the lineage of your family business?
Snowshoe Leather Care was founded in 1927, back when snowshoes were made with leather bindings—hence the name. Those bindings had to be soft, supple and waterproof to perform well in harsh conditions. While leather snowshoes are a rarity today, the product lives on because it restores leather’s beauty and enhances its durability. My grandfather purchased the business from my great-grandfather around 1950 after he retired from the railroad. It was meant to be a small hobby, but he grew it significantly. At one point, Snowshoe products were sold by retailers like L.L. Bean and JCPenney. During the past few generations, the company became more of a side hustle for my family until I decided to leave my corporate career and return to my roots. I knew we had a remarkable product with a cult following and a rich story—I just needed to give it the care and attention it deserved.
You refer to yourself as a re-founder? What does that mean?
Although Snowshoe Leather Care has been around for nearly 100 years, in many ways it operates like a startup. During the past two years, I’ve rebuilt the foundation by streamlining operations, refreshing the brand, updating our packaging, building a digital presence, scaling distribution and relocating manufacturing to a rustic barn on the east side of Bend.
I may not be the original founder, but I’ve taken on the role of reimagining and reinvigorating the brand for a new era. “Re-founder” feels like the perfect word to describe that journey—and it gives me a meaningful way to tell the Snowshoe story.
The process and formula seem like an ultimate recipe for Pacific Northwest success. What can you tell us about it?
Being based in the Pacific Northwest has shaped our identity. We know rain. We know cold. And we know how to protect leather from moisture, mold and the elements. Here in Central Oregon, it’s important to moisturize leather to prevent it from drying out and cracking. With nearly a century of experience, we’ve truly perfected our approach.
We still use the same formula, equipment and ingredients my grandfather used, including beeswax, pine resin and carnauba wax, which is a type of palm wax. Our customers include saddle makers, rodeo outfitters, motorcycle leather enthusiasts and cobblers who’ve sworn by Snowshoe for decades. We’ve never felt the need to change a winning formula with a new and improved version because it already works beautifully and has such a loyal following.
How do you envision your company evolving?
We’re incredibly excited about what’s ahead. We’re currently expanding our product line, with special interest in product-specific offerings and the furniture care space. Customers have shared amazing before-and-after stories of restoring dry, pet scratched leather sofas and chairs with our conditioner, and we see a lot of potential there.
We’re also approaching our 100-year anniversary—an incredible milestone that deserves to be celebrated. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to honor the brand’s legacy. One idea I’m exploring is finding century-old leather items and telling the stories they carry. If anyone has a treasured leather heirloom with a story to tell, I’d love to hear from you!
What are some other stories that span across time?
One of the unexpected joys of taking over the business has been digging through old bankers’ boxes full of dusty files. I’ve uncovered correspondence between my grandfather and the U.S. Naval Academy, supply negotiations with European vendors and all kinds of fascinating documents. It’s been meaningful to see how he navigated the same types of business decisions I now face.
One story that stands out is Richard’s, a rodeo cowboy, rancher and longtime customer from The Grove, Texas, with a lifetime of rich experiences. He first discovered Snowshoe back in the 1960s while apprenticing under master saddlemaker Floyd Lingle in Kissimmee, Florida. Richard still rides with a saddle Floyd made for him in 1973, kept in “mint” condition thanks to decades of care and consistent use of Snowshoe Leather Conditioner. It’s stories like his—of craft passed down, of cherished items, and of loyalty that spans generations—that make this work so rewarding. Learn more about Snowshoe Leather Care on their website.
Adam Short moved to Bend in 1998 to pursue his dream of professional snowboarding. After several knee surgeries, he shifted paths, moved to Portland, and completed medical training in orthopedics at OHSU. In 2009, Short returned to Bend, where he practices as a physician assistant with a focus on sports medicine.
As a natural connector and listener, he started a community-focused podcast in 2021 to share the stories of local residents. Later he partnered with Bend Magazine to host “The Circling Podcast” where he continues to spotlight the voices and experiences that make up the soul of Central Oregon.
It was while learning the craft of podcasting that he and friend Dan Gummel founded StoryBooth, an event podcast-production company. StoryBooth offers an audio storytelling experience using an on-site podcast recording studio. Their proprietary process creates a custom podcast series built from the stories shared during weddings, family reunions, corporate events and legacy celebrations.
Recently, StoryBooth partnered with the Finnish brand Blocko to provide a sleek, modern structure for its pop-up podcasting space and an immersive experience that celebrates human connection.
So where did StoryBooth come from, given your background in medicine and professional sports?
Honestly, I’m not convinced StoryBooth was an idea I came up with as much as one that was waiting for someone to bring it to life. A few years ago, I read The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, and his belief that creative ideas are “in the air” really stuck with me—that they come to those who are open and paying attention.
During COVID, when my practice slowed, I finally had time to explore something new. I’d always loved podcasts, so I ordered some basic recording gear. Just as we were leaving for a family wedding, the UPS truck delivered the equipment. I tossed it in the car on a whim.
At the reception, I set up some mics on a table, thinking it might be fun to record a few messages for the couple—and learn how to use the software in the process. Within minutes, a line had formed. Fifteen people were waiting to share stories, toasts and memories. That night, I saw how naturally people are drawn to preserving a moment in time through voice. That spark became StoryBooth.
How has the response been since launching?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, especially in the wedding and legacy-celebration spaces. People immediately recognize the value and appreciate how fun and meaningful the experience is. We often hear, “I wish this existed at my wedding,” or “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
At weddings, StoryBooth captures something photography can’t: the voice of your loved ones. A grandfather’s insight, a sibling’s inside joke, a best friend’s story—all preserved in a warm, conversational format. It feels less like a product and more like a family heirloom in the making.
Our legacy-celebration offering has struck an especially deep chord. It’s not about memorializing someone after they’re gone: it’s about celebrating and preserving the essence of a life while it’s still being lived. There’s growing awareness that audio captures emotional truth in a way no other medium can.
There’s significant opportunity for growth in both of these spaces, and I feel more prepared for that challenge after recently completing the Bend Outdoor Worx 10th annual business development program. It was like getting a crash course MBA in brand development, sales, marketing, operations and finance.
As a podcast host, what have you learned from the experience?
Hosting The Circling Podcast has made me a better listener and a better learner. It’s taught me the importance of showing up prepared, doing the research, and being fully present. Podcasting isn’t about performing; it’s about creating space for someone to be heard.
What I love most is seeing people open up—laugh, reflect, and share something real. There’s no camera, no pressure—just voice, story, and connection. Every time someone steps into StoryBooth or I sit down for an interview, I’m reminded how powerful it is simply to be heard. That never gets old.
Lately, it seems like everyone has a podcast. Why do you think the format has exploded?
Podcasting has taken off because it fits into people’s lives so naturally. You can listen while you drive, cook, hike or exercise. It meets us where we are—multitasking, craving real connection and tired of overly curated content.
More importantly, people are hungry for authentic stories, ones that aren’t overly edited or filtered. Podcasting democratized storytelling. You don’t need a Hollywood studio. If you have a mic and a point of view, you can contribute.
What we’re doing at StoryBooth is taking that accessibility and transforming it into a premium experience. We’re making podcasting tangible, immersive and tied to life’s biggest moments. And I think that’s exactly where the medium is headed, more personal, more interactive, more meaningful.
Stay tuned for the release of the “Birth of the Brands” podcast series this fall. Bend Magazine’s “The Circling Podcast” with Adam Short can be found on all major podcast platforms.
Steve J. Giardini is a photographer specializing in expressive fine art photography. His work, which he describes as “Blissful Exploration,” covers a wide range of subjects, from nature scenes like sunsets and ferns to more abstract themes like “Rust Rings.” His portfolio is organized into different collections, including black and white, color, and specific thematic series. To learn more about Steve Giardini or to order prints, click here.
Click the left and right arrows to view stunning photography by Steve J. Giardini.
It’s the season of sun-warmed tomatoes and garden-fresh sensibility. Somewhere, someone just described a salad as “gorgeous,” and no one flinched. Summer does that. It gives food a certain glow. A slice of peach turns cinematic. A smear of tahini feels like a power move. And eating outside is its own kind of therapy.
So Fresh and So Green: This Summer’s Dishes are Cool, Crisp and Deliciously Unbothered
Fix and Repeat | Photo by Tambi Lane
At Fix & Repeat, Maui roots and Bend spirit collide in nutrient-packed bowls and juices. The Summer Quinoa Bowl layers orange-scented quinoa with roasted chickpeas, lemon tahini, mint-basil pesto, pistachios, snap peas and arugula for a savory, tangy mix that co-owner Leila Carter calls “wholesome and deeply satisfying.” New to the menu, the Crispy Rice Salad plays with texture, baked rice bites, punchy greens, avocado, cucumber and herbs that crunch under a drizzle of peanut dressing. Cold-pressed juices like The Cure (pineapple, cucumber, kale, serrano pepper, sea salt) and Simple Detox (green apple, cucumber, celery, mint) offer peak refreshment on hot high desert days.
Fix and Repeat | Photo by Tambi Lane
Summer comes alive at Jackson’s Corner, where heirloom tomatoes, pink radishes and bright herbs make their way into standout salads and unexpected garnishes.
“I love throwing a big handful of arugula splashed with vinaigrette on our pizzas,” said co-owner Anna Hall. “It adds a whole new dimension of flavor.”
The salmon tartine, made with wild-caught fish from Warm Springs, stacks capers, pickled onions and herbed cream cheese under a tangle of greens. On the cocktail side, Spa Water plays it cool with cucumber, mint, cilantro, gin and a splash of Greek mastiha.
Jackson’s Corner | Photo by Tina Paymaster
From veggie rolls to citrus-bright smoothies, Salud leans into what’s ripe and ready. The Radiant Roll, a rainbow of basil almond paté, beets, carrots, purple cabbage, cucumber and tender greens wrapped in nori, is served burrito-style with a maple miso chili sauce that’s equal parts sweet and umami. The ever-popular Wontons tuck shredded carrot, red bell pepper, cabbage, cilantro and microgreens into romaine squares, ready to dunk into a zesty chili-lime. Smoothies get the same kind of vibrant love. The Topaz provides a sunny mix of citrus and ginger, while the Jade is green and grounding with cucumber, kale, spinach and summer fruit.
Salud – Food for Life | Photo by Tambi Lane
The Garden Party
Say hello to the laid-back, light-filled days of summer, best spent lakeside, fireside or lost in a coastal daydream. Long lunches drift into early cocktails, dessert tastes like someone else is doing the dishes, and the rest of the day sort of forgets to happen.
Lake House at Caldera Springs perfectly pairs lakeside leisure with a chef’s flair. The summer menu leans into Oregon’s greatest hits with watermelon salad, housemade strawberry shortcake and returning favorites such as grilled corn salad, fried green tomatoes and bourbon peach cobbler. Just beyond the patio, a glassy lake stretches under the wide-open sky and Mount Bachelor holds steady in the background. The Tajín-dusted Mango Tango—tequila, mango, fresh-squeezed orange juice—brings its own kind of magic to the moment.
Kusshi | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Kusshi’s ceviche wasn’t meant to be a headliner. It started as a clever way to use up sashimi odds and ends, but quickly took on a life of its own. Inspired by Nikkei cuisine, the Peruvian-Japanese fusion of flavor and form, chef Ian Skomski builds each plate into an edible sculpture. Tuna, scallops and Oregon albacore are marinated in sun-kissed citrus, chilies and whatever fresh herbs are currently thriving. Each version is different, but always tastes like it drifted in on a coastal breeze.
It’s easy to sink into a seat at Portello Wine and Spirits and forget what time it is. Especially once the Ahi Crudo Tower graces the table (photo shown above). Stacked with ponzu-marinated tuna, pineapple and arugula between crispy wontons, it lands somewhere between a snack and an obsession.
“We wanted to create something cool and fresh,” new owner Rachel Fishman said. “It pairs beautifully with the Spicy Cucumber Margarita, made with our house-infused jalapeño tequila.” Among Portello’s fresh cocktails are riffs on the Old Fashioned, such as the subtly sweet and summery Blackberry Basil.
The Sweetest Sundown
There’s a slow unraveling as a high desert day winds down. Glasses clink and the world exhales, loosening its collar in the evening light. Nights don’t need a big plan, just something cold, something sweet and a little more time to enjoy it all.
At Canteen, the open-air bar at Campfire Hotel, summer unfolds in poolside snapshots: cocktails in hand, a DJ spinning vintage soul, flip-flops kicked under the table. Canteen’s cocktails shift with the seasons and lean into whatever feels fresh and far-flung. The Vera Aloysious, a mix of soju, aloe, cucumber and a dash of saline, is instantly soothing. The Frogoni is what happens when a Negroni stops checking its email and starts floating on a flamingo raft, unbothered and brain-freeze-ready.
Canteen Bar at Campfire Hotel | Photo by Bootsie Boddington
Bonta’s gelato rotates seasonally, using local ingredients to create flavors that somehow feel nostalgic and brand-new: blueberry lemonade sorbetto, orange blossom honey with poppy seed, root beer that tastes like childhood. It’s a love letter to summer professing that gelato always tastes better outside.
“We love eating what we make, and I promise, no one is digging into gelato at the dining table,” said CEO Corey Owens.
Whether perched on a rooftop or gathering on a patch of grass everyone agrees is ‘the spot,’ this is gelato for lingering in the sun and not minding when Stracciatella drips down a knuckle.
Bonta Gelato | Photo by Tina Paymaster
And if the night still has something left to say, Dear Irene knows just what to pour. The cocktail menu shifts like a curated playlist that never repeats itself and always knows what’s next. Herb Your Enthusiasm is a sharp, botanical blend of gin, génépy, aquavit and chamomile. Tequila lays the groundwork in Moment of Treuse, with passionfruit bringing the brightness and green chartreuse humming in the background, herbal and electric. It’s a subtle nod to summer’s best secret: Vibes aren’t found. They’re made.
In Central Oregon, we’ve got more than planes, trains and automobiles. The Bend version of transportation also includes paddle board, floating tube, cycle pub or a full-suspension mountain bike. The City of Bend has invested in the blueprints and upgrades to make its roads, trails and rivers safer than ever. When you’re car-free, the journey to a destination is part of the fun. So ditch those car keys and embrace the adventurous side of Bend, Oregon. [Illustration by Davi Augusto, inspired by Joe Kline Photography]
Party on Wheels: Group Rides That Roll
Make getting around Bend a celebration. Bend has options for exploring with friends or family where athleticism isn’t a factor, but enthusiasm gets extra points.
Cruizzy offers rides in its fleet of new electric Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs). Envision a golf cart as an urban explorer. The open-air vehicles comfortably seat up to five passengers (and can form a “Cruizzy caravan” for larger groups). They are perfect for zipping you to dinner or socializing between hotspots like downtown, the Box Factory, and the Old Mill District. They run daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and you can pre-book your ride for curated tours to scenic overlooks or breweries. Text them to check availability for on-demand service. Cruizzy drivers can even provide a cooler and ice to be the ultimate designated driver.
Cruizzy
The original Bend Cycle Pub is the stuff legends, or bachelorette parties, are made of. Gather your besties and matching tee-shirts then hop on its Big Bike for up to 14 riders with 10 pedal seats. A Small Bike seats 4 to 6 and either way, you’ll pedal your way through Bend. This rolling social club comes complete with cup holders, overhead storage, and a sound system. Professional bike pilots guide you to 3 to 4 stops at local breweries, wine bars, or ice cream shops on a 2-hour tour. There’s even an electric Tuk Tuk for those who prefer not to pedal.
For a more relaxed pace starting in the Old Mill District, Wheel Fun Rentals is an amusement park ride on wheels. Cruise along the river trail next to the Deschutes River on an eight-person surrey. Rent a single or double option, pet trailers or classic cruiser bikes. Drivers of surreys and four-person deuce coupes must be 16 or older or accompanied by an adult.
Wheel Fun Rentals at The Old Mill District
Rental Bikes in Central Oregon
Bike Sharing in Bend
Embrace two-wheeled transportation. The City of Bend rolled out its permanent city bike share program in July 2025. Look for an aqua pop of color on brand-new electric bikes by Veo. There are 300 e-bikes scattered throughout town, and hopping on a bike and taking a ride is easy. Simply download the Veo app, find an available e-bike, and unlock it. For a fee, take a rental bike for your morning commute, to connect with a bus, or to explore Bend with no more parking woes.
Pedego Bend (25 NW Minnesota Ave.): Find electric bikes to rent by the hour or day. Take a trial lap before you select a bike and get route recommendations, ensuring you’re comfortable before you hit the road.
WebCyclery (157 NW Franklin Ave.): This bike shop is based in an old stone church, as evidenced by a wall of stained glass. While the space undergoes renovation after a fire in 2025, it still offers a selection of gravel and mountain bike demos from its satellite spot in the parking lot and repairs from its expert staff. Watch for updates on this local favorite here. 157 NW Franklin Ave.
Hutch’s Bicycles (820 NE 3rd St.): A long-standing staple since 1981, Hutch’s offers full-suspension and electric mountain bikes, gravel, fat tire and kids bikes for rent.
Pine Mountain Sports (255 Southwest Century Drive): Positioned near the Deschutes National Forest, it has a large selection of Trek and Santa Cruz bicycles. The team has a big heart for local nonprofits and gives back to the community with its ambassador program.
Lev Stryker gets air at The Lair | Photo by Katie Sox
A Guide to Bus Adventures in Bend
Central Oregon’s public transportation system, Cascades East Transit (CET), makes it easy to explore Bend’s neighborhoods, breweries, parks, and outdoor gems. Bus rides with CET were were free from 2020-early 2026. Starting February 1, 2026, riders can download the CETGo app and pay fares with a simple scan. Bus passes are still available for those without smartphone access. The low fares are far less than the cost of gas or parking tickets.
Route 11 (Galveston Ave./14th): Cruise through one of Bend’s most popular corridors, packed with breweries, restaurants, and shops. Galveston Avenue is a favorite for foodies and craft beer lovers alike.
Route 3 (Newport Ave.): This westside street is lined with cafes, restaurants, and the incomparable locally owned Newport Market. This route also provides easy access to Drake Park and Bend’s historic neighborhoods.
Route 7 (Greenwood Ave.): A main east-west corridor links riders to shopping at the Forum Shopping Center, dining, and transit-friendly areas with ongoing improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.
Route 8 (Northeast Bend): This pilot program starting in July 2025 connects downtown to northeast schools, Pine Nursery Park, and the Cascade Village Shopping Center.
