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.”
They’re out on the river trail or in the woods outside of town, people hiking with what look like mattresses strapped to their backs or clinging to tiny holds on trailside boulders. “What are they doing?” you might wonder, or maybe you’re a savvy outdoors person who already knows: They’re bouldering. [Photo above by Adam McKibben]
People call bouldering trendy, but climbing on boulders for sport has been “trending” since the late 1800s. In his essay “Games Climbers Play” (Ascent, May 1967), Lito Tejada-Flores called bouldering the most-complex of the climbing games, because it had the most rules, no ropes, equipment or partners allowed. But bouldering is really the simplest of the climbing games because of its, well, simplicity, no gear, just you climbing up a boulder or short cliff, not far off the ground, for no particular reason other than it’s a fun bit of invigorating outdoor exercise.
What’s the attraction? Bouldering is both mentally and physically engaging, using mind and body to solve a problem on the rock. It’s a workout that’s also meditative, allowing you to be present in the moment as you crank or finesse up the rock. It’s therapeutic, a way to clear your mind after a tough day at work or school. If you need space, you can boulder alone and enjoy the solitude; if you’re social, you can meet up with friends.
Photo courtesy of Switchback Travel
The Unique Appeal of Bouldering
“It’s a way to constantly chase movement, to repeat and refine movement on rock,” is how Bend-resident Mike Rougeux described bouldering’s appeal. “It’s a snappy, powerful style of climbing that suits me.”
Rougeux, the executive director of Bend Endurance Academy, a kid-focused nonprofit with a mission of championing healthy living and lifelong passion for sports, started climbing in the Gunks in New York (short for Shawangunk Mountains, one of the premier climbing destinations in the United States). He saw people bouldering and thought, “There’s real climbing here; why are they bouldering?”
Now he admits he spends more time bouldering than “real climbing.” While he appreciates the camaraderie of group climbing, especially the support and celebrations of the almost moments when people nearly reach the top, Rougeux prefers to climb alone.
“It’s a way to get some time on rock without feeling like I’m neglecting my parenting or work responsibilities,” he said. “I can be on the boulders in just a few minutes. It’s very accessible and convenient.”
Photo courtesy of Switchback Travel
Fun for Everyone
Despite bouldering’s increasing popularity, most local areas aren’t crowded. “There are a lot of bouldering areas that aren’t in a guidebook,” Rougeux confided. “You can still explore and get away from the crowds.”
It’s also a great activity for kids, who seem to flock to big rocks. Rougeux took his son, Kieran, age 6, bouldering with him as he was growing up.
“At first it was just adventure in the woods, throwing pine cones and exploring, but eventually he developed his own circuit on these little boulders. He got very into it.”
Bouldering is fairly safe as climbing goes, because it’s close to the ground. Although some boulders are more than 20 feet high, and they don’t all have nice, flat landings. That’s where the pads come in, helping to cushion your landing in case you fall from high up, although you may still find stubborn old-school climbers out cranking highballs with just rock shoes and a chalk bag, no pads in sight.
Most people try indoor bouldering first to get the hang of it before venturing outdoors. Bend Rock Gym and The Circuit Bouldering Gym both have bouldering areas with hundreds of problems (see glossary) in a wide range of difficulties, and Bend Endurance Academy has its own dedicated bouldering wall. There’s also Alpenglow Community Park, which has several precast and custom-built artificial boulders, a good place to try bouldering for the first time, especially for kids. Careful, though. Bouldering is addicting. Before you know it, they’ll be crushing highball. Read more about rock climbing and bouldering in Bend.
Photo by Adam McKibben
Bendites are lucky to have several popular bouldering spots right in town or a few miles out, including:
The Depot: The Depot is a basalt cliff band on the Deschutes River, a 15-minute hike up the trail. It offers various problems from warm-ups like The Big Easy (V1) to challenging climbs like The Goblin (V11).
Mount Bachelor Village: Directly across the river from The Depot, the Classic Corner area has several good boulders. Some include the Classic Traverse (V2) and Walk in the Park (V0) on Juniper Slab, a stellar problem that’s V-Fun.
Meadow Camp: A few miles farther up the river at the Meadow Creek Day Use Area, near Widgi Creek Golf Club, find a couple dozen boulders scattered along a welded tuff cliff line above the river. A day pass or NW Forest Pass is required.
Widgi Creek: At the end of a gravel road across Cascade Lakes Highway from Widgi Creek Golf Club, find 30 or so boulders hidden in the forest.
Mile Marker 5: Five miles up Skyliners Road, there are an assortment of shaded boulders with flat landings.
Smith Rock State Park: The park has hundreds of boulder problems scattered throughout. Although it has a reputation of being crowded, you can find easy and moderate boulders away from the crowds.
To find out more, check out Central Oregon Bouldering by Jason Chinchen. Published in 2017, it has 300 pages detailing all of the best bouldering in the Bend area.
Bouldering Terminology
Problem: A bouldering route or variation.
Highball: A problem that is high off the ground.
Traverse:A horizontal problem close to the ground.
V-Scale: The rating system for bouldering where V0 is “easy” and V17 is currently the most challenging.
V-Fun: A boulder problem that is super easy but a lot of fun to climb.
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. [Photo above courtesy of Flosa’s Barbecue, by Cyr Beckley]
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.”
Photo of Pop’s Southern BBQ by Trey Mullen, One Reel Media House
Pop’s Southern BBQ might nod to the South in name, but this Ponch’s Place food truck brings pure Texas style. Pop (real name John) seasons, smokes and serves with quiet authority. He can allegedly lift a brisket and know, by weight alone, how much time it has left, down to the minute. Ribs, chili and hearty grits round out a menu where tradition runs deep. 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.
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.
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.
Celebrate summer with floats, fireworks, festivals, and good old-fashioned fun.
Central Oregon has become something of a Fourth of July destination. Summer weather has finally kicked in, the river is begging for a float and the beer has never tasted more refreshing. Bend’s streets are plastered with red, white and blue and there are tons of events and activities to choose from. Here’s where to experience family fun, vibrant patios, and thrilling outdoor adventures.
Join the Bend Pet Parade
Start Independence Day with a Bend tradition more than a century old, 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, 2025, with staging from 8:30 a.m. at Harmon Park. The parade kicks off 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 on the Bend Freedom Float
Floating the river is a Bend summer rite of passage. The Bend Freedom Float adds a bit of cool Americana fun. Start at the Park & Float station on 1000 SW Bradbury Way, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You’ll make your way past the Old Mill District, through the Bend Whitewater Park, and finish at Drake Park. For a smooth return, purchase a $6 Ride the River shuttle pass in advance to hop on between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Consider wearing water shoes, and pack the sunscreen! Get tips on how to float the Deschutes River in Bend.
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 Hopservatory worth exploring.
Photo of Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, by Tina Paymaster
Catch the Bend Freedom Ride
The Freedom Ride has evolved from an underground bike parade into an epic pre-party that winds its way, in some form or another, through downtown Bend. Expect to see bicyclists sporting wigs, tutus, and often plenty of skin. Riders loosely gather at Pioneer Park between 1 and 2 p.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.
Celebrate Fourth of July at Central Oregon Resorts
Seventh Mountain Resort
Looking for a way to wind down or get your dance party on before the fireworks begin? Enjoy live music from Rusty Frets, a reggae band from Bend, at the Seventh Mountain Resort’s Summer Music Festival on the fourth, from 5 to 8 p.m. Held at the outdoor skating rink venue at Seventh Mountain Resort, this free-admission concert invites you to bring lawn chairs or blankets and soak up the good vibes with friends.
Photo courtesy of Sunriver Resort
Sunriver Resort
Sunriver 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 are welcome. On July 5, sample local brews at the Red, White & Brew tasting from 2 to 5 p.m., and earlier that morning, team up for the Cornhole Tournament at The Backyard Cafe & Bar.
Brasada Ranch
Brasada Ranch is celebrating the Fourth with a weekend of festivities from July 3–6. Highlights include a festive BBQ with live folk music, a pickleball tournament, and craft cocktail tastings from the Straightaway Sidebar. Guests can also enjoy axe throwing, poolside parties, and stargazing from the Spirit Rock viewpoint. It’s a perfect escape within the high desert.
Black Butte Ranch
Black Butte Ranch offers a full weekend 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 splash of dunk tank, slip ‘n slide, and lawn games. From July 4–6, explore sidewalk sales at the shops, try the latest golf gear during Demo Days, or unwind with poolside spa treatments. It’s a festive weekend filled with laid-back mountain charm.
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 2–5 and is a beloved hometown festival complete with lawnmower races, a barbecue pit roast, 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, games, music, artisan vendors, and a grand finale of fireworks. In Sisters, the second annual Sisters 4th Fest includes a pancake breakfast, fun run, car show, pie-eating contest, and live music, making it a charming spot for families and festive spirits alike.
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.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, eight, fifty or eighty-five, ice cream makes people happy. And when it comes to ice cream, everyone knows that homemade is best. Cool off this summer with our picks for classic and new flavors from Bend, Oregon’s best local purveyors. [Photo above by Tina Paymaster] Keep reading to find your favorite ice cream around Bend.
BONTA GELATO
More than a decade ago, Juli and Jeff Labhart took a trip around the world and came back with a good taste in their mouth.The couple came home, took creamery courses and in 2011, Bonta was born. Meaning “goodness” in Italian, the company sold out on its first day at the Bite of Bend.
Photo by Tina Paymaster
Today, under the leadership of current CEO Corey Owens, Bonta has multiple locations in Central Oregon: the OG location downtown, their tasting counter on SE Wilson Avenue, and on NW Galveston Avenue. You can also find them in Redmond at Westmount and at grocery stores by the pint or quart. And what might be our favorite location, at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater! Flavors at the scoop shops rotate seasonally, using local ingredients to create flavors such as blueberry lemonade sorbetto, orange blossom honey with poppy seeds or roasted strawberry that might taste like summertime.
“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. Learn more about Bonta Gelato.
GOODY’S
Known for its fine chocolates, Goody’s started churning its own ice cream in Sunriver in 1984 at the family business of Marne and Marion Palmateer. Today, Goody’s scoops out ice cream at locations in Bend, Sunriver and Boise, Idaho. Made in-store until 2007, Goody’s ice cream now comes from the company’s local factory to keep up with popular demand.
Goody’s has changed hands across the years, but the old-fashioned spirit remains. In 2023, the newest owners, David Bergman and Mark Strelcheck, renovated the Downtown shop and its nostalgic soda fountain. Take a seat at the counter and try one of sixteen flavors, including best-seller Oreo cookie and a rotation of new flavors. Pull up a second seat with a special someone, as its milkshakes are worthy of two straws for sharing.Learn more about Goody’s.
ROCKHARD
When hiking Smith Rock State Park, don’t forget to bring ice cream money. For many climbers and families, the promise of huckleberry ice cream on the way out of the park has become part of the Smith Rock ritual.
Owners Pam and David Potter purchased the store from Collin Day in 2023. Day said that the store has been scooping huckleberry ice cream since his parents started it in 1966, back when it was still known as Juniper Junction.
In the 1980s, the store had a full soda fountain, but was most famous for its milkshakes. Rockhard now offers six ice cream flavors, including the best-selling huckleberry, as well as two rotating dairy-free flavors.
Photo by Talia Jean Filipek
SNO CAP DRIVE-IN
A Sisters staple since 1952, Sno Cap owner Lacey Weeks said that the three secrets to the drive-in’s success are tradition, curiosity and homemade ice cream.
“People who came as kids are now bringing their families,” said Weeks, whose grandfather bought the Sno Cap in 1978 and who grew up helping at the restaurant. She worked the counter throughout her high school years and recalls staying up late on summer nights to make ice cream with her grandfather.
“Newcomers see the long lines out the door when driving by and stop to check it out. It’s simply iconic,” Weeks said.
To accommodate long lines, the Sno Cap churns out ice cream in three-gallon batches, using two vintage Taylor machines. The thirty-seven flavors include: Cascade blackberry, mint chocolate chip, German chocolate brownie and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Learn more about the Sno Cap Drive-In.
ELLY’S ICE CREAM
Tucked in NorthWest Crossing’s The Grove Market Hall, Elly’s is a modern ice cream shop with a nostalgic twist, serving ultra-premium scoops made from Pacific Northwest ingredients. Each batch is rich, velvety, and made with organic milk, cream, and eggs, plus local berries and small-batch toppings like house-spiced nuts and graham crumble. Many baked goods and sauces come from Bend’s local bakery, Two Sweet Cakes. With flavors that rotate often and a focus on quality over quantity, Elly’s invites guests to explore bold combinations in a bright, creative space. Learn more about Elly’s Ice Cream.
HANDEL’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM
With roots dating back to 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio, Handel’s brings its time-tested traditions to Bend. Each batch is made fresh on-site, following original methods started by Handel’s founder Alice Handel, who first scooped with fruit from her own garden. With rich textures and classic flavors, it’s no surprise National Geographic once named Handel’s the best ice cream on the planet in the book 10 Best of Everything. Learn more about Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream.
GLORY GOURMET POPSICLES
Photo courtesy of Glory Gourmet Popsicles
Glory Popsicles is a Central Oregon treat on wheels. Launched in 2024 by husband-and-wife duo Steven and Shanna Nunes, the company was born out of a love for ice cream and faith. After running a rolled ice cream shop together, they returned to their original dream: handcrafted popsicles. The ice cream and fruit bars are served from their signature Icicle Tricycles. Glory Pops are made with fresh ingredients and an extra dose of joy. Find them at local events or book them for private parties. Learn more about Glory Gourmet Popsicles.
BIRDSONG ICE CREAM
Call it real-fruit ice cream, New Zealand-style ice cream, or even New Zealand-style real-fruit ice cream if you have the breath, Birdsong’s all-organic, creamy dessert has the community flocking to The Podski.
Photo by Tambi Lane
Cassandra Price and Taylor Samuelsen fell for the treat during visits to British Columbia, where they first encountered the irresistible simplicity of combining ripe frozen berries and a scooped ice cream base. A cold dessert after mountain biking with no sugar crash? They were hooked. Within months of deciding to bring this discovery to Bend, Price and Samuelsen tracked down a machine from New Zealand specifically crafted for this kind of ice cream, refurbished a vintage cart (Price has years of construction experience) and landed a coveted spot at The Podski.
Every organic ice cream is made to order using fresh frozen fruit from Oregon and Washington and an ice cream base from Alden’s, a Eugene creamery, or a lush, dairy-free coconut-based ice cream made in Bend.
“Because it’s scooped ice cream, the water content is not as high. It comes out a lot creamier and richer than a soft serve would,” said Samuelsen.
Real-fruit ice cream takes less than a minute to make, whole fruit moves through Birdsong’s specialty machine and is mixed directly into the cream to create a bright, tangy blend that is as fresh as it is flavorful.
These swirls bring patrons back to the basics: sprinkles naturally dyed with ingredients such as beetroot, a chocolate-coconut shell developed by Price that hardens like magic on contact and crisp waffle cones from a generations-old Canadian cone artisan. You won’t find artificial dyes, just bright colors from nature and pure ingredients with gluten- and dairy-free options.
Some customer favorites include the Oregon-native marionberry or raspberry, topped with the housemade chocolate shell. And look out for seasonal collaborations with local vendors. Last season, Birdsong teamed up with Bend’s Ascend Mushrooms for a limited-edition matcha ice cream.
Behind the counter, the pair takes pride in their delicious offering, Birdsong’s regional ingredients and sharing summer with the community, one waffle cone at a time. Learn more about Birdsong Ice Cream.
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
You don’t have to go far to find nature’s solitude in Bend. Through the Bend Park & Recreation District, there are 65 miles of urban trails that can be explored almost year-round. The trails cover many different landscapes, including parks, natural forests and urban areas. Many of the trails are accessible or have sections that are accessible. Here are some favorite trails to explore in town. [Photo above of First Street Rapids taken along the River Run trail, courtesy of Bend Parks and Recreation District.]
Photo courtesy of Bend Park and Recreation District
Deschutes River Trail
The Deschutes River Trail is a 19-mile trail that runs parallel to the Deschutes River and extends from Tumalo State Park to Meadow Camp, with connections to Sunriver in the works. The popular trails aren’t fully connected yet, but they all can be accessed from four different parks across Bend.
Awbrey: Located north of Sawyer Park, the Awbrey section of the Deschutes River Trail is unpaved and includes a few moderate hills. The middle stretch of the trail runs along the top of a canyon, allowing for spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains and the Deschutes River below. The trail connects to Mt. Washington Drive.
Awbrey Reach | Photo courtesy of Bend Park and Recreation District
Pioneer: Located between McKay Park and Pioneer Park, this easily accessible trail follows sidewalks through downtown and passes through Drake Park on Mirror Pond. There are several footbridges crossing the Deschutes River on this scenic urban trail.
South Canyon: The South Canyon section extends from Farewell Bend Park to River Rim Park with a bridge connecting the west to the east side of the Deschutes River 1.5 miles upstream. The west side of the river does not allow bicycles, but there is an alternative bike route that connects the Bill Healy Bridge to the Haul Road Trail along Century Drive. The east side of the river is bike accessible, although it is narrow and rocky in some places.
Old Mill: The Old Mill section is paved for the majority of the trail, with a few sections of stone pathways along the trail. For a longer hike, this section can be continued into the South Canyon trail. The Old Mill section is accessible and features water fountains and rest areas along the trail. The route also reaches to Bend’s Whitewater Park.
River Run: Passing through neighborhoods and over the Tumalo Irrigation canal pipe, the River Run section is one of the flattest sections of the Deschutes River Trail. There are water and trail accesses at First Street Rapids Park and Riverview Park.
First Street Rapids taken along the River Run trail.
Shevlin Park
Shevlin Park is home to one of the most diverse growths of a forest at this elevation. There is an abundance of animal life including birds, deer, elk, bears and even occasional cougars. Dogs must be on a leash on the Shevlin Park trails because of the wildlife. The 6-mile trail follows the canyon rim with a few short and steep hills. The loop runs through old growth ponderosa pines and crosses Tumalo Creek twice. The Tumalo Creek Trail is 2.5 miles long and follows the creek upstream from the park’s south entrance. Mountain bikers are also allowed on the trails and are often sharing the Mrazek Forest Service Trail with hikers.
Larkspur Trail
The Larkspur Trail extends about 4 miles between Pilot Butte Middle School and Larkspur Park. Users can add an additional mile by climbing the Pilot Butte Trail.
Central Oregon Canal Trail
The Central Oregon Canal Trail spans a little more than 3 miles along American Lane to Alderwood Circle. It is an easy urban hike that follows concrete, dirt, and gravel along an irrigation canal. There is an additional part of the trail that spans between Blakely Park and Brookswood Boulevard.
Cascade Highlands Trail
The Cascade Highlands Trail spans about 4.5 miles and is good for hikers and mountain bikers. The trail begins at Overturf Park on 17th Street and travels west over Overturf Butte through neighborhoods to Mt. Washington, and continues through the Cascade Highlands and connects to the Forest Service’s Phil’s Trail system.
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.
Summer invites us to slow down and linger at the picnic table after dark, swapping stories with friends, or sinking into a bench chair while the kids chase the dog across the yard. Helping families make the most of these moments, Joshua Hyde of Hydes Custom builds handcrafted wood furniture that blends comfort, durability and all-season design.
With a background in high-end residential and commercial carpentry, Hyde has built everything from custom cabinets to large-scale home renovations. It was at a music festival where he created pieces for seating areas that ignited a vision for a business handcrafting patio furniture out of reclaimed and sustainably sourced wood from local mills. He likes to say that the moments spent on furniture may only be seasonal, but the memories created will last a lifetime.
Hydes Custom operates out of an expanding workshop near Prineville. He continues to expand the scope of his furniture line as well as offering woodworking and outdoor design services for clients.
Joshua Hyde speaks about his vision for Hydes Custom
How did you get started in this line of work?
I started in carpentry at 17 after graduating high school early. I enjoyed being outside and working with my hands. After a few years of college in Salt Lake City, I realized I wasn’t built for office work. I needed something more creative, more physical. I joined a custom home builder at 22 and began working on high-end projects in Bountiful, Utah. That’s where I really found my love for creating something from nothing. Over time, I took over a commercial door and hardware business, but after doubling the revenue in just over a year, I returned it to the original owner and resumed my career in residential carpentry, which felt more fulfilling.
What led you to focus on custom outdoor furniture?
About eight months ago, after years of doing siding, decks and exterior work, I sponsored a music festival and built unique patio pieces for the event. That reignited the spark I had back in my 20s: building for creativity, not just construction. I realized furniture was a way to merge design, sustainability and craftsmanship. Now I’m focusing on handmade patio furniture using salvaged fir and cedar from Oregon wildfire zones, all locally milled.
What sets your work apart from mass-produced outdoor furniture?
Every piece is hand-built, using mortising, routing and planing techniques not found in big-box options. Our fasteners come with a lifetime warranty and won’t rust. I use glues and predrilled holes to ensure tight fits that won’t loosen or squeak. We use rough-sawn wood for better UV protection and offer multiple coats of high-performance stain, urethane or even shou sugi ban burning for triple the lifespan. These are legacy pieces built to last, not seasonal throwaways.
Who are your typical clients?
A lot of our clients come from the high-end market, people building or renovating homes who want outdoor furniture that feels as custom as their houses. They’re looking for quality, timelessness and something that invites people to gather. These are heirloom pieces designed to last 20-plus years.
Where are your products made?