Seasonal Shuttles for Outdoor Fun
After errands are complete, take one of CET’s seasonal shuttles to get outside, without the hassle of driving or parking:
Lava Butte Shuttle (Route 19): From mid-June through Labor Day (plus Memorial Day weekend), take this $5 round-trip shuttle to the summit of Lava Butte. Enjoy panoramic Cascade Range views without worrying about crowded trailhead lots.
Mt. Bachelor Ski Bus (Route 18): In winter, this shuttle whisks you straight to the slopes seven days a week. No need to brave icy roads, just grab your gear and ride for $7, or $12 round trip.
Ride the River Shuttle (Route 17): For a $5 day pass, this summer shuttle connects the Park & Float station to Riverbend Park, making tubing a breeze.
Courtesy of Cascades East Transit
Float or Paddle from Riverbend Park to Downtown Bend
The Deschutes River is picturesque, but also a vital north-flowing river and a landmark (or watermark) through Bend. As you move the two miles from upriver at Riverbend Park to Drake Park in the center of town, catch a view of the river’s wildlife: osprey, geese, river otters and the occasional bald eagle or beaver.
Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe’s Park & Float
Rent a bright orange tube up to 24 hours in advance from Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe. Park at Simpson Avenue and Bradbury Way across from The Pavilion. Then catch its Park & Floatshuttle to Riverbend Park, where you’ll get fitted for a personal flotation device (PFD), which is required for kids 12 and under and highly recommended for everyone else. Depending on the current and wind direction, the two-mile float takes 1.5-2 hours to Drake Park. A shuttle at the take-out point takes you back to where you started.
Courtesy of Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe
At Bend Kayak School, find SUP and kayak rentals to pick up at Pageant or Drake parks or have one delivered to your front door. It provides paddles, PFDs, and even car straps if you plan to transport the gear yourself for a longer adventure on an alpine lake.
Swimming at Crescent Lake near La Pine. Photo by Alex Jordan
Local Tip: Remember the Deschutes River is a natural resource. Keep an eye out for currents and swift sections. At theBend Whitewater Park, you’ll float through small rapids near the fish ladder while experts surf the nearby waves, but if it looks too bumpy, there’s a convenient walk-around route on the river-left side to the family-friendly McKay Park.
Walk on Foot Along the Deschutes River Trail
Getting around Bend takes only two feet and a sense of wanderlust. The Deschutes River Trail is a walking wonderland as the route meanders right through the heart of downtown. While the 12-mile trail offers segments to hike or bike, these two segments take you to and from town.
Photo courtesy of Bend Parks and Recreation District
Old Mill District to Drake Park: This paved section is a flat, scenic stroll, with plenty of opportunities to pop into shops or grab a bite to eat at restaurants in the Old Mill District.
Downtown Bend to North of Pioneer Park: If you’re seeking a bit more solitude and rugged natural beauty, head north from downtown Bend. Follow the new walkway below downtown’s shops and restaurants to Pioneer Park. From there, the trail gets a bit wilder and crosses the bridge at First Street Rapids Park. Then, it transforms into dirt paths that wind through more natural landscapes.
More Options, More Freedom!
There’s no need for a car when Bend is on a roll toward a more connected and sustainable future. Watch the City of Bend and nonprofit Commute Options efforts for a more pedestrian and bike-friendly community.
Bend ranks on many Top Ten lists of places to live because of its lifestyle, proximity to natural resources, and its access to quality medical care. Living in Central Oregon, you may not have to hike the same trail twice, but it’s valuable to have consistent support from your doctor. That’s where OnePeak Medical clinic comes in. Their office in Bend offers a blend of conventional primary care with a whole-body functional medicine approach that supports its patients’ health goals by acting like a GPS to wellness.
Andrea Kosty, MSN, FNP-C and Doug Goodgion, PA-C
Functional Medicine as Preventative Care
An active lifestyle is diverse, and so is human health. You may have heard the term, but functional medicine is the next wave of healthcare and it can be found in the heart of Bend. Functional medicine seeks the root cause of an illness instead of treating symptoms alone. Practitioners at OnePeak Medical, located close to St. Charles Medical Center, have this prevention mindset. Imagine your team of caregivers not waiting for illness to strike. Instead, they help you build resilience and vitality from within. At the clinic, an appointment is guided by this preventative mindset with every interaction. The team listens closely and works with its patients to uncover the web of factors contributing to individual well-being.
OnePeak Medical is One-Stop Collaborative Care
A proactive plan is a pathway to optimize health. “But it’s not just about a functional mindset,” said Doug Goodgion, PA-C and a provider at the Bend office. “We focus on the mind-body connection and want to know how a patient feels even if labs indicate everything is okay.” With a team of practitioners and services, from primary care providers to nutritionists and mental health professionals, their medical care begins with education. They learn about you as a patient and build an on-going relationship. A visit to the clinic starts with not only labs, but with conversations to establish a baseline and to learn about the whole person. Learn more about the services OnePeak Medical offers.
“Oftentimes a patient will walk away astonished, saying, ‘Wow, someone actually listened to me,’” said Goodgion. “Those conversations are foundational when we’re not just treating a symptom.”
Your Unique Blueprint: A Personalized Approach
Healthcare is different here. Hospitals have emergency rooms, and at urgent care you may have to take a number. But at this welcoming clinic, the experience is personal. Visits are covered by most insurance and the assurance continues each step of the way. The one-on-one journey begins with a deep dive into your health story. This isn’t a hurried five-minute appointment. Instead, it’s an in-depth conversation where providers and staff listen to understand both symptoms and possible causes. They explore your past medical history, your daily routines, your stresses, and your aspirations. This comprehensive exploration forms the bedrock of a truly tailored health plan. A visit takes into account your desire to manage factors from stress or hormone changes. Theclinic has a phlebotomist and lab on site for more convenient blood draws and quick results. This personalized attention acknowledges the profound connection between your thoughts, emotions, and physical health.
Functional Medicine Pillars of Health at OnePeak Medical
Your experience at OnePeak Medical is about more than just a list of conditions; it’s about getting to know you. To find the root causes of an ailment, caregivers address pillars of peak health like sleep, movement and nutrition. To juggle the diverse days of work and play living in Central Oregon, quality rest is non-negotiable. In their model of care, sleep isn’t treated like a quick fix; it’s seen as a foundation of health. Waking up groggy or feeling wiped out despite getting “enough” sleep means something deeper might be at play. The team of medical practitioners can help you with sleep hygiene adjustments.
“If we don’t fix your sleep, we’ll have a hard time fixing anything. It’s an uphill battle,” said Doug Goodgion, PA-C.
Recommendations for sleep, movement and nutrition may include:
A wind-down routine cueing your vagus system that it’s time to sleep
Blackout curtains for better circadian alignment
A mattress optimized for spinal support
Reduction of ambient noise
Other times, advanced testing might be necessary. Caregivers on your team have the diagnostic tools to profile melatonin levels or adrenal function to uncover what might be keeping you from restorative rest.
Building Strength and Mobility in Bend
To maximize the Bend lifestyle, no two adventures or bodies are the same. To this medical team, movement is more than a fitness goal; it’s a form of preventative care. The team tailors a movement plan just for you that might include referrals to its network of:
Strength training for sports
Mobility work with an occupational therapist to prevent falls
Joint-stabilizing exercises to ease chronic pain
Even with the best attention, injuries and aches happen. Providers like Doug Goodgion, PA-C assess how injuries, inflammation or biomechanical imbalances may limit your movement. They offer exercise modifications and may give referrals to a network to trusted physical therapists.
“We’re not just focused on fitness, we’re focused on how you move through your life, with freedom and without pain,” Goodgion said.
Personalized Nutrition Rooted in Science
Kyndell Keddy, Fitness & Nutrition Advisor
Nutrition is a pillar of foundational health, and is central to this provider’s approach of full-body care. Each patient is treated with a personalized and practical approach, based in science.
The team, including Kyndell Keddy, Fitness & Nutrition Advisor at both the Bend and Redmond, OR clinics, starts with an in-depth assessment of your dietary habits, health goals and symptoms. Then, through advanced lab testing like microbiome mapping and food sensitivity testing available in the office, they can identify nutrient deficiencies, allergies or inflammation that may be impacting your energy, digestion or metabolism.
“Depending on your labs, symptoms, and nutrition and health history, we discuss which dietary pattern will be best to optimize your health. But we don’t just stop there. Equally important to what we eat is how we eat. The behavioral aspect of nutrition is often overlooked and underappreciated. Together, we’ll dive into roadblocks, stressors, grocery-shopping habits, dietary preferences, time constraints, and other nutrition-related systems so we can make sustainable, lifelong changes that align with your health goals.” –Kyndell Keddy, OnePeak Medical fitness and nutrition advisor
A plan is crafted for your lifestyle and biology that might include:
Anti-inflammatory foods to reduce joint pain
Balanced meals to stabilize blood sugar
Gut-friendly foods to improve digestion
Smart supplements based on labs, not guesswork
A Collaborative Journey to Wellness
At OnePeak Medical in Bend, your health journey is a partnership for an active lifestyle, both in sickness and for long-term health. Your medical support team doesn’t just dictate; they collaborate with you to ensure your health plan is not only effective but also aligns with your way of living. Discover a new approach to health, one that focuses on prevention, personalization, and empowering you to be your best.
With a blowtorch in hand, Allison Shadday directs the hissing flame at a wooden board layered with paint and wax. Heat melts the surface, creating abstract patterns and textures that range from a soft, translucent glow to the cracked look of a dry creek bed. It’s all part of the encaustic painting process, an ancient art form that, for Shadday, reflects both her family background and her journey with multiple sclerosis.
Shadday began encaustic painting after her mother died in 2018. Until then, she had never drawn or explored any form of visual art. But creativity ran in her blood — both her grandmother and mother were artistic. Picking up the blowtorch felt like a way to channel their presence.
In the 1990s, while in her 30s, Shadday was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which would later influence her attraction to encaustic painting. Effective treatments for MS were nonexistent then, so she chose an unconventional therapy: allowing honeybees to sting her 30 times every other day to trigger an anti-inflammatory response. It helped manage her symptoms. At one point, when she and her husband lived in West Linn, Oregon, a beekeeper approached Shadday and her husband about keeping hives on their property.
“Bees started to play a big role in my life,” she said. Decades later, while visiting Seattle, she encountered a large encaustic painting. “When I saw this encaustic, and it was primarily created from beeswax, it sparked something in me.”
“Eruption”
Creating Luminescent Images Through Wax and Fire
Shadday returned to O’ahu, where she was living at the time, and focused on learning the technique for encaustic painting. She took classes and experienced early success: She was accepted into the juried Haleiwa Arts Festival in 2019. “I sold 17 of 18 encaustic paintings, which motivated me, so I kept going,” she recalled.
Despite her success in the new medium, the tropical heat was starting to take its toll on her health. Seeking a change, the couple relocated to Central Oregon for its sunshine and temperate climate. “When we moved here, I needed a studio outside the house,” Shadday said. She found a shared space with several glass artists and chose the entryway specifically for its window, which provides essential ventilation from the encaustic process. “It’s messy, it’s smelly, and it’s physical. I paint with fire and a blowtorch,” she laughed.
“Free Flow”
In the Studio with Allison Shadday
The panel she’s working on began with five layers of brushed-on, melted white beeswax. Over that base, Shadday builds up dozens of pigmented wax layers, fusing each one to the last with her torch. While the wax is still molten, she can push the surface around to achieve unexpected color blends. “It’s very exciting when you see what emerges,” she said. For added texture, she sometimes embeds materials, copper strips or, recently, pretzels that dissolve away, leaving only the salt behind. As a painting nears completion, she’ll torch the surface again, encouraging a distinctive “cool crackle,” a Shadday hallmark.
She set the blowtorch down and stepped back to study the work.
“I love how this is turning out,” she said of the commissioned piece, an opportunity that arose when a collector spotted one of her paintings at the Layor Art gallery in downtown Bend. “It brings me a lot of joy to do this,” she said. The 63-year-old self-described extrovert stays active, including golfing five days a week, but noted that encaustic painting is the one thing that brings her indoors. “This is a place I can come to settle down and go inward, tapping a different part of my brain.”
Trish Smith was awarded the 2025 “Soul of Central Oregon Award” from Oregon Media at the 10th-anniversary celebration of Bend Magazine. Surrounded by friends, family and local leaders, she was honored on a stage across from Mirror Pond in the community she and her husband Bill Smith (1941-2022) helped to create.
Since moving to Bend in July of 1970 as a newlywed, Trish has been involved in many of the nonprofits and organizations that benefit people and places synonymous with Bend. While leading Brooks Resources and William Smith Properties, Bill was instrumental in developing Black Butte Ranch and the Old Mill District in Bend and Trish was by his side.
Trish devoted decades to supporting the community by championing higher education, the arts and culture, public broadcasting and, more recently, the culinary arts. She has served on the boards of the Oregon Community Foundation, a $1.8 billion endowment created by Oregon individuals and families, including the Smiths; Central Oregon Community College; Oregon Public Broadcasting and many more.
Those fortunate enough to have gathered around Trish’s table know her for her warm hospitality and exceptional cooking. Her cookbook Feeding My Friends, published in 2024, was inspired by the legacy of Julia Child and shaped by Trish’s extensive travels, particularly in France and Italy. Never one to rest on her laurels, Trish remains active in the Old Mill District through William Smith Properties. She spends several weeks each year traveling with friends and family, and is a dedicated member of the Bend Study Club, a century-old group devoted to exploring current events and cultural topics.
The Soul of Central Oregon Award honors people who embody the heart and soul of the community by giving selflessly to make Central Oregon a better place. It shines a light on the effect one individual can have to build community, and motivates each of us to make our own contributions to Bend and our neighbors.
On a windy summer evening in Madras, a red 34-foot 1953 Flxible bus rumbled down a gravel road and parked beside an open barn. From it emerged Jim Denevan, the chef, artist and founder of Outstanding in the Field. He welcomed a crowd of diners from across the region and beyond. We did not gather in a restaurant, but on the land where our food originated.
Since 1999, Outstanding in the Field has been a traveling “restaurant without walls,” setting long tables across the world from orchards and vineyards to beaches and fishing docks. The Outstanding experience has taken place in all 50 states and 24 countries. The concept is as simple as it is revolutionary: don’t bring ingredients to the restaurant, bring the restaurant to the ingredients. Each event is a fleeting moment in time, a meal as an art experience that’s designed to tie attendees to the land, to the people who tend it, and to their neighbors.
This year, Denevan rolled into the Casad Family Farm, an organic and regenerative farm in the rural hills of Madras. At the farm, run by Cate and Chris Casad, agriculture flourishes and cows graze freely. The Casad Family Farm is also home to Range Revolution and Havstad Hat Co., where Cate handcrafts heirloom-quality hats worn by everyone from Post Malone to the night’s host, Denevan himself.
Inside Cate Havstad’s Studio
At this night’s event, this renowned culinary experience set the stage for an evening of local libations and food prepared by the culinary artistry of Chef Ariana and Andres Fernandez of Ariana Restaurant in Bend, Oregon.
“The culture of food is more interesting when a farmer is closer to the general public. That’s the reason we got out there.” —Jim Denevan, founder Outstanding in the Field
Dinner began in the barn, where three bars each offered a jovial welcome: Hiyu Wine Farm from Hood River provided its 2023 Tzum “Solais” Red Blend; Wild Ride Brewing’s “Toes in the Water” Pilsner and “Dashboard Dreams” IPA; and a Honeycomb Spritz from Wheyward Spirit, blended with Casad Farm honey and lavender bitters. Thrilled by the local gastronomic beauties before us, knowing much was still to come, conversations flowed freely. Passed appetizers included jalapeño cornbread with honey butter, squash blossom gougères and beef tartare on wild mushroom chicharron. The ingredients came from the ranch where we sat, as well as from surrounding farms.
After introductions, we took a tour of the property. Cate’s hat shop was full of vintage hat-making tools and colorful ribbons that danced in the gusty wind from an open window to the Madras sky.
We strolled about 10 minutes through tall grasses to a stunning long table stretched across the farm’s field. The surrounding cows mooed as we arrived, as if cued for the occasion. Once we sat ourselves where we pleased, servers wove through the field, suspending family-style platters and offering bottles of Hiyu wine.
“I think about food and how it’s sourced, how it ends up on our plate and about how we present it beautifully to make people feel certain emotional connections to that food…So that’s what you are going to eat tonight. You’re going to eat what has been 11 years of perseverance.” —Cate Havstad-Casad, Casad Farms
Each course was a tribute to the hands that grew and raised the ingredients, from the beef of Casad Family Farm to the organic vegetables of Boundless Farmstead in Bend. Guided by Ariana chefs, snap peas, carrots and radishes were accented by sunflower hummus and green goddess dressing. Then came smoked Casad Family Farm spare ribs, glazed with cherry and juniper, and topped with crispy shallots. A rich polenta, made with Floriani red flint corn and garnished with herb gremolata and slow-braised beef was served. Next, came porchetta and an artfully arranged rolled pork belly with fennel pollen, paired with lemony carrots and garlic scapes. The final act of a hyper-seasonal feast was dessert: A bed of impossibly silky fromage blanc, topped with huckleberry jam that maintained the integrity of the fruit’s shape, and was sprinkled with a lavender crumb topping.
Click through the slideshow below to see more images of the food and drink:
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The courses were accompanied by pours from Hiyu’s winemaker Nate Ready, whose poetic knowledge of viticulture made every sip sacred. The table hosted a mix of farmers, food lovers, travelers and Central Oregonians who expressed their personalities in everything from pink overalls to theatrical hats.
The team is expert at inviting a sense of occasion and priceless inspiration. At the event, guests eat food grown nearby, served by the people who grew it, in the place it came from, all while fostering a special table of kinship. Each event is a lens to highlight what a region has to offer.
In Madras, farm-to-table, or rather, “table-at-farm,” as the Outstanding in the Field crew refers to it, provided more than a scenic backdrop. An event like this educates attendees about regenerative farms like the Casads’, that nourish soil and community in equal measure. Tonight, it showcased chefs Andres and Ariana Fernandez who have been working with Central Oregon ingredients at their restaurant for more than two decades and whose work is guided by respect for place. At these events, tables are where stories are shared, courses are passed and strangers become friends.
Jim Denevan and his team packed up their red bus at night’s end, but the meal was more than a moment. It was about a movement.
Introduction by Maisie Smith | Beer review by Jon Abernathy
Bend summers have a way of unfolding like an oddly specific playlist that Spotify got exactly right. River currents humming in the background, grills sizzling on patios and the satisfying pffft of cold cans cracking open in unison. Beer shows up like an old friend, slightly sweaty and ready to roll. It’s the unassuming ringleader of summer life, turning loose plans into real hangs and open space into someplace. Lawns become living rooms. Mid-hike is the new happy hour. And somehow, dusty camp chairs feel like a front row seat to everything that matters.
This is how Central Oregon gathers, casually, instinctively, and with something cold in hand. It’s a subtle kind of magic that’s equal parts sunshine and good timing. And beer is the common denominator of these beautiful, ordinary moments. The kind of moments that come from being in the right place, with the right people, tapping cans while the sun takes its sweet time saying goodnight.
Bend Beer Knows How to Hang
It’s peak beer thirty, and local breweries have stocked the high desert with brews ready for their moment in the sun: drink-me-now pilsners with personality, hazy IPAs that lean lush and citrusy or Kölsch with a snap that lands crisp and balanced. Radlers and hard seltzers slide into the cooler like the fun cousins everyone can’t help but love. The mood is bright and the flavors follow suit, citrus peel, stone fruit, melon, with the odd botanical cameo just to keep things interesting.
This is what summer gets right. The ease. The light. The people who show up. And beer, just hanging around like it has nothing to prove. From lighter lagers to flavorful hoppy ales and fun alternatives, here are some suggestions from Jon Abernathy, founder of The Brew Site (since 2004), for the best and brightest brews to drink this summer:
Deschutes Brewery: Boggs Lager
4.2% ABV, 18 IBUs: Longtime pub brewer Robin Johnson created this light American lager in honor of his fly-fishing friend, Niall Boggs. The recipe starts with clean, crisp pilsner malt and adds flaked corn for a touch of sweet character and smooth mouthfeel. Saaz hops, grown in the United States, round out the flavor with a mildly spicy, herbal note with a citrus flourish for a mellow and flavorful easy drinker.
Sunriver Brewing: Roller XPA
5% ABV, 38 IBUs:XPA stands for “Extra Pale Ale” and represents a hop-forward style from Australia that’s been growing in popularity in recent years. The style is well represented in this latest release in Sunriver’s quarterly Rotator series. Roller XPA is a light-bodied ale featuring a blend of American and New Zealand hops, which give it notes of pineapple, tangerine, white wine and exotic berries. Think summer fruit salad!
GoodLife Brewing: Blackberry Lime Hard Seltzer
5% ABV: This year, GoodLife entered the hard seltzer market with Strawberry, Blackberry Lime, Tropical and White Peach Lemonade versions. While the brewery is best known for its crushable, award-winning Sweet As! Pacific Ale, these seltzers offer a crisp, easy-drinking alternative to the usual blast of malt and hops. Blackberry Lime is light and refreshing, with a subtle sweet berry note and pop of lime that’s great for a day at the lake.
Crux Fermentation Project: NØ MØ River Refresher IPA
<0.5% ABV, 40 IBUs: When it comes to nonalcoholic beer, Crux is one of the breweries at the forefront with its NØ MØ series of NA IPAs, all with less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. River Refresher is a summertime quencher with tropical and citrus flavors that will leave you feeling fresh, clear-headed and ready for adventure.
Cascade Lakes Brewing: Muy Chido Mexican-Style Lager
5.1% ABV, 19 IBUs: When it comes to hot-weather beer styles, Mexican-style lagers first come to mind, and they fall into two camps: lighter versions brewed with corn (think Corona and Pacifico) and versions inspired by darker Vienna lager (Dos Equis, Negra Modelo). Muy Chido embraces the darker tradition with an amber-brown hue and rich, nutty flavors that will have you reaching for another.
UPP Liquids: 300 Days of Sunshine
4.5% ABV: On the lighter side, it’s hard to beat the influence of Baja, where we get the tradition of adding lime and salt to lagers, and newcomer UPP brewed this specialty with this in mind. 300 Days of Sunshine starts with a crisp and dry rice lager and layers in calamansi lime and pink sea salt to elevate it to a perfectly crushable summer quaffer.
Bevel Craft Brewing: First Run IPA
6.8% ABV:This favorite was the first batch brewed at Bevel and has been a mainstay ever since. This is a solid, dialed-in IPA featuring Simcoe hops, which bring pine, citrus and a bit of dank diesel to the aroma, and a firm bitterness featuring tree bark, citrus pith and zest, and dandelion greens to the flavor party. It’s clean and crisp, and while it may be the first run, it won’t be the last.
Van Henion Brewing: Kölsch
5% ABV, 22 IBUs:Van Henion excels in brewing two types of beers in particular, IPAs and German-style lagers, with a lineup full of palate pleasers. It’s German Kölsch-style ale, while technically not a lager, is brewed to tradition while being a crisp and flavorful modern interpretation—not to mention it has garnered multiple accolades from the North American Beer Awards, Best of Craft Beer and Oregon Beer Awards as a refreshing ale perfect for summer.
Terranaut Beer: Goat Beer
4.7% ABV, 30 IBUs:A relative newcomer, Terranaut has made a splash in the industry in its first year, thanks in part to beers like its cocktail-inspired Goat Beer, brewed in collaboration with San Simón, the bohemian bar tucked into Tin Pan Alley. Racking up awards from Best of Craft Beer and Sip Magazine, this sour-adjacent ale brewed with lime and bitters is sure to keep you refreshed all season long.
Wild Ride Brewing: Tarty to the Party Marionberry Sour Ale
5.6% ABV, 10 IBUs:How could you not like a beer with a name like this? Wild Ride repeatedly wins awards for this rotating, fruited sour beer series, most recently with a silver medal at this year’s Oregon Beer Awards for Marionberry Sour Ale. The award is for good reason: It strikes a balance between acidity, the fruit and a light, sweet creaminess, which you’ll enjoy, as the brewery says, “from tart to finish.”
Bend Brewing: 30th Anniversary IPA
7% ABV, 60 IBUs: Thirty years ago, Bend Brewing Company opened its doors in downtown Bend to become the city’s second brewery. To celebrate three decades, BBC released 30th Anniversary IPA, a milestone beer redolent with notes of candied citrus, mango, grilled pineapple and a summertime evergreen forest. The flavor hits just right with piney, fruity hops leading the way buoyed by a light, creamy malt body. It might just be the perfect IPA for summer.
Yokocho Izakaya is a different kind of pub. Colorful, packed with personality and buzzing with energy, its Japanese food pays homage to the spirited street food alleys of Tokyo, known as yokocho, where locals gather to unwind after a long day. With bold and playful decor (a Pac-Man arcade machine, anime projected on a screen and papier-mâché lanterns) and creative dishes, Yokocho Izakaya is an experience and immersion into another scene.
Founded by Thai-born chefs Kwanchanok Singhakahm (Chef Kwan) and Phanapat Namsr (Chef Nong), Yokocho Izakaya is more than a restaurant. “It wasn’t just about opening a business to make money,” said Kwan. “It’s our passion.”
Options include small plates to fried chicken.
Having started cooking for his family at a young age, Kwan developed a deep love for food. Moving to New York City with big dreams but little means, the aspiring chef started as a dishwasher because culinary school was out of reach financially. After a move to Portland, Kwan and Nong met and discovered a shared dream: To create a space that offered something different, both in food and in feel.
That vision came to life in Bend with the opening of a space much like the lively izakayas of Japan. The word izakaya combines three words in kanji of stay, drink and place. At the Bend restaurant, people can gather, relax and enjoy robust flavors in a cozy, come-as-you-are atmosphere. Kick back on an upcycled milk crate stool, sip a sake, cold beer or craft cocktail and enjoy the ways Yokocho Izakaya adds a twist to elevate Japanese street food.
The colorful Agedashi Tofu.
Chef Kwan’s menu is a blend of traditional Asian flavors with inventive flourishes and a focus on seasonality. Start with a Yakitori skewer, such as the Chicken with Scallion, served with a house-made gluten-free sweet sauce. For a twist on comfort food, crispy Dirty Fries are covered in a house sauce and topped with tobiko (flying fish eggs) and shredded seaweed, adding light crunch and texture. Kwan describes the fries as “a little creamy, sour and sweet.”
On the lighter side, the Salmon Sashimi Salad is a standout not only as the sole raw dish on the menu. It features delicately cured salmon sashimi and a crown of avocado topped with ikura (salmon roe also known as red caviar). For heartier appetites, Tonkatsu is Chef Kwan’s personal favorite: juicy marinated pork loin, breaded in crispy Panko and deep-fried, paired with honey soy sauce and pickled ginger.
The Tonkatsu Curry chicken.
Fans of fried chicken will rejoice over karaage, Yokocho’s take on Japanese-style deep-fried chicken. Enjoy it two ways: in the comforting Karaage Don with scrambled egg, honey soy sauce and pickled ginger, or in the soul-warming Karaage Curry featuring Japanese curry.
The Tofu Five Spice, simmered in a deeply aromatic five-spice broth, is both vegan and gluten-free, and Chef Kwan promises more plant-based options are on the way. Chef Nong’s personal favorite? Kim’s Fried Rice, a bold, flavorful mix of kimchi, chashu pork, pork belly, egg, fried garlic and scallions.
Another showstopper is the Grilled Salmon Miso, wild salmon marinated in miso, sake and soy sauce, served with miso soup. And when it comes to dessert, the Shibuya Toast steals the spotlight with its thick slices of Sparrow Bakery brioche soaked in honey, topped with Eberhart’s vanilla ice cream, strawberries, almonds, brown sugar syrup and whipped cream cheese.
Behind the bar, creative cocktails such as the Chrysanthemum Martini and the Magic of Yokocho (mezcal, yuzu syrup, coconut cream and rosemary) add to the fun along with a selection of Japanese and local beers and an impressive list of rotating sakes and nonalcoholic offerings. Together, Kwan and Nong, plus their team, are building more than a restaurant, they’re cultivating a colorful new corner in Bend’s food scene.
Some chefs decorate plates. Others compose them. The standouts walk the line between precision and poetry, knowing exactly when to push and when to pull back. It’s the difference between a solid dish and one that lingers in the mind for weeks. Hanging out at the intersection of style and substance, these four chef-driven kitchens are bringing depth, bite and soul to the plate.
Dungeness Crab, BOSA | Photo by Benjamin Edwards
Bosa Food & Drink
At Bosa Food & Drink, simplicity is the point. But don’t mistake that for basic. Chefs and co-owners Bill Dockter and Nate King serve up rustic European fare with the kind of focused cooking that comes from trusting ingredients over trends. “We’re a tweezer-free kitchen,” Dockter laughed. That’s the Bosa way, unfussy, hyper-fresh, and grounded in good taste.
It’s a philosophy that’s easy to spot on the plate, especially in the Oregon Dungeness Crab that tastes like equal parts Pacific tide pool and Sardinian breeze. Sweet crab from Newport, Oregon, meets creamy avocado mousse, juicy cantaloupe, and fresh cilantro, all brightened by a brown butter vinaigrette. “We let the butter separate and caramelize, then hit it with lemon and some herby Sicilian olive oil,” said King. Every element shows up. There’s acid, richness, herb and that salt-snap of brine. In between bites, a dry German Riesling or a melon-forward Albana does what good wine should, it listens, then answers.
Scallops at BOSA | Photo by Benjamin Edwards
Bosa’s Campanelle Verdi doubles down on the “simple done well” ethos. It’s a pasta dish that reads like a field guide to peas. English peas, shucked. Sugar snaps, sliced. Pea pods reduced to a stock. Some pureed, some left whole. All tossed into hand-rolled campanelle dyed a vibrant green with spinach water. Finished with grape tomatoes, a snowfall of ricotta salata, and a drizzle of truffle essence (with the option to add a dreamy summer truffle conserva), it’s spring and summer holding hands. The pasta’s ridges catch the sauce, the peas find a place to hide and every bite holds a little of everything. King, who also heads up Bosa’s wine program, suggests pairing the Campanelle Verdi with Ligurian Vermentino, known for its coastal salinity and faint edge of hillside and herbs.
Chefs and co-owners Nate King and Bill Dockter, BOSA | Photo by Benjamin Edwards
Bosa is named after a picturesque town in Sardinia, Italy, where the Temo River winds through pastel buildings and into the sea. It reminded the chefs of the Deschutes River cutting through Bend. “This town needed something that felt both familiar and a little off the map,” said Dockter. But Bosa isn’t chasing nostalgia. It isn’t chasing anything. It’s just two chefs letting simple, good ingredients drive their dishes. “The community love and support has been unreal,” King added. “From day one, people understood what we were doing and they keep coming back. We’re so grateful.” Learn more about BOSA Food & Drink with our first article about them or see their sample menu here.
Flights Wine Bar
The menu at Flights Wine Bar doesn’t follow a straight line, and that’s the point. Shaped around the concept of “American eclectic,” it jumps from Pan-Asian to Paris to Midwestern memory without losing its footing, thanks to Chef Brad Phillips’ obsession with dialing in flavors that feel both familiar and new. Born and raised in Michigan, Phillips didn’t grow up making soufflés in elementary school or cooking next to a doting Nonna. “I didn’t even know asparagus could taste good until I was an adult,” he laughed. The education came later, through world-traveling friends, culinary school in Colorado, and a decade in Maui that introduced him to the melting-pot flavors of the Pacific Rim.
Chef Brad Phillips at Flights Wine Bar | Photo by Tina Paymaster
That worldly curiosity shows up in dishes like the Furikake Seared Ahi, where pristine tuna is crusted in an umami-rich furikake seasoning and seared in a sizzling hot pan. It’s served with an edamame-wasabi purée that sidesteps the expected punch of heat in favor of creamy depth, plus a tamari chili glaze that Phillips describes as a “kind of a teriyaki-chili-crunch thing.” Ginger-pickled cucumber namasu and housemade lotus root chips finish the dish with a flash of tang and texture. Flights owner Kelsey Daniels suggests pairing the seared ahi with something sturdy and bright. “A Chenin Blanc or an Albariño with a little salinity works beautifully.”
Furikake Seared Ahi at Flights Wine Bar | Photo by Tina Paymaster
New to the menu, the Juniper Sage Duck Breast finally lets this wildly good sleeper protein strut. “Duck is like a flying steak,” said Phillips. “Flavorful, earthy. It’s got presence.” The breast is dry-rubbed with a blend of Chinese 5-spice, juniper, and sage for a distinctively high desert flavor. It’s slowly cooked until the fat renders, then seared and finished to a tender medium-rare. A truffled parsnip purée anchors the plate, flanked by local rainbow carrots browned in duck fat and drizzled with cherry gastrique. “There are so many wonderful pinot noirs from the Willamette Valley that really complement this dish,” said Daniels.
Juniper Sage Duck Breast at Flights Wine Bar | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Almost everything at Flights is made in-house, including the fresh fettuccine for their Lemon Pesto Shrimp dish. It’s pasta that hits the comfort zone without tipping into food coma territory. The pesto is bright and balanced. Toasted pine nuts add crunch, and a squeeze of lemon keeps it lifted. “Pesto’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy pasta,” said Phillips. “So I just try to make it the best version of itself.” Nothing overly showy. Just dialed in. “We fast-blanch the fresh basil in boiling salted water with a bit of baking soda, then quickly shock it in ice water to keep the color vibrant green,” he continued. The shrimp are lightly sautéed with garlic, tomatoes, and spinach and served with a scatter of pine nuts, shaved parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon. For wine pairings, Daniels suggests Italian summer whites such as Vermentino, Grillo or Soave.
Lemon Pesto Shrimp at Flights Wine Bar | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Flights isn’t out to shock the palate. It’s here to wake it up. Every dish has a memory tucked inside. Every wine helps it linger. “I shape the wine list and chime in with pairing ideas,” Daniels noted. “Then I get out of Brad’s way so he can work his magic.” Learn more about Flights Wine Bar or see their sample menu here.
The Lodge Restaurant at Black Butte Ranch
Nobody skips dessert at The Lodge Restaurant. Not with Executive Pastry Chef Sharon Espinoza running the show. Her work spans all Black Butte Ranch’s restaurants, weddings, and special events, but it’s at The Lodge where her pastry brain runs wild. Every plate reflects her roots, her rigor, and her rule: dessert should tell a story.
Pastry Chef Sharon Espinoza | Photo by Tambi Lane
Espinoza’s style holds space for both precision and play. Raised in a large Mexican-American family and obsessed with the kitchen since age 4, she talks about food with the energy of someone who never considered doing anything else. “I knew I wanted to cook before I even knew how to read,” Espinoza said. “Baking is my love language.”
13-Layer Ricotta Crepe Torte | Photo by Tambi Lane
Her flavor fluency finds its sweet spot in the Sourdough Chocolate Mousse Cake. A long-time favorite on The Lodge Restaurant menu, Espinoza reimagined it as a chocolate chiffon base made with Gus, the beloved sourdough starter that lives in The Lodge kitchen. A dome of Jivara chocolate mousse adds height and is smothered in a dark chocolate mirror glaze. A crunchy ring of toasted hazelnuts and feuilletine, a caramelized crepe crumble, form the base. Gold-dusted brown butter tuile crowns the dome. “Because I like everything a little extra,” confessed Espinoza. Marigold petals finish things off. “It’s the unofficial flower of Mexico,” she continued, “and I like to add a bit of my heritage to everything I make.”
Sourdough Chocolate Mousse Cake | Photo by Tambi Lane
The Fraisier, a modern riff on strawberry shortcake, was part of The Lodge’s spring menu and was inspired by Sharon’s father. “His favorite thing in the world, besides his family, was strawberry shortcake,” she said. A vanilla bean chiffon base holds layers of strawberry mousse and toasted marshmallow-sweet meringue, with a buttery, delicate milk crumble standing in for the shortbread. Juicy strawberry sauce adds depth, dried berries bring crunch and height, and vanilla gelato ties it all back to something familiar. “Dad passed away in 2015,” she said. “This dessert is my way of keeping him at the table.”
The Fraisier | Photo by Tambi Lane
Thirteen layers of lemon, ricotta and whipped cream are carefully stacked in Espinoza’s gravity-defying 13-Layer Ricotta Crepe Torte. The dessert takes a full day to set before slicing, but the payoff is visual and structural, the kind of cross-section that stops forks mid-air. Deep velvet marionberry sauce cascades down the sides, while crispy feuilletine at the base and a sprinkle of candied pistachios add crunch. A perfect single scoop of gelato perches on top like a cloud that knew exactly where to land.