Our shop is located just outside Prineville near the mills and suppliers we work with. We’re scaling up our operations and using materials from reclaimed forest cedar to Oregon walnut and cherry. Our steel table legs are manufactured in Prineville by RRCo. MFG, and we’re now incorporating more metal-wood hybrids into our designs.
What’s your long-term vision for Hydes Custom?
I want to offer a full suite of outdoor solutions, from decks and siding to pavers and furniture. I still hold my general contractor license, so we’re not just selling products, we’re designing entire outdoor experiences. I want to be coaching each project like it’s a championship game: hands-on, thoughtful and cost-conscious, without compromising quality.
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.
Entering the Redmond Public Library is an invitation to connect with the community. There, sculptor John Grade found a space for an art installation surrounded by volumes of books. His new work has an organic subject and is at the center of an intellectual landscape to provoke thought and inspire visitors to grow.
Commissioned by the Deschutes Public Library, “SAGE” is a large-scale sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the renovated Redmond branch, which reopened in January 2025. Inspired by the structure within a stem of high desert sagebrush, “SAGE” mimics a horizontal cross section of the plant’s growth rings and shows the intricate biological geometry that draw water and nutrients from deep within the high desert’s soil. Similar to a cell network, each segment of the art piece was created individually. Walking up the staircase in the library space, a visitor is meant to feel part of an interconnected root system. Then, from a walkway above the art, a viewer will see more additional nuances from Grade: an undulating reference to Central Oregon’s topography.
Where to Find John Grade’s Work
While based in Seattle, Grade’s work is found both across the country and the world. The award-winning artist has pieces at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kew Gardens in London, Arte Sella sculpture garden in Italy, the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Working from his studio with a team of artists, designers and structural engineers, he creates works in collaboration with others, much in the way he approaches the imagining of each piece: in its relationship to the ecosystem.
“John’s connection to and deep sense of place was critical for us,” said Chantal Strobel, a member of the library’s art committee and assistant director of Deschutes Public Library. ”John’s immediate and holistic sense of Central Oregon was exciting to witness. He quickly embraced the polarity of our landscape and set out to discover it.”
Photos courtesy of the Deschutes Public Library
Grade had previous experience in Central Oregon, having spent 15 years exploring the region. He was drawn to the Badlands in particular and what he referred to as “the humble sagebrush.”
“The sculpture started by asking how it participates in the landscape,” Grade explained, adding that a journal he read informally called the sagebrush a community builder. “With its deep root system, it takes in more water than it can use itself, and it disperses it to the plants around it and smaller plants that live in its shadow. I thought it was a beautiful metaphor for what a library could be.”
Creation of a Centerpiece
The first step in designing the sculpture was finding a dead sagebrush and cutting a cross-section of its stem. “The growth rings are similar to a tree, but much more dynamic,” Grade said. The formal qualities of a one-inch cross-section were magnified to almost 30 feet across and used as inspiration. The building of the large-scale work was what Grade calls a “feat of structural engineering.” The ceiling wouldn’t support a monolithic object and had to follow seismic-safety parameters, so the 1,000-pound work had to be hollow. What appears to be a singular piece is actually a 10-section exoskeleton, with thousands of small holes that Grade said refer to the cell structure of the plant. It was created by his team in Grade’s Seattle studio before being installed at the Redmond Public Library. Standing beneath the artwork—positioned under a skylight—gives the viewer a feeling of seeing through a stem.
“On multiple visits, you may discover something new,” Grade said. “Similar to a library and how it functions for a cross section of people, the sculpture is a way to interact with the building.”
More John Grade Art for Libraries
Next, Grade will install the work “JUNIPER” at the Central Library at Stevens Ranch, opening in 2026. This piece was inspired by contrast: the expansion of the high desert’s ubiquitous and quick-growing western juniper compared to the contraction of the glacier at South Sister. “I liked the idea of taking two difficult things going on in the landscape, thinking of how we frame them, and bringing them together.” Referring to his sculpture as “cultural manifestation,” Grade often includes groups of people in the creation of his art and hopes “JUNIPER” will include a hands-on program in conjunction with the library related to its themes. “It will have a long legacy for visitors, not just today but into the future, because that’s what the library is trying to do: create community.”
Camp Clay Keeps the Health of its Members and the Earth Top of Mind
Walking into Camp Clay, you’ll be greeted by artists working their hands through muddy clay or artfully glazing freshly fired creations. The ceramics studio is a welcoming space, the first of two goals that owner Jess Volk had in mind as she dreamed up the concept for her membership-based workshop. The second goal: To create sustainability in a craft that can create a large amount of waste. The result is a gorgeous and welcoming studio designed for all, from first-time students and novice creatives to professional ceramicists, all with a keen eye on reducing the carbon footprint of clay work being fabricated. From reusing materials to understanding how slowing down the process reduces waste, Volk’s thoughtfulness to detail is clear. Bend Magazine visited the studio to learn more about Volk’s mission to keep clean while getting hands dirty.
What inspired you to open a studio focused on both community and the environment?
I wanted to set up a space that would make it easy to recycle and reclaim what we can, in an environment that almost guarantees the best circumstances so there is less waste. While there are a lot of ways to recycle ceramics, there is undoubtedly tons of refuse. Plus, we use water throughout the entire process. Sometimes, even in our best efforts, our work fails in the last firing and it feels like an entire waste of resources. I joke that in ceramics we practice nonattachment, but it is true, there is a lot of failure. It’s part of learning. I just hope to lessen the waste for a medium that I, and others, love so much. It has become clear that now is the time to act; we must do what we can right now to try and save this planet.
What processes do you use to help your sustainable practice?
We use two sinks with dedicated traps, one for clay and one for glaze. We did this with the basic intention of keeping clay and glaze materials from clogging our plumbing. But also, I know there is so much energy that goes into mining, refining and distributing these materials that it would be a shame to simply throw them away. We reclaim the contents of the glaze sink trap and turn them into a new glaze.
I also purchased a 50-year-old pugging machine [a mill that mixes and compresses clay to remove air bubbles, which creates a workable product]. I fixed it up and now use the machine to aid in our clay-recycling process. Our reclaimed product is as good as brand “new clay,” new in quotations because much like rocks, clay is very old.
I am also in the process of harnessing the heat of the kilns to be redistributed through the building. Initially, we put the kilns into a room with an exhaust fan so that we didn’t have to breathe in the fumes when the kilns started to burn off organic materials. The exhaust fans also helped to blow the heat out of the space. In the winter, I’m hoping to add new fans to blow the warm air into the studio after the kilns have burned off organics; they continuously put off heat for another 48 hours which we can use as a heater of sorts.
In what ways do you support the community of artists who enjoy your space?
I designed the space to be able to sustain the amount of members we have at capacity. The studio will never exceed 65 members, even with shared larger studios and a full work-trade program. We have two kilns now, but we have space for four, so it is my priority to be able to sustain these members and students without the work of others suffering. I believe that when members choose to work at Camp, they are entrusting me to have their best interest at heart. It is my commitment to this community and environment to continue to learn how to accomplish this in better ways.
Members can join Camp for a fee, but are there other ways to join?
Yes! We offer a work-trade program, where members trade their help around the studio in exchange for a full membership and even space to store their materials and works in progress.
The studio opened in July 2024, and the gallery in November. Are there any new additions on your horizon?
I am most excited to continue to polish the studio; it was certainly a lot to get everything up and running, and already I am making changes to systems I put in place in the beginning. I am really looking forward to getting my own studio space organized and going. I have so many ideas, and I can’t wait to get my hands back into clay.
Who’s Ready for Live Music at Hayden Homes Amphitheater?
With summer right around the corner in Central Oregon, the Hayden Homes Amphitheater concert series is well underway. Last year’s season delivered some unforgettable live music performances, with many more exciting shows to come this year. The complete lineup for this summer features an impressive array of artists across various genres. Take a look at what is scheduled for the Hayden Homes Amphitheater this summer, mark your calendar for your favorite acts, and don’t forget to purchase tickets before they sell out.
Nestled in Bend’s Old Mill District right alongside the Deschutes River, Hayden Homes Amphitheater is a cultural hub for Central Oregon’s growing arts scene. With a capacity of 8,000, it hosts diverse concerts, comedy shows, and community events all summer long. Recent upgrades, like an expanded stage, solidify its status as a premier destination for unforgettable live entertainment. Visit bendconcerts.com to learn more about the history of HHA.
Flume | Photo by Gwen Shoemaker
Described as one of “America’s coolest venues” by Travel + Leisure, the amphitheater regularly draws music’s biggest acts, including everyone from Kenny Chesney to Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band to ODESZA, and plenty more in-between. The summer concert lineup usually starts in May and continues into mid-October.
The amphitheater, which hosted just over 50 shows in 2024, is putting Central Oregon on the map for big-name music tours. There’s not a bad seat in the house within the HHA’s intimate riverfront venue. With complimentary parking, a diverse selection of Central Oregon’s finest food carts, and an impressive assortment of craft beer, cocktails, and wine from Bend’s top establishments, a concert here feels like a top-notch party in the park with a few thousand of your best friends.
Photo by Nate Wyeth
Don’t miss Ticket Drop Tuesday Giveaways every Tuesday for 8 weeks (March 25 – May 13) for a chance to win two FREE tickets to upcoming concerts at Hayden Homes Amphitheater!
Kick off summer and kick up your heels at the third annual Big Ponderoo Music and Art Festival. SFF Presents newest music event will take place on June 28 and 29, 2025, 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 16-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.
How Big Ponderoo Was Born
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.”
Yep, Central Oregon is undeniably landlocked. There are no docks, no tides, no anglers staring pensively out to sea. And yet, defying all expectations, sushi is flourishing in the high desert thanks to a motley crew of fish whisperers and flavor explorers who refuse to let geography define greatness.
Before we start, let’s clear up some confusion about sushi: It’s not simply raw fish. Sushi begins where plain rice ends—with vinegar and precision—whether shaped into hand-pressed nigiri, wrapped around fillings in a roll or anchoring a chef’s wildest ideas. Technically, those beautiful slices of raw seafood known as sashimi aren’t sushi at all (there’s no rice in sight), but that doesn’t stop us from giving it the love it deserves.
Sebastian’s Seafood & Specialty Market
The Catch is In at Sebastian’s
Athena and Sebastian Galletti, Sebastian’s Seafood & Specialty Market
The most crucial ingredient in sushi isn’t fish—it’s trust. You have to know that everything you’re eating has been handled with care, precision and zero shortcuts. Founded in 2021 by Sebastian Galletti, Sebastian’s Seafood & Specialty Market at The Grove in NorthWest Crossing sources fish directly from his family’s seafood distribution business in California, ensuring Central Oregon gets nothing but the best.
The Sebastian’s seafood case brims with fresh catches, including buttery salmon and ruby-hued yellowfin plus rotating stars such as Chilean sea bass and Hawaiian bigeye tuna. While availability shifts with the tides, every fish is handpicked by people who take seafood personally. Ambitious home sushi enthusiasts can even snag a perfectly rectangular saku block of tuna, ensuring beautifully geometric slices land on the plate. Friendly fishmongers are also happy to answer questions or track down special requests.
While seafood is the showstopper, Sebastian’s shelves are packed with must-haves for a proper sushi night: nori sheets, sushi rice, premium soy sauces, togarashi spice blends and chili crunch oil for an extra kick. As Galletti joked, “The only thing missing is the rice maker.”
Raw Talent at Kusshi & Kanpai
Sashimi may not check the official sushi box, but Kusshi is far too busy crafting beautiful plates to argue semantics. In Japanese, the word kusshi translates to “precious,” a deliberate nod to the deep respect chefs Ian Skomski and Marcus Mitchell have for the ocean’s bounty. Their evolving menu at its location tucked off of Century Drive, confidently explores Nikkei cuisine and its inspired union of Japanese precision and punchy Peruvian flavors. “Our dishes feel accessible even if you’re new to sashimi,” Skomski explained. “It’s not just a slab of raw fish—we surround it with bright sauces and exciting flavors that didn’t exist in Bend until now.”
Kusshi
Take the Tuna Tiradito, with delicate slices of Hawaiian tuna swimming in a fruity-spicy aji amarillo sauce that practically begs diners to consider drinking directly from the bowl. Or the Causa Limeña that reimagines Peru’s mashed potato dish as a neatly stacked one-bite wonder topped with tuna, avocado purée and a salty hit of tobiko (flying fish roe). Even Hokkaido scallops get special treatment with delightfully acidic Leche de Tigre sauce and Peruvian salsa.
Longtime locals know Kanpai as the place that started Bend’s love affair with sushi. Its standout nigiri—hand-pressed mounds of rice topped with a perfect slice of fresh fish—features classics such as maguro (bluefin tuna) and uni (sea urchin), as well as inventive specialties like Sunrise, featuring tuna crowned with tobiko and luxurious quail egg yolk. See our original article on Chef Ian Skomski from 2017.
Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya
At Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya, the izakaya part is less about late-night revelry and more about the joyful chaos of passing plates, swapping stories and not caring about who double-dipped. It’s the kind of place where local chefs gather after their shifts to sip sake and share fresh-off-the-blade sashimi.
Here, rice is treated with reverence, crafted exclusively by the sushi chef to achieve a perfect texture and balance, subtly vinegared, slightly sweet, structured yet soft enough to hold everything together. Great rice may not win awards, but it’s the quiet hero of every great sushi roll.
The daily specials at Ryoshi showcase seasonal fish flown in from Japan. Those seeking adventure can opt for omakase—a multicourse meal left entirely to the sushi chef’s imagination. There are also dependable sides like garlic edamame, tangy seaweed salad and comforting miso soup to round things out.
Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya
But it’s the rolls that bring everyone to the table.
Sushi rolls come in two main varieties: maki (seaweed wrapped neatly on the outside) and uramaki (an inside-out approach that hides the seaweed beneath perfectly sticky rice). Within these humble parameters lies limitless creative potential. Ryoshi’s signature roll exemplifies controlled elegance with salmon, avocado, tiny beads of masago (capelin fish roe) and rice neatly pressed into a compact and deceptively simple rectangle. A thin slice of torched salmon and a sliver of jalapeño take it from subtle to sublime.
While the Ryoshi Roll plays with form, the Sunset Roll plays with crunch. Sushi rice is fried into crispy, golden slabs and piled high with spicy tuna, creamy avocado, tempura flakes and masago. The aptly named Dynamite Roll dares to combine tempura shrimp, smoky grilled eel and…yes… melted cheese. “People see cheese on a sushi roll and hesitate,” said manager Yuki Li. “But one bite, and they get it.”
Grab Ingredients & Go Fishin’ at Home
Ginger 101: Not a garnish or topping—just a reset button for your palate.
Hands vs. Chopsticks: Nigiri gets a pass, rolls get the sticks—but it’s always your call.
One and Done: Sushi is designed for one perfect bite. Don’t overthink it.
Soy Sauce Strategy: A quick dip, fish-side first. No dunking, no drowning.
Artist Ashley Paggi Finds Inspiration in the Rugged Landscapes of Central Oregon
It wasn’t too long ago that Ashley Paggi of Ash Cascade Designs began to consider herself a fine artist. Even after working as a graphic designer for 15 years, licensing her artwork for companies such as Cotton and Steal Fabrics, and selling her mostly digitally created art prints and products locally at The Workhouse and at nationwide boutiques, Paggi was hesitant to use that word to describe herself.
With a simple daily commitment to work in her sketchbook, she found the conviction to look at her art in a more elevated and tactile way, giving light to a new approach. “I was never a very confident painter. I would always paint in black and then add color and texture on the computer,” said Paggi. “But in January [2025], I thought, I’m just going to play. And I started painting quilts in my sketchbook everyday.” The experimentation, which turned into the start of a 100-day project, allowed Paggi to test her skills away from the computer, playing with acrylics and watercolors, which gave her enough self-assuredness to move from the comfort of her sketchbook and onto painting quilt patterns on canvas and wood.
Beauty in the Grit
Eventually, she found a rhythm to this mode of creation and realized that painting can actually be more forgiving than she had believed. “I’m not creating shapes as much as I’m laying down color. If something isn’t right, I can put more color over it,” said Paggi. “And I don’t want it to be perfect. Something I’m aiming for, and have even with my fabrics, is a sense of grit.”
Paggi’s interpretation of grit is seen in the artwork lining the walls of her backyard studio. The quilts that once lived in her sketchbook have come alive, painted on wood panels. On canvases of varying sizes are images of desert flowers, moths and rugged mountainscapes reflecting western Cascade landscapes. “We have flowers [here] that are teeny tiny, because they’re living on the side of a mountain, and they have to survive a snowstorm…When I’m painting, I want there to be an element of soul. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it’s not necessarily fragile.”
The vision of these hearty florals and landscapes comes from the experience of simply living in the high desert. “When I’m on a walk, I’m constantly looking at the shape of the plants and flowers,” said Paggi. “I’m looking at the color and how it’s attached to the ground. I’m looking at how I can interpret this thing that nature made and make it my own.”
It’s the story within these elements that Paggi is looking to preserve with her art. “When you go to a museum, you’re not looking at tax records. You’re looking at the art people made, you’re reading the passages that people wrote. And those are the things that tell the story of history,” Paggi said. Her current art documents what it means to live in Central Oregon and the importance the natural world plays: the subtle green that shows up in sagebrush as spring arrives, the difference between a ponderosa and a juniper, the reprieve that the first cool days of fall bring after a hot and dry summer. “It’s common for us to see spiny flowers and more rugged foliage, but it’s new to people in other areas,” Paggi said.
When Paggi reflects on her art, where she started and where she is now, she feels pride in the transformation of her work. Putting paint to canvas—or wood—has allowed her to explore dynamics within herself that she sees in the natural world: a kind of beauty that is raw, real and sometimes a little messy. With that comes a desire to keep learning, to keep finding new ways to create.
“Because what would life be like without beautiful things?”
Original article published May 2022, written by Lee Lewis Husk | Photography by Julia Duke
When Ashley Cascade Paggi graduated in 2006 with a graphic design and communications degree from California State University, Chico, she landed in-house graphic design positions with Pottery Barn and Weather Underground, both in San Francisco. Seven years later, she and her husband moved to Bend, and she went to work as the lead graphic designer at Oregon State University-Cascades. Her successful graphic design career was full steam ahead, but nevertheless, change was coming. In 2015, Paggi took maternity leave and never went back.
After five years as a stay-at-home mom, she searched for a way to reenter the workforce with flexibility and no requirement to clock into an office. When the world shut down in early 2020, Paggi found her answer in an online course. “It was an intensive eight-week immersion class on surface pattern design (fabric design) that quickly became my passion,” she said. Instead of using her creativity for someone else’s vision, she could now explore her own projects. Eventually, that led to her artwork appearing on children’s clothing, handmade quilts, wallpaper, silk scarfs, stationery, dinnerware and much more.
Paggi named her company Ash Cascade Designs and began sketching simple drawings inspired by adventures in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. The sketches became patterns created through Adobe Illustrator, which grew to an extensive digital library. The course taught her to protect her designs with copyrights and how to earn royalties from licensing agreements.
Her big break came when Rachael Stipanov, the creative director at Cotton+Steel Fabrics, a California-based wholesaler and manufacturer of Japanese fabrics, saw Paggi’s hashtag on Instagram. “I review a lot of art and was drawn to Ashley’s unique layouts, color palette and the balance of her designs,” she said. “We connected, and I decided she was someone I wanted to work with. She’s the perfect package of great design and personality.”
Since that phone call, Paggi has licensed three collections for Cotton+Steel, which the company distributes to boutique quilt shops, including two in Central Oregon. The collections, “Camp Creek,” “Canyon Springs” and “South Sister,” pay tribute to the color palette of Central Oregon.
She also has licenses with Alice + Ames, an online retailer of high-end children’s clothes, and eight designs with Bend-based ski clothing company, BlackStrap, which makes base layers and face gear for their signature artist series. Other recent clients include Geometry House, which has chosen six towel designs, and Kinder Cloth Diaper Co., which will make cloth diapers in Paggi’s patterns.
“Licensing art is a good revenue stream for artists,” she said. Her home studio is packed with cards, stationery, Japanese rolls of decorative sticky tape, holiday wrapping paper and calendars printed with her designs. In the two years since its creation, Ash Cascade Designs has evolved into a business that can license anything printed with an image.
“When I finally got the confidence and drive to start creating the artwork that I wanted to make, I started enjoying my art practice so much more,” she stated in Origin, a lifestyle magazine that featured Paggi as a female creative leader, describing her work as “bohemian artwork (that) evokes a polished yet gritty sense of place.”
As a successful entrepreneur with an active social media presence, the 38-year-old is busy courting new clients, mentoring other artists and is part of a team of mentors for thousands of students enrolled worldwide in the same class she took two years ago. “It’s fun to have a career that I’m passionate about,” she said. See ashcascade.com.
School’s out for summer and camps are ready for another season of adventure. From rugged backcountry excursions to classic campfire sing-alongs, these programs don’t just create happy campers, they fuel local businesses, support jobs and turn the region’s incomparable outdoors into an immersive experience for leadership, resilience and tons of fun. [Photo above courtesy of C.A.M.P. Bend]
Photo by Mason Otis
By drawing on the area’s mountains, rivers, forests and deserts, these programs are evolving in new ways to deepen connections to nature and expand access to more campers—an invaluable benefit to families. But as funding sources shift, organizations are adapting with strategic partnerships and diversified revenue streams to stay competitive, and to continue creating lanyards and lifelong memories.
A Tradition of Outdoor Adventure
Summer camps in Bend have been a tradition dating back to its logging-camp days and today, they need to adapt and evolve to remain vital. Camp Fire Central Oregon, for example, began in 1916 when newcomers flocking to the timber industry wanted their girls to learn outdoors skills for life in their new environs. The camp thrives today, and is open to all. Since 1935, Camp Tamarack taps into the power of the Deschutes National Forest in Sisters to inspire campers and offers counselor-in-training programs that develop leadership.The sight of teepees dotting Shevlin Park signals another year of Cougar Camp. Beginning in the early 1980s, Bend Park and Recreation has offered a classic experience, from the creation of camp names, songs and skits to a family barbecue before kids overnight in the teepees as a Bend rite of passage.
Photo courtesy of R.A.D. Camps
The Path to Camp Ownership
Summer camps provide leadership development to counselors, and Chance Caruso’s outdoor-education career began while he was a camper at R.A.D. Camps. The camp was founded in 2008, and Caruso took the reins in 2021. He has maintained its focus on true wilderness experiences, offering adventures in more than 50 backcountry locations within a two-hour radius of Bend, from desert to rivers, creeks, mountain lakes and forests.
As a child, the young entrepreneur had unknowingly absorbed business skills by overhearing his mother, a real estate agent, on speaker phone as she sold houses and negotiated deals.
“I just slowly took things in over years and years and years, so it’s always been natural for me to be able to do that type of thing,” he said.
The company has the advantage of possessing rare, highly sought-after special-use permits for the Deschutes and Willamette national forests. Caruso continues the camp’s focus on free play, while developing ease in nature, with leave-no-trace practices and no electronics.
R.A.D. Camp has wide appeal, including for families relocating from urban areas that want their children to develop outdoor skills, not unlike Bend’s timber industry families a century ago. Clients have expanded from locals to visitors from across the country and some from abroad. Caruso cites the camp’s flexible, single-day trips which appeal to vacationing families.
Photo courtesy of R.A.D. Camps
Meeting Growing Demand
As Bend continues to grow, so does the demand for diverse and enriching youth programs. Luckily, new camps are stepping in to meet that need. Cascade Adventure Mountain Programs (C.A.M.P.) Bend is one example, launched last year by Drew Hornbeck who drew on decades of experience in adventure and wilderness therapy to create a summer camp focused on leadership and personal growth through outdoor experiences. The focus also underscores how offering a niche program can be essential for standing out and gaining traction when launching a new business.
“Whether it’s paddleboarding, hiking, caving, mountain biking or camping, we’re there for a purpose—to create more insight, awareness, resiliency and personal growth within the context of becoming a leader,” said Hornbeck.
He requires staff to have related degrees or significant outdoor education experience to achieve a high-quality, safe, inclusive environment, emphasizing both physical and emotional well-being. As a result, personnel is the largest business expense. To sustain the camp year-round, he is expanding into after-school and business team-building programs.
Accessibility is key to the financial models for camps such as Camp Fire, C.A.M.P. Bend and R.A.D. Camps, with tuition and business sponsorships generating funds to subsidize enrollment for underserved kids.
Photo courtesy of Cougar Camp, Bend Park & Recreation District
Camps Innovate to Thrive
As summer camps face evolving financial pressures, some are seeking commercial partnerships or offering specialized programs to stay viable and fulfill their mission to serve local children and families. Camp Fire Central Oregon, for example, is addressing federal budget cuts by seeking alternative funding sources.
To adapt, Executive Director Kecia Kubota is focusing on diversifying revenue through business sponsorships and individual donations. A recent grant enabled the hiring of a marketing and development director to strengthen outreach and secure corporate partnerships, particularly with businesses that depend on and prioritize outdoor spaces. These efforts aim to sustain programming and expand scholarship opportunities for summer campers.
Camp Fire Central Oregon, a local affiliate of the national nonprofit, hosts about 120 summer campers each week at Tumalo Day Camp, a traditional outdoor experience with optional overnight stays for older kids and a nine-week, elementary school-based day camp with themed activities, catering to working families. The emphasis is on fostering stewardship of the natural world and preparing campers for becoming valuable employees and contributing citizens.
Another example of creative funding and marketing partnerships is from C.A.M.P. Bend, which has leaned on strategic partnerships to build momentum. A key collaboration with Bend Park and Recreation District played a pivotal role in boosting enrollment this year, generating 50 signups the first day it was posted, Hornbeck said. He also relies on a mix of digital and grassroots efforts, from boosted social media ads to old-school methods such as posting flyers in local businesses and hosting booths at community events. Hornbeck’s personal networks helped with inaugural trips last year—families that knew him through his two teenage daughters trusted his expertise.
The trust and tradition of Central Oregon summer camps offer more than play. With another summer comes a new wave of kids ready to grow under open skies with camps working to create something bigger—for families, the community and the wild places that make it all possible.
More Camp Fun
Summer Skate Camp 2025 is open for registration, offering a week-long skateboarding experience for all levels from June 16 to August 29 in Central Oregon. The camp will provide opportunities to learn and improve skateboarding skills, design tech deck skate parks, create art, and more. Learn more about Board House and their summer camps here.
April Lawyer is a professional athlete and founder of Vanilla boutique, celebrating 20 years in Bend.
Recipe for Success
Start with an industrious child growing up in the sports-centric culture of Big Bear Lake, California, during the ‘80s. Fold in raw athletic talent, tenacity and grit. Add hefty doses of style and community support. That only begins to describe April Lawyer: professional athlete—the first woman to compete in both downhill mountain biking and snowboarding in the first X Games of 1997, and founder of the Old Mill District boutique Vanilla, celebrating its20th anniversary in 2025. Lawyer was one of the first retailers in the Old Mill District when it was a sparkle in Bill Smith’s eye. Similarly, Lawyer saw a new niche for her shop with its melding of the snowboard and fashion worlds. She recently talked with Adam Short ofBend Magazine’s The Circling Podcast.
A lemonade stand and a bedroom window candy drive-through were a start for the young entrepreneur:
We lived in an old house and I was on the lower floor, so I had a little pop-out window. I got some milk crates and lined them up so kids could step up to the window. I made a little sign, and I created a little store out of my bedroom window. Kids would knock on the window, I’d slide it open and they would ask, “What do you have today?”
I don’t know that my dad completely loved having kids constantly knocking on the windows, but it was really fun, and it created such a great opportunity to understand how to put my profits [from selling candy] into overhead. It was my first introduction into how retail works, but also to customer service and talking to people and just sort of figuring out what people want.
It was an important step to advocate for herself, and being authentic was the best form of marketing:
At one point in time I did bring on a manager [as a professional athlete], but I felt like just being my own authentic self was my best marketing. Having somebody on the outside trying to do that just didn’t sit well with me. I really learned a lot about marketing because I negotiated all my own contracts, and I think that to this day it was the best education I could have given myself—to be an advocate for myself.
Vanilla began as the “vanilla shell” of a space and an idea to blend the cultures of a snowboard shop with a boutique:
April Lawyer
In 2005, you were either a snowboard shop or you were a boutique; there wasn’t any in between. And I thought, why can’t we just put the two worlds that I’ve now been exposed to and really love together? Nowadays, there are lots of those, but back then, there really wasn’t a whole lot of that. There was one space that was available in a brand new building that hadn’t been built out yet. It was what they called a “vanilla shell.” It was this huge 2,500-square-foot space, but it was beautiful. I guess I must’ve been crazy.
Bill Smith believed in her ideas—and the osprey out his window—in the rising Old Mill District of 20 years ago:
I didn’t know who Bill Smith was, and I didn’t know what I was walking into. Bill was just sitting there in his Old Mill office smiling at me. And I thought, “Okay, I have to make a pitch. This is the real deal.” I didn’t have a business plan. I just had to pitch [him and his team] on an idea.
Bill looked at me silently, and he had this funny look on his face and I thought, ”Oh, this isn’t going to go well.” He didn’t say anything. He just let me keep talking and talking. Then, finally, he looks at his window and he says, “Look out there. Do you like my osprey? Isn’t that beautiful?” He was so proud. He looked at me, smiled and said,“I like you, let’s do this.”
Vanilla was embraced by the community early on and it’s an honor to share a vision:
I am so fortunate that the community embraced what we were doing early on, and I think they saw its value. My goal with Vanilla from the beginning was for people to enjoy it because of what we had curated, but also the authenticity of what we were all about. I wanted people to enjoy what I created, and not because it was attached to whatever [sports-related] notoriety I had at that time. But I think to be able to tap into a little bit of who you are is very unique, and I’m very honored to be able to do this.
Last summer, humpback whales spouted and breached around Bend natives Jennifer and Kristen Hofer’s 28-foot skiff during the first two days of the World’s Toughest Row competition from Monterey Bay, California, to Hanalei Bay, Kaua’i. It wasn’t all whales and rainbows, though. On the eighth day, a 20-foot wave capsized their boat. Their self-righting vessel flipped back over, with the rowers strapped onto the boat with harnesses. All were safe.
It could be assumed that the Hofer sisters had immense experience navigating open ocean. However, they grew up in land-locked Central Oregon, graduated from Bend High School and had no experience in deep ocean waters before the race. Jennifer, 30, was on a rowing team at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon; Kristen, 31, competed in outrigger canoe races when attending University of Hawaii at Hilo, but never away from coastal zones.
Despite growing up far from the ocean, their team, Hericane Rowing, finished the 2,800-mile race on July 19, 2024, in 40 days, 22 hours and 14 minutes, coming in sixth out of eight teams. Jennifer and Kristen became the first sisters to complete a mid-Pacific row together.
Photo courtesy of World’s Toughest Row
The Dream Begins
Jennifer was the first to get excited about the potential of racing. “In 2022, we watched the Lat 35 team break the women’s record crossing the Pacific,” said Jennifer, who quit her job as a data analyst in Portland to do the race. But she couldn’t do it alone. “I asked Kristen and Sierra Myers, my college rowing teammate, if I was crazy to consider doing this. They were both instantly interested. We connected to our skipper, Kelsey Pfender. through the race organization. She had the most open water experience.”
The women trained for two years, not just physically but also for sleep deprivation, stress and pressure. They prepared to row in teams of two—two hours on, two hours off. To go faster, sometimes the women did three-hour day shifts on the oars with 30-minute breaks.
“We averaged four hours of sleep per day across 40 days,” said Kristen, who is a rafting guide for Wanderlust Tours in Central Oregon. “We were so exhausted, we worried less about getting to sleep and more about going to sleep with unchewed goldfish in our mouths.”
Nighttime rowing was even more challenging. “Talking kept us from falling asleep at the oars, which sometimes happened,” said Jennifer. “Focusing on what a rowing partner needed helped distract us from our own struggles.”
Kristen added, “Talking at night, we learned everything about each other. Jenn and I really got to know each other as adults.”
Their two-hour breaks weren’t just for sleeping. They had chores. The women used a solar-powered desalinator for a limited amount of freshwater. Many times laundry meant a bucket of seawater and dish soap. They also concentrated on sunscreening, wound care, baby-wipe showering, teeth brushing, water boiling and, of course, eating.
“We had a bag of food each per day; our job was to eat a whole bag to get the calories we needed,” said Kristen, and Jennifer added: “Eating that amount of food was difficult because you had to sacrifice sleep to eat. You had to convince yourself to eat. People brought a surprise snack pack every 500 miles. One time, chocolate pudding changed our entire day.”
High points included an unexpected rest day when skipper Pfender was able to use the shape of the boat to sail, going faster than rowing. They paddled through a night of meteor showers and had a day being followed by a family of whales. They savored wearing shorts on the first sunny day and replaying the MP3 audio files from their family and friends.
Team Hericane Rowing: Left to Right: Kelsey Pfender, Jennifer Hofer, Sierra Myers, and Kristen Hofer
Challenges on Open Water
As for the scariest moment, it wasn’t capsizing. It wasn’t the shark that lurked under their boat. It wasn’t the pitch-black night when they could hear, but not see, humongous swells that had them wondering if these would be the waves that dumped them. It was the night they used a parachute-style anchor when a bad storm was shoving them the wrong way. Their satellite monitor’s alarm jolted them awake. They were on a collision course with a cargo ship—vessels that are huge, fast and can suck a boat under.
Their radio communication wasn’t answered. They had to act fast, pull anchor and row as if their lives depended on it.“In those make or break moments, we learned we could pull through and trust each other,” said Jennifer.
Around 4 a.m. on day 40, they neared Kaua’i and their cheering family and friends. “We saw their tiny light in the distance; it seemed to take forever for it to grow closer,” said Mary Hofer, the sisters’ mother who had her two daughters and a son (deployed in the navy) all on open ocean at the same time during the trip.
Crossing the Finish Line
“Seeing the finish celebration flares from the pier was a moment I’ll never forget,” said Mary. “Seeing their faces was the most wonderful feeling in the world. I couldn’t wait to get my arms around them. When the four of them walked to shore, holding each other up because they could barely stand, I felt so much pride in this team of amazing young women.”
The team drank cold bubbly water to celebrate, except none of them could open a can themselves. Their fingers were seized up. They struggled with a common rowing injury called claw hand that limits the ability to extend fingers, as well as atrophied walking muscles.
They quickly recovered, but were forever changed. “I think about who I was when I started training, then who I was on the starting line and end of the race,” said Kristen. “You learn you are stronger than you think you are—physically, emotionally and mentally.” Jennifer added, “Gaining confidence, pushing through fear—that translates to everything else in life.”
Summer in Central Oregon means farmers markets overflowing with fresh produce—think juicy berries, crisp greens and sweet local honey, all making you wish you could bottle the season. There’s no better way to spend a summer afternoon than by strolling through stands, connecting with local farmers, ranchers, producers and your fellow Central Oregonians. Here’s your guide to making the most of the region’s array of bountiful farmers markets.
Farmers Markets in Bend, Oregon
Bend Farmers Market
Nestled in Brooks Alley in downtown Bend, the Bend Farmers Market is a Wednesday afternoon highlight. From May to October, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., rows of stands line the alley above Mirror Pond, the perfect midweek pick-me-up—just try not to eat all your purchases before you get home!
Looking for a Saturday activity for the whole family? Want to stock up on fresh goodies before your weekend adventures or grab ingredients for Sunday night dinner? Head to the NorthWest Crossing Saturday Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and explore the plethora of stands lining the main strip.
A fresh addition to Bend’s local food scene, the Worthy Farmers Market invites the community to gather each Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn of Worthy Brewing. Running from April 27 through September, this new market offers a lively mix of farm-fresh produce, handmade artisan goods, live music, and of course, craft beer.
In addition to shopping for locally grown food and artisan products, visitors can unwind with a pint and enjoy performances from regional musicians. The market also features a free community booth, spotlighting local nonprofits and initiatives, making it more than just a place to shop—it’s a space to connect.
Head to the welcoming town of Sisters for the charming market that pops up every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fir Street Park in downtown. The square is filled with local producers who offer the community fresh, healthy, and delicious food. Running from June to October, this market is the perfect spot to stock up on veggies, fruits, meats, eggs, and artisanal goods.
Redmond Farmers Market Downtown Redmond comes alive with a streetful of stands offering a wide range of goods on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. A peaceful way to end the work week, connect with local producers and stock up on some fresh goodies for the weekend. From May to August, patrons can find local farmers and ranchers, as well as artists and makers, with live music playing at the center of it all.
This year the Redmond Farmers Market is getting a refresh with new management and a novel market plan in order to continue bringing fresh, local goods to the community. Stop by vendors like 4 Acre Farm, Black Goat Winery, McTrimble Preserves, Marquam Hill Berries and more.
Once a month, Sunriver’s only handmade and locally grown boutique market pops up at SHARC, offering a curated selection of goods from regional farmers, artists, and makers. This market takes place on the last Saturday of the month from May through September. Mark your calendar for market days: May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, and September 27. Whether you’re stocking up on veggies for the week or browsing handcrafted treasures, Sunriver Saturday Market is the perfect place to support small producers and soak in the community vibe.
It’s hard to beat the charm of strolling through rows of stands in the sunshine, tucking away fresh, local treats into your basket and enjoying the vibrant energy of one of Central Oregon’s farmers markets. But there are plenty of other ways to get your hands on the flavors of the season while supporting the region’s local agricultural community. From an array of seasonal farm stands to the Community Supported Agriculture programs that connect you to the bounty of Central Oregon’s local farms, there are plenty of ways to indulge in this season’s natural goodness.
Central Oregon CSA’s
Central Oregon Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs are programs designed to strengthen the connections between local farms and community members. By subscribing to a CSA, individuals can receive a regular supply of fresh, locally-grown produce. These subscriptions are often paid for in advance, providing financial support to farmers by helping them cover essential costs.
In return, community members have the chance to enjoy a share of the farm’s seasonal bounty, fostering a closer relationship with the source of their food. This model not only ensures a steady supply of high-quality, farm-fresh items but also promotes a sense of community involvement and support for the local agriculture that nourishes and sustains our region.
Craving fresh produce or ripe berries on a day of the week when you can’t find a local farmers market? No worries! Several farm stands can be found close by for gathering hand-picked seasonal goods.
Paradise Produce Stand
Located on Bend’s lively Galveston Street, the Paradise Produce Stand is a seasonal open-air spot for high-quality produce all summer long. Find organic goods from Central Oregon, Willamette Valley and Yakima Valley farms. Opening May 9, 2025, the hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Click here for more about the Paradise Produce Stand.
Schilling’s Farm Stand
Located within Schillings Garden Market Nursery, Schilling’s Farm Stand offers a curated selection of regional products, including specialty meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits, beer, wine, and more. The stand, open seasonally, is committed to supporting local farmers and sourcing the finest organic and sustainable products. Swing by Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here for more about Schilling’s Farm Stand.
The Stand – Mahonia Farms
Mahonia Gardens is a small, family-owned vegetable farm in Sisters, dedicated to organic and sustainable practices. All of their food is produced with a focus on soil health, biodiversity and inspiring a sustainable lifestyle. The farm stand is open from May through October 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering not only Mahonia produce but also pasture-raised eggs, seasonal organic berries, flour, honey and more from trusted local producers. Click here for more about Mahonia Farms.
Tumalo Farm Stand
Founded on a passion for community, The Tumalo Farmstand offers local fruit, vegetables and more in the heart of Tumalo. Established in May 2017, this seasonal produce stand specializes in quality produce and exceptional customer service, working closely with local farmers to ensure variety and freshness. Swing by from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday for a taste of Central Oregon’s bounty. Click here for more about Tumalo Farm Stand.
Photo of Bend’s Downtown Farmers Market, by Marvin Walder
Grab your reusable bags, put on your sunhat and get ready to enjoy the fresh flavors of Central Oregon. Happy market hopping!
When Stephanie Alvstad thinks about J Bar J Youth Services, the organization she leads as president and CEO, she sees it through the lens of community connection. “Everything we do comes down to relationships. And when those connections are strong, lives change,” said Alvstad. The mission of J Bar J Youth Services is to support young people facing significant challenges. Youth connect with the nonprofit in various ways, including court appointments, referrals from community partners and by seeking help directly through the programs.
J Bar J’s network of programs have served Central Oregon’s at-risk youth for nearly six decades. Founded in 1968, J Bar J facilitates everything from emergency shelter to equine psychotherapy and helping young people build confidence and self-sufficiency. “We work with youth who have often been through tremendous difficulties,” Alvstad said. “Our goal is to provide the stability and support they need to move forward.”
The Oregon High Desert Classics is the major fundraiser for J Bar J Youth Services.
Different from traditional services, J Bar J’s programs offer specialized support systems. Their residential facilities, such as the J Bar J Boys Ranch and J5, provide rehabilitation for young men facing adversity or those involved in the juvenile justice system.
J Bar J Youth Services includes multiple programs: The Cascade Youth and Family Center delivers emergency shelter and housing solutions for youth experiencing homelessness. J Bar J operates the at: project, providing intervention and assistance for human trafficking victims; and Grandma’s House offers shelter for pregnant girls and young mothers.
Mentorship remains central through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon, which pairs children as young as age 8—known as “Littles”—with adult mentors for guidance. These relationships often extend into high school. In 2023, 100% of the program’s high school Littles graduated or received their GED. For young women needing intensive intervention, The Academy at Sisters serves as a therapeutic boarding school focusing on healing and growth.
The J Bar J Learning Center offers alternative education for youth who struggle in traditional schools, while Kindred Connections stabilizes home environments by supporting families in crisis.
Funding for Programs Comes From Oregon High Desert Classics
To support its wide range of programs, J Bar J hosts the Oregon High Desert Classics at its Boys Ranch every July. The two-week hunter-jumper competition draws thousands of equestrians from across North America to compete for $150,000 in prizes, including the $25,000 Grand Prix. The event is the organization’s largest fundraiser and holds the highest AA rating from the U.S. Equestrian Foundation. The competition is on one of the last remaining grass footing rings in the country—a prized surface in the equestrian world that’s worth experiencing.
The event is open to the public, with many locals making it an annual tradition. Spectators enjoy watching skilled riders and horses in action, plus exploring a variety of vendors offering local food and artisan items.
The Central Oregon community is invited to contribute time and professional expertise to support J Bar J’s mission. From bankers teaching accounting skills to chefs hosting cooking classes, community members have numerous opportunities to make an impact on young people’s lives. Become more involved with J Bar J’s mission, here.