Flavors may shift with the seasons, but Espinoza’s process stays the same: remember, then reimagine. Every dessert is a kind of remix. A little nostalgic, a little wild. And entirely her own. See a sample menu at The Lodge at Black Butte Ranch.
Bos Taurus
At Bos Taurus, exquisite cuts of beef anchor the menu from ribeye, strip, or Wagyu in all its forms. Still, there’s always something unexpected lurking between the bone marrow and the dry-aged swagger. A cone, for example. Made with beet-cured salmon, fermented lemon gel, poppyseed cream cheese, and a dollop of briny ikura, it disappears in two unapologetic bites. Over too soon, like most good surprises.
Foie Gras Floret, F%#K’n Cone and Cotton Candy | Photo by Benjamin Edwards
“Everyone loves the cones,” said Culinary Director Hector Sanchez. The savory wonders became known as “F%#K’n cones” in the kitchen, and the name stuck. “It made people laugh,” he continued. “Now it’s part of the experience.” As soon as the cone is devoured, Bos Taurus servers encourage diners to send silent messages to the chefs: thumbs up, peace signs, heart hands, or the occasional cheeky middle finger. “It breaks the wall,” said Sanchez. “Most kitchens feel closed off. We want the connection.” That moment of interaction, equal parts irreverence and invitation, is a window into what makes Bos Taurus tick.
The same playfulness shows up in other surprising ways. Cotton Candy isn’t on the menu but has a habit of landing on the table at the most unassuming moment. Foie gras terrine is coated in crushed corn nuts, wrapped in cherry blossom cotton candy and finished with a dusting of dried raspberries. Tucked into a vase of cotton branches, it dissolves on the tongue in a savory-sweet poof of flavor.
With its flower-like shape and layered detail, the Foie Gras Floret feels part fairytale, part fine dining. The design nods to the intricate pastries of La Mancha, Spain. A crisp, golden base is filled with rich foie gras, Granny Smith apple pudding, pickled Honeycrisp apple bites, and seasonal wildflowers. Sweet, sharp and savory meet somewhere in the middle, walking along the edges of indulgence but never tripping over each other.
Close up of the Foie Gras Floret at Bos Taurus | Photo by Benjamin Edwards
Like the dishes he creates, Hector Sanchez’s path to Bos Taurus didn’t follow a straight line. Raised in Spain, he was on track to become a doctor when a summer job at a restaurant changed everything. Culinary school followed, then kitchens in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Kenya. When his wife’s work brought her to Oregon, Sanchez tagged along. He fell hard for Bend. “I wanted to see New York and San Francisco,” he said. “But I landed here and didn’t want to leave.”
Now, Sanchez leads a team that knows its beef, and is always ready to riff. At Bos Taurus, dishes come to the table plated like small works of art, layered with bold flavors that steer clear of predictability. See the current menu at Bos Taurus.
Storytelling on a Beautiful Plate
What’s on the plate matters, but so does how it arrives. At these restaurants, presentation isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s the kind of storytelling where every flourish reflects the chef’s perspective. What they value. What they notice. What they want people to feel, if only for a moment. If we’re lucky, we taste a little of that story in every bite. Continue reading from our FOOD & DRINK articles.
They’re our true companions and four-legged adventure buddies. They also chew our shoes, escape their leashes and dig up the garden. We love them anyway. But life with a dog would be much easier if only we could speak the same language.
In dog-friendly towns like Bend, canines and humans mix and mingle everywhere, making clear communication essential for the safety of all. What if we could “speak dog” to avoid the frustration of messages lost in translation? Meet four dog whisperers who know how to listen, understand and communicate in the language of interaction to help Bend remain one of the best dog towns in the U.S.A.
Meet the People Who Seem to Speak Canine and Know How to Listen
Leader of the Pack: Charlotte Roy
“No dog left inside.”
For Charlotte Roy, fluency in dog language includes understanding pack behavior. Long before dogs connected with humans, they thrived in packs for survival. Roy taps into that social structure with every group of dogs she takes out for a Dogs Gone Wild adventure hike.
In 2012, Roy founded her dog exercise business with the motto “No dog left inside, because a tired dog is a happy dog.” Her outings provide the pack experiences that modern dogs crave.
“Walks on a leash are insufficient for many dogs. A pack adventure gives them mental and physical exercise and the socialization they need,” said Roy.
Roy evaluates each of her canine clients to group them into packs that work well together. Each morning, she loads her van with that day’s dogs, then drives to a remote forest destination to run trails, summit buttes and navigate rock structures.
As pack leader, she considers body language as the dogs interact. Are they circling in a friendly way or following too closely? Panting, licking and showing teeth all have meaning. Energetic pups get extra challenges while gentler dogs pace themselves; by the end of the two-hour outing, every dog is tuckered out.
“Dogs want to please, not misbehave. We can help them thrive with opportunities for structured play, sniffing and problem-solving. The result is a well-balanced, good canine citizen,” said Roy. Check out Dogs Gone Wild to read more.
Life Saver: Dog, Nestle with Stryder Doescher
“Sensing medical need.”
When Stryder Doescher started kindergarten in Bend, his dog Keebler came along. Keebler was trained as a medical service dog, able to detect changes in Doescher’s body that might signal a seizure. Keebler stayed at Doescher’s side through most of his school years, a constant companion that allowed him to stay healthy in the classroom.
This year, Doescher graduated from Mountain View High School. He’s training a new service dog named Nestle, who senses when Doescher’s blood pressure or oxygen level drops. Nestle alerts Doescher by licking his hand, well before Doescher feels it himself.
“When we got Nestle, Keebler was still with us and taught her how to alert me. Nestle learns super quickly. We train every day,” said Doescher.
Getting a service dog is a complicated, expensive process, and few dogs can do the job.Training a service dog requires an intense connection between the dog and person. Nestle must stay close to Doescher, alert him to problems and ignore everything else. She can be an energetic, silly pup at home, but Nestle shifts into work mode when her service vest goes on, whether at the grocery store,
school or doctor’s office.
Nestle’s ability to communicate lets Doescher live with less worry about his medical challenges.
“Nestle is always with me. She sleeps with me, drives with me and lets me know if there’s a problem. She’s really my best friend.”
“Dogs tell you loud and clear when they feel at home.”
Some animal lovers know the language of dogs, and Marianne Cox knows how to listen. While traveling in Mexico she heard the plight of street dogs in particular. Malnourished, unsheltered and fearful, these dogs spoke to her heart. In March of 2017, Cox founded the nonprofit organization Street Dog Hero. Since then, the organization has rescued more than 4,000 dogs.
“Imagine a dog who’s never been given a simple act of kindness. When we bring treats, open hearts and gentle hands, the dogs jump joyfully and seek affection. They are starving for human connection,” said Cox.
Cox’s team also rescues dogs from overcrowded shelters around the United States and from Asian markets. The dogs live with foster families, where they adjust to a life free of trauma. When they are adopted into a permanent home, Cox listens once again.
“Dogs tell you loud and clear when they feel at home,” she said. “They smile, they sleep soundly, their true self shines through. Despite their tough lives, street dogs are surprisingly trusting. They show immense gratitude for small comforts and form strong bonds.”
Yet rescuing dogs is not enough. Street Dog Hero aims to reduce the number of street dogs. They’ve performed more than 11,000 spay and neuter surgeries in Bend and with partner organizations around the world. They also use art and community engagement to teach how to care for and love neglected pups. Because, as Cox believes, the true goal is no dogs wandering the streets. Read more about Street Dog Hero here.
Dog Whisperer: Justin Grant
“Every dog needs a purpose.”
Known as the Dog Whisperer of Bend, Justin Grant trains the most challenging dogs: aggressive barkers, jumpers, nippers or destructive chewers. Before addressing the dog’s unwanted behaviors, Grant teaches the owners to become leaders.
“Every dog needs a purpose. If their leader doesn’t give them a job, they’ll create their own. They’ll follow their instincts to guard, herd or chase, and that causes problems,” said Grant.
Earning respect is the key. “From day one, dogs read your tone of voice and posture. They recognize pushovers. A leader is kind but firm.” The relationship thrives when the dog has a structured routine, knows its job and trusts its person to lead.
Grant demonstrates this leadership with his own dog, a 4-year-old Doberman Pinscher named Oprah. Off leash, she stays relaxed and alert; alongside a bike she runs by his side. In stores, she’ll carry a bag as requested, and Grant continually challenges her with new games and commands.
“Oprah is a good match for me, but not for everyone,” he said. Grant advises potential dog owners to study breed temperaments and to evaluate their own lifestyles. Matching activity levels and personalities is the first step to a positive relationship.
Reinforcing good behavior with rewards is another method of communication. Grant suggests choosing a reward to reflect behavior goals. “I don’t reward Oprah with treats because she’s not food-motivated. We play ball as a reward, which satisfies her desire to chase. But love and affection is always the best reward,” said Grant. Keep up with Oprah and Justin on Instagram.
A 260-acre ranch beside Whychus Creek, surrounded by the peaks of the Three Sisters Wilderness and the Deschutes National Forest in Sisters, is inspiring artists of all disciplines from around the country. In rustic studios, including a converted dairy barn, tack room and shop, artists immerse themselves in pursuits from metalwork and painting to fiber arts, photography, writing, music and more.
At Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, during two- and four-week residencies, artists share the ranch’s large, historic home, engage with local and regional experts related to their fields and offer events for the public. The center aims to bridge sustainable agriculture, conservation, the arts and sciences.
Kathy Deggendorfer
This year’s residency theme, “Care and Stewardship,” links the program with the work of its umbrella organization, the Roundhouse Foundation, which focuses on supporting rural and Indigenous spaces.
Connecting Artists and Community in Creative Collaboration
The value of an artist residency in the creation of a work was evident this past spring, when the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for a memoir was awarded to one of the ranch’s first participants. Tessa Hulls of Seattle worked on her debut book, the graphic novel Feeding Ghosts, during her residency at the ranch in 2018. She mentioned that she was inspired by the Ranch and did much of her writing there, in the book’s acknowledgements.
It’s an example of the vision of Roundhouse Foundation Founder and Trustee Kathy Deggendorfer, an accomplished painter who believes that bringing together artists and scientists of seemingly disparate disciplines yields inspiring discussion and the basis for creative problem solving. She researched and attended multiple residencies around the nation and abroad to inform the program at the ranch.
“There were always interesting conversations, new ways of thinking about things, expanding people’s horizons,” she said. “It’s this great equalizer and a way to create this area of respect between people, which I think is something that’s really, really needed now.”
Two recent artist residents, Mallory Craig and Joshua Anderson, hail from New York City and North Dakota respectively, and at the ranch both deepened their artistic journeys and worked on projects they shared with the local community.
Bucolic inspiration on the ranch
Connecting with the Land
For Mallory Craig, a residency gave her insight into rural food systems, which connects to her work with the urban food system in her home neighborhood of Harlem. There, Craig manages the Greenhouse and Education Center and Learning Gardens, where she offers community programs around therapeutic horticulture, art
and foodways.
At the ranch, Craig shadowed staff, learning about regenerative practices such as rotational grazing and the use of native plants to support water conservation and fire ecology. As part of her ongoing project around eating as an agricultural act, she made plant pigments and handmade papers for image transfers. She often found herself in the sagebrush at the ranch, surrounded by ponderosa pines.
“We play a part in our local ecologies and our food system just by what we decide to eat,” she said. “To look up and know that the water that I was hearing was coming from these amazing mountains—you can see how it all connects and how the ecology really relies on itself,” said Craig.
She led a workshop on developing a more intimate relationship with food and nature. The workshop included two activities: starting a sit-spot practice, where guests found a quiet place to observe nature, and creating an artful recipe book by considering their everyday foods.
Words and Filmmaking as Seeds of Change
An integral part of our food system and health is soil, the focus of another artist resident, writer Joshua Anderson. He had been teaching literature and creative writing in New England in 2022 when he made a fateful visit to his hometown in rural North Dakota. “There was a biblical windstorm, acres and acres and acres of topsoil were blowing away, it looked like [a scene from] The Grapes of Wrath.”
Poor soil health practices, including the area’s monoculture of sugar beets for processed sugar, led to erosion. His home county has lost more than half of its topsoil since 1960. “People think the Dust Bowl ended in the 1930s, but it has decidedly not ended in the rural Great Plains,” Anderson said.
A past artist in residence, Mersaedy Atkins, at work.
A job with his hometown’s soil conservation district opened, and he took it. As manager and watershed coordinator, his work ranges from running public education and outreach programs to planting grass and trees, and collecting water samples.
Pine Meadow Ranch connected him with Central Oregon soil scientists, geologists, river ecologists and others to help advance his conservation and storytelling work, which includes “Common Ground: A Prairie Podcast” and a documentary film tentatively titled “Soil and Water.”
During his residency, he also collaborated on a lecture with his sister, Jordana Anderson, a geologist and biologist in Prineville, exploring land health, personal care work and rural abundance. Guests engaged in discussion, followed by a seed planting activity.
Conservation work is much like seed planting, he said. “A lot of the seeds that you plant, nothing grows, and so you’ve got to plant a lot of them.”
What happens when an entrepreneurial seed is planted in a prime environment and nurtured by the wisdom of experienced leaders in an emerging industry? The result can be exponential economic impact and sustainable success. The outdoor industry in Bend is blooming as proof that one person’s idea can grow into a successful business that contributes to a thriving community and creates career opportunities for many. Bend Outdoor Worx (BOW) is a catalyst for this particular breed of success; the outdoor sector accounts for $8.4 billion of Oregon’s economy annually.
Bend Outdoor Worx Supports Entrepreneurs and the Outdoor Industry
Celebrating its 10th cohort this year, BOW began as the first business accelerator in the nation dedicated solely to the outdoor industry. With an initial mission to help entrepreneurs, develop the economy and create jobs in the outdoor industry locally, BOW now reaches far beyond Bend, serving some of the most exciting brands across the industry.
“When we launched BOW, it came from a place of genuine passion. We weren’t looking to create a typical business incubator, we wanted to build something authentic that gave outdoor start-ups tools to be sustainable, successful and scalable,” said Gary Bracelin, BOW founder and mentor.
Photo by Ely Roberts | LEFT TO RIGHT: Meg Chun, Kialoa Paddles (mentor) | Will Blount, Ruffwear (mentor) | Adam Short & Dan Gummel, StoryBooth Experience | Melanie Jenkinson, Howl at the Spoon | Sherrise Erlandson, Giddyup Glove | Miki Keller, Bend Outdoor Worx | Gary Bracelin, Founder, Bend Outdoor Worx | Kate Raber & Kai Nevers, Wanderhut Vehicle Equipment| Tim Karpinski, Spiral Wax | Tiffany Huey, Snowshoe Labs | Cindy Hayes, Oregon Outdoor Alliance (mentor) | Jak & Sanjay Green, Eyeonize | Susan Strible, Oregon Outdoor Alliance (mentor) | Scott Allan, Hydro Flask (mentor) | Drew Hornbeck, Snunny | Matt Szundy, Mindful Mitigations Corp. (mentor)
Gary Bracelin
A 32-year resident of Bend, Bracelin got started in the outdoor business sector when he helped a friend launch Epic, a skateboard and surf brand. When snowboarding exploded onto the scene, he became one of the first sales representatives in the business, eventually building a sales agency that represented more than 30 brands. Bracelin moved into leadership positions with larger outdoor brands, managing sales teams and international relationships. Shifting into consulting and mentoring was a natural extension of everything he had learned.
“Nothing beats working directly with entrepreneurs, helping them avoid common pitfalls, navigate the loneliness of building something from scratch and ultimately watching them succeed,” Bracelin said. “Their energy and passion are contagious. It feeds my soul to be part of their journey.”
Mentoring companies like Picky Bars and Cairn that went from idea seeds planted to full-grown trees that made gainful exits, BOW has an 89% success rate with 31 of the 35 accelerator program businesses still operating.
An example of BOW’s effectiveness, Robert Axle Project is a bicycle industry start-up that manufactures thru axles for all types of bikes. The business has maintained sustainable growth since its participation in the cohort program in 2015, even acquiring a second company, Old Man Mountain, which produces bikepacking gear including racks, bags and accessories. Robert Axle Project was born in co-founders Katy Bryce and Chris Kratsch’s garage in Bend as a solution to an issue the bike industry had overlooked. The business evolved from an idea to an employer of 14 people in the commercial building Bryce and Kratsch now own.
“Bend Outdoor Worx was a huge help to us. Neither of us came from a business background, so we had to learn margins, sales channels, trademarks, finance, all of it,” said Bryce, CEO and co-owner of the companies. “We got connected to key resources like lawyers, CPAs and insurance resources in addition to our mentors. We were also the first company to win BOW Pitch Night. That $10,000 helped a ton.”
Scott Allan and Gary Bracelin | Photo by Katie Sox
Oregon’s total gross domestic product, the value of goods produced and services provided during a year, was $262 billion in 2023, with the outdoor industry making up 2.6% of that revenue and providing 72,925 jobs, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“We need diverse businesses that provide jobs for people living here. Product companies provide a unique situation in that they can employ people of various education, training and skill levels,” Bryce said. Ryan Price of Broke Supply Co., a member of the 2023 BOW cohort, shared that “BOW pushed us to look at the entirety of our business, not just the exciting and creative aspects. The process helped us to explore weaknesses and develop them into strengths.” While the outdoor industry faces challenges, Bracelin believes that the next five years will deliver another wave of growth.
“Tariffs are a top concern across the industry, and logistics are always a challenge. Production financing is another hurdle that many early-stage brands face. But the outdoor industry is inherently scrappy and resilient. At BOW, we help entrepreneurs find creative, sustainable ways to overcome those barriers and keep moving forward,” Bracelin said. “Bend has truly become a hub for outdoor innovation, and that was always our vision.”
With the 2025 BOW cohort being the largest to date, the future looks promising for the outdoor industry.
Bracelin remarked, “Oregon has been a pioneer in outdoor products and apparel. That innovation continues today, and it’s deeply tied to our lifestyle, economy and state identity. Through hands-on mentorship and real-world guidance, BOW plays a vital role in helping these companies thrive, supporting a sector that’s increasingly recognized as an economic engine for Oregon.”
Bend Outdoor Worx 2025 Cohort
While Bend Outdoor Worx has worked with businesses from as far away as Alaska, New York, Tennessee and Texas, the 2025 cohort is the largest in BOW’s history, and all nine companies hail from Oregon—eight are from Central Oregon.
Eyeonize: A caffeinated, mentholated under-eye balm designed for adventure seekers, providing comfort and invigoration for dry or fatigued eyes.
GiddyUp Glove: Gloves designed to let you enjoy your favorite drink in the cold without freezing your hand.
Howl at the Spoon: This company from Portland, Oregon, offers portioned, gourmet-quality sauce singles for outdoor enthusiasts looking to elevate meals.
SnoPlanks: An independent Northwest snowboard brand now operated by students at Oregon State University-Cascades.
Snowshoe Labs: A premium leather conditioner that protects, waterproofs and keeps leather soft and supple, enhancing durability for outdoor adventures.
Snunny: An outdoor gear company founded on a storm-ready, waterproof butt pad—engineered for comfort in harsh weather conditions.
Spiral Wax: All-natural, PFAS-free snowboard wax, handmade by riders for riders in Bend, Oregon.
StoryBooth Experience:A pop-up podcast studio for events, designed to capture voices, stories and memories that last a lifetime.
Wanderhut Vehicle equipment: A car camping solution that offers an alternative to rooftop tents, vans and traditional setups.
A home is more than a structure; it’s a composition of choices, materials and details that reflect the people who live there. Every element, from the floors to the fixtures, shapes the character of a space. Most decorative-tile options on the market are flat, uniform and forgettable, designed for efficiency, not artistry. Kibak Tile in Sisters offers an artisanal alternative.
Each piece is handcrafted and made to order, with makers creating intricate designs that carry the warmth of the human hand. By blending centuries-old techniques with contemporary design, Kibak produces tiles with depth and texture that mass production can’t match. It’s time-consuming, yes, but well worth the one-of-a-kind ceramics that transform spaces from cookie-cutter to custom.
“It may sound a bit ‘woo-woo,’” said Carli Strachan, Kibak’s head of product development and outreach, “but I truly believe that if you live in a home where the tile was carefully handcrafted by caring people, the love we pour into each piece will translate into your home and have a lasting positive impact.”
For Strachan, the work is personal. “My mother, Susanne Redfield, founded Kibak Tile, so my journey technically began 30 years ago when I would visit her at work,” she said. Childhood curiosity and summers spent painting tiles would eventually lead her to join the company, full-time in 2015. “I couldn’t resist the creative pull any longer,” she added. “There’s something special about working in a trade that embraces quality and infuses objects with life.”
The creative process at Kibak begins long before the first brushstroke. Design inspiration comes from various sources. Sometimes, it’s drawn from Spanish, Moroccan, Danish or Japanese design motifs. Other times, it’s an unexpected color palette or an interplay of textures.
Whatever the point of inspiration, artistry must be balanced with practicality. “Making a new pattern can be challenging,” Strachan explained. “It has to be paintable, with no space too small or intricate, and it has to work well as a repeat.” This ensures the final product is beautiful and functional, a standard that has earned Kibak the attention of respected names in architecture and design, with patterns commissioned by Daltile, Ann Sacks, Fireclay and Malibu Tile Works.
Clients are also central to the creation process. Instead of simply flipping through a catalog, they co-create something that aligns with their vision. “Tiles have incredible storytelling power,” Strachan said. Clients become part of the process, with the Kibak team working closely with them to refine patterns and select colors, whether the space is modern, farmhouse, coastal, craftsman or another. If the perfect hue isn’t available commercially, the teams will customize glazes to match cabinets, countertops or paint.
Once the design is finalized, the dry-line technique brings it to life. Rooted in Islamic ceramic art, this method uses the wax resist technique to trace patterns, keeping glazes crisp and defined.
“The story of tile and tile making is so rich, with historical roots that date back thousands of years,” Strachan explained. “It’s a craft that deserves to be honored, and that’s exactly what we do here.”
After glazing, the tiles are kiln-fired at thousands of degrees, permanently sealing the color and finish. The intense heat alters the pigments, deepening some shades and softening others. No two tiles are ever identical, a touch of unpredictability that gives each piece its individual quality.
Kibak Tile Screen Print
Traditionally confined to kitchen backsplashes and bathroom floors, tile was valued more for durability than design. But Kibak sees tile as architectural, shaping a room’s entire mood.
“We tile in unexpected places, fireplace surrounds, stair risers, pools, door frames, even custom furniture,” Strachan said. “We’re actually developing a tile and steel table that will be available soon.” Thinking beyond the backsplash allows tile to elevate even the most practical spaces and corners of a home.
The belief that tile should enhance a space rather than fade into the background extends to color and pattern. “Although we can work with neutrals and have our twists on how to make them more interesting with textures and patterns, we love a project that embraces color, pattern, richness and depth,” she said.
Strachan’s advice for those considering custom tile is simple: Start with a vision, but stay open to discovery. “Think about the mood, color palette and vibe while considering how the tile will interact with other design elements,” she said. “Most importantly, you should love the tile you choose.” It’s an investment in quality, legacy and artistry.
Looking ahead, Kibak is expanding its offerings beyond traditional installations. The business is also developing wall hangings, murals and even footwear featuring its signature patterns, allowing the spirit of Kibak Tile to find its way into projects of all sizes. Local showroom visits are now welcome, and collections are available for direct purchase through its website.
“Our tiles are designed to bring joy, beauty, excellence and a personal touch to your space,” Strachan says. “It’s a timeless choice that requires no maintenance and will never fade”—a lasting reminder that some things are worth making by hand.
You’ve driven past the iconic wooden Cascade Lakes Recreation Area sign on Century Drive dozens of times and might know the mileage posts by heart. But even if it’s a road well-traveled, how well do you really know the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway? [Photo above by Cody Rheault]
Map Illustration by Elizabeth Person
Beyond a Road Well Traveled
The 66-mile route from Bend to Crescent Lake accesses 14 sparkling lakes and dozens more if you’re willing to do some legwork from one of its many trailheads. Yet beyond the countless opportunities for fun along the way, there are scores of hidden gems, subtle secrets and tall tales that are waiting to be uncovered and explored. So grab a Northwest Forest Pass, fasten your seatbelt and come along for a drive that will shed new light on the byway in your backyard.
Michael McLandress driving his yellow VW bus down the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway | Photo by Cody Rheault
Before the dormant volcano known as Bachelor Butte became the seventh largest ski area in North America, it was also known as Brother Jonathan and Mount Brother. The developers figured that skiing on a butte sounded small time, so they called their resort “Mt. Bachelor.” The name stuck but didn’t become official until the Oregon Geographic Names Board reluctantly voted to change it in 1983. By whatever name, the volcano last erupted between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago, which means its top layer of ash actually came from the more recent eruption of Mt. Mazama. No wonder its powder is so magical.
If you visit Todd Lake or Sparks Meadow and feel a sense of déjà vu, you may have seen one of them before. These two sites are so quintessentially Westernthat they’ve set the stage for numerous Hollywood movies including “Rooster Cogburn,” starring John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn, “The Way West” with Kirk Douglas, and “Homeward Bound,” featuring two adorable dogs and a cat. Haven’t seen those classics? They may not be streaming, but you can rent them at the last Blockbuster after you drive back to Bend.
Photo of Todd Lake by Richard Bacon
On large, flat-sided boulders near Devil’s Lake, look for Native pictographs, evidence of the Indigenous people who once lived here. A few of the drawings are said to be thousands of years old.
At Devil’s Lake, the glacial-fed water is both extra chilly and a clear aquamarine color. Paddling on the shallow, clear blue water gives the sensation of a magic carpet ride.
In the late 1960s, astronauts in the Apollo space program came to places like the lava flow at Devil’s Garden to prepare themselves for walking on the moon. They climbed around similar lava rock at Lava Butte in their space suits. As it turned out, the surface of the moon was much less rugged than Devil’s Garden, but the astronauts added to its topography by taking one of our local rocks and placing it on the moon surface in exchange for a lunar rock now on display at the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum.
In the 1950s, little-known Mud Lake was completely overshadowed by its resplendent neighbor Elk Lake. With a murky name and no fish, it had very few visitors. Then, someone had the audacity to stock it with Atlantic salmon for catch and release flytfishing. Paul Hosmer, The Sage of the Sagebrush Country, began singing its praises in the Brooks-Scanlon Pine Echoes newspaper, and they renamed it Hosmer Lake after him in 1962. These days, anglers, paddlers and campers can’t stay away. Now that’s a lake that cleaned up its act (and the fish evade catching like Nessie avoids being sighted at Loch Ness).
Photo of Hosmer Lake by Christian Murillo
Peaceful Lava Lake is notorious for one of Central Oregon’s greatest unsolved mysteries. In the winter of 1923-24, three burly men settled into a small cabin near the lake for what they thought would be a profitable winter of fur trapping. However, in early spring, the cabin was found abandoned and all three of their bodies were discovered on the surface of the lake when the ice melted, each with evidence of gunshot wounds. While no one was ever charged in the murders, it’s safe to say the killer is no longer at large.
Lava Lake Murders, courtesy of Deschutes County Historical Society
Nearby, the creek flowing out of Little Lava Lake is the source of the Deschutes River. Its water has been traced all the way back to Mount Bachelor, which absorbs most of its snowmelt like a sponge and sends it downhill to the lake. From here, the Deschutes River continues south to Crane Prairie Reservoir, does a 180 at Wickiup Reservoir and completes its rollicking journey to the Columbia River, 252 miles in all.
Little Lava Lake
A short hike to Osprey Point at Crane Prairie Reservoir brings you to a prime spot for wildlife viewing. Once an endangered species, about half of Oregon’s osprey population returns to nest and mate here every spring. They share the habitat with eagles, often competing over the same fish in their unique ways. While eagles gracefully soar down and grab a fish near the surface of the water, osprey pause high above the lake, then power dive as much as three feet underwater, which gives osprey their name “fishing hawks.”
In April of 1940, a team of 600 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers began clearing trees and moving dirt to build Wickiup Reservoir. Creating this source of irrigation water for the Madras area was one of the CCC’s biggest undertakings; and yet, as WWII roared in, most of the crew members were called away to serve elsewhere. So who stepped in to finish the job in 1946? A group of Mennonite conscientious objectors.
Wickiup Dam, courtesy of Deschutes County Historical Society
At the end of the byway lies Crescent Lake. Until 1941, ski trains shuttled people there to downhill ski. Soon after, Willamette Pass Ski Area usurped it with easier access and better terrain. Appearing like a throwback to those times is the roadside cabin, Manley’s Tavern. The Manley family has been serving up broasted chicken since 1973. If you’re lucky, reserve a night at the 1930s Crescent Guard Station to feel the history of the land and the roadway to get there.
El Sancho is back with a fresh new look and the same killer tacos. Part taco stand, part neighborhood living room, El Sancho has always felt effortlessly hardwired for joy, held together with hot sauce and scrappy, low-key magic that somehow works. So when a fire rolled through the eastside location last June, it felt like someone pulled a chair out from under the city.
The building may have burned, but El Sancho’s spirit never flinched. The crew regrouped, rallied its crowd and cranked out an insane amount of tacos at the Galveston location during the eastside rebuild. It turns out that good people, and good tacos, don’t mind getting a little messy.
Different Walls, Same Sancho Vibes
“We built the original restaurant with whatever we could scrounge up,” said co-owner Joel Cordes. “The rebuild allowed us to create the space we always dreamed of—even though the path wasn’t ideal.” Almost a year after the fire, El Sancho East is back with a fresh new look. The sprawling outdoor patio is once again pulling in Bend’s taco faithful. A line occasionally snakes through the parking lot, but nobody cares because the air smells like grilled meat, citrus and everything else good in the world. The dining room got a major glow-up, less squeeze, more ease, with joyful colors and funky artwork that crank up the energy without sanding down the charm. Cordes calls it “a slightly more grown-up El Sancho.” Everyone’s still wearing flip-flops, but the tables no longer wobble.
El Sancho’s food remains as unfussy and glorious as ever. Just real-deal Mexican street food best eaten near a pile of napkins. Fried plantains, served with a tongue-tingling dollop of serrano aioli, are the perfect little snack. And the tacos still crush it, carnitas dripping with salsa verde, barbacoa buried under a pile of Cotija cheese and grilled mahi-mahi fresh enough to summon a sea breeze.
Of course, it wouldn’t be El Sancho without margaritas. Every drink begins with fresh juice, squeezed daily by an actual human. Pineapple Serrano, the margarita darling of the seven-flavor lineup, continues to seduce guests with its slow, welcome burn. “And when you just want a great margarita, go for the El Camino,” Cordes advised. Cointreau steps in for Triple Sec, tequila gets upgraded, and a splash of fresh lime juice brings the zing.
On trips to Bend for the elite cycling race, the Cascade Cycling Classic, James and Tracy Chao began dreaming of a life in Central Oregon. Coming from San Clemente, California, where space comes at a premium, the couple was attracted to the abundant biking opportunities and open landscapes.
In architect Eric Meglasson, James found a fellow cycling enthusiast and someone who shared his affinity for clean, contemporary design. The Chaos purchased a 10-acre parcel in the Highlands at Broken Top, close enough to walk to NorthWest Crossing but overlooking a meadow with views of the Cascade Range beyond. Meglasson designed a single-story residence nestled next to ponderosa pine trees.
“It is very rooted in the Northwest tradition of using exposed timberwork for the structure,” said Meglasson. “The scale is perfect for family living,” he added.
The home’s exposed glulam roof beam structure is an homage to the region’s timber industry. Asian influences are found in the simplicity of the design and repetition of the roof beam work.
The Chaos, who have a son and two Schnauzers, wanted a large private courtyard to capitalize on the privacy they were lacking in California. They also wanted a comfortable dwelling area for James’ mother who is spending more and more time in Bend, as well as display areas for their art collection.
“We wanted every space to be functional and useful,” said Tracy.
Influence From Down Under
The large courtyard with a gas fire pit is calming and open. With sliding glass doors, the great room—which includes a kitchen with natural soapstone countertops—is bright and stylish.
Fans of mid-century modern design, the Chaos furnished the bungalow they lived in for 17 years in San Clemente with colorful mid-century pieces. In their Bend home, they wanted to do something different. The mid-century-inspired yet modern furniture with darker and more neutral tones is a mix of pieces from Italy, such as the slim walnut dining table, as well as from Room & Board and Design Within Reach.
They stumbled on the work of Australian architect and interior designer Lani Fixler on social media and loved her clean, but not overly cold, aesthetic. “It’s just the small details where she came up with something different,” said James.
In the kitchen, Fixler, who they hired to do the fixed items in the house, such as cabinetry and decorative light fixtures, suggested a tile backsplash overlaid with a white range hood cover. The look is sleek, but soft. The home’s smooth profile wooden cabinets have recessed handles, so everything looks like one piece and clothes don’t snag on a protruding handle.
A Personal Collection
James’ appreciation for art began early. His aunt Flory Chowe was an accomplished artist. Her sculptures, paintings and sketches decorate the home and capture family memories big and small: an ethereal portrait of James’ grandmother and a 1976 sketch of his grandfather and father playing Go, a board game that originated in ancient China. A joint passion, the couple began adding to James’ collection more than 15 years ago. They especially love supporting up-and-coming young artists.
Meglasson designed the L-shaped home to showcase the Chao’s artwork. The main hallway doubles as a gallery with works ranging from surf art by Andy Davis and Jeff Canham to a large painting with tribal motifs and bright colors called “Sacred and Profane” by mural artist Zio Ziegler.
“Initially, what pulled us in was the complexity, but it also made us feel good. Art makes us happy,” said James.
Another captivating work is a narrative wall mural by Oklahoma City-based artist Denise Duong. Done in three pieces, it represents various states of being, from feeling overwhelmed to desiring exploration and septuagenarians eating ice cream, a quirky obsession of the artist.
Throughout the home, other details tell a story about the homeowners and their interests, from black and white vintage cycling photography to a stock print of slender trees turned into wallpaper in the primary bedroom, which Tracy calls her “happy place.”
With a soft and serene color palette and views of nature in every direction, the Chaos finally have the sanctuary they long craved.
Stephanie Rooker is rewriting what it means to eat well, one menu drop at a time. Kitchen Heartbeets in Bend, a weekly meal service is delivering dishes free from gluten, dairy, soy and inflammatory oils to Central Oregon doorsteps. She offers rotating menus full of organic meats, wild fish, local produce and serious flavor. “I don’t want people to worry about what’s in their food,” Rooker said. “I just want them to know it’s good.”
Before becoming a business owner, getting married and raising her two boys, Rooker spent four years teaching the first grade, a job she loved. While teaching, she simultaneously led a middle school cooking elective once a week. A student in her cooking class once asked if she’d gone to culinary school. She hadn’t—but the question was enough to encourage a reconnection to Rooker’s long-standing passion for food and wellness.
That summer, Rooker enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco. She came prepared—she had already earned a certificate from the Institute for Culinary Nutrition while teaching. Her dual education opened the door to two distinct culinary perspectives: the refined techniques of classical French cuisine and the holistic approach of food consumed as medicine.
After culinary school, Rooker’s work in restaurants, corporate catering and as a personal chef—paired with her own health challenges related to diet—prompted her to explore the healing power of food more deeply. “I was my own guinea pig,” she said. That journey led her to a food philosophy grounded in joy: comfort food that fuels the body.
Naming Kitchen Heartbeets
The name Kitchen Heartbeets came from a personal chef client who once told her, “You’re bringing the heartbeat back into my kitchen,” while ‘beet’ felt like the perfect play on words—part nourishing vegetable, part kitchen rhythm, and all heart. Her business has continued to carry on as a soul-led project.
Now, Rooker integrates her education to make nourishing food accessible. “The thing that people bump up against isn’t that they don’t want to eat food that fuels their body, it’s getting it on the table,” Rooker said. Better yet, Rooker has made it her mission to meet nourishment and accessibility with a deeply enjoyable culinary experience. “People sometimes associate satisfying food with not being able to be healthy. I wanted to flip that on its head,” she said. “You can have both.”
Inspired by the seasons, Rooker will look to a single ingredient or even the weather when building a menu. She loves the exciting work of creating something new every week: “A lot of what motivates me is doing something I haven’t done.” Naturally, this makes the farmers markets her happy place, with their reliably seasonal and diverse offerings. A Kitchen Heartbeets menu may feature Indian-inspired cuisine rich with spices. Or a menu may begin with the mission to master a dish that is new to her repertoire, such as phở, leading to a Vietnamese theme for the week.
While she cooks to fuel the community, Rooker is most motivated by the team she’s assembled along the way. Rooker didn’t start Kitchen Heartbeets with friends; her employees joined her business specifically to amplify her mission. One assistant Rooker mentors told her that she “loves working toward something that feels bigger than us.” That declaration hit home. “Apparently,” said Rooker, “I’ve always been a teacher.”