Just 15 minutes from Bend, find Caldera Springs, the Pacific Northwest’s premier residential resort community. Within 1,000 acres of Ponderosa pine forest, Caldera Springs offers a lifestyle shaped by relaxation, nature, and four seasons of adventure. Here, a limited collection of luxury mountain modern homes and nature-steeped homesites allows owners to build their Pacific Northwest legacy—with opportunities for vacation rental income through Sunriver Resort Vacation Properties.
Forestbrook: Mountain-Modern Homes
Discover Forestbrook, a distinctively new way to own at Caldera Springs. Located just steps from Forest House and Forest Park, these mountain-modern vacation homes feature three to four bedrooms, expansive patios with hot tubs, and an attached studio residence with its own entrance, kitchenette, and private bath. The studio can be rented separately or together with the main home, offering rare flexibility for both personal use and income potential.
New Homesites Now Available
Caldera Springs is currently offering homesites in two of its newest enclaves—Preservation and Wild Pine. Preservation offers expansive sites backing directly onto the community’s 220-acre Wildlife Forest Preserve, offering exceptional privacy and a close connection to nature. Select homesites in Preservation also surround the new Preservation Park, a natural gathering space with trails, water features and handcrafted birdhouses.
Wild Pine is the newest collection of forest-immersed homesites in the northeast section of the community, surrounded by tranquil waterways and steps from Forest House, Forest Park, and miles of trails. Select homesites in Wild Pine also offer peaceful water views. Both neighborhoods offer utility lines in place and are ready for immediate build for your dream home in
Build Your Dream Home in Nature-Inspired Settings
For those aspiring to build their dream home, Caldera Springs’ homesites present an idyllic blank canvas amidst the Pacific Northwest’s most breathtaking alpine wilderness. To ensure a seamless process, Caldera Springs collaborates with the region’s top architects, designers, and homebuilders, expertly transforming each owner’s vision into a reality.
Community members Dionne and Craig Lewelling experienced first-hand what it is like to build a custom home at Caldera Springs. After consulting architects, designers, and engineers, they landed on the perfect homesite for their home. “Our homesite has a lot of unique features that give us different ideas each time we go out there,” Craig said. “There’s a lava rock structure that separates the two lots, and also the headwaters of a new lake nearby. It’s just awesome.”
Your Year-Round Pacific Northwest Basecamp
Set across from the Crosswater Golf Course at Sunriver Resort and just a short drive from Mt. Bachelor, Caldera Springs offers four seasons of adventure in every direction—from snow sports to biking, kayaking, and golf. Owners enjoy over 13 miles of scenic paved and soft trails, along with 14.7 acres of lakes, ponds, and streams—perfect for paddling, fishing, and quiet reflection. From rounds on the 9-hole Caldera Links course to snowy days on the slopes, the adventure never ends.
Forest House adds even more to the experience, with a double-racer waterslide, game room, indoor-outdoor dining, and a fitness center. Nearby, Forest Park offers pickleball courts, a sledding hill, creative play areas, and an off-leash dog park. At The Quarry, owners can unwind in an infinity-edge pool and outdoor spa overlooking Obsidian Lake. And at Lake House, the social heart of the community, dining, cocktails, and morning coffee are served up with panoramic views of Mt. Bachelor.
Limited Opportunities Available
Caldera Springs is currently offering a limited release of Forestbrook vacation homes, as well as homesites in the Preservation and Wild Pine neighborhoods. Resale opportunities are also available, including several artfully designed custom homes.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and Central Oregon is brimming with exciting ways to celebrate and show your appreciation for the special women in your life. From mouthwatering brunch experiences to outdoor adventures and artisan markets, there’s something for every mom’s taste and style. Here are some fun ways to celebrate Mother’s Day in Central Oregon this year.
Best Mother’s Day Brunch in Central Oregon
Central Oregon knows how to do a show-stopping brunch, sure to please all the foodie moms out there. Check out some of the Mother’s Day brunches and dining experiences happening around Central Oregon this weekend. Be sure to check availability as reservations are required for most.
Treat the special ladies in your life to a delicious Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, nestled amidst picturesque vineyards with breathtaking views of the Three Sisters Mountains. Delight in a lavish spread catered by Cascade Catering Company. Tetherow hosts an annual Mother’s Day gathering with a curated menu of seasonal goods plus arts and crafts fun for the kids. Indulge in a seasonal feast at Juniper Preserve’s Iris restaurant, promising an unforgettable dining affair amid the beauty of spring in the high desert.
Central Oregon Outdoor Adventures
If your mom is a nature enthusiast and loves the great outdoors, Central Oregon is the perfect destination to celebrate Mother’s Day. With its stunning landscapes and abundance of outdoor activities, the area offers something for every adventurous spirit.
Take a leisurely springtime stroll along Central Oregon’s picturesque hiking trails, immersing yourselves in the region’s natural beauty. Explore the iconic Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rock State Park, renowned for its dramatic cliffs and breathtaking views of the Crooked River.
If temperatures are warm, opt for an aquatic adventure, embarking on a kayaking or paddle boarding excursion on the easily accessible waters of the Deschutes River. Paddle along with tranquil currents or through swifter whitewater surrounded by the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The river offers a variety of routes suitable for different skill levels, ensuring a memorable experience for both novice and experienced paddlers.
If cycling is more mom’s style, rent bicycles and explore Central Oregon’s scenic cycling routes. The region boasts a network of well-maintained trails that wind through picturesque forests, meadows, and alongside rushing rivers. Whether mom prefers leisurely rides or more challenging routes, Central Oregon has options to suit every preference.
Luckily for winter sports lovers, springtime skiing is still in full swing in Central Oregon. Hit the slopes with your mom and enjoy that fun springtime snow. After a day on the mountain, treat yourselves to some après-ski celebrations.
Artisan Markets and Gifts in Central Oregon
Still on the hunt for the perfect gift for Mom? Look no further! Central Oregon is bustling with Mother’s Day markets this week, offering an array of goodies waiting to be discovered. Alternatively, opt for a delightful afternoon celebrating Mom at one of the many exciting local events happening throughout the area.
Schilling’s Garden Market invites you to their weekend celebration with live music, local food trucks, cocktails and a variety of art vendors. Unleash your creativity at Mud Lake Studio and sculpt a one-of-a-kind mug for Mom. Meander through the High Desert Museum on Sunday, where moms get free admission all day. At River’s Place, enjoy the lively Treat Yo’ Mama event featuring local vendors, live music, and rosé wine tasting. The Grove hosts the Pop Up Mother’s Day Maker’s Market, your go-to destination for artisanal gifts. For a unique experience, Flights Wine Bar offers a ‘Rosé And Roses’ flight. Don’t miss out on Oregon Spirit Distiller’s Mother’s Day Celebration, pairing limoncello flights with delightful cheeses.
Rest and Relax in Central Oregon
Treat your mom to a day of pure relaxation and indulgence at one of Central Oregon’s premier spa and wellness centers. Mom is sure to enjoy an afternoon at the Evoke Healing Space in Bend, the perfect destination for rejuvenation, where skilled therapists will provide a range of services such as massages and facials to melt away tension and restore balance.
Anjou Spa | Photo Natalie Puls Photography
Pamper your mom with one of the Mother’s Day specials at Anjou Spa in Bend, offering treatments such as the soothing Mama Relax massage and the revitalizing Mother’s Aqua Glow facial. If you’re looking for a tranquil retreat, head to Shibui Spa at the Five Pine Lodge in Sisters, where nourishing treatments and a dip in the soaking pool await.
For a natural healing experience, take your mom to Belknap Hot Springs, nestled in the breathtaking McKenzie River Valley. Indulge in its serene ambiance and unwind in the hot mineral pools surrounded by picturesque natural surroundings.
In many ways, interior designer Celeste McGowan and her family’s home eschews mainstream home design trends. It’s small by today’s standards, at 1,300 square feet. The opposite of “open concept,” every room is defined and infused with personality.
“Spaces with character are what I love to design. When I had the chance to dream up spaces in my own house, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go in,” said Celeste, who owns Iron Roots Design along with her husband, Tim. The design-build studio does everything from large home renovations to designing restaurant interiors such as Dear Irene in downtown Bend.
The home already came with a history. Built in 1911, the schoolhouse was moved in the 1970s in Tumalo to its current location, a larger property on Old Bend Redmond Highway. When the McGowans first saw it, the house had blue office carpet and commercial lighting, but the they saw its potential.
The living room was once the main school room, and features custom cabinets made by Tim McGowan.
Elements of History
While little of the original building was salvaged, the McGowans set about creating spaces that harken back to the building’s first iteration, while showcasing their personal style.
They added the decorative black-glazed brick fireplace from California-based Arto Brick in the living room. Celeste found the heavy wooden oversized mirror, a focal point of the room, at a Bend thrift shop. Tim, a multitalented craftsman with a background in custom metal fabrication, made the steel and stained-wood built-in cabinets on the opposite wall, which is both functional and stylish. “In small spaces, playing with scale can be important. I feel like we’re doing that with these two opposing elements [of steel and wood],” said Celeste.
History is also important: The living room, which would have been the main school room, is decorated with family photographs and heirlooms, such as a brass oil lamp passed down through Tim’s family and a coin purse from Celeste’s grandmother. Celeste is a descendant of a famed Oregonian, Captain George Flavel, whose former Queen Anne-style residence is now the Flavel House Museum in Astoria.
One of the living room’s most eye-catching features is the dry bar with gold accents and earthy mint green Zelige tile that catches the mid-afternoon light.
The McGowans moved the front door so they could turn an awkward entryway into a second bathroom. This jewel box of a powder room features early 20th-century inspired Art Nouveau wallpaper in a warm cream and black color palette.
“We wanted it to feel special, light and bright,” said Celeste.
The 1911 schoolhouse was renovated to serve as the McGowan family home.
Family Ties
After living in Sonoma—where Celeste studied interior design and architectural drafting—the McGowan’s moved to Tumalo to be closer to family; Celeste’s mother and stepfather live down the road. The couple was also searching for a place to start a business and a family. They moved into the home in 2019 and two years later the couple welcomed their son. Today, 3-year-old Sloane loves playing in the renovated mudroom off the kitchen that is decorated with an array of plants and an Iron Roots Design custom bench. While she put a lot of heart and effort into the home’s design, Celeste laughed when she admitted, “There’s going to be toy dinosaurs scattered across my living room 95% of the time.”
Celeste McGowan creates restful spaces accented with heirlooms and photographs.Tim & Celeste McGowan
The primary bedroom is the best example of the layered design look. It features the natural, organic and textured elements Celeste loves. Eucalyptus-themed wallpaper by artist Yvonne Hart adds drama. A green Four Hands bench draped in blankets and linens of different colors and textures adds a point of interest at the end of the bed. The wooden side tables built by Tim’s late father were important to incorporate into the space—the McGowans also encourage clients to showcase meaningful pieces.
“Family is the main reason we do everything. To have the opportunity to be a small part of somebody’s story or to make their home feel like a safe space is important to me,” she said.
As the McGowan’s embarked on their home renovation journey, they noticed that more clients also began asking for separation and privacy in their living spaces. While open floor plans have their upsides, they said, they believe there will be a continued movement toward more traditional design in home architecture.
The McGowans also added a deck to the front of the house, but they have more plans for the home, including renovating the bright but dated kitchen and possibly exposing the schoolhouse’s original brick chimney stack hidden inside a wall. Every renovation makes the house feel more like a home while staying true to its roots.
“With this project, we didn’t want to try to make the house something it isn’t. That’s how we approach all our work,” said Celeste.
As summer approaches, the wilderness around Bend is brimming with hikers eager to summit buttes and mountain peaks clear of winter snow. But why not take a road trip to explore an equally spectacular landscape with lesser-traversed paths and leave some of the crowds behind? Nestled in the Malheur National Forest of Eastern Oregon is one such place—a glacier-carved valley seeming to rise out of nowhere from the surrounding sage brush hills. This postcard-perfect alpine region is known as the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, named by homesteader Nathan Willis Fisk—one of Oregon’s earliest pioneers—from his simple observation of an abundance of wild strawberries found there.” [Photo by Garrett & Nina, Oregonisforadventure.com]
To access the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, hikers starting from Bend drive roughly three-and-a-half hours to the parking area at Strawberry Campground. The sojourner is welcomed with stunning views and more than 100 miles of trails showcasing waterfalls, craggy peaks, spring-fed meadows and seven alpine lakes. The appeal of the Strawberry Mountains is perhaps their ability to simultaneously humble and awe visitors with both a grandeur and quiet nature. The landscape here seems more akin to the Canadian Rockies than the Cascade’s high desert peaks—an unexpected delight in what feels like Oregon’s forgotten backcountry.
Strawberry Lake | Photo by Troy McMullin
This wilderness is also a haven for wildlife and wildflowers. California bighorn sheep and mountain goats are frequent visitors on the andesite cliff outcroppings. In early summer, the mountain basins bloom with colorful explosions of a variety of wildflower species. Throughout the hillside meadows, paintbrush, lupine and monkeyflower mingle and dance to create a colorful symphony of bright pinks, deep purples and striking yellows.
Fortunately, Fisk’s namesake observations still hold true as spring-fed meadows feed the fields and ripe huckleberries and strawberries dot the trails in late summer, offering the hiker plenty of sweet trailside treats. The region is also a backpacker’s paradise, offering an ideal setting for a two- or three-day loop to take in one of the few less-touched areas of majestic wilderness east of the Cascade Range.
Here are three hikes that feature some of the most scenic portions of the Strawberry Mountains, all starting from Strawberry Campground. Choose a beginner’s loop, or level up to the Summit.
Strawberry Lake Loop
If a shorter hike is at the top of the list, the trek around Strawberry Lake provides a perfect introduction to the splendor of the area. The trail picks up at the Strawberry Basin Trailhead in the campground day-use parking lot. It begins with a gradual ascent through a thick fir forest before opening up to a dramatic view of glistening Strawberry Lake. The 4-mile loop follows the shoreline before connecting back to the trailhead and gives ample shaded inlets to take in the valley’s breeze, cast your line or enjoy a tranquil picnic lunch. At around the 1.5-mile marker, turn right to take the lesser-traveled path and enjoy the stillness of the lake’s western shores on the return.
Distance: 4-mile loop | Difficulty: Easy | Dog and family friendly
Strawberry Falls | Photo by Christian Murillo
Strawberry Falls and Little Strawberry Lake
At the head of Strawberry Lake is a large grassy meadow and a series of bubbling stream crossings. Look for the sign to the falls branching off to the right and begin the climb. In roughly a mile, feel the mist from 60-foot Strawberry Falls—a welcome treat on a hot summer day. Continue on a long switchback toward the footbridge that traverses the top of the falls. The next fork heads uphill toward the Little Strawberry Lake basin. The babbling Strawberry Creek will follow the trail through the next half-mile section of ponderosa pine forest as glistening Little Strawberry Lake comes into view. Keep watch for mountain goats on the towering cliffs here. There are several secluded sites in which to pitch a tent for overnighting, or head back the same way you came, turning right to explore the other side of the shoreline back toward the falls.
Distance: 6.5 miles out and back | Difficulty: Moderate, but with some challenging sections | Dog and older kid-friendly
Strawberry Mountain | Photo by Christian Murillo
Strawberry Mountain Summit
This trail gains more than 3,000 feet of elevation, so prepare accordingly. At the Strawberry Basin/Little Strawberry Lake Trail Junction is the optional (but recommended) side trip to Little Strawberry Lake, which adds about a mile. From here, the Strawberry Basin trail continues and offers a bird’s-eye view of Strawberry Lake as a kaleidoscope of wildflower meadows come to life. Keep an eye out for the remains of an old cabin, and across the valley to the east, catch a glimpse of Rabbit Ears, a rock formation jutting out of the rocks on the ridgeline. The trail eventually opens up to a drier, more rugged and exposed landscape. Keep right and expect some scree field scrambling here, reminiscent of South Sister’s summit trail (the “one step forward, two steps back” kind). The last 300 feet of the ascent is a series of switchbacks toward the summit’s reward: arguably the best panoramic views of the John Day River valley, the Blue Mountains and the vast Strawberry Mountain Wilderness below. Return the same way for the most scenic descent.
Distance: 13 miles (with optional side trip to Little Strawberry Lake) | Difficulty: Hard | Not recommended for dogs or kids due to narrow trails and drop-offs
Helpful Hiking Tips:
There are small, nonreservable campsites—one at the base of the trailhead, another farther down the road at Slide Creek—to overnight and begin at early light.
Pack a fishing pole. The lakes in the area are stocked with brook and rainbow trout.
A Northwest Forest Pass or interagency pass, such as America the Beautiful, is needed to park at any of the trailheads.
Mosquito spray is highly recommended if exploring in the early summer months.
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.
A Contemporary Highlands Family Home Blends Northwest Tradition and Asian-inspired Design
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.
How Are You Spending Cinco de Mayo in Central Oregon?
While seasons in Central Oregon can be unpredictable, the beginning of May typically signals the transition to spring (though flurries are never out of the question). So, for those craving lively outdoor gatherings and refreshing patio margaritas, Cinco de Mayo couldn’t come at a better time.
Originating on the date of Mexico’s historic triumph over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, Cinco de Mayo has become a vibrant celebration of Mexican-American heritage in the United States marked by festive gatherings, mouthwatering cuisine and cultural events. Gear up for this annual festivity by exploring the best ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Central Oregon.
Cinco de Mayo Parties in Central Oregon
Cinco de Mayo at El Sancho
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at all three El Sancho locations in Bend. Indulge in El Sancho’s renowned street-style Mexican cuisine and festive, colorful patio atmosphere. Whether you’re craving tacos, refreshing margaritas or flavorful starters, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. More information about Cinco de Mayo at El Sancho.Or read our full review of El Sancho.
Cinco de Mayo at La Rosa Mexican Kitchen
Swing by La Rosa Mexican Kitchen in Bend from 12 p.m. to close for its 20th year of Cinco de Mayo festivities. Enjoy special offerings, giveaways and commemorative swag that flies off the shelves every year. Click here for more information about Cinco de Mayo at La Rosa.
Cinco de Mayo Party at Hola! Downtown
Come join us at Hola! Downtown for a festive Cinco de Mayo Celebration! Get ready for a night filled with delicious Mexican food, refreshing margaritas and lively music from Dj SOLO. Let’s celebrate this Mexican holiday in style together! Don’t miss out on the excitement, mark your calendars now! Learn more about this Cinco de Mayo Party at Hola! Downtown.
Cinco de Mayo at River’s Place
Enjoy handmade tamales and fresh elotes alongside melodies from Estrellas – Musical de Tierra Caliente at River’s Place’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. Savor specialty cocktails, including expertly crafted margaritas and smokey Palomas. Order authentic, colorful cuisine from SOPA, one of Central Oregon’s finest Mexican food trucks. More information on Cinco de Mayo at River’s Place.
SOPA Nachos at River’s Place, Bend | Photo by CJ Juan
Cinco de Mayo at Bar Rio
Cinco de Mayo at Bar Rio promises to be a party! Find celebratory vibes on Saturday, May 4th, starting at 3 p.m. with food and festivities, including the beats of DJ Giancarlo, and Mr. Animals from 9 p.m. to midnight. Modelo Especial will flow all night, or choose from an array of margarita flavors from the extensive Margs Menu. Don’t miss sampling a signature Prickly Pear shooter. More information about Cinco de Mayo at Bar Rio, or read our full review of Bar Rio.
Cinco de Mayo at Monkless Belgian Ales
Monkless Belgian Ale Brasserie invites you to its lively Cinco de Mayo Celebration! Treat yourself to a festive tacos and beer-flight pairing experience. Or, sip on a delicious margarita special while taking in an unparalleled view of the Deschutes River from the back deck. Click here for more information.
Cinco de Mayo Dance Party at Dogwood At The Pine Shed
Vamos a celebrar el Cinco de Mayo con una fiesta de baile en Dogwood, ¡no te lo pierdas! Celebrate Cinco De Mayo at the Dogwood at The Pine Shed! Get ready for a night of music, dancing, and fun with friends. Join us for a festive evening filled with great vibes and even better company. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to dance the night away at this exciting event. Learn more about this Cinco de Mayo Dance Party.
More Spots to Enjoy Tacos and Margaritas on Cinco de Mayo in Central Oregon
From afar, the sky above one of Central Oregon’s model plane clubs can resemble a world-class air show. Century-old biplanes, classic military aircraft, Piper Cubs, private jets and gliders can be seen cruising, speeding, performing aerobatics or engaging in faux-combat. But upon closer inspection, the scale models reveal their true size, and the men with radio controllers dwarf the mini tarmac, smiles stretched across their faces as if they were flying in an open cockpit.
Central Oregon is home to some fine flying conditions and locales, hence the four radio controlled (RC) model airplane clubs that operate here. Ever since the 1970s, enthusiasts have built, flown, crashed and rebuilt model planes on this edge of the high desert. Today, most of the RC pilots are men in or near retirement, some with real flying experience, all elevated by a passion for flight and a sense of camaraderie.
“It’s a broad-spectrum hobby,” said Tom Rainwater, president of the Field of Dreams RC Club in Redmond. “If you’re into building models, you can do [just] that. And if you want to put them together really quick and get out there and fly, you can do that, too.”
Besides events and rendezvous held at public places such as Haystack Reservoir and Schaub Lake, the RC plane clubs in Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters serve as FAA-approved flight zones where (almost) anything goes, as long as it stays under the mandated 400-foot ceiling in the sky. Propeller planes reach speeds of 40 to 50 miles per hour, while electric, ducted fan-propelled planes can blast beyond 130 miles per hour. Distances are kept well within a half mile from the controller.