Chimichurri Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped cilantro, about 2 bunches
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped, about 1 bunch
½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 small garlic cloves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
In a food processor, add cilantro, parsley, salt, cumin, red pepper flakes and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping sides. Add red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, pulsing to combine. While on low, slowly stream in olive oil until just incorporated. Don’t overblend! Use it on grilled steak, chicken, fish, and roasted vegetables, or anything that begs for a flavor upgrade.
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
INGREDIENTS
4 to 5 boneless chicken breasts
½ tablespoon dried basil, divided
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning, divided
½ tablespoon garlic powder or granules, divided
½ teaspoon salt
SAUCE
2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
1 large sweet or yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
½ tablespoon dried basil
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic powder or granules
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, well drained if in oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
36 ounces chicken stock
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
Fresh basil, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine dried basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt. Use half the mixture to coat chicken breasts.
Heat saucepan over medium-high heat and add oil. Add onions without stirring for one minute to caramelize, then stir for three to five minutes. After the onions have softened, stir in salt and a splash of chicken stock to deglaze. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant. Add remaining basil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, yeast and ½ cup chicken stock. Simmer until seasons are incorporated. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste until fully blended. Add the remaining chicken stock, followed by the coconut milk. Simmer gently for three to four minutes, whisking occasionally to fully integrate.
In a separate pan, heat a little oil over medium-high, searing chicken for five minutes on each side until golden and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. When done, pour sauce over chicken. Don’t skimp! Garnish with a handful of fresh basil. Serve hot with a favorite vegetable, a side of grains, crispy potatoes or a loaf of bread to soak up the sauce.
Tahini Citrus Bowl
INGREDIENTS
2 cups dried quinoa
3 of each golden and red beets
1 pound cremini mushrooms,chopped
½ head purple cabbage, chopped
2 bunches of kale, chopped
1 ½ cups walnuts
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
CITRUS TAHINI DRESSING
⅓ cup tahini
1 garlic clove
1 orange, juiced and zested
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
QUICK PICKLED RED ONIONS
2 medium red onions, sliced thinly
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups water
½ teaspoon peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt
⅓ cup honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and foil-wrap the red and golden beets separately, roasting them for 1 hour or until tender. Once cooled, rub the skins off with paper towels. Chop, season with salt and pepper and add a squeeze of lemon (optional). On a baking sheet, spread the mushrooms and cabbage, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes at the same 375 degrees. Massage kale with olive oil, salt and pepper. When the mushrooms are nearly done, push them to one side of the tray and add the kale. Cook for an additional five minutes.
Cook quinoa according to the package.
In a saucepan, combine the pickling ingredients, except the onions; bring to a simmer.Place onions in a jar and pour hot liquid over them. Let them cool and then refrigerate. Keeps for two weeks.
For the dressing, blend all ingredients except the chives in a blender until smooth. Lightly pulse in chives at the end. Refrigerate until ready to use.
TO ASSEMBLE
Start with the quinoa, then layer on roasted vegetables, beets and fresh herbs. Drizzle generously with citrus tahini dressing. Finish with walnuts and pickled onions.
The surprise comes after turning off a well-traveled route onto a county road that crosses through an old-growth juniper forest, banks right and descends toward a cliff high above the Deschutes River. Unexpectantly, visitors arrive at a 6,458-square-foot home set among boulders, sagebrush, water features and more junipers, a marvel of design, engineering, creativity and collaboration between the owners and their team.
A Cliffside Marvel of Design and Construction Hidden in Plain Sight
A thoughtful conversion of the site into a secluded family getaway known as “Juniper Rim” began in 2018. While house hunting in Bend, Carol Ann and Scott Smallwood took a break to walk upstream from Tumalo State Park. “We realized [a parcel of land for sale] was right above us,” Scott recalled. “We scrambled up, bouldering until we reached the top. It was a bluebird day, and when we saw the land, we thought, ‘Wow, this is ridiculous.’” They purchased 100 acres, later subdividing the property into 10-acre parcels, reserving one for themselves.
Beginning in 2019, the couple assembled their team, first selecting Bend architect Scott Gilbride. “The site felt nice because it opens up to the views,” he said, noting how rock outcroppings framed a natural place to nestle the home. “The combination of the river canyon and the mountain views makes the land rare and spectacular.”
Joining Gilbride were builder Trevin Duey of Trevin Duey Construction, Harper House interior designers Lucy Roland and Allie Stoddard and landscape designer Arianne “Ani” Cahill. “It was a group effort from day one,” said Roland.
Duey described how they shaped the site to harmonize the home with its surroundings. “It was a sizable project, but we minimized its visual footprint more than one might expect,” he said, noting that the pool and pickleball court were tucked to one side. “From the river, you can’t even see the house—a feat in itself.”
Cahill emphasized the Smallwoods’ commitment to preserving the site.
“Once we figured out the best location, not too close to the cliff for safety, we adjusted the plans, pulling the home back and instead bringing the cliff to the house,” she explained. To achieve this, Bryan Harrison and his team at LandEscapes carefully moved additional rock to the patios. “They did such a stunning job, it was pure artistry,” she said. “You can’t even tell where the native rock ends and the new material begins.”
Gilbride designed a two-story building with two wings, one with the everyday living spaces for the couple, including the great room. The primary suite has a disappearing door that opens to a covered patio for a morning soak in the hot tub or a nightcap around the firepit. This side also incorporates the couples’ offices, a workout room and a guest bedroom. The other wing, built above the garage, has what the Smallwoods call “a kid zone,” including a rec room with couches and a pool table that converts to ping pong, a bunk room and guest amenities.
With 25 years of home-building experience, contractor Duey’s expertise proved invaluable in overcoming the project’s many challenges. “It was as complicated a house as I’ve ever built,” he said. Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Duey ensured that every aspect, from structural execution to finishing touches, met or exceeded the owners’ expectations. “He cared so much that it became clear there wouldn’t be a single flaw if he could help it,” Scott recalled. He shared a memorable example: A particular stone in the center of the entryway wall had a hint of pink that didn’t match the rest of the stone. It quickly became an eyesore to those who noticed it. After Roland mentioned it to Duey, the stone was gone by the couple’s next visit.
Bringing the Outside In
Blending the landscape with the home’s interior shaped both architecture and design. “When you’re inside, it feels like a comfortable cocoon, yet everywhere you look, you’re outside again,” Gilbride said. Expansive patios, including a covered one off the kitchen and upper-level balconies, ensure light-filled rooms open to sweeping canyon views.
A key feature throughout is Montana moss stone, inspired by Carol Ann’s fascination with “gorgeous juniper branches covered in lichen.” A dry-stack Montana stone wall greets visitors in the foyer. To the left, the masonry rises two stories behind the staircase. In the great room, it forms the fireplace wall, with additional placements throughout the home. Stone mason Jason Buckley of Elevated Stoneworks spent three years meticulously placing each piece.
Rock walls, hemlock ceilings and white oak cabinets create a rustic feel, offset with contemporary elements such as floor-to-ceiling doors along the canyon-facing side and a steel-supported staircase and balcony railings. “We wanted the home to look contemporary but not modern, which can feel cold and sterile,” Scott said. “We asked for informal comfort—low key but with cool style. The team nailed it.”
Designers Roland and Stoddard let the stonework, white oak and cement floor take center stage. “Everything else should take a back seat, and nothing should feel too precious,” said Roland. They chose earthy tones for the bathroom tile and walls, switching them up with subtle color shifts. “We wanted to achieve an organic feel that flowed from the bathrooms to the furniture,” she said. They incorporated natural fabrics such as linen and wool while keeping the palette neutral so the interior wouldn’t overpower the surrounding landscape.
The kitchen showcases a sleek, minimalist design with white oak cabinets and a quartzite island with a waterfall edge. It is complemented by light fixtures that “feel like jewelry,”Roland said. The rare use of the same quartzite to wrap the stove hood, reinforced with steel due to its weight, adds an unconventional twist, reflecting the builder’s skill in executing an innovative design.
One of Carol Ann’s favorite rooms is the butler’s pantry, which serves as a kitchen behind the kitchen. “When I walk into the pantry to make coffee, I see bunnies and birds. It’s a comforting space where every window has a fun, interesting view,” she said.
Intentional Landscape
Cahill’s challenge was balancing fire resistance, drought tolerance and efficient water use. She achieved this by using gravel and rock mulches with fire-safe plants.“It can be tricky to choose plants that tolerate drought and also resist fire,” she explained. One favored strategy was restoring undisturbed areas to nurture native species, such as Idaho fescue, wildflowers, penstemon, buckwheat and flax.
Scott and Carol Ann Smallwood | Photo: Zee Wendell
For the front yard, she positioned ornamental plants close to the house to maximize water efficiency while avoiding high-flammability species. “You can see the two water features from most of the house. It’s really quite dramatic and lovely,” she said.
Every detail reflects the Smallwoods’ commitment to creating a haven that feels both intimate and grand. A gem hidden in plain sight.
Overlanding is as Much About the Journey as the Destination
Look out, Redmond. On June 27-29, 2025, the overlanders are converging. A Toyota Tacoma with 33-inch mud tires and LED lights on a custom bumper might crest the horizon. Behind it might be a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van with retractable awnings and skid plates to protect its underbelly. These vehicles are rigged to withstand rough terrain, and there’s plenty to explore—the United States has more public land than any other developed country in the world. [Photo above by Benjamin Edwards]
Around 17,000 overland enthusiasts and their rigs are expected to descend on the Deschutes County Expo Center for the Overland Expo PNW, a weekend dedicated to off-road adventures. Imagine an off-camber, log-jammed driving course, a backcountry-specific culinary pavilion, more than 300 gear exhibits and demonstrations, educational workshops, and 1,000-plus campers all in one place.
The term “overlanding” originated in Australia, originally referring to moving cattle across long distances. Today, this concept has evolved to mean self-sufficient vehicle travel, where the odyssey of traveling is itself the destination. The trend gained momentum in part when Jeep Wrangler fanatics began developing backcountry modifications. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, overlanding exploded as people leaned heavily into outdoor recreation and wanted to work remotely, as in faraway forests, canyons or beaches.
“For many people the term overlanding means you have to drive a specific kind of tricked-out rig, but shorter adventures with smaller vehicles can still be overlanding,” said David Kerstan, a marketing specialist at Overland Expo. “I like to define overlanding as using a vehicle to get to a place to do a thing, from expeditions in the outback to weekend warriors car camping.”
Photo by Ray Gordon
While there is a diversity of approaches to overlanding, a consistent feature is the embrace and utilization of gear and vehicle modifications. Imagine improved suspension, engine snorkels for river crossing, traction boards for tires, intricate mounting systems, hitch-mounted cargo carriers, rooftop solar panels and cell phone boosters for backcountry service.
Overlanding has recruited a solid following in Central Oregon, where people have an outsized affinity for both getting outside and cutting-edge gear. Naturally, related businesses have popped up in the area and are thriving, from rack specialists to makers of tow-behind tents and backcountry meal kits.
“As an outdoor-centric area, Central Oregon is a hotspot for overlanding,” said Kerstan. “Our PNW expo is a place wherelocals hang out around fires and connect during campgroundafter-parties after expo activities and classes are done.”
Many local enthusiasts are a part of the Central Oregon Landcruisers, a collective of people who love to ride their highly equipped vehicles on super rough land and snow. Online, the forum IH8Mud is also a hub for local information. One Oregon group, Team Overland, is a volunteer-run nonprofit based in Southern Oregon which takes veterans on free trips three to four times per year, sometimes exploring Central Oregon. Their trips epitomize the spirit of overlanding and why so many people are drawn to it.
Bobby Raetz, the vice president of Team Overland, describes the magic of retreating deep into the woods: “As we travel away from civilization, we tap back into a mentality of camaraderie and support. We use teamwork to navigate obstacles and set up camp. Then, at the end of the day, we sit around the fire and use that as common ground to communicate.”
Overlanding provides the gift of outdoor recreation | Photo by Fluri Adventures
Get Ready to Overland with Central Oregon Companies
When Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage,” he may have appreciated a city covered in quilts. On Saturday, July 12, 2025, Sisters, Oregon, hosts the 50th Annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, transforming the town into a vibrant, open-air art gallery. This free, family-friendly event features over 1,300 handcrafted quilts created by textile artists from around the globe. Each July, more than 10,000 quilting enthusiasts and visitors flock to Central Oregon to witness this spectacular showcase of fabric art, tradition, and innovation. Seeing is believing how an entire town can be covered in quilts.
Jean Wells: Founder and Quilting Pioneer Honored in the Quilter’s Hall of Fame
The origins of this world-renowned quilt show go back to 1975 when Jean Wells, a passionate quilter and owner of local quilt shop in Sisters called the Stitchin’ Post, displayed a dozen quilts outside her storefront. The simple heartfelt act of sharing colorful textile art kicked off what has become the world’s largest outdoor quilt show. Wells’ dedication to quilting and the Sisters community has earned her numerous accolades, including a 2010 induction into the Quilter’s Hall of Fame in Marion, Indiana, in 2010.
Golden Anniversary Events: Quilt Show Week Highlights
To honor the show’s 50-year legacy, several special events are planned leading up to the main event on Saturday:
Quilters Affair: July 7–11, 2025 Leading up to the big day, attend the Quilters Affair, where 118 hands-on quilting workshops are offered by renowned instructors from around the world. Don’t miss the instructor meet-and-greet on Thursday, July 10 at Sisters High School, featuring a special talk by Jean Wells on the early days of the quilt show.
A Town Covered in Quilts: Friday, July 11, 2025 Join Jean and her daughter Valori Wells at Sisters High School for an intimate evening of storytelling, a Q&A session, and a charity quilt auction. Discover the personal stories behind their iconic quilt designs.
Save It for Sunday: July 13, 2025 Spend Sunday morning at FivePine Lodge with nationally recognized quilter Karen Stone, who will host lectures and walking tours highlighting her innovative approach to modern quilting and design.
Local Quilting Guilds Unite for 50th Anniversary Exhibits The 50th Annual Quilt Show wouldn’t be possible without support from Central Oregon’s vibrant quilting community. Local guilds—including the East of the Cascades Quilt Guild, Central Oregon Modern Quilt Guild, and more—will present exclusive anniversary-themed exhibits, such as “Log Cabin Redux,” “Golden Threads,” and “Quilting Sisters: A Tribute to Oregon.”
Featured Quilters: Celebrating Local Talent
Mari Wymore: A Central Oregon resident for 55 years, Wymore’s quilting journey began in 1965. She is recognized for her wool appliqué techniques, her commitment to sustainable quilting, and her innovative use of recycled fabrics. Her work honors both heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design
Karen Stone: A nationally recognized quilter and teacher, Stone is known for her bold color palettes, complex paper-pieced patterns, and award-winning quilts. She is a sought-after teacher and speaker, and her innovative style bridges the gap between traditional quilting and modern art.
Ways to Get Involved in the Show
View quilts hung across town, or get involved in multiple ways:
WISH Fabric Postcard Challenge Design a 4” x 6” fabric postcard commemorating the 50th anniversary. The top entries will be auctioned off to benefit the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Scholarship Fund.
Quilt Block Design Contest Submit a custom quilt block using Sisters Mountain Meadow fabrics. Winning blocks will be showcased in future quilt exhibits and publications.
Plan Your Trip to the Sisters Show
Don’t miss a chance to experience quilting artistry in Sisters, Oregon. Whether you’re a seasoned quilter, a textile lover or a curious visitor, the annual show offers art, inspiration, community and a celebration of creativity in Sisters, Oregon this summer.
Apologies to Ted Lasso, but water (not football) is life. It’s Earth’s secret sauce, the magic elixir of existence. Those who live amid the plateaus and canyons of Central Oregon understand its value. The perpetually thirsty landscape, porous by nature, absorbs nearly all the scant precipitation it receives and redirects that flow underground. Chemistry and gravity carve fissures in volcanic bedrock, fill vast aquifers underneath arid plains and create rivers that sustain every form of life that call this place home.
Few of us, even the most dedicated anglers and paddlers, are as intimately connected to rivers, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems as professional fishing guides. Successful guides don’t just show up, put in their hours and go home—they observe and catalog every nuance of these complex systems for their clients’ success and safety. Because of that vigilance, they’re often the first to notice when a river changes or exhibits signs of distress.
Mia Sheppard owns and operates Maupin-based Little Creek Outfitters and Juniper River Adventures
From the Mouths of Guides
“Guides witness the river’s rhythms every day,” said Dylan Stanford, who takes clients out on the Deschutes River as owner of North Fork Outfitters. “That awareness and intimacy is beneficial in assessing the health of the river system over time. We see the subtle shifts in water quality and the impact on the bird, insect and fish populations. It’s our home water. We’re consistent observers of this place.”
Similarly, Mia Sheppard owns and operates Maupin-based Little Creek Outfitters and Juniper River Adventures with her husband, Marty. She’s been a professional fishing and river guide since 2003.
“Every day, I wake up and see the Deschutes River,” Sheppard explained. “We have raised our daughter on the water. We have hiked almost every canyon and peak in the lower 25 miles. Rivers are our life. [They’re] the lifeblood of Oregon rural communities and this planet.”
Matt Mendes of Spin the Handle guide service has been guiding on the Warm Springs Reservation since he was 16 years old. He apprenticed under his grandfather, the first Native guide on the Warm Springs section of the Deschutes, and continues to work as a full-time fishing guide.
“The Deschutes River is like family: The water, this river, it means everything to us, [through] several generations. I’ve grown up on it. My grandpa took me fishing there. My kids now fish it. I’ve spent countless days and hours with friends on it. It gives us confidence, life, peace, closure and, at moments, even sadness.”
Dylan Stanford
Protecting Resources
Unlike casual anglers and recreators, guides have multiple incentives to care for the river. “Guides bear an inherent responsibility to steward the waters they work,” said Stanford. “We’re obligated to preserve, educate and advocate for these ecosystems. Our livelihoods are tied to the health of the river and fish populations, so it’s not only an ethical obligation, but in a guide’s best business interest to protect these natural resources.”
“Outfitters and guides play significant roles in river conservation,” said Sheppard. “We educate people about the river and wildlife, about sustainable practices, such as how to properly handle wild fish; we inspire people to practice Leave No Trace; we pick up trash and poop and pack it out; we break up fire rings and pull noxious weeds. Our business has donated more than $100,000 in trips to conservation organizations over the years.”
Mendes holds himself and his business accountable to the river, carrying on his family legacy of stewardship.