Motivation for flying RC planes is as varied as the models themselves. Friedhelm Baitis, a member of the Bend Aero Modelers club, flew for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, including two tours in Vietnam, and later as a commercial pilot, but no longer flies real airplanes. He began flying model planes at the age of 14 and admits he’s still “attracted to the flying game one way or the other.”
Model Planes are a Challenging Hobby
Maneuvering a model plane is harder than it looks. One factor that keeps RC pilots alongside the tarmac year after year. Depth perception, quick reflexes, and remembering that right is left when the plane is flying toward you all equate to a unique set of challenges. “In my opinion, it’s harder to fly a model than a real airplane,” Baitis said. “I think you really do have to concentrate more for a model.”
For Baitis, the endless quest for the perfect landing provides part of the joy of flying models. For Bill Broich, president of the Bend Aero Modelers club, it’s the entire process. “Flying something that I built myself, something that I got as a box of wood and a rolled-up sheet of plans and turned into an airplane that I could fly and control in the air and that’s pretty neat,” he said.
The magic of flight is universal, but model airplanes aren’t just about take-offs, tricks and landings. For Broich and the others, it’s also about community, which is why visitors are always welcome to watch, try their hand at flying or just hear some good stories. “We joke that we spend maybe 10 percent of our time out on the field flying, and the other 90 percent is sitting around talking with everybody,” he said.
“You just go out there and sit in a chair, fly the planes and chat with your buddies,” Rainwater said. “That’s an average day. But it’s a good day.”
In a sport where athletes stand in vertical splits on the back of a cantering horse, courage, teamwork and trust are paramount. An artistic and technical blend of gymnastics, ballet and horsemanship, equestrian vaulting finds its roots in Ancient Roman games and is soon to make its Olympic debut at the 2032 Summer Olympics. In Central Oregon, young athletes train year-round at Hope Mountain Vaulters, one of only three clubs in Oregon and 78 in the United States.
Athletic Artistry at Hope Mountain Vaulters
Combining grace and strength, the performative sport of vaulting involves an athlete executing a series of acrobatic movements while perched on a moving horse. A “lunger” guides the horse with 15 feet of lead rope in a circular walk, trot or canter from the arena’s center throughout the vaulter’s routine. Performed to music, vaulting is judged on a scale of one to 10 for compulsory and artistic elements.
Vivianna Singer (top) & Allison Patron
Led by longtime equestrian and lead lunger Lydia Singer, Hope Mountain Vaulters offers recreational and competitive vaulting programs. “We’re very careful and thoughtful about how we train our horses and vaulters,” Singer explained. Having a horse for a teammate requires a different set of skills than other sports, she added. Care for the horse is woven into the daily practice schedule, and athletes are educated on how to identify a horse’s injuries and ailments. This daily connection is integral to building mutual trust, the foundation of vaulting.
Eleven-year-old national qualifier Emery Mills said, “Our horse, Kitty, always knows what we need. When I’m nervous, she helps me feel calm.”
At Hope Mountain Vaulters, athletes say it’s more than just fun and hard work. “Vaulting has taught me about life,” Emery shared. Riding horses in rodeo-style events since the age of 7, she switched to vaulting in 2020 after a frightening barrel racing experience. Immediately hooked, she’s been dedicated to the sport ever since. “Vaulting got me back in the saddle,” she said. In 2032, Mills will be 19 years old and is working toward a spot in the Brisbane Summer Olympics.
Coached by Hope Mountain’s Julia Walk, 15-year-old canter vaulter Vivianna Singer, is entering the competition season this spring ranked fifth in the nation. Vivianna began vaulting in 2019 and has competed and trained with clubs across the country and in Canada. Her signature move, the “Needle,” earned her a rare perfect 10 in an international competition. Working toward the Junior World Championships, Vivianna, with partner Katherine Midkiff of Serendipity Vaulters in Yamhill, Oregon, won a national title for their pas de deux, an event involving two vaulters performing synchronized movements on the back of one horse, and often lifting each other into the air while the horse circles inside the arena.
Vivianna Singer
Although vaulting appears to be a dangerous pursuit, the intensive training, trust and controlled environment make it safer. Working in a synergistic partnership, the vaulter, lunger and horse are in-tune with each other and adjustments are made if there’s a hint of agitation, Singer explained. Athletes are taught emergency dismounts, and audiences are educated on the etiquette of spectating. “Our horses are chosen for their solid minds,” she said, and arenas—even the soil—are analyzed for safety.
In a sport where athletes as young as 5 years old are perched on a 2,000 pound, 17-hands-tall horse, mental toughness develops naturally—and athletes find ways to combat nerves before entering the arena. Doing the Makarena on the back of her horse is Emery’s tactic, “I get a lot of laughs,” she said. Vivianna focuses on the judges. “I read my horse so I can mirror her,” she explained. “Learning to trust the horse underneath you teaches you how to trust yourself.”
It’s not surprising that a sport reliant on connection fosters a community spirit. “Every club we travel to offers their horses to visiting competitors, along with advice on how to ride them,” Hope Mountain Vaulters volunteer Courtney Eastwood shared. “The vaulting community is all about lifting each other up, safety and respect.”
Offering periodic recitals throughout the year for the public to enjoy, the club also welcomes visitors to watch practice sessions with advanced notice. “Vaulting is so unique. People are really surprised when they see it,” Vivianna said, “It’s a hidden gem.” Read more about Hope Mountain Vaulters.
Beyond the stunning natural beauty of Central Oregon, the region is also known for its vibrant and connected community. To honor and give back to the locals who live, work and play here throughout the year, numerous restaurants and breweries in the area host weekly “Locals’ Nights.” These evenings provide an opportunity for residents to unwind, connect and enjoy exclusive discounts. In this guide, we explore some of the favorite locals’ nights that Central Oregon has to offer, spanning from Bend and Redmond to Prineville.
DAILY
Lady Bird Cultural Society
When: 3-5 pm, daily Full Bar & Specials: Lady Bird is an ode to timeless beauty and a bygone era. Join them beginning at 3:00 pm daily for happy hour and some afternoon delight.
Bend Brewing
Locals Night at Bend Brewing happens Monday – Thursday each week! Not only do they offer their $15 burger, beer and fries deal, but you can get a second beer for only $4! Shared on January 28, 2025, here.
MONDAYS
Silver Moon Brewing
When: Every Monday, all day
What’s in store: Silver Moon Brewing, nestled just a few streets east of downtown Bend, shows its appreciation for locals every Monday. Gather your crew and enjoy a delightful offer of $3 pints all day long. The fun continues into the evening with free live music by the talented Bluegrass Collective, performing in the Taproom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you’re in the mood for laughter, take advantage of the free Open Mic Comedy Night in Silver Moon’s Webfoot Garage space from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Deschutes Brewery
When: Every Monday, 4:30 to close
What’s in Store: Deschutes Brewery sets the stage for a memorable Monday night with $5 pints and mouthwatering $10 burgers, including their classic pub burger and a delightful veggie burger. It’s the perfect way to kick off your week.
On Tap
When: Every Monday, all day
What’s in Store: Mondays at On Tap are all about happy hour, featuring $1 off on ALL drinks, ALL day long. It’s the perfect way to brighten up the start of your workweek.
TUESDAYS
Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5
When: Every Tuesday, all day
What’s in store: Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5 warmly welcomes everyone on their “Locals’ Day” every Tuesday. They extend their generosity by offering a friendly $1 discount on all draft products to visitors. You can cozy up in Crosscut’s inviting wood cabin or savor a pint by the fire pits. Either way, you’re sure to be surrounded by great company.
Kobold Brewing
When: Every Tuesday, all day
What’s in Store: Tuesdays at the Redmond location of Kobold Brewing find $1 off pints all day long. (The Bend location is temporarily closed for renovations!) It’s a great opportunity to savor their exceptional brews without breaking the bank.
Bevel Craft Brewing
When: Every Tuesday, all day
What’s in store: Bevel Craft Brewing ensures their “Locals’ Day” is packed full of community and camaraderie. They present $4 Bevel beer, local cider and a $1 discount on wine. Grab your beverage before ordering the perfect snack from one of the onsite food trucks.
Photo by Valarie Doss
Bend Brewing Company
When: Every Tuesday, all day
What’s in Store: Bend Brewing Company welcomes locals with open arms, offering the perfect excuse to savor their exceptional brews at a wallet-friendly price of $4 per beer. Whether you prefer sipping your brew on their expansive lawn, gathered around the inviting fire pits, or cozied up inside you’re sure to have a fun time.
WEDNESDAYS
Wild Ride Brewing
When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, all day
What’s in store: Wild Ride Brewing, with locations in Redmond and Prineville, extends the tradition of locals’ night to both Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On “Takeout Tuesdays,” you can enjoy 64-oz. growlers for just $9, and “Wild Card Wednesdays” feature $3 pints. With such incredible deals, Wild Ride Brewing ensures that locals have a fantastic time exploring their offerings.
Flights Wine Bar
When: Every Wednesday, all day
What’s in Store: Locals Night isn’t just for beer lovers, Flights Wine Bar has you covered with Wine Wednesday. Enjoy happy hour all day, with discounts on glasses, beers and appetizers. It’s a delightful way to break up the week and unwind with your favorite beverages.
THURSDAYS
GoodLife Brewing
When: Every Thursday, all day
What’s in store: GoodLife Brewing knows how to have a good time and does an excellent job at making locals feel truly special. GoodLife Brewing’s “Locals’ Day” is a Thursday tradition, running from noon to 9 p.m. It features $4 Pint Specials and the unveiling of new beers on tap, offering beer enthusiasts the opportunity to sample fresh brews. GoodLife Brewing’s commitment to the Central Oregon community shines through in these weekly gatherings.
These Central Oregon locals’ nights are an effort to show some love to those who call this region home and to bolster our connected community. Whether you are a connoisseur of craft beer, a fan of cider, or simply someone searching for a warm and welcoming atmosphere, these Central Oregon venues are here to make sure you know that you’re a valued part of the community.
There’s something about an Aperol Spritz that suggests a person has absolutely nowhere to be. That they’ve made peace with the afternoon and ordered another round just to prove it. First poured in Italy in 1919, the cocktail is a low-proof blend of prosecco, soda water and Aperol—a bitter orange aperitivo with a fiercely guarded recipe and a neon-orange hue that glows with main-character energy. It’s long been a symbol of the good kind of lazy, a refreshing salute to effortless leisure.
Beyond the Vine in Redmond captures that same unhurried spirit. The wine bar and bottle shop, opened by Lydia DeRoss in November 2023, is more about vibe than vocabulary. With a soft spot for European varietals and a distaste for pretension, DeRoss turned her wine curiosity into a business model. “Redmond was hungry for the things I was excited about,” she said. While the wine list runs deep, it’s the seasonal spritzes that turn sipping into lingering. Especially one. “The Venetian holds the heartstrings around here,” shared DeRoss.
A riff on the Aperol Spritz, the Venetian swaps prosecco for drier Cava, and Aperol for Cappelletti—a wine-based Italian bitter that keeps its sweetness tucked just beneath the surface. Topped with fragrant desert herbs snipped on-site and a lush slice of blood orange, the spritz is the color of a sunset in full sprawl—fiery, layered and electric. DeRoss affectionately dubs it “summer water,” although locals are determined to sip the Venetian year-round.
There’s no wrong seat at Beyond the Vine, but the patio has its own thing going on—there’s sun above, shade where it counts and planters full of things that smell good in the breeze. A dog’s asleep under the table. Glasses clink, conversations drift and no one seems to care what time it is. That’s kind of the point. Learn more about Beyond the Vine here.
More than a half century ago, women’s work conjured visions of homemakers in aprons or Rosie the Riveter rolling up her sleeves during wartime. Generations of women have fought to open doors to greater opportunities, and their efforts have paid off. With grit and perseverance, women are thriving in careers once dominated by men. For Women’s History Month, the spotlight is on a sampling of Central Oregon professionals who have broken through stereotypes. These women followed their passions, embraced challenges and have elevated the lives of others along the way.
Tracy Williams (left) and Sami Gotschall (right)
Tracy Williams, Bend Municipal Airport Manager
Overseeing the action and safety at an airport is a critical part of aviation and requires specific skills, such as an Accredited Aviation Executive (AAE) certification. Only 20% of AAE-certified airport executives are women, and Central Oregon’s Tracy Williams is among them. Williams served eight years on active duty in Air Force Command and Control, tracking aircraft and weapon systems globally. Along the way, she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in aeronautics, her pilot’s license, and established herself as a leader in airport management.
“I breathe aviation; I thrive on the fast pace. But I was ready for a balanced life. That’s what brought me to Bend,” said Williams. When Williams accepted the Bend Airport manager position in 2020, she set her sights on raising the regional airport to a higher level of safety and technology with the addition of an air traffic control tower. “Years ago, the Bend Airport was a sleepy operation. We’re not sleeping anymore,” said Williams. The airport has approximately 140,000 takeoffs and landings per year as the third busiest airport in Oregon, and the tower is long overdue. Breaking ground in December 2025, the new 115-foot control tower will add a critical layer of safety for pilots, who currently must talk to each other directly. “Guiding this project to completion feels like a capstone. If I could choose a legacy to leave, it’d be this tower.”
Sami Gotschall, Helicopter Pilot
The first woman to earn a helicopter pilot license was Ann Shaw Carter, in 1947. Since then, helicopter flying has expanded into many sectors, yet the percentage of female pilots has grown slowly, barely nudging past 10% in 2023. Sami Gotschall, of Bend, sees a world of opportunity for more women in aviation.
After completing her training at Leading Edge Aviation in Bend in 2018, Gotschall flew helicopter tours over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam and worked as a flight instructor. Then the Camp Fire raged through her childhood hometown of Paradise, California, a disaster that compelled Gotschall to use her skills to fight wildfires. She shifted to aerial firefighting, flying in quick-response firefighters and water buckets in a Bell 407. These days, her work helps prevent wildfires from starting. As a utility flyer, she carries crews and equipment on external long lines into remote areas for power line repairs. It’s precision flying that requires a calm demeanor, persistence and spatial awareness, according to Gotschall.
“I stay on high alert because human beings are attached to the line hanging below me. Getting them to the exact spot takes finesse, a soft approach. Using both hands and feet, and sometimes my head is out the window, I consider the weather, the aerodynamics and the mechanics of the load,” she said. “Getting the linemen back safely at the end of the day is the best reward.”
Trish Connolly, Deputy Fire Chief
Trish Connolly, Deputy Fire Chief
“I never intended to be a groundbreaker. I just wanted to do this work,” said Trish Connolly of Bend Fire Department. In 2020, when Connolly was its first female firefighter, only 2% of career firefighters across the country were women. Today, Connolly serves as deputy chief at Bend Fire and Rescue, and her work lifts the department as a whole. “We have such talented, capable people and an open, caring culture. My goal is to help each [person] work to their highest ability,” said Connolly.
Women now make up only 5% of firefighters nationwide, and Connolly emphasizes the need for more. “Firefighters need physical fitness, but not brute strength. The great majority of emergency calls are medical, and we need a diverse team of responders who can solve problems in different ways,” she said.
One piece of advice she received early in her career has stayed with her. “My mentor reminded me I was hired as a female, so I should lead as a female. Lead as my authentic self. That helped me step into my role and trust myself. I think that advice is something more women should hear—to not be afraid to lead as a woman.”
Julia Sparks, Bike Guru
While Bend’s singletrack hums with female bikers, it’s a different story elsewhere. Nationwide, only one in five mountain bikers is a woman, and even fewer work on bikes or in bike shops. For Julia Sparks, a love of adventure biking runs in her family and drives her business, Chariot Bike. Working as a bike mechanic for more than a decade and inspired by her grandmother, who rode across the country in 1948 on a bicycle named Chariot, Sparks launched the Chariot mobile bike repair van in 2020. After five years of growth, Chariot Bike now fills a storefront stocked with gravel and mountain bikes, bike repair stations, bikepacking gear, community event space, and coming soon: a coffee bar. Sparks has kept the space flexible for DIY repair workshops and other gatherings.
“Without our Bend community, Chariot would not exist,” she said. On her rare days away from work, Sparks follows her grandmother’s example and rides her bike into nature. “Bikes get you outdoors. You forget the rest of the world and recharge,” she said. “I just want more people to get on bikes.”
A woman’s place hasn’t traditionally been in building a home. Today, women make up just 10% of the construction workforce, and the numbers are similar for residential contractors. When Katie Pendleton began her career, she knew there could be obstacles, but she didn’t let that hold her back. She gained valuable experience in commercial building, but had a passion for creating beautiful homes. In 2020, Pendleton launched The Fort, her residential construction business.
Working in construction means constant problem solving and collaboration with architects, subcontractors and clients. For Pendleton, that requires strong relationships. “I never take respect or trust for granted; I earn it through my work,” she said. This year, Pendleton will serve as president of the Central Oregon Builders Association.
While construction has been slow to open doors, the number of women in architecture has steadily increased in number from 20% in 2000 to nearly half of all new architects in 2023. Architect Karen Smuland appreciates the balance between art and science in the field of architecture. As a registered architect with LEED Accredited Professional certification, Smuland weaves sustainability into her designs. “Most of my clients want a fire-wise approach, and lean toward net-zero energy usage through solar panels and responsible design principles,” she said. Smuland’s designs aim to bring the outdoors in, with natural light and intentional views to connect to nature.
Architecture relies on technical knowledge, physics and mathematics, but art is what makes a design special, according to Smuland.
“Feeding that creative spark is important, even when other parts of the work try to take over,” she said.
Michelle Mitchell, Cofounder of Humm Kombucha
Michelle Mitchell, Cofounder of Humm Kombucha
Craft brewing has long been considered a guy’s world, but kombucha breaks that mold. Industry organizations estimate 40% of kombucha companies today are women-owned with female brewers. Bendites Michelle Mitchell and Jamie Danek brought this trend home when they launched their kombucha company during the worst recession of this century.
In 2008, Mitchell and Danek got together for a glass of Mitchell’s homebrewed kombucha. Inspired by its health-boosting probiotic vitality, they began selling gallon jugs of the bubbly, non-alcoholic brew. They never imagined they’d still be making kombucha 16 years later as a national brand, with 160 employees and in 2024 its 100 millionth bottle rolling across the production line.
“It’s always been about making people feel great, internally and externally,” said Mitchell. The pair grew from single jugs to a full-scale brewery by holding true to their core values: healthy business, partnership, quality and optimism. That translates to fastidious quality control, responsible fiscal planning, and building a team that feels like family, according to Mitchell.
As Chief Culture Angel, her unofficial title, Mitchell is responsible for worksite culture and community engagement. “We rely on both hard science and what I call heart science, meaning intuition and creativity to solve problems,” said Mitchell. “And, we have an amazing brewing community in Bend that helped us every step of the way.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs and brewers, Mitchell has some advice. “Ask tons of questions. Gather information. Reach out to collaborate, but trust your gut to bring your idea to light.”
Runners Take it Step by Step to Cross a Finish Line at 26.2 Miles
If finishing a marathon is just putting one foot in front of the other roughly 55,000 times, why don’t more people do it? Fewer than 1% of Americans ever will. Standing at the start line of the Berlin Marathon in September 2024, I asked myself the same question. [Photo above by Martin Sundberg]
Despite having run 11 marathons, I’ve battled plantar fasciitis, hip pain requiring cortisone shots and, at 72 years old, a depleted pool of training partners. As I waited for the race to begin, doubt crept in—could I even make it to the finish?
More Than a Sum of Miles
A marathon is so much more than 26.2 miles. To give the distance some respect, it’s like running from southwest Bend to Sisters—not exactly something to attempt without preparation. But where does training even begin?
MILEAGE: Alli Miles and Colton Gale train regardless of the weather. “A running buddy or group makes training fun and motivating, and keeps you accountable,” said Kari Strang, Summit High School cross-country coach and Bend Marathon co-race director. | Photo by Cody Rheault
Fortunately, Oregon is one of the best places in the country to take the first steps. It ranks fourth in marathon participation per capita, trailing only Massachusetts, Colorado and Vermont. As the birthplace of Nike and home to Eugene’s legendary Hayward Field, Oregon boasts a deep running culture, an outdoor fitness ethos and a relatively mild climate—ideal for long-distance training.
Central Oregon has its own bragging rights as a long-distance running hotspot, with three marathons (Bend, Pacific Crest and Haulin’ Aspen), several ultramarathons and dozens of shorter-distance races. Bend-based running coach and competitive ultramarathoner Ian Sharman sums it up: “This is a big running town for long distances and ultramarathon training. It’s easy to get out the door and run trails.”
For Sharman, understanding why someone wants to run a marathon is key to building the right training plan. Are they aiming simply to finish or looking for a scenic race destination like Bend? Do they prefer a hilly challenge or a fast, flat course? If they’ve conquered half marathons, are they ready to go farther? Or if they’ve run full marathons before, are they chasing a personal best? Regardless of motivation, he said three to six months is what it takes to be ready on race day.
Photos by Cody Rheault
Marathon Training
When it comes to training, few names carry more weight than Hal Higdon, often called the godfather of American running. Author of 36 books, including Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, he has completed 111 marathons, with four overall wins and numerous age-group victories. His experience informs his widely used training plans that have helped thousands reach their marathon goals. His 18-week novice program has a 99% finish rate. “It’s very doable,” he said, “and after a runner’s first marathon, we can take them into more advanced training, one that will challenge the best-conditioned runners.”