Forming Relationships
Good guides don’t just lead to fish, they help people develop relationships with rivers and educate them about wild places. The fish are adrenaline catalysts, searing experiences in the minds of people who would otherwise never have such visceral and personal reasons to care about watershed conservation. Some of the people who hire guides become ardent conservation supporters themselves.
“On the surface, it would seem that a fishing guide is primarily responsible to put their clients on fish,” Stanford said. “In my experience, however, the fishing—and especially the catching of the fish—comes second to the overall experience. Bridging the gap between a mysterious wild river and people who want to interact with that place in a positive way is what makes a great guide. I believe people are more likely to protect what they know and understand.”
Sheppard believes guides facilitate meaningful interactions that would otherwise never happen. “A lot of people don’t have a boat, know how to row safely, or have time to learn a river,” she said. “This is why people hire guides. We are all servants to the resources and to our guests. When guests inquire about where to donate money, we offer suggestions on NGOs [nonprofits that address non-governmental or political issues] we trust or suggest giving back to rural communities and programs.”
Fishing and river guides don’t care for the rivers because they work as guides; they work as guides because they care for the rivers.
Mendes explained, “When I need to get away, I go listen to the sounds of the canyon. The wind, the birds, the pungent aromas of sage and juniper. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks balances out my soul. It’s the best medicine around. When I’m in such a sacred and powerful place, all is well again.”
Sisters filmmaker R.A. Beattie and Off the Grid Studios premiered a new film, “The Hard Way,” depicting the beauty and challenges of the Deschutes River through the eyes of fly-fishing guide Matt Mendes. An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Mendes follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, who was the first Native American fishing guide on the river. The film portrays four seasons of the Deschutes and how the living ecosystem changes throughout the year. Beattie and his team, including writer Miles Nolte and cinematographer Arian Stevens, took two years to create “The Hard Way” and secured rare permits to film on tribal land.
“While it’s a fishing film, it’s not just about the fish,” said Beattie. “It’s about effort, place and presence; about showing what it really means to choose the harder path, and why that choice matters. It’s the kind of story that reminds us why we started fishing in the first place, and why it’s worth pushing through the tough days to get to the good ones.”
The film premiered as part of the 2025 Fly Fishing Film Tour, which spanned more than 14 countries and 300 events, including a sold-out premier in Bend in spring 2025. See offthegridstudios.com.
The free event welcomes families, caregivers, and supporters for games, activities, and community-building fun. It’s more than a party, it’s a tribute to the founders and to five decades of dedication to kids’ health.
How Pediatric Healthcare Started in Bend, Oregon
In the early 1970s, Bend looked very different. With just 15,000 residents and only a few medical providers, specialized care for children was limited. There was no pediatric ward in the first St. Charles Hospital, then located on NW Franklin Avenue. Families had to travel to Portland when their kids got seriously ill, but Dr. Mary Brown saw a better way. “I knew we could do more,” Dr. Brown said.
Her residency training included the emerging science of neonatology, and she brought skills of infant ventilation and critical care to the small town. In 1975, she opened a 700-square-foot pediatric clinic with just three exam rooms on NE 3rd Street. That year, she was instrumental in making sure the newly built St. Charles Medical Center on Neff Road included a pediatric ward—it wasn’t in the original plans, but she converted a storage room on the fifth floor into two rooms. Dr. Brown helped bring in the first infant ventilator, called a “Baby Bird,” to Central Oregon. She believed that Bend kids deserved the same high-quality care as children in larger cities, and her goal was to keep kids healthy and close to home.
One year later, Dr. John Chunn, an infectious disease specialist, joined her. He shared her vision that they could do more. “We were both trained to take care of the sickest kids,” said Dr. Chunn. “It was possible to treat them right here in Bend versus sending them away.” Sue Stanley played an important role as their first nurse and administrator.
Together, they built something extraordinary.
A Clinic with a Mission That Still Guides the Work
The small clinic has grown to include upwards of 35 pediatricians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinicians on its healthcare team, but its core values remain unchanged. This clinic is still committed to individualized care for all children in Central Oregon, inclusive of all backgrounds, needs, and medical complexities. It believes every child matters, that all families deserve access to exceptional care, and that pediatric health is a lifelong journey.
“I didn’t realize what I was creating back then,” said Dr. Brown. “I just knew it was important to focus on the kids and not forget what it means to be with a family that is struggling. I love what COPA has become.”
A Full Range of Pediatric Services in Central Oregon
Today, families trust the clinics not just for expert care, but for compassion, respect, and a deep understanding of what children need to thrive. As Dr. Brown explained, the job of a pediatrician is an honor: “Once you get in a room with a 5 year old, you forget about other things.” As the region has grown, so has the reach and expertise. The practice now offers:
Services were created with families and children in mind. Whether your child has a high fever at 10 p.m. or a sprained ankle on a Sunday, access to trusted care is efficient, accessible, and built for kids of all ages.
When 24-Hour Nurse Advice Can Make a Difference
Imagine it’s the middle of the night. Your toddler has a sudden cough and a high fever, and you’re not sure whether to head to the emergency room or wait until morning.
That’s when COPA Kids’ 24/7 Nurse Advice Line becomes a lifeline. A pediatric-trained nurse talks you through symptoms, offers real-time guidance, answers your questions, and helps you decide the right next steps.
Sometimes it’s at-home care and a nurse will talk you through it. Other times, it’s a recommendation to be seen urgently. Either way, a nurse advice line offers peace of mind. You’re never alone.
What to Expect from COPA’s Kids Care: Expert Care for Urgent Concerns
Weekends and evenings are when kids always seem to get sick or injured. COPA Kids’ Care offers expert urgent pediatric care without the high cost and stress of an emergency room visit. Healthcare emergencies can’t always wait until Monday.
Maybe your 6-year-old has a sudden earache on Saturday morning. What if your teenager sprains their ankle during a soccer game? You can quickly schedule online for easy access to evening and weekend visits with a trusted pediatric expert.
Bring your children to COPA Kids’ Care for faster recovery and less worry.
Locally Owned Pediatricians Who Know the Community
One of the things families love most about COPA is its inclusive care for all children. Unlike many large healthcare systems, they remain locally owned and financially independent. This matters. It means decisions are made in Central Oregon, by providers who live here and understand the families they serve.
The team is committed to inclusive care. Every child, inclusive of their race, gender identity, background, and ability, receives compassionate and personalized attention.
“We determine our own future,” says Dr. Chunn. “That means we can keep doing what’s best for the kids, always.”
From Curious Toddlers to Confident Teens
Central Oregon Pediatrics Associates has always believed in the power of connection. That starts with seeing each child as unique, curious, imaginative, and full of potential. “Our approach has always been very individual and down to earth,” said Dr. Brown.
From your baby’s first check-up to helping your teen prepare for college, the early vision of care means providers support families through every milestone and stage of life of a child’s life.
They believe that kids aren’t simply small adults; healthcare isn’t just about treating illnesses. It’s about helping kids develop positive, life-long attitudes about their health and wellness.
Building a Healthy Future—Together
The vision that began in a tiny three-room clinic has expanded into a trusted, multi-location practice serving tens of thousands of Central Oregon families. Yet the heart of Central Oregon Pediatrics Associates remains the same: Compassionate care. Local connection. Expert guidance for every stage of childhood.
“The joy of pediatrics is knowing you played a part in the life of someone; that the things you did or said made a difference in the person they’ve become,” said Dr. Brown. “Being a pediatrician is the best job in the world.”
As COPA Kids celebrates 50 years, it looks forward to serving the next generation of young patients as they grow, learn, and thrive. We invite you to attend the COPA 50th Celebration:
A community event with activities, music, and more
Here in Central Oregon, long before it was known for skiing and mountain biking, it was a hub for ranching and farming. Folks grew their own food, fixed their own fences and relied on each other for help when needed. The roots of that culture still thrive here, and growing numbers of people seek out the satisfaction of creating a lifestyle that is grounded, literally, in the land. Traditional knowledge that once passed through generations now can be learned through local organizations such as the School of Ranch. With its blend of high and low technology, the nonprofit connects people who want to learn traditional ranch skills with local mentors and helps build a community of shared values, according to its founder Mark Gross.
In 2020, Gross left a high-tech career in California, aiming for a low-tech retirement in rural Central Oregon. Rural life wasn’t as simple as it seemed, and he soon realized he needed help learning to use a chainsaw. Ex-Marine Kaleb Watson answered his Craigslist ad.
“We were opposites in many ways, but through that project we became friends,” said Gross. “I saw how hands-on collaboration builds bridges across differences, while teaching practical skills.”
This learning experience inspired Gross to establish the school, based in Terrebonne, and cultivate a team of instructors. The organization’s website links students to in-person, hands-on workshops held throughout Central Oregon. With a full menu of ranch-relevant topics such as handyman basics, tractor driving, welding, beekeeping, canning and soapmaking, participants and expert mentors work and learn together. Along the way, they find common ground and friendship.
Mark Gross
Resilient Individuals, Stronger Communities
Julia Vasinda and Steve Challis joined the School of Ranch in 2024 after purchasing 80 acres of undeveloped farmland near Sisters. They’d been seeking a more balanced life, one that felt substantial and connected to the land. They had a vision for small-scale farming and the School of Ranch workshops are helping them realize that dream.
“The Power Saws for Women class got me started. Then carpentry, soil management, welding and chicken keeping,” said Vasinda.
Each class enriches students’ ranching know-how and builds upon itself—a student learns how to build a coop before learning how to raise chickens. Of all the workshops, Vasinda and Challis found welding the most challenging and satisfying. “Welding can be intimidating, but by the end I had the basic skills. On our rocky terrain, we’re sure to break equipment, and now I know how to fix it,” said Challis.
Joe Slattery
That sense of satisfaction came as no surprise to welding instructor Joe Slattery, who runs the class in his personal workshop. After a career that included fusing NASA space shuttles, he enjoys sharing his wealth of knowledge. “Everyone likes to make stuff, to fix things yourself instead of hiring someone,” said Slattery. “Each class has a diverse group, people from all walks of life, but here we share the same goals.”
A drive for self-sufficiency shows up in the kitchen, as well, according to Beth Covert, School of Ranch board member and instructor. Covert has seen a fresh desire for a return to traditional ways, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time of insecurity, people turned to the forgotten arts of cultivating gardens, preserving the bounty and sharing delicious dishes.
Beth Covert
For Covert, food is the foundation of a healthy community. She’s always cultivated and preserved home-grown food, even as more convenient options filled grocery aisles. Covert’s workshops focus on high desert gardening and food preservation, including canning, fermenting and dehydrating. Sharing her knowledge is easy, she explained, because of the structure built into every School of Ranch program.
“I’ve built hoop beds, propagated low-water plants, mastered my compost system and filled my pantry with dried and canned food, but I’ve never been a teacher,” said Covert.
For her classes, Covert schedules time for a potluck to nurture friendships among the participants.
While Covert’s classes revolve around the garden, instructor Rick Bell helps learners move toward energy independence. After a lengthy military career, Bell turned to self sufficiency, living off the energy grid. Through School of Ranch, he teaches others to do the same. His workshops help participants understand wiring and electrical systems, beginning with small projects such as solar batteries and wiring for trailers. Like other instructors, Bell remains available for advice and help as students venture into their own solar and off-grid projects.
“These classes help people take care of both themselves and others, rather than depending on the grid. It makes for a stronger local community, and the local level is where it matters,” said Bell.
Rick Bell
Nurturing the Ranch Mindset
Community engagement has always been part of the mission for Shannon and Taylor Kane of Wild Grown Farm in Redmond. Through School of Ranch, they help people understand the foundations of producing their own food. “As a society, we’re increasingly disconnected from where our food comes from,” said Taylor. “I was raised in a city, so I took the long route to learning these skills. These workshops allow us to bridge the gap for folks like me who weren’t raised with this knowledge base.”
The Kanes’ approach to farming goes beyond traditional agriculture into agroecology and permaculture, with a mindset that keeps them looking to nature as a guide for building regenerative, closed-loop systems on their farm.
The Kanes
“These workshops are a gateway into this lifestyle and philosophy. We hope that folks see the connection between nurturing the earth and nurturing ourselves. Getting your hands in the soil and raising your own food is empowering, and we want to inspire people on that path. The more folks that do that, the better we collectively will be,” said Shannon.
For Vasinda and Challis, they’re ready to start beekeeping while carefully laying out their farming strategy. They’ve got a list of workshops yet to join, to grow their community as well as their skills. Eventually, they hope to come full circle and host School of Ranch sessions on their own land.
Gross, in the meantime, has gone from thoughts of retirement to creating a legacy. “School of Ranch will continue to grow because there is so much in the concept of ranching that matters,” he said. “Ranch is a metaphor for using your hands, for connecting to land, for community, for sustainability, and even for finding common ground with those who have differing opinions. We all need that now.” Learn more at School of Ranch.
Get ready for a cosmic spectacle, 2025 offers a variety of notable astronomical events! 2025 is packed with incredible night sky events, from dazzling meteor showers to breathtaking auroras and dramatic blood moons. Discover the must-see celestial shows of the year, many of which you can enjoy with just your own eyes. Even if you’re new to stargazing, these upcoming wonders are sure to amaze.
Join amateur astronomers at Indian Trail Spring in the Ochoco National Forest for this annual multiday celebration. Find educational speakers, telescope mentoring for adults and youth, along with telescopes available for use in the ‘Telescope Tent.’ Oregon Star Party is held 45 miles east of Prineville, Oregon, and camping is available.
June 26, 2025: Moon and Mercury Meet Up
Witness a rare celestial rendezvous! On June 26th, tiny Mercury, the sun’s closest planet, emerges from its hiding place to join the slender crescent moon. To see this subtle spectacle, peer low into the western sky shortly after sunset, 20-30 minutes before darkness falls. Mercury, a faint glimmer, will be just three degrees from the moon. A clear western view is essential, and binoculars can cut through the sunset’s glow.
August 12, 2025: Venus and Jupiter’s Close Encounter
Mark your calendars for an early morning planetary conjunction on August 12th. Venus and Jupiter will appear very close together in the eastern dawn sky. Venus will be the brighter of the two, shining with a white light, while Jupiter will appear dimmer and golden. Binoculars will easily show both planets together. A small telescope will reveal Jupiter’s atmospheric bands and the Galilean moons.
September 7, 2025: Total Lunar Eclipse and Blood Moon
Sorry, this total lunar eclipse (“blood moon”) will only be visible in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. But in case you are traveling, a partial eclipse begins at 9:27 a.m. PST, with totality from 10:30 a.m. to 11:52 a.m. PST. This timing is to show when it occurs relative to PST, it will be visible during evening hours in the locations mentioned above. Look east at the moonrise for the red glow. No equipment is needed, but binoculars/telescope will enhance the view.
September 19, 2025: Moon, Venus, and Regulus in Celestial Group Hug
Dawn’s celestial triangle. 45 minutes before sunrise, look east for the crescent moon, dazzling Venus, and blue-white Regulus forming a beautiful trio.
November 8, 2025: Saturn’s Rings Vanish
Prepare for a rare Saturn sighting! In early November, its famous rings will appear edge-on, nearly vanishing. This happens only every 15 years. Use a backyard telescope for the best view, looking south in the evening sky within Aquarius.
December 13 to 14: Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks
Prepare for a dazzling display of shooting stars! The Geminid meteor shower, peaking December 13-14, will deliver up to 120 meteors per hour. Thanks to a dark, moonless sky, this year’s show will be exceptional. Escape light pollution for the best experience, but even backyards can offer a great view.
Oregon Badlands Wilderness
Past Events in 2025
March 13, 2025: Total Lunar Eclipse and Blood Moon
The eclipse is viewable anywhere in the Western Hemisphere that has clear skies, including every state in the U.S. The moon will start to look a little different just before midnight EDT on Thursday. The eclipse will start shortly after 10 p.m. PST and totality happens between about 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. PST.
March 29, 2025: Partial Solar Eclipse
The next partial solar eclipse will occur on March 29 and will begin around 1:50 a.m. PST, according to timeanddate.com. It’s expected to end just before 5:43 a.m. PST. The peak of the partial eclipse is scheduled to happen around 3:47 a.m. PST.
Dawn Nilson spends a lot of time under starry night skies. When she gazes at the cosmos alongside campers and astronomers, she notices a peculiar pattern. Voices get quiet, and tones are softened. A serene stillness blankets the scene. Certain animals come out and specific plants begin to flower. As the sun sets and the stars twinkle, the world transforms, and we transform with it.
In those awe-inspiring moments, Nilson—dark sky preservation director with the Rose City Astronomers and a delegate for DarkSky International—says we’re connecting to something deeper than the brilliant display before us. “The stars have engaged people since we’ve been people,” she said. “They have inspired all the major religions, all the sciences, farm work and poetry. It’s just this big beyond—these really vast places of unknown.”
Todd Lake looking at Mount Bachelor | Photo by Jared Mantzouranis
This is the sentiment at the heart of Nilson’s professional efforts to protect and preserve dark night skies for generations to come. Most recently, she managed and authored an application to create the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary—an area of more than 2 million acres, roughly 90 minutes southeast of Bend, recognized for its bracingly clear night skies.
Broken Top | Photo by Nick Lake
Those efforts paid off in early 2024 with the establishment of the sanctuary, and organizers across the region aren’t done trying to save our dark skies. Here’s why that matters and what organizers are doing to keep those pristine views intact.
Why Dark Night Skies Matter
According to a 2016 study published in the journal Science Advances, nearly 80% of North Americans can’t see the Milky Way on an otherwise clear evening—a problem caused by what’s known as light pollution.
Light pollution occurs when streetlights and other sources of artificial light brighten and wash out otherwise pristine night skies. According to the National Park Service, that man-made light can travel up to 125 miles from its original source.
But the effects go far beyond what we can or cannot see. The presence of artificial light may attract invasive species that can alter established ecosystems, force native species from their habitats and throw off long-held migration patterns.
Summer Lake Hot Springs | Photo by Joey Hamilton
How Skies Are Being Protected
Fortunately, organizations around the world are working to reduce light pollution and protect clear night skies. Chief among them is the nonprofit organization DarkSky International, whose International Dark Sky Places program strives to curtail light pollution, collaborate with local communities to implement responsible lighting practices and educate the public on the importance of clear skies.
The first location in Central Oregon to receive a DarkSky designation was the community of Sunriver—which in 2020 was dubbed a Dark Sky Friendly Development of Distinction.