Colton Gale, manager of FootZone Bend and winner of the Oregon Cascades 100-mile ultra this past August in a record 14 hours and 36 minutes, said that Higdon promotes a sensible walk-run strategy that, over time, shortens the amount of walking time and lengthens the running part.
“It helps promote endurance, grow stamina and patience,” said Gale.
That aligns with a final piece of advice Higdon shared: “Start slow, which applies to everyone from those who have never run a marathon to experienced runners who want to avoid going too fast in the first two miles—they can pick up the pace later. It’s an easy approach that will help anyone get to the finish line.”
Local runners have plenty of support. Summit High School cross-country head coach and Bend Marathon co-race director Kari Strang highlights Central Oregon’s many coaching options, from professional trainers such as Sharman who offer individualized custom plans, to group runs with the Central Oregon Running Klub, FootZone and others. “A running buddy or group makes training fun and motivating, and keeps you accountable,” Strang said. She emphasizes consistency over hard workouts where a runner can’t do anything for days afterward.
A lifelong runner, Strang is passionate about introducing others to the sport and encouraging them to look beyond just logging miles. “People put so much energy into workouts but often overlook the essentials—sleep, nutrition, hydration and cross-training, like strength work,” she said.
Getting the physical elements right is essential, but many long-distance runners will say the mental part is just as crucial.
“We often set limits on ourselves. We’re capable of so much more than that,” said Strang. “Running is a sport that continually pushes you and shows others what you’re made of.”
Ultramarathoner Sharman said that as a coach, he enjoys seeing people who are newer to the sport do something they never thought they could do. “There’s a lot of value in getting into it and embracing the suck. When you’re doing a [long-distance] race, you get exhausted, but it’s a good suffering.”
Photo by Cody Rheault
Marathons Trending Upward
Marathon participation has surged during the past 25 years, peaking in 2013 with more than half a million United States finishers. Numbers dipped for a few years as half-marathons gained popularity and races were canceled or held virtually during COVID-19. Still, major races such as New York, Boston and Chicago marathons now have record applicants. Women make up nearly half of all participants, and the number of runners older than 50 is growing.
First-time marathoners account for 40% of finishers, proving that marathons aren’t just for elite Boston qualifiers. In Central Oregon, runners can easily access scenic trails and roads outside their doors to facilitate training. Many will use local half-marathons for training, such as the Salmon Run (April 19, 2025) or Haulin’ Aspen (August 9, 2025). The Bend Marathon (April 13, 2025) is, “an honest course that has some grit to it,” said co-race director Strang. “We don’t have a lot of people calling it easy, but it gives people bragging rights and is always cool.”
As I approached the Brandenburg Gate, I was reminded of what well-known Running World columnist and motivational speaker John Bingham wrote: “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” Crossing the line comes down to experience and digging deep, step by step: I was greeted by my family, marathoners themselves, and I embraced my husband, tears streaming down my face with the sheer joy of completing my 12th, and final, marathon.
How to Run Without Pain
Long-distance running offers many benefits: scenic trails, improved fitness, new friendships and even exotic travel. However, the sport also carries risks, with published studies showing that up to 50% of runners experience lower extremity injuries. Knees are most vulnerable, but issues can arise anywhere from the hips to the feet.
For Bend audiologist Amy Winkler, that risk became a reality after completing dozens of marathons—including the Boston Marathon in 2016— when she was sidelined by persistent heel pain. She underwent surgery in 2020 for Haglund’s deformity, a bony heel growth, and felt strong enough in 2022 to enter the Haulin’ Aspen Half Marathon—until the pain returned.
Rob Hollander, an orthopedic physical therapist and cofounder of Alpine Physical Therapy, attributes most running injuries to overuse.
“If an athlete loads tissue beyond its ability to adapt—running 25 to 60 miles a week without proper rest—injury is likely,” he said. His advice? “If pain affects your ability to run, scale back. Give your body a break.”
Still, race day is a powerful motivator. “Everyone has a goal, whether it’s finishing in the top 10 or completing a first marathon,” Hollander said. “Crossing that finish line is a rad feeling.”
Winkler shifted gears, turning to gravel biking and HIIT classes. Now, she hopes to run the Eugene Half Marathon this year and gradually build back up to 26.2 miles.
Comfort food is more than what’s on the plate—it’s an open door, a shared table, the sense of being welcomed and well-fed. A little messy, never too serious. In Bend, a few new spots are spinning this familiar joy into the kind of food that scoots out a chair, sets down a plate and says, “Stay a while.”
‘Wich Doctor Sandwich Co.: All the Good Stuff in One Bite
For Cody and Brenda Gimbel, making a sandwich is more like casting a spell. Cody, a seasoned chef obsessed with flavor fusion, is always chasing the challenge of “How can I turn this into a sandwich?” The result is a menu that feels like a greatest-hits playlist of comfort food. This food truck-turned-sandwich lab on Bend’s west side churns out bold bites such as The Linda, a riff on the Cubano that throws tradition out the window, swapping out the usual pork and ham for applewood-smoked chicken and chili-citrus braised thighs, all slathered in lime aioli, then piled with pickled peppers and Swiss cheese. The wildly popular Cedar Street is inspired by the British cheese-and-pickle classic—only at ‘Wich Doctor, it’s roasted tri-tip, homemade shallot jam, Irish cheddar and a punch of arugula, piled on crusty ciabatta from M’s Bakery.
While ‘Wich Doctor’s foundation menu stays mostly the same, winter brings new warmth to the mix with heartier sides such as poutine and specials like the Black Sheep, featuring tangy black vinegar-braised lamb and local greens. Every sandwich feels like a childhood memory—familiar but full of surprises. “If it doesn’t bring comfort and joy in equal measure, it’s not going on the menu,” said Brenda.
Hasta Que Olvidemos: Bringing Wine and Oysters Down From Their Pedestals
At Hasta Que Olvidemos (“Until We Forget”), co-owners Brian and Ashley Trottier have made it clear: Wine should be for everyone. “It’s supposed to be a drink of the people, not a luxury,” Brian said, and their Napa wines and vermouths—crafted by longtime friend Tim Colla—are served from taps without a single Wine Spectator score in sight. Here, labels don’t matter, but flavor does. It’s wine without the fuss, served up in a space that’s more old-soul hideaway than wine bar—soft candlelight, ‘60s Samba spinning in the background and just enough room to get lost in conversation (and a bit of oyster brine).
Photo by Tambi Lane
The menu takes food from a fancy realm and brings it back down to earth. Fresh Pacific oysters are hand-shucked until closing, mingling on the menu with simple bites like caviar, sardines and olives. Ashley’s spontaneous daily specials, whipped up whenever inspiration strikes, are a lucky find for anyone who happens to wander in. From oysters and champagne to chips, dip and a glass of vermouth, Olvidemos on Bend’s lively Galveston Avenue, is an invitation to come as you are and happily lose track of time.
Photo by Tambi Lane
Americana Burgers: For When You Just Really Want a Burger
At Americana Burgers in Bend’s Podski food truck pod, Joseph and Olivia Franco keep it simple and satisfying. “Food should be affordable for families, not $100 for a meal,” insists Olivia. Their OG burger—two patties smashed into a smoking-hot grill, seared to crispy perfection on one side while the other side stays juicy under a blanket of melty American cheese—is piled with shredded lettuce, caramelized onions and a swipe of secret sauce on a toasted brioche bun. Americana’s fries are already the stuff of legend, often referred to as the best in town. Cooked in lard, they’re served golden and hot for that seductive combo of sizzle and salt.
Photo by Tambi Lane
Americana isn’t a food truck with fancy frills—the food speaks for itself. A burger is just a burger, and that’s the best part. Fans will soon be able to sink their teeth into a perfectly smashed burger at Americana’s new downtown brick-and-mortar location. The restaurant will offer its beloved classics—The OG, The Popper and The BBQ—plus a winter-ready tomato soup that pairs perfectly with a gooey twice-grilled cheese sandwich.
Known for expert craftsmanship and full-service remodeling, Bend’s Surface Kitchen & Bath—a division of Nelson Tile & Stone—specializes in customized kitchen and bath spaces, and recently transformed a 1989 home in the Mountain High community. Company owners Chris and Jennifer Nelson purchased the home to showcase the many products that the company offers through its Surface Kitchen & Bath showroom. Thoughtful updates preserved the home’s original charm while enhancing flow and natural light by opening compartmentalized spaces. Durable materials such as quartz countertops and engineered hardwood add warmth and timeless appeal. The result is a modern yet character-rich home, reflecting the team’s dedication to elevated, functional design.
Q&A with Marketing Manager James Deitz of Surface Kitchen & Bath
How did you approach updating the home’s 1989 layout to enhance functionality while preserving its character?
The original layout of the Edelweiss home, named for its street location, reflects a classic late-1980s design: compartmentalized spaces, low soffits and a lack of natural flow. While the home had great bones, it felt dark and inefficient for modern living. We reimagined the space with an open design concept, removing multiple walls in the kitchen and living areas to create a seamless connection and maximize natural light to make the home feel larger. We also carved out a dedicated office space, addressing a need for a functional workspace. In the primary bath, we removed overhead partitions to highlight the soaring ceilings and skylight. We preserved vaulted ceilings and architectural lines while updating finishes with a neutral, timeless palette.
How is collaboration important to achieving the project’s goals?
We are especially proud of our team’s collaborative efforts. While it wasn’t a traditional client project, our staff took great pride in incorporating many of our own brands, resulting in a beautifully finished home. Chris and Jennifer Nelson were both born and raised in Bend and they knew this neighborhood since its inception in the 1980s. They saw it as a hidden gem with spacious common areas, a golf course lined with towering pines and homes with incredible bones. Updating an original home in Mountain High allowed them to be consistent with the character of the neighborhood while bringing it into the modern era.
What role does natural light and intentional lighting design play in modernizing and elevating the overall feel of a home?
Lighting played a major role in transforming the space. The home initially felt dark, so we prioritized natural and layered lighting to bring warmth and openness. We enhanced existing natural light by opening the floor plan, which allowed light to flow more freely, and emphasized the primary bath skylight to create a spa-like feel. Layered lighting, combined with recessed lighting, pendant fixtures and under-cabinet illumination, led to the perfect balance of ambiance and functionality. Strategic fixture placement ensured workspaces were well-lit, while softer accent lighting enhanced the inviting atmosphere. The result is a home that feels brighter, more expansive and visually striking, elevating the modern and luxurious feel.
How do you incorporate today’s materials while maintaining warmth in a home remodel?
We approached material selection with intentionality to balance contemporary style with comfort. Durable, marblelike quartz countertops provide elegance without the upkeep of real stone. The USA-made Calacatta Miraggio Cove quartz creates a seamless look that complements the home’s warm design. Engineered hardwood offers rich texture and durability, while clean-lined cabinets blend modern efficiency with classic craftsmanship. Neutral tones highlight the natural beauty of the materials for a timeless appeal. By integrating warm and cool elements, we achieved a sophisticated yet inviting aesthetic that enhances the home’s character.
When Norman Building & Design’s client needs an escape from the stress of his high-tech job, he retreats to his custom home theater. With the press of a button, the lights dim, a comfortable chair awaits and one of his favorite movies springs to life on the 120-inch screen. It’s showtime!
The theater, designed by Norman Building & Design (NBD), is part of an award-winning residence near Whychus Creek in Sisters. The room captures the essence of large traditional and classic drive-in theaters with a “starry night” ceiling that evokes a nostalgic, cinematic experience in an intimate setting.
Founded in 1977, NBD is an enduring presence in the Central Oregon home-building market. The theater is part of a 4,875-square-foot home designed and constructed by NBD. It won Central Oregon Builders Association’s 2019 Tour of Homes Best of Show and Best Feature awards in the $2.4 million-plus category.
An Interview with Greg Garrick of Norman Building & Design
You said that people who saw this theater on the 2019 Tour of Homes often mention it to you as a memorable feature. How did the specific design of this theater come about?
When we met with the client in the early design phase, the husband focused on his desire for a true theater room. He had a collection of 2,000 to 3,000 DVDs that he wanted to display–showcasing the covers. He loves all movies, from classic to current releases, but is especially fond of classics such as Casablanca. He wanted to be wholly enveloped in the movie experience, so we designed the space to be relatively small—5 by 16 feet. To make movie selection easy, one wall is lined with glass storage for DVD covers, plus we built additional “hidden” storage in a nodule accessed by a door from the theater. To enhance sound quality, we blunted the corners by creating an octagonal shape, eliminating dead space.
Besides this “extraordinarily comfortable room” as you’ve described, what other amenities are near the theater?
Just outside the theater is a wet bar equipped with a sink, refrigerator, separate wine, beer and cold drinks cooler and other conveniences. Across the hallway is a media room, perfect for entertaining friends and family or simply relaxing on the couch to watch football and favorite shows on the built-in TV.The media room is connected to the outdoor living area and a covered patio for extended enjoyment. Two guest ensuite bedrooms complete this entertainment-focused wing of the home.
How unique is this theater room compared to other theaters you’ve built in new or remodeled homes?
Norman Building & Design has designed and built other theaters before, but none that are dedicated solely to movies. This theater is its own immersive world. During tours, I often let it run on a continuous film loop. Unlike the overwhelming intensity of an IMAX, this theater offers a more enveloping and experiential atmosphere. People would peek in and say, “Wow! I want to go in and watch.” It’s about the experience of being in there, sitting down and being enveloped by the darkness. It makes the viewing all the more powerful.
Greg Garrick
How did the process of designing the theater mimic how Norman Building & Design works with clients?
Every Norman home begins with notepads, sketchbooks and meetings.With the client often away from Central Oregon for his job in San Jose, we’d literally meet him halfway in Mount Shasta at Bistro No. 107. We’d review plans, make observations and I’d carry his input back to our designers. We go the extra mile for our clients.
Norman Building & Design 1016 SW Emkay Drive, Bend
Lauren and Lisa Cassity grew up loving Bend since the ‘80s, coming here with their parents from Hawaii every summer and winter break. Their taste for Central Oregon was shaped by learning to snowboard at Mt. Bachelor, while their culinary sensibilities were formed in Oahu and Southern California before the twin sisters moved to Bend and opened Hook & Plow restaurant in 2023.
Growing up on Oahu, nightly dinner at home reflected local culture, from sashimi to Hawaiian barbecue, and rice at every meal. As teenagers, the sisters’ first jobs were in restaurants.
“Hawaii is such a mixing pot of culture and diversity—[with] all sorts of different styles of food, like Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, obviously the fresh fish, all of these different cultures melding together in one location on an island,” said Lisa. “We started being really passionate about food and different cultures early on.”
They earned bachelor’s degrees: marketing for Lisa, finance for Lauren, and headed to the corporate world, but realized it wasn’t for them. They landed in Southern California, managing a little beach bar in the early 2000s, learning everything about running a restaurant. By 2014, they opened the first Hook & Plow in Hermosa Beach, just as the farm-to-table movement was in full bloom. Local restaurants hadn’t yet embraced that ethic, so they focused on it in their new endeavor, serving local seafood, organic farm fare and wine and beer crafted in the area. Two more Hook & Plows, in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, followed.
The Cassitys had always dreamed of living full time in Bend though, and by 2022 they’d both moved to Central Oregon with their families and opened the fourth Hook & Plow. The “hook” part of the dining concept begins with briny, sweet Pacific Northwest oysters, glistening on the half shell with fennel mignonette and tomato ponzu alongside them. A nod to the Cassity’s roots, Hawaiian-style ahi poke is layered artfully with avocado, scallion and cucumber. House-made poke sauce brings a subtle zing; tortilla chips, a complementing crunch.
Grass-fed beef with brussels sprouts
The Menu at Hook & Plow
Entrees such as pan-roasted halibut with delicate bunashimeji mushrooms in dashi broth with house-made ricotta gnocchi, freeze-dried corn and microgreens change with the seasons. Diver scallops are seared and served with risotto al nero—arborio rice with black, buttery squid ink, Calabrian peppers and delicate, parsley-esque chervil.
From the “plow” comes dishes such as grass-fed beef from an Oregon-based cooperative of ranchers. Slices of perfectly grilled steak top potato puree, beneath a rich peppercorn demi-glace and seasonal vegetables such as lemon-garlic Brussels sprouts. Burgers are heightened with sweet onion jam, rich gorgonzola and crunchy, fried shoestring onions, sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun.
Executive Chef Ryan Ohmert brings a passion for making fresh pasta and a style aimed at letting great ingredients shine.
“I’d much rather us do ‘simple-done-well’ than overcomplicate something, making [the menu] unapproachable,” he said.
Creative cocktails follow suit, such as the brown butter old fashioned, which blends bourbon with butter, browned to a smooth nuttiness, and walnut bitters for a cool drink with warm, round flavors. Chilly high desert nights call for a pear hot toddy with Oregon pear-infused vodka, brandy, cinnamon, honey and lemon.
It all happens in an ambiance that Lauren designed using details such as a drape of nautical ropes, blonde wood and round mirrors that suggest portholes. The effect is cozy and beachy, matched with a culinary journey reflecting the Cassitys’ past and present, which the community is pleased to embark on, too.
Chef Ryan Ohmert (left) with Lisa Warren (middle) and Lauren Coplean (right)
The Hook & Plow Bend
210 SW Century Drive, Suite 150, Bend thehookandplow.com
Each year, the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show graces the Bend stage. Participants create upcycled couture in a celebration of sustainability and innovation, turning trash into treasure. Designs constructed with recycled materials are modeled and auctioned off to support community efforts. On a night when Earth comes first, local talent is the star of the show. [Photo above by Joe Kline, Gear Fix Business Challenge]
Created in 2010 by a group of teachers from Realms Middle and High Schools, the eco-conscious fashion show has grown into a community favorite. The event now features a single runway show with an intermission. The first half showcases younger student designers, adult-designed pieces available for auction and the Business Challenge. The live auction takes place at the end of this first segment. After intermission, the show continues with the Community Garment, older student designs, additional adult pieces not for auction, a continued focus on the Business Challenge and voting. Attendees can enter a raffle to win one of two bikes—a mountain bike and an e-bike. Local restaurants provide food and drinks, making the night a lively celebration of community and fashion.
The fashion show raises more than $20,000 each year for immersive programs at Realms. The funds from the event support the creation of fieldwork and experiences for students outside of the classroom that are not supported by Bend La Pine Schools.
Photo by Joe Kline, Oregon Adaptive Sports Business Challenge
“Coordinated by the efforts of Friends of Realms, a volunteer group of parents and community members, the fundraiser makes possible opportunities ranging from collecting data on Tumalo Creek and climbing at Smith Rock to learning how to play guitar,” said facilitator of creativity and joy Karen Holm. The goal is to align real-life experience with the curriculum to enhance students’ growth.
Photo by Joe Kline, Designers: Delphine Porter and Jadie Witticar
Sneak Peek of the 2025 Event
On May 10, designers, models and community members will gather at The Pavilion in Bend for the 13th annual show. This year’s event will feature two runway shows, educational booths and an eco-market with locally made and sourced goods. Central Oregon food trucks, including The Bob, Big Foot BBQ and The Pizza Cart, will be onsite throughout the evening. Slow Ride Mobile Bar will keep the drinks flowing with locally loved beverages such as Boneyard beer, AVID Cider, cocktails from Crater Lake Distillery, wines from Willamette Valley Vineyards, Humm Kombucha and other nonalcoholic options.
With the tagline, “Transforming Trash and Inspiring Community for a Sustainable Earth,” the Rubbish Renewed organizing committee ‘walks its talk’ by centering the event around conscious practices. Waste stations at the event encourage recycling and composting. Reusable dishware will be used for food and drinks. All signage is made using reclaimed materials. And every item on display in the eco-marketplace will be either re-fashioned, designed to keep trash out of the landfill, or provide interactive education about local resources for living more sustainably.
The 2024 Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show lit up The Pavilion stage with showstopping creations designed by artists from ages 8 to 90 years old. Behind the scenes, hair stylists from Badlands Hair Studio and student makeup artists from Realms High School performed their magic to bring dramatic looks to the runway. Highlighting imagination and ingenuity, the colorful displays of fashion served as a powerful statement about consumption and environmental responsibility, proving that one person’s trash can truly become another’s couture masterpiece. Here’s a snapshot of the 2024 runway hits.
Repurposing an old pillowcase, lids from cat food cans, Coca-Cola bottle tops, sheets of clear plastic from mattresses, bubble wrap and can tabs, Bend High School student Vida Halpern and her sister, Simone Halpren, created an elegant gown that was aptly named“Hold Onto Your Caps.” Their idea was ignited by the amount of unnecessary packaging carelessly thrown into the trash that could be transformed into something beautiful.
With plastic mesh produce bags sourced from the Grass Valley Food Bank, Amity Creek Elementary student Samantha Press designed a whimsical two-piece gown. A rainbow of fairy-like layers comprised the skirt, and fruit and vegetable labels added pops of interest to the coordinating top, creating the flowing garment, “Don’t Mesh with My Dress.”
In a blend of fashion genres, “Camp-torian” was a fusion of science fiction and the Victorian era in a dramatic two-toned gown. Damaged tents and old climbing ropes set the stage for this collaborative past-meets-future design from Gear Fix’s Nico Brilmyer, Kasey Boyd and Ethan Engemann.
Lost ski gloves found their match in the Oregon Adaptive Sports’ entry, “Gloves Off,” by Martha Campbell and Karen Holm. Rescuing Mt. Bachelor’s left-behind gloves and combining them with punctured bicycle tubes, the designers constructed a functional two-piece outfit ready for the trails and slopes in Central Oregon.