The recognition came after collaboration between Bob Grossfeld, who led the effort as observatory manager of Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory, and local stakeholders. Efforts included minimizing the number of streetlights and reworking lights on homes and community buildings—typically by installing shields and focusing beams of light away from the sky and toward the ground. The following year, Prineville Reservoir was dubbed an International Dark Sky Park after staff members installed soft yellow and red lighting that reduced light pollution.
Most recently, in March 2024, the 2.5-million-acre Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary was established in southeastern Oregon. Within those boundaries, and under the region’s clear night skies, sits Summer Lake Hot Springs, the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge and other popular attractions.
Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory | Photo by Grant Tandy
Todd Forbes, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Lakeview district manager, said the effort started after being approached in 2019 by community stakeholders, including Nilson.
Forbes has worked in Lakeview for more than two decades and says that travelers have been visiting the Oregon Outback the entire time to admire its starry skies. So when Nilson and others asked the BLM to support their efforts to establish the sanctuary, Forbes said it was a no-brainer to take part. “We saw this as a way to validate some of that recreation use that was already happening—and maybe draw some additional attention to the area,” he said.
The sanctuary largely sits on existing BLM land, much of which is unlit—reducing the need to mitigate light pollution. “There are usually a lot of conflicting uses out there,” Forbes said. “And this is one that really doesn’t conflict much with uses that are already going on.”
That solitude gets at why so many have visited the region for decades—a trend that Forbes doesn’t think will slow anytime soon. “What makes the Oregon Outback so special is the ability to find solitude pretty easily,” he said. And now there are two million acres of dark sky to make it even more remarkable.
Chasing Aurora
Written by Christian Murillo
When people think of chasing the northern lights, arctic destinations such as Alaska, Iceland or Norway typically come to mind. While auroras may not occur often in Central Oregon, the year ahead could be special.
The aurora borealis occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in a dazzling display of light and color. The solar flares that cause these energetic spikes follow a roughly 25-year cycle. We are currently reaching the solar maximum, a period typically associated with more frequent and stronger auroras. This period is expected to last through 2025 and may not appear for another 11 years.
To View and Enjoy the Aurora in Central Oregon
First, keep an eye on the planetary K-index of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The planetary K-index, or Kp, predicts the strength of an aurora. For reference, the aurora on May 10 hit Kp levels of 9, the upper limit of the scale. I have photographed an aurora in Oregon with a Kp as low as 6, but have found that it isn’t really visible to the naked eye until it gets above 7. Even at this strength, the aurora is more visible to most cameras (even smartphone cameras) than to the naked eye. Since night vision in humans is poor, we need to do everything possible to see the night sky in its full glory.
One of the best ways to see the aurora with your naked eyes is to avoid light pollution. The northern lights typically display on the northern horizon so it is worth noting light pollution to the north. The moon should also be considered when making aurora plans. Its brightness can easily wash out even the strongest auroras; instead check for aurora activity around a new moon, before moonrise or after moonset.
As with any night sky viewing, it is important to look for a place with clear skies. Central Oregon is blessed with frequently clear skies, but weather patterns may be different in the mountains. Always check the latest forecast before heading out.
Lastly, it is important to let your eyes adjust to true darkness when trying to view an aurora. It takes our eyes about 30 minutes to adjust and see as much detail in the night sky as possible. That means no headlamps, phones or flashlights, except in red mode. Red light wavelengths do not spoil night vision, so this mode is recommended when viewing the night sky. With that said, part of the reason catching an aurora is so special is because it is so rare. Aurora forecasts are even less accurate than weather forecasts. Worst case scenario, you get to spend an incredible night out under a blanket of endless stars. See murillophoto.com.
Santiam Pass | Photo by Christian Murillo
What Can You Do?
Eager to help reduce light pollution and brighten the night skies across Central Oregon? It’s easier than you think. Here’s how to get started:
Unused lights: One of the easiest ways to make a difference is to turn off lights when not in use or aren’t a necessity after dark.
Household lighting: Install shields that prevent porch lighting from pointing upward and toward the atmosphere and use lighting that focuses its beam toward the ground.
Camp lighting: Traditional headlamps, lanterns and flashlights can impair night vision and wash out the sky, so consider using red lighting, which provides illumination without ruining the views overhead.
Make a donation: Nilson says one of the easiest ways to get involved is through a tax-deductible donation to DarkSky International, which funds the group’s advocacy work and supports the growth of its Dark Sky Places program.
Where can you go?
In Central Oregon, we’re some of the lucky ones who can actually see the Milky Way on a clear night. If you’d like to take a closer look, appreciate and celebrate the wonders of the universe, here are a few places around the region where you can do just that:
Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory has the largest collection of telescopes accessible to the public in the United States and offers year-round nighttime viewing by reservation. See snco.org.
Twenty-six miles southeast of Bend, Pine Mountain Observatory welcomes visitors on weekends from May through late September. The observatory is operated by University of Oregon Department of Physics under a special use permit from the Deschutes National Forest. See pmo.uoregon.edu.
The Asterisk Observatory at Smith Rock features a 17-inch PlaneWave telescope to offer a 360-degree view of the night sky and surrounding skyline. Visitors are welcome nightly through October or by appointment. See asteriskobservatory.org.
Overnight guests in Tetherow’s Ridge Homes can view galaxies, star clusters and other celestial wonders alongside Bend-based astronomer Grant Tandy. The experience even includes celestial-themed drinks and dessert. See tetherow.com.
At first glance, it was hard to tell if the remodeled patio was truly outdoors. With a ceiling and three enclosed sides, it appeared to be a living room—until a closer look revealed a built-in BBQ and the fourth side completely open to the elements. Interior designer PJ Hurst and the homeowners had pulled off a kind of design alchemy, transforming a once stark, chaotic covered patio into what Hurst described as an “outdoor sculptural entertaining retreat.”
“We loved the house when we bought it, but we never liked the patio—it was unusable,” said Jenny Lanker, who, along with her husband Greg, purchased the home in West Bend in 2019. The home’s covered patio “had no charm, felt cold, had stainless steel counters and a metal fireplace that was already rusting,” she added.
The upcoming wedding of their son sparked a year-long burst of activity to make over the existing patio into a pre-wedding party space, as well as a place for family and friends to gather around the fireplace or watch football on TV. As owners of Area Rug Connection, the Lankers had helped many clients beautify their homes. However, they sought an expert for this project to collaborate on the design and functionality.
Connecting Two Outdoor Entertainment Areas
“We reimagined the outdoor entertaining patio to blend sculptural artistry, modern luxury, function and natural beauty seamlessly,” Hurst said. Both outdoor spaces, one covered and the other open air, are connected with a thoughtfully designed kitchen-style peninsula island between them. With bar stools all around, the island creates a central hub where guests can interact from multiple vantage points—whether facing inward to converse with someone tending the built-in grill or outward toward the exterior dining table.
Making a Dull Space Sparkle
The design team preserved the covered patio’s original walls and ceilings, but little remains of the former design. Anchoring the space is a hand-fluted fireplace—a concrete wonder, designed by Hurst and created by Francois Schneyder of Coalesce Concrete in Bend. “It’s sculptural artistry and a focal point,” Hurst said. “Two windows flank it with beautiful, serene views to the outside.”
Schneyder cast the fireplace, including the front and two sides, as a monolithic piece. “Such intricate pieces require a massive investment in time,” he said, noting that he lost sleep for weeks leading up to its transport from his shop to the Lankers’ home. “So much time and love go into producing something like that, and you put it on the line when you move it into place. But it went off flawlessly.”
He also crafted concrete benches that curve along the walls, with fluting that echoes the fireplace design. That same vertical fluting carried over to the chair slats and the island’s support and lower “kick,” tying together key elements throughout the remodel.
“Projects like this are fun because you create something unique and irreplaceable,” Schneyder said.
To extend the seasons in the covered outdoor zone, Hurst and the homeowners chose materials designed to withstand the elements. They installed a rough, hammered quartzite for the rounded peninsula island countertop and cabinetry explicitly rated for exterior use.
“It looked like a crazy, complicated remodel at first, but when you break it down step by step and have the right team in place, it really wasn’t that challenging,” said general contractor Ryan Frank of Upright Build Co. The project was completed in time for the a family wedding and has become what Frank referred to as “a perfect blend of outdoor living for Oregon that can be enjoyed year-round.”
On a corner lot in the Westgate neighborhood, a sleek and angular home with abundant steel and glass is an elegant example of organic modernism.
“It’s an amazing site,” said architect Jason Todd. “Of course, it has views of the Cascades, but also looks both south and east to Paulina.”
To capture the views, Todd oriented the main spaces to the west, framing the mountains with floor-to-ceiling windows. Living spaces are infused with creativity, natural elements and personal touches.
“When the house was being built, there was a lot of talk about how could we add warmth and make it inviting,” said homeowner Lynnanne Likens. A builder in Bend for more than a decade who established the interior design company Likens Interior Design in 2017, she shares the home with her husband, Randy.
Likens and her daughter Laney Hayes were the interior designers on the project; it was essential to get it right. “There are nice textures and colors that don’t feel stereotypically modern or too harsh and cold,” said Hayes.
Earthy touches begin in the entryway, where a green planter filled with pothos and ZZ plants sits next to the angular floating staircase. Eventually, the plants will grow enough to wind their way up the stair railing to create a living wall of sorts.
Cedar paneling under the exterior eve was continued on the living room’s ceiling to bring the outside in. Chinoiserie-style wallpaper in Randy’s office draws a connection to the inner courtyard, inspired by a natural hot spring. The zen space has a plaster spa pool surrounded by flagstone, a running stream into a koi pond and a boardwalk.
Custom Tailoring
Likens and Hayes’ complementary dynamic is displayed in the main living space, which offers many examples of ingenuity. Hayes, who served as the lead designer on the project, is a creative with a bold vision, while Likens’ superpower is solving problems.
The furniture was designed to harmonize with the large Turkish rug containing flecks of blue purchased on a visit to Istanbul. Hayes dreamed up the two-toned black and tan sofa (she jokes that the colors match the couple’s German shepherd Cleo perfectly) and two cream-colored chairs, and had them custom-made. The two side tables by Milk Shop in Portland were also custom-designed to coordinate with the coffee table. The floating glass, stone and steel fireplace was a challenge to create because of venting, but worthwhile. It is a focal point in the space and creates separation between the living and dining rooms.
“There are so many details that go into taking your vision and making it a reality,” said Likens.
One such example is the light fixture in the dining room. Hayes worked with custom New York-based lighting company Shakúff to get the white oak and blown-glass fixture just right. The piece was lengthened and staggered to better suit the size of the table.
Likens and Hayes pulled the reeded tambour panels on the kitchen island onto the oversized hood above the Wolf Range. The jewel-box pantry balances beauty and functionality with open shelving tucked behind a wall, a dark soapstone countertop, decorative wallpaper and shelving for Randy’s collection of Baccarat glasses. A dog dish is concealed in a side drawer on the stone island with a waterfall edge.
A Serene Suite
Many of Likens’ favorite parts of the house are on the second floor, which is entirely devoted to the couple’s suite. “It’s an exclusive space,” said architect Todd. “That’s where the mountain views get supercharged.”
The bedroom, with wood-beamed ceilings and another silk Turkish rug find, sports warmer sunset tones. “The colors, the softness, the romance of it; it makes me feel joy,” said Likens.
Likens uses the coffee bar next to the bedroom every morning as an important part of her daily routine.
The raised bathtub in the main bathroom has expansive views of Mount Bachelor. A glass-beaded chandelier dangles from above. The natural aqua bella quartzite counters add depth without being overwhelming.
Distinctive Spaces
Laney Hayes and Lynnanne Likens
“I’m most proud that the house has some color,” said Hayes. Her favorite tile is the blue marble with scalloped edges in the ground-floor guest suite bath.
The home’s other distinctive features include a pickleball court, a wine cellar, Likens’ and Hayes’ office, a wildlife-focused art collection and an intuitive home control system called “Josh.” Users turn lights and other controls on and off with voice commands and texting.
The house is an oasis of calm and originality. “Knowing each other so well helps that creativity, that trust. There are no bad ideas or options,” said Likens, and Hayes added, “We have better ideas because we work together.”
Here’s What We Love to Do in Beautiful Bend, Oregon
Bend truly has a lot to offer. From exploring the great outdoors behind the wheel of an ATV to grabbing a beer with friends, something can fill your calendar every day. From summer to winter, spring to fall, below are some of our favorite activities that make Bend, Bend.
Octane Adventures | Photo by Cody Rheault
Hiking and Backpacking
Let’s start small, and then expand to the surrounding area. In Bend, we’re fortunate that trails literally touch the edges of town. Many Bendites can even walk to these trails from home.
The Deschutes River Trail
Stretching from the north end of Bend to Sunriver, the Deschutes River Trail (DRT) is a hometown favorite. Linking the nearly 20 miles of the trail can be tricky. Different segments leave you on one side of the river or the other. But, with proper maps and the occasional walk through a neighborhood, it can be done.
Awbrey Reach Trail | Photo courtesy of Bend Park and Recreation District
Most of us have our favorite “reaches” of the DRT. Several of them cut through spectacular sections of Bend, following the river as it winds through the city. Others are on the edges, such as the South Canyon Reach, which feels like you left the city entirely and entered the forest.
Hiking in the Cascade Range
In Bend, it feels like we can reach out and touch the mountains. The neighboring Cascade Range to the west offers both spectacular views and phenomenal hiking.
Perhaps the most popular mountain in the Central Oregon Cascades is Bend’s Mt. Bachelor. Aside from winter skiing and the summer mountain bike park, Bachelor offers a few hiking trails, including the new Evergreen trail. Evergreen climbs just over 1,300 feet in 4.5 miles with a consistent grade, easy terrain, and striking viewpoints.
If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge, there are miles of trails in the Three Sisters Wilderness area. Whether you are just looking for an out-and-back or want to summit South Sister or Broken Top, the endless options create a “choose your own adventure” scenario.
Photo Benjamin Krause
Backpacking
Turn a day hike into an overnighter or even a multi-day adventure! Countless loops between lakes are found throughout the surrounding forest. The Pacific Crest Trail is also nearby, just make sure you have proper permits when required.
The Deschutes River
Bend wouldn’t exist without the Deschutes River. It cuts through the middle of town and once upon a time, the Deschutes was a crucial part of Bend’s logging industry. Beyond some of the best fishing in the state, the river is still vital for life in Bend.
The river’s whitewater welcomes many kayakers and rafting enthusiasts. For a mellower option, try the perfect river float. From just south of the Old Mill to Bend’s Whitewater Park. Just past the Colorado Bridge, the currents pick up for a moment. Stay to the left side of the river to float through the easier rapids and avoid river surfers, then you’ll be cruising.
Poppy Smith | Photo by Cody Rheault
Mountain Biking
Central Oregon has roughly 700 miles of singletrack, with the lion’s share in Bend. The majority of these trails fall on the west side, where the city bleeds into the Cascade slopes. Trailheads like Phil’s and Wanoga are summer launching points, but mountain bikers head east to Maston or Horse Ridge Trailheads when the snow flies.
Bend is also very fortunate to have a bike park less than 30 minutes from town. Mt. Bachelor Bike Park runs from early summer to early fall. It offers some of the best gravity riding for professionals and beginners.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
Skiing and Snowboarding
We can’t mention Mt. Bachelor without talking about the world-class skiing and snowboarding. The 7th largest resort in North America, Mt. Bachelor has 101 different runs spread out across 4,300 skiable acres. Twelve different lifts are scattered around the mountain, including a summit lift that allows skiers and snowboarders to descend a tremendous 3,300 feet.
A thriving Nordic skiing community is also found on the mountain. Many choose to ditch the lifts and “skin” up the hill to tackle the mountain’s backcountry terrain on the way down.
Photo credit: Max Rhulen, Skier: Cody Winters
Food and Beer
After getting off the trails or a day on the river, locals head to one of their favorite spots for beer and a bite.
El Sancho and Parrilla Grill have authentic Mexican street food and margaritas that may change your life. Check out Salute in downtown Bend for classic Italian dishes. For the traditional burger and beer combo, visit one of the countless breweries around town. Time it right, and stop in during happy hour.
El Sanchos | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Food Truck Pods
The easiest way to feed everyone is to head to one of Bend’s many food truck pods. Enjoy dishes from around the world. Nearly every food truck pod in Bend surrounds a taphouse where you can try different beers, both local and from abroad. Some taphouses feature 40 beers, ciders, CBD drinks, and wines, with constantly rotating taps. Check out our online dining guide for the best dining options Central Oregon has to offer.
Downtown Bend, Oregon
With food, shopping, and festivals, downtown Bend constantly has something going on. Every Wednesday during the summer hosts the Farmer’s Market, followed by Saturday’s Artisans Market, which runs year-round. There is also the First Friday Art Walk every month.
Walk the streets of downtown during summer and fall festivals. Eat delicious food, drink beer, and listen to live music. What could be better? Bend’s Munch & Music series happens each summer in neighboring Drake Park and is a must-visit.
Bend Farmers Market | Photo by Marvin Walder
The Old Mill District
More shopping and incredible restaurants can be found in the historic Old Mill District. After you’re done shopping, walk or ride the paved Deschutes River Trail. Heading in either direction will take you to either Farewell Bend Park or McKay Park, both of which have excellent river access. If you have kiddos, Farewell Bend Park has a play structure and rock climbing.
Across the bridge from the Old Mill is the Hayden Homes Amphitheater. If you didn’t know, Bend brings in phenomenal live music from some of the biggest bands in the world. 2024 saw some of the biggest names yet.
Artists such as Anderson Paak., The Beach Boys, Cage the Elephant, Dave Matthews Band, and Jason Aldean visited in 2024, just to name a few. The amphitheater had shows on 58 nights from May through September in 2024.
Cake | Photo courtesy of Hayden Homes Amphitheater by Michelle Adams
In Bend, you can catch views from the top of Pilot Butte, one of the only city-dwelling volcanoes in the United States, or take in the Cascade Range. With over 300 days of annual sunshine and over 200 perfect adventure days per year, the high desert is full of possibilities for outdoor enthusiasts and culture lovers.
Bend is a place where you can enjoy the powder at Mt. Bachelor in the morning, take on world-class mountain bike trails in the afternoon, and finish your evening with craft beers and live music. Culture shines through year-round. Catch the Winter PrideFest, new restaurant openings, and festivals that add to Central Oregon’s vibrant community. This “Best of Bend” list could go on, and we’d love to hear what you think we missed. Let us know your “Best of Bend” by tagging us @bendmagazine on social media. New to Bend, read our First Timer’s Guide to Bend, here.