A Bend Anesthesiology Group team of two perioperative nurses and two anesthesiologists created “Aeternum,” a dress made of blue wrap commonly used to wrap surgical instruments, to shed light on the issue of medical waste. “Our aim is to highlight ongoing initiatives focused on recycling this material and giving it a new lease on life,” said Dr. Cherie Long. Beyond the catwalk, Long and Dr. Holly Graham are repurposing blue wrap into products such as reusable totes for The Environmental Center’s annual fundraising campaign and for new mothers at the St. Charles Medical Center Family Birthing Center.
With the stroke of a magic wand, “Fairy Rubbish Godmother” floated across the runway in a cloud of pink and purple grace. Gathered from the dump and a local thrift store, artist Carolyn Parker swirled felt scraps, thrifted lamp shades, wood banding, wire, paper flower cutouts, tulle fabric, a salvaged beach sunshade and worn out gym workout tubes into a spectacle worthy of the most fashionable fairy godmother.
Artistry and community spirit reign supreme at the Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show, and the driving mission behind the event can be seen in every detail. It raises awareness about personal waste production in a lighthearted and creative way to motivate its organizers, designers, models, vendors and viewers to adopt sustainable habits that reduce their environmental impact. “The show is electrifying,” said Holm. “It is a sophisticated and playful evening of creativity, ingenuity and accessibility, elevating the community in a collective celebration of conscious living.”
More Designs to See
“THE 2ND REINCARNATION OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY COATS”
Designer: Karen Holm | Model: Michi Sato | Materials: Worn-out early 20th-century braided wool rug, made originally from worn-out wool coats
“My great uncle made braided rugs during the Great Depression and World War 2. Living in Roundup, Montana, the winters were long and cold. He gathered worn-out woolen coats and scraps from family and neighbors, and spent hours deconstructing garments, stripping fabric, and manipulating the newly formed strips into braids. This rug was riddled with holes from 80 years of service. I deconstructed, washed, cut, reversed and resewed strands. Then sewed them into this coat, creating “The 2nd Reincarnation of Early 20th Century Wool Coats.”
BUSINESS CHALLENGE: Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity ReStore–“AMPED-UP EVERYDAY HERO”
Designer: DeeDee Johnson | Model: Steve Stevens | Materials: Old speaker wire, chandelier parts, thrift store Halloween cape, thrift store jeans, empty Yerba Mate cans, and pop tops
We drink Yerba Mates. A lot of them. It gives us the energy to do hard things, every day, for affordable housing in our community. We love giving new life to old things and having fun while we do it.
Designer/Model: Olive Morris | Materials: Caprisun pouches, Caprisun straws, thrifted beads, repurposed zipper, repurposed bird netting – Sisters High School
“After being inspired by other artists online, I made a backpack and wallet out of Caprisuns and was immediately interested in creating something bigger. Something as simple as a juice pouch is so quickly used and disregarded, and this piece can help bring to light how much we use without ever noticing our impact.”
BUSINESS CHALLENGE: Lonza Pharma & Biotech –“SCIENCE WEATHERS THE STORM”
Designers: Kari D’Angona, Amy Hansen, Thyia Scott, Nahi Ortiz | Model: Nahi Ortiz | Materials: Deconstructed garments from previous Rubbish Renewal Runway years, more old, stained lab coats, used GC copper tubing, pop can tabs.
This fashion ensemble is inspired by the X-Men character Storm, whose power over the weather and atmosphere is unparalleled. We dyed discarded lab coats black and purple to evoke Storm’s moody elegance, then added pop can tabs scavenged from hundreds of canned beverages and accessorized with copper tubing from gas chromatography equipment, transformed into jewelry. We hope to remind all of the power of science to battle waste, climate change, and more.
Designer/Model: Presley Lester | Materials: Repurposed dress, Repurposed tutu, bubble wrap, thrift store hat, old ornament, magazines rescued from the recycle bin – Pine Ridge Elementary School
“Mother Earth inspired my dress. I hope to visit every place featured on this dress. Fashion has always been my passion!”
Designer/Model: Iris Boettcher | Materials: Repurposed ribbon, rollerblade lace, old newspaper, upcycled jeans – Highland Elementary School
“This lace-up halter top consists of an old pant leg from jeans, with a rollerblade lace-up the front to make a corset effect. Paired with a boring newspaper that we have now made not so boring in a giant frilly tutu. And don’t forget the bright pink bow on the back. I like street style and coquette, and I wanted to find a way to combine the two and share “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
May marks Oregon Wine Month, and there’s no better place to celebrate than in Medford, the vibrant heart of Southern Oregon’s acclaimed wine country. More than just a launching pad, Medford is a destination brimming with award-winning wineries, breathtaking natural landscapes, and a thriving cultural scene to explore. Imagine a weekend where you can sip exquisite, small-batch Tempranillo, stand in awe of the deep blue waters of Crater Lake, and lose yourself in the magic of the renowned Britt Festival – all within easy reach.
Lavender Field at Dos Mariposas
Uncorking the Secret: Rogue Valley Wine Country – Accessible, Affordable, and Ready to Be Discovered
Step away from the crowded tasting rooms and discover the captivating charm of the Rogue Valley wine country, a true gem yet to be fully unveiled on the national stage. Over 80 diverse vineyards and inviting tasting rooms dot the sun-kissed hillsides and picturesque river valleys, creating an intimate and authentic wine-tasting experience.
The unique terroir of the region, characterized by warm days and cool nights, nurtures a flourishing array of varietals. From heavy bodied warm-climate wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tempranillo to the cooler Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay—the Rogue Valley has something for everyone! Whether you visit during the spring [Travel Medford’s Spring Bucket List] or the golden hues of fall, you’ll find the ideal atmosphere to savor exceptional wines in a refined and refreshingly approachable setting.
Britt Festival
For wine enthusiasts seeking both quality and value, the Rogue Valley presents an incredibly accessible destination. Affordable tasting fees and the convenient proximity of the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport (MFR) to downtown means you can transition from the tarmac to a tasting room in under 30 minutes! What truly sets this region apart is the welcoming atmosphere. Here, you’re more likely to have a genuine conversation with the passionate winemakers, gaining firsthand insights into their craft and the land that shapes their exceptional wines.
Padigan
Your Passport to Flavor: Savor Southern Oregon – One Event, Endless Discoveries
Want to immerse yourself in the full spectrum of Rogue Valley wines without traversing the entire region? Then mark your calendar for Savor Southern Oregon, your golden ticket to an unparalleled wine experience. Held on June 13th and 14th at the scenic Bigham Knoll just outside Medford, this highly anticipated celebration brings together over 50 of the Rogue Valley’s finest wineries in one vibrant location.
Butterfly Club
Imagine strolling through the event, glass in hand, as you connect directly with the winemakers, learn about the diverse array of wine styles produced in the region, and have the opportunity to curate your collection of newfound favorites to enjoy at home. Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning to explore the world of wine, this fun and informative event offers the perfect gateway to understanding and appreciating Southern Oregon’s thriving wine scene.
Don’t miss this incredible chance to explore Southern Oregon wine’s depth, complexity, and sheer deliciousness – all within one unforgettable weekend. Learn more about the Savor Southern Oregon event.
Beyond the Grape: Medford – Where Wine Meets Adventure and Culture
While the exceptional wines may draw you to Medford, the city offers a rich tapestry of experiences extending far beyond the tasting room. Upon arrival, you’ll discover a dynamic town boasting a vibrant farm-to-table culinary scene, stunning scenic hikes, abundant outdoor recreation opportunities, and a burgeoning cultural landscape.
Begin your day with a delectable chive buttermilk biscuit smothered in savory sausage cream gravy at Over Easy, a local Medford favorite. Afterward, wander through downtown admiring the colorful murals that adorn the walls of Southern Oregon’s largest city and reflect the rich history and diverse stories of the region. Browse the unique offerings of boutique shops like Bumble & Wren and the intriguing finds at Main Antique Mall. For lunch, indulge in the diverse flavors of local food trucks such as Haas Caribbean Craft Kitchen. If time allows, catch a captivating performance at the Collaborative Theatre Project. As evening descends, unwind at The Urban Cork a sophisticated wine bar offering expertly curated flights and an extensive selection of regional pours.
District Mural
Medford’s strategic location serves as an ideal home base for venturing out and exploring Southern Oregon’s iconic destinations. Within a short and scenic drive, you can find yourself at:
Crater Lake National Park: Prepare to be mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty of this expansive natural wonder, the deepest lake in the United States, with its impossibly blue waters and stunning caldera views.
Table Rock and Prescott Park: Discover picturesque landscapes perfect for picnics, with hiking and biking trails catering to all skill levels, offering panoramic views of the Rogue Valley.
The Rogue River: Embark on thrilling jet boat adventures or enjoy peaceful fishing excursions, providing unforgettable ways to connect with the untamed beauty of the region.
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) and Britt Music & Arts Festival: Immerse yourself in world-class cultural experiences just minutes away in the charming neighboring towns of Ashland and Jacksonville, drawing international audiences with their exceptional theater and music performances.
Meet the Heart of the Harvest: The Rogue Valley Growers Market
Don’t miss the Rogue Valley Growers Market for a taste of local life and the freshest seasonal offerings. Every Thursday, downtown Medford’s Hawthorne Park transforms into a vibrant hub of local vendors and producers from March through November. Stroll through the charming stalls between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and delight in the colorful array of healthy produce, unique handcrafted items, and thoughtful gifts. It’s a feast for the senses and an excellent opportunity to take a piece of the Rogue Valley’s bounty home with you.
Plan Your Escape: Travel Medford – Your Adventure Awaits
Whether you’re raising a glass to Oregon Wine Month, eagerly anticipating the Savor Southern Oregon celebration, or simply seeking a rejuvenating long weekend getaway, Medford stands ready to be the perfect starting point for your Southern Oregon adventure.
Let Travel Medford be your trusted guide to unlocking all this remarkable region has to offer – from world-class wines and exhilarating outdoor experiences to inspiring art, rich culture, and the unforgettable flavors of the local cuisine. Whatever brings you to our corner of Oregon, Medford is poised to surprise, delight, and leave you with lasting memories at every turn.
Savor your time in the Rogue Valley – we look forward to welcoming you back soon!
As you descend from the main trailhead at Smith Rock State Park outside of Terrebonne, it’s hard not to be impressed by the majesty and beauty of the iconic Central Oregon landmark— the orange-red hues of the vertical rock faces, the tranquil, meandering Crooked River in the foreground and the impressive antics of climbers dangling from sheer rock hundreds of feet above the ground. In fall 2023, a new, wider footbridge was christened and now visitors have a safer and sturdier gateway to the park’s multitude of outdoor activities. Though the park may be best known for its climbing, spring is the perfect time to hike as well, both to beat the throngs of summer visitors and the soaring temperatures. Here are the three trails we recommend for some of the best early-season hiking in the park.
Misery Ridge
Misery may love company, as the adage goes, but for many outdoor enthusiasts in Central Oregon, Type II fun is often the most rewarding, leading to jaw-dropping vistas—as well as an excuse for a post-hike pint. The Misery Ridge Trail is one of the park’s most iconic, and for good reason. The views from the top make the uphill burn worth it, with a panoramic vista of the Cascade Range, including the Three Sisters, Mount Bachelor, Broken Top, Mount Washington, Mount Jefferson, Three Finger Jack and Black Butte, among other Central Oregon geological landmarks. If you have a compact pair of binoculars, bring them along for spotting both wildlife and the high life of sport climbers.
To begin the hike, park at the main trailhead and day-use area near the Welcome Center. Follow pathways north past a picnic shelter to begin the short descent to the river. Before you do, be sure to take in the spectacular view of the south-facing rock formations and the Crooked River at its base. Keen eyes may be able to spot climbers high up along the walls–and if you brought binoculars, this is a fun spot for a quick scan. After the descent, pop out at the newly reconstructed footbridge. Stay straight at the junction after crossing to continue onto the Misery Ridge Trail, which very quickly provides first-hand experience to how it got its name by gaining more than 600 feet of elevation in approximately a half mile. Though punishing, the quick ascent also provides a wonderful excuse to stop and take in the expansive scenery as you catch your breath.
Once on top, the views really begin to open up. On clear days, the volcanic peaks of the Cascades, as far south as Mount Thielsen and Mount McLouglin, are visible all the way north up to Washington’s Mount Rainier. As you skirt along the ridgeline, you soon come head-to-head with one of the park’s more notable climbing routes, Monkey Face. Fortunate timing may offer you a glimpse of climbers as they summit to the top of the 350-foot spire which, indeed, has a striking resemblance to a monkey face. Begin the descent through a series of steep switchbacks down to the Mesa Verde Trail and soon after, the River Trail. From here, it’s an easy and flat 2-mile return along the Crooked River back to the bridge to complete the loop.
Trail length: 3.6 miles round trip Elevation gain: 908 feet Difficulty: Moderate after the initial ascent
Photo by Nate Van Mol
Homestead Trail to Canyon Trail
For those wanting a milder hike, the Homestead Trail stays low along the Crooked River. Park at the far northern end and locate the trail at the apex of the turn-around. Descend a short section of switchbacks to the river and turn left to go toward the center of the park. Within a half mile, you’ll pass by the footbridge. Instead of crossing, keep straight along the southern side of the river onto the Canyon Trail.
This is a wonderful route for both hiking and photography as it offers so many angles of the impressive southern side of the rock formations. Additionally, if you time the hike just right during the morning or evening hours, you’ll be rewarded with a kaleidoscope of changing colors. If you choose to hike the out-and-back Canyon Trail in its entirety, it will take you 1.6 miles to the southern boundary of the park. Turn around here, or to make the hike shorter, simply turn around at any point prior. On the return, you can shorten your hike even more by veering up the Chute to the main parking area and walking along the paved path back to the turn-around.
Trail length: Up to 4.8 miles round trip with multiple options to shorten Elevation gain: 250 feet Difficulty: Easy
Photo by Adam McKibben
River Trail – Summit Trail Loop
The dramatic and varied options of Smith Rock State Park, make it hard to narrow down a visit to just one hike. So why not choose one that takes it all in? Circumnavigate the entire park by connecting the River Trail, Summit Trail, Burma Road and the Wolf Tree Trail for a 7-mile hike of ups, downs and all-arounds. With more than 1,200 feet of elevation, it’s not a loop for the faint of heart. But, for those up for the challenge, the rewards are incredible vistas that the bulk of visitors to the park rarely ever see.
Trail length: 7 miles Elevation gain: 1,253 feet Difficulty: Difficult due to elevation and distance.
Know Before You Go
Day-use parking permits are required at Smith Rock State Park and can be paid via self-service kiosks along the main parking areas (credit and debit cards accepted). Limited camping is available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning March 15. Click to read more OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ARTICLES with us.
A strategy is emerging among businesses wanting to improve the state of the world; the term “nature-positive” refers to a global goal, and Bend could be a forerunner to the movement. “Bend has the potential to be the first city to have a systemic approach to mitigating human impacts on nature and climate, an epicenter for nature-positive strategies,” said Tony Hansen of Bend, director of natural capital at management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. [Photo above by Cody Rheault]
While many climate strategies address the carbon footprint, a nature-positive strategy considers the entire nature footprint. Emissions are one factor, but others include fresh water use, chemical pollution, forest coverage and biodiversity loss from top to bottom of a business’ supply chain. The UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), a pathway to halt and reverse dangerous and detrimental human impacts on nature by 2030, outlines these priorities.
Hansen works with corporations and large public bodies to create practical blueprints to enact nature-positive initiatives, and there’s one small business in Central Oregon leading the way.
“Mountain Burger represents the possibility of small businesses becoming nature-positive. It’s exciting to see who might follow suit in Bend,” he said.
Photo by Pete Alport
Mountain Burger’s Nature Positive Strategy
Located in NorthWest Crossing, Mountain Burger is the first in the area to tackle a nature-positive strategy. Local investors and Mountain Burger co-owners Sara and Dan Hobin wanted to act on the climate crisis, which they see affecting Bend in myriad ways. For instance, the summer wildfire smoke caused a 6% drop in tourism in 2024.
“It’s time to think about dependency on natural capital, risk from natural disasters, environmental impact, and what I can do to reduce that impact with my business,” said Dan Hobin, who was previously founder and CEO of Bend software marketing firm G5.
Hobin, who had a climate action plan for Mountain Burger from the beginning, reached out to Hansen to deepen his understanding of how he could enact a nature-positive strategy. Unfortunately, the existing guidance isn’t tailored to small businesses such as Mountain Burger. So Hansen and Hobin brought Tanner Fields into the conversation. Fields, a sustainability consultant based in Bend, scaled the nature-positive model specifically for Mountain Burger.
“For the most part, the model is our brainchild,” said Fields, who once led sustainability initiatives at Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. “The nature-positive field is new. We are hoping models become templatable, making nature-positive strategies more accessible and easier to implement for small businesses.”
Fields’ work with Mountain Burger resulted in a 14-page assessment detailing Mountain Burger’s nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities. Mountain Burger had already integrated an electric griddle, LED light bulbs, motion sensor light switches, renewable energy, natural lighting and a composting and recycling program. However, 85% of its impact was from buying beef alone—the cattle industry is one of the most destructive to nature.
That revelation spurred the creation of a 50/50 burger made up of half grass-fed meat from a regenerative farm and half plant-based ingredients, such as onions, mushroom, shallots and nori.
“We are for meat eaters, plant eaters and everything in between. We don’t shame people; rather encourage them to consider eating less meat,” said Hobin, who notes that sales of the 50/50 burger are increasing as hoped.
The 50/50 burger is an example of what Hansen would call an opportunity that arises from nature-positive strategies: “In our framework, there’s both defense (preventing climate fallout) and offense (creating opportunity). Mountain Burger discovered a unique, marketable product in the 50/50. Customers, employees, and investors are increasingly drawn to businesses that have good environmental practices.”
“I want to prove that you can have a sustainable restaurant with a successful business model,” added Hobin.
Sara and Dan Hobin of Mountain Burger
Sustainability Minded Bend Businesses
While other businesses in Bend don’t specifically apply the nature-positive model, some are moving forward robust sustainability initiatives.
For Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the Old Mill District, it all started when musician Jack Johnson refused to play at venues with single-use water bottles.
“After that, we thought: What else can we do?” said Beau Eastes, marketing director at the Old Mill District. “We started recycling and upcycling more and more items. We take banners from shows that can’t be reused and make them into bags for staff. We collect random screws and nails to be donated.”
During shows, the waste stations, with trash, recycling and compost, are staffed by garbage concierges of sorts, who answer people’s questions about what bin to use. After a show, staff members sort the bins. If they’re attentive, they might find the “Trashy Golden Ticket,” an incentive hidden in one of the receptacles, which they exchange for a prize.
Photo Courtesy of the Old Mill District, by Nate Wyeth | Hayden Homes Amphitheater is one of the greenest venues in the country.
In 2024, the amphitheater’s landfill diversion rate was 87%, or 195,000 pounds of trash. In 2025, it plans to be 90%. This and other initiatives, such as bike parking and compostable tableware, make the amphitheater one of the greenest music venues in the country.
Local breweries are also doing their part. Alongside partnerships with conservation nonprofits, Deschutes Brewery has invested in energy-efficient heating, cooling and lighting on its Bend campus. Worthy Brewing’s nonprofit, Worthy Garden Club, advocates for soil health, native pollinators and dark sky conservation.
“A lot of businesses might think there is nothing they can do,” said Fields. “They might be overwhelmed by the crisis. Some aspects of a nature-positive strategy cost money, which can seem like an obstacle. But everybody can do something. Even little [steps] count. It’s important to show up in any way you can.”
From his home outside Tumalo, with a panoramic view of snowcapped mountain peaks, composer Dave Metzger, arranger and orchestrator of multiple Grammy-winning projects, quietly writes music that connects viewers to a film.
“Sometimes I will play a scene where there’s no music at all for people and then play that scene with music and people’s jaws drop; they haven’t thought about how much of an impact the music has,” said Metzger. He has worked with Disney for 25 years, and his film credits include “Frozen,” “Moana,” and most recently 2024’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” for which he composed all 100 minutes of the film’s score.
David Metzger’s studio was designed by renowned audio and acoustical engineer, George Augspurger. | Photo by Tim Cotter
The score signals to viewers how to feel: happy, sad, concerned or hopeful. It swells or ebbs during the most impactful moments of a movie and is a big reason why those scenes stick with cinema-goers long after they’ve left the theater.
Originally from Corvallis, Metzger began writing music when he took a choir class at the age of 12. After he saw the first “Star Wars” movie at 16, he dreamed of becoming a film composer. He took music theory classes in college and eventually moved to Los Angeles. However, when he moved back to Oregon with his family in the mid-90s, his career started to thrive.
“Southern California never felt like home to me,” said Metzger. “As soon as we moved back to Oregon, I just felt so much more creative again.”
World Class Studio in Tumalo
After living in Salem for many years, Metzger and his wife, a retired physician, moved to Bend full time in 2021. The region’s mountain views and hikes continue to be constant sources of inspiration. His home studio is a world-class facility, designed by renowned audio and acoustical engineer George Augspurger. The sound diffuser, panels of wood cut at different dimensions and depths, looks like a work of art, but it has the essential purpose of breaking up sound.
Photo by Hannah Turner
In the studio, Metzger is surrounded by instruments, including a 1965 vintage Fender bass guitar he has had since he was 17 years old and an octave mandolin he used for composing the score for Disney’s “Wish,” Metzger’s first lead composer credit. To begin the creative process, Metzger receives “prints,” or 10-minute clips, from the films he’s working on. He watches the scenes several times to get a feel for the tempo. Then Metzger writes a piano guide track in a sequencing program called Cubase that helps him decipher key themes. Like a puzzle, he decides where to place the themes and fill in the rest. When the director has approved of the segment, Metzger travels to Los Angeles or London to record the music with musicians.
“Musicians are expensive, so they sight-read everything. There’s no rehearsal or anything. It’s wild,” said Metzger.
From “The Lion King” on Broadway to “Mufasa”
Metzger’s path to “Mufasa” began decades ago. His first “big break,” as he calls it, was the opportunity to write music for the 1997 action film “Speed 2: Cruise Control.” That’s where he met Mark Mancina, music producer for the Broadway version of “The Lion King.” Metzger orchestrated the musical, making sure the music was adapted for a live theater setting.
When the President of Disney Music, Tom MacDougall, was looking for a composer for “Mufasa,” he knew Metzger would understand how to tie in original themes and create something new. In addition to using some of Hans Zimmer’s music from “The Lion King” movie and writing new material, Metzger helped save the villain track “Bye, Bye,” from the cutting room floor. In one night, Metzger, also a song arranger, used elements from his score, such as the clack of sticks on the rim of a taiko drum and menacing violins to integrate the song into the film more and recall the character Scar’s “Be Prepared.”
Photo by Tim Cotter
Metzger has also arranged some of the most well-known songs in the Disney universe, such as “Let it Go” from “Frozen.”
“I’m proud that on films like ‘Moana’ and ‘Frozen,’ I had an impact on how the songs turned out. The piano part is all there is when I do the song arranging, so everything else you hear is what I bring to it,” he said.
Despite working with people such as Lin Manuel-Miranda, who Metzger says is just as charismatic and kind as he appear, much of his work for years was as an additional composer or ghostwriter. In those roles, he wasn’t necessarily front and center, but that all changed when he got the call to be the composer for the 2023 movie, “Wish.”
“It was like a dream fulfilled, you know, and this movie ‘Mufasa’ was icing on the cake,” he said.
Sundrenched trails beckon high desert adventurers as the days grow longer this time of year. That means you can ski your heart out all morning then hop on a bike in the afternoon, making it a multisport kind of day. Perhaps you simply prefer pedals over poles and just can’t wait until summer to feel the kiss of tires on trails. In that case, dust off those cobwebs from your gravel bike and set out for an early-season cycling adventure. Enjoy a leisurely spin with scenic views or challenge yourself to a bit of lava rock tech mixed in with miles of flowy dirt singletrack. Whether you’re new to adventure cycling or a seasoned vet, there are many places to explore on your gravel steed.
Maston Outer Loop
Located about 20 minutes north of Bend, outside of Tumalo, the Maston Trail System can be accessed from Newcomb Road off Cline Falls Highway. Enjoy the 12-mile outer loop by riding counterclockwise from the parking lot and taking right turns at every major trail intersection. The route features smooth, fast dirt singletrack and a spicy spur out to the river rim on the Rockbar trail, about 2.5 miles in. This technical section with armored rock is sure to tickle the fancy of those looking for a thrill and provides a dazzling view of the Deschutes River winding through the canyon below. Most of the ride is easy to moderate, however the rocky sections are more advanced on a gravel bike. Swooping trails will lead to stunning glimpses of the Cascade Range as you loop back to the trailhead. Extend the adventure by exploring any of the trails within the Maston trail network. Stop into The Bite food truck lot in Tumalo for après nibbles and sips.
Distance: 12 miles, loop Surface: Singletrack dirt trail with technical rock features Difficulty: Moderate to advanced Elevation: +500/-500 feet Parking: Maston Trailhead
Maston Outer Loop | Photo by Katie Sox
Deschutes River Trail
River Run Reach + Awbrey Reach
Meandering along the Deschutes River, this easy-to-access ride offers views of the mountains, overlooks Archie Briggs Canyon, and has plenty of places to stop and enjoy your surroundings. A great choice for those new to gravel biking, the trail features a wide, compacted gravel surface and some short but punchy elevation changes. With lovely options for taking a break along the riverbank by Sawyer Park, the River Run and Awbrey Reach sections of the Deschutes River Trail make for a fun and scenic out-and-back ride. Head north from Pioneer Park, cross the footbridge over the Deschutes, then follow the compacted gravel trail for a sweet little escapade right from town. You’ll want to watch out for flying golf balls as you pass through River’s Edge Golf Course. The trail is popular for walking and biking, so be mindful of other users and share the trail kindly.
Distance: 10.7 miles, out and back Surface: Wide, compacted gravel trail Difficulty: Easy Elevation: +440/-440 feet Parking: Pioneer Park
Horse Butte Coyote Loop
Flowing through desert sagebrush and lava rock outcroppings, this singletrack loop serves up mountain views and a bit of rocky technical riding. On Bend’s eastside, the Horse Butte area is often accessible throughout the year, depending on snowfall and freeze-thaw cycles. Take time to enjoy many moments of awe at expansive vantage points. This loop is rideable in both directions, with the counterclockwise loop beginning on Arnold Ice Cave Trail adjacent to the trailhead parking area. Take a left on Swamp Wells Trail, then hop on Coyote Loop Trail to make your way back to where you started. With an exciting little switchback section, this is a great ride for those looking to challenge their gravel-bike skills. The Horse Butte area offers many miles of trails and route options, as well as gravel and paved roads for those looking for a bigger ride. You could even navigate a road route from town out to the trails, making for a longer, car-free adventure.
Distance: 9.8 miles, loop Surface: Singletrack dirt trail with technical rock features Difficulty: Moderate to advanced Elevation: +649/-649 feet Parking: Horse Butte Trailhead
Know Before You Go
It’s a dreamy time of year to hit the trails, as they’re often less dusty and more hard-packed than later in the season. Weather can change quickly on the high desert, so you’ll want to check the forecast, dress in layers according to the range of temperatures. Be mindful of trail-user etiquette by not riding in muddy conditions. You can find trail maps and GPS info on apps like Ride with GPS and Strava, or websites such as bendtrails.org. Be sure to ride within your skillset and, as with any outdoor foray, know before you go.
The coveted Bill Earhart ceramic mug, the singular “trophy” bestowed at the annual Pole Pedal Paddle, has become somewhat of a lighthearted status symbol in Bend. Its widespread presence has even birthed a locally-used verb: “mugging.” Yet talk to anyone who’s been involved in the legendary Bachelor-to-Bend race that takes place in late May, and you’ll realize that the event is about more than posting a winning time.
History of the PPP
Dating back to 1976, this event played a pivotal role in establishing Bend as the athletic hub it is today. Spanning six segments—alpine and Nordic skiing, running, biking, and kayaking—the race showcases Bend’s favorite sports, guiding participants, whether competing solo, in pairs, or as teams, from Mt. Bachelor’s Red Chair to the Old Mill District. With roughly 3,000 participants annually, nearly half from outside the region, its allure extends far beyond local borders.
And it’s an appeal that lies less in athletic prowess and more in the joyful sense of community prevailing throughout the day. The race welcomes all, and longtime attendees know that the competition is as much about the best costume as it is about the fastest time. While it’s often assumed that only the athletically gifted participate, diversity is the race’s true charm. Athletes of varying ages and skill levels, racing individually or as part of a team, find themselves united by a shared passion for sport and a desire to push personal boundaries.
About the Race
As racers tackle each leg of the course—be it the adrenaline-fueled sprint uphill at Mt. Bachelor’s Red Chair, the exhilarating Nordic course, the scenic descent into town, the riverside run along the Deschutes River, or the paddle through the Old Mill—they are uplifted by the collective encouragement of spectators and fellow competitors alike.
This atmosphere of encouragement and camaraderie sets the Pole Pedal Paddle apart as more than just a race—it’s a celebration of community spirit. Dedicated volunteers kick-start the event at dawn, setting up stations from the Old Mill to Mt. Bachelor, while enthusiastic spectators, rain or shine, line the route offering unwavering support. From the whimsical costumes to the friendly competition among participants, the Pole Pedal Paddle fosters a vibrant spirit of community.
Extending beyond race day, the Pole Pedal Paddle serves as MBSEF’s largest annual fundraiser, providing crucial support for the organization’s efforts to offer life-changing athletic programs to over 800 athletes each year. In doing so, it embodies Bend’s dedication to nurturing the next generation of athletes and fostering a legacy of excellence both on and off the field.
In a city experiencing rapid growth, this enduring tradition unites the Bend community in the joy of outdoor recreation, friendly competition, and support for the community as a whole. Its legacy is deserving of celebration, inviting a collective toast—perhaps, with a mug in hand.
In Bend, there is no shortage of adventures to be had. But, not having the proper gear and equipment can stand in the way of getting out and enjoying all Central Oregon has to offer. From snowshoes to ATVs, mountain bikes to ski boats, Bend has rentals to meet every adventure.
Photo by Nate Wyeth
Best Gear for Summer Adventures
Get on the Water!
With the Deschutes River cutting through the middle of town and many lakes within an hour’s drive from Bend, summer happens on the water. Nothing could be more “Bend” than a lazy summer float on the Deschutes River. Tube rentals are easy and affordable with Tumalo Creek. The rental comes with a personal flotation device (PFD), which must be with you while you float and worn if under 12. You can also include a shuttle ride for just $6. Tumalo Creek also rents stand-up paddleboards for two-hour and all-day adventures. Paddleboard rentals come with a paddle, PFD, and rooftop pads and straps. They also rent whitewater rafts, kayaks, and offer lessons.
Maybe you’re planning a long weekend at one of Central Oregon’s many lakes. If you book with nearby Cultus Lake Resort, you can enjoy the water in several ways. Cultus Lake offers ski boat rentals and an additional towing package that allows you to also rent wakeboards, tubes, and kneeboards. Those 18 years and older can also rent jet skis that fit up to two adults and one child. If your idea of a lake day is all about relaxation, check out their pontoon boat rentals.
Summer in Bend means plenty of bike rides. Whether you are hitting the local trails, looking to put in miles on a road bike, or simply cruise the city, there is a bike for you in Bend. Bend has an ample number of bike shops, so you are likely to find a bike to rent even at the busiest times of the season. Bike shops like Project Bike have a large rental fleet covering all riding disciplines. If you need transportation options for your rental, check if your chosen bike shop offers bike racks or tailgate pads for rent.
Make your next camping adventure more comfortable by renting a camper van or motorhome. And with Happy Campers RV Rentals, you’re covered. If you’re looking for a longer getaway, check in about extended road trip rentals.
For the ultimate off-road adventure, check out ATV rentals from Octane Adventures. Rental options are four or eight hours, with no need to tow, since you will meet at the trailhead. Octane Adventures also offers guided tours, which we highly recommend!
If there isn’t too much snow and you can handle the cold, many Bend adventures can be done year-round.
Year-Round Gear Supply
For adventure enthusiasts seeking quality equipment without the sticker shock, Gear Fix and Second Wind Sports Bend are treasure troves just waiting to be explored. Gear Fix specializes in expertly refurbished outdoor equipment, breathing new life into pre-loved items (and your outdoor adventures). Meanwhile, Second Wind Sports Bend offers an impressive selection of consignment gear that lets you outfit yourself for Central Oregon’s outdoor playground without breaking the bank.
Alan Watts at Smith Rock in climbing gear | Photo by Trevor Roemer
Rock Climbing
World-class rock climbing is just a stone’s throw away (pun intended) at Smith Rock State Park. If you are new to the sport, a great place to start and rent equipment is at Bend Rock Gym. To maintain safety standards, the shoes, harnesses, and other climbing gear rented must be used at Bend Rock Gym’s indoor facility.
With standup paddleboarding, kayaking, and river tubes, plenty of fun happens on the surface of the Deschutes River. But, ask any fisherman and they’ll tell you that there is more life happening underneath the water. [More fishing here.] If you’d like to try fishing, find poles, reels, waders, boots, and floats at Bend’s The Patient Angler.
If it is your first time skiing or snowboarding, or you’re just between setups, Mt. Bachelor has you covered. There are two rental shops at the mountain — located at the West Village Lodge and the Sunrise Lodge. Rentals can conveniently be reserved the day of, or scheduled ahead of time. Use gear for a day, lease for the season, or rent for any amount of time in between.
Do you want to pick up gear before heading to the slopes? Check out local shops such as the Powder House on Century Drive. They offer daily and seasonal rentals for everything you need. Stop in or call ahead.
Sprinkled along either side of the Cascade Lakes Highway are a variety of snow parks that are a great launching point for an XC ski or snowshoe adventure. The Virginia Meissner Sno-Park features 40 kilometers of groomed skiing trails. Up the road, Wanoga Sno-Park welcomes Nordic skiers and snowshoers.
Bend has several options for XC ski and snowshoe rentals. Sunnyside Sports is a great stop for XC ski and snowshoe rentals, including sleds for gear or kids!
If you want to get into the competitive side of Nordic skiing, visit the groomed tracks at Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic Center. It has 22 trails and 56 kilometers of track and rents any needed equipment. For those new to the sport, the Nordic Center offers both lessons and clinics.
If the adrenaline rush of downhill skiing and snowboarding isn’t enough, consider renting a snowmobile. Adrenaline Rentals provides a lineup of the top snowmobiles and snowbikes on the market. Sleds are loaded on a trailer and are ready to be hooked up for your adventure.
A full-face, fog-resistant helmet is included in your rental. Adrenaline Rentals also has snowmobiling suits, gloves, and boots available for rent. Other accessories available include a ski/snowboard rack or a pull-behind utility sled.
Brett Pulliam rides at Todd Lake. Photo David Braun
Winter and Fat Tire Biking
Who says you can’t ride bikes because of snow? That person has never heard of fat-tire bikes. The wide tires set at low pressures act as snowshoes, distributing the weight of you and your bike as you pedal across the snow. Groomed fat bike trails can be found at Wanoga Sno-Park.
But fat tire bikes aren’t the only winter pedaling available. When the snow sets on Bend’s infamous westside trails, mountain bikers head east of town to ride the best winter mountain biking trails.
Regardless of the winter riding you’re doing, Bend has many bike shops, such as Pine Mountain Sports, that rent regular mountain bikes and fat tire bikes.
Lisa and Scott May were not looking for a transformational building project when they noticed a “For Sale” sign while walking along the Deschutes River Trail one summer day in 2018. On a whim, they walked up the staircase to see what lay on the elevated property above First Street Rapids Park. With towering ponderosa pines and river views, they immediately felt at home on the land.
“It had a complete stillness to it, which is nurturing and soothing to the mind, body and spirit,” said Lisa.
They bought the property in March 2019, and the ideas immediately began swirling. The Mays didn’t want to build just any house. Both are deeply committed to sustainability: Scott is a food scientist focusing on regenerative food systems, and Lisa is a leadership coach who helps individuals and organizations unlock potential through science-based technologies. They decided to pursue a LEED-certified building concept and then heard about the International Living Future Institute and the Living Building Challenge (LBC). The “Mount Everest” of sustainable architecture, the LBC is the world’s most rigorous and aspirational green building certification with standards such as generating 105% of the energy used on site.
“There is a reason they call it a challenge,” said Lisa. “There were a lot of big hurdles to overcome throughout the process.” The greatest was designing a water system that met the LBC criteria to use only captured water and manage wastewater to meet city and DEQ standards, she described.
The home, which they named River Sol, has stylish and functional bioregional modern architecture specifically adapted to help the structure sustain the elements in Bend. The shed roofs collect rain and snow melt, funneling it into a 15,000-gallon cistern—capturing enough water to use throughout the year.
The choice of architects for the project was easy for the Mays in light of their ambitions. They selected architects Al Tozer and Cecile Cuddihy of Tozer Design. Tozer and Cuddihy designed Desert Rain in Bend, the world’s first residential full Living Certified building. The Mays are in the Living Building Challenge “performance period” where they must occupy and monitor key metrics such as energy and water use for a year. They’ll learn if River Sol earns Living Certification by the end of 2025.
Taking Cues From Nature
From the street, River Sol looks imposing. Creating a tall structure was the only way to position the solar array high enough to reach the sun above the site’s tall trees.
Once inside, the home is warm and inviting. Mimicking a deciduous shade tree, the roof overhangs keep the hot sun from touching the windows or the glass doors in the summer. Natural light filters in from every angle, and operable glass walls and windows let in cool breezes. In the winter, when the sun is lower, light streams inside, warming the concrete slab floors and living spaces.
“River Sol is incredibly well connected to place,” said Tozer. “When you are in the home, you are also outside the home because of the transparency of the walls and that interaction between you and the [outside] environment.”
Interior designers Jeannie Legum, Lisa Arballo and Taelor Lang of Legum Design understood the principles of the Living Building Challenge and used biophilic design—a philosophy that connects people to nature in built environments—to carry a sense of place throughout the home’s interior design. The team chose autumnal tones for the kitchen and main living area, which is anchored by a basalt wrapped fireplace at one end of the space that heats the entire home. The golden yellow kitchen backsplash consists of leaf-patterned tile emulating falling leaves. The tile in the primary bathroom shower recalls a pixelated rushing river. The home’s exterior is clad partly in reclaimed cedar planks from trees affected by the 2020 fires near Detroit Lake. In the primary suite, the wood comes from outdoors onto the ceiling inside and continues vertically down the wall behind the bed.
“It’s like a cozy tree house where you feel immediately connected to nature and relaxed,” said Arballo.
Regenerative Home Finishes
River Sol is made up of two separate dwelling units, and Lisa uses the second unit for her office and retreats. The home’s sweeping patio is tiered like an amphitheater and looks down onto a riparian environment and the First Street Rapids Park.
A showcase for artisans and artists specializing in sustainable furniture and art, every piece in the home tells a story. In the living room, the coffee table is made from a live-edge reclaimed walnut slab. The team from Ecobalanza in Seattle crafted the sectional from organic leather. The bed in the primary suite, a custom design from Modern Honor, features an asymmetrical steel wave base that recalls the river below. A colorful piece of regenerative art by native Bahamian artist Dr. Desiree Cox is not only beautiful; it’s a sensory experience. The viewer sees something new every time they look at the abstract patterns, colors and textures.
Similarly, the home is a living example of how architecture can be beautiful, functional and nourishing.
“This project aligns with everything we believe in,” said Lisa, “and embodies a sustainable way of being.”
Creating an indoor skatepark and community hub for Central Oregon
There’s a skateboarding renaissance on the horizon. Caitlin and Tryg Bjornstad are the visionaries working to transform the seasonal Central Oregon skating scene into a year-round community. With the introduction of the Board House Society—an indoor skating initiative—the Bjornstads, along with their expanding team, are on the hunt for a 15,000-square-foot warehouse to anchor their growing community and house Bend’s only indoor skatepark. In its fundraising and community-growth phase, the Board House Society is rooted in an ethos of support, inclusion and stoke.
A Skating Community
Skaters in town share the woes of skateboarding in Central Oregon. Existing skate parks are exclusively outdoors, affected by weather conditions such as snow and smoke, and are limited to daylight hours.
Jack Clark
A skate community begins when young people are given year-round access to parks, according to Trent Bowman, a community partner with Board House Society and a team member from Bend’s Tactics boardshop. Bowman, who grew up in Southern California, witnessed firsthand how access fostered a withstanding love for skateboarding. After moving to Bend, he noticed kids’ interest in the sport dropping off without a consistent connection to it. He also feels the absence.
“Me and my homies need a place to skate,” Bowman said. “We work at the shop until eight, and then we’re like, ‘Where do we go? It’s dark.’”
Wise to this frustration, the Bjornstads have dedicated themselves to creating a solution: an indoor hub where weather is not a barrier to getting on a board. The Bjornstads are keen on removing other barriers to skating, too. Board House will cater to every age and skill level, from little rippers to skate-moms in the making. The facility has plans for ramps and rails, along with coworking spaces, an art hub with graffiti walls and a space to relax and talk shop.
Skating for All
Accessibility is at the forefront of its mission, with systems for mentorships, affordable rentals and safety gear scholarships. “We want to make it clear that the moment you walk through the door, we’re super psyched that you’re here,” Caitlin said.
The decision to build a welcoming and consistent skate community was made in the summer of 2023, when Tryg was at a crossroads in his professional life. After 25 years of a leadership role in carpentry, where he was able to make positive impacts on company culture, a mandatory transition to remote work left him feeling isolated from the people he uplifted in his work. Plus, he sought a way to contribute to the community.
Tryg turned to his buddy, pro-surfer Garrett McNamara who set the record for surfing the world’s largest wave, and who knows a thing or two about chasing dreams. “He told me to make a list of the things I like to do and a list of the things I don’t like to do,” Tryg said.
Trent Bowman
He found himself staring at two lists he’d drawn up. The first was Tryg’s “good boards” list—snowboards, wakeboards and skateboards. His second list included less inspiration: being “bored.” Tryg chose the first list and from there, passion and purpose came together in the form of Board House Society. “If every day was wonderful, what would that look like?” Tryg said. “If you can create a place that looks like that, then you’ve just created a wonderful life.”
One of the most captivating qualities of the Central Oregon wilderness is the ability to access its rugged beauty year-round. In winter, we trade our paddles for poles and our hiking boots for snowshoes as alpine meadows morph into miles of untouched, snow-covered canvases. Almost overnight the deep glacial waters of our region’s nearly 150 high lakes transform into glassy sheets of frozen stillness, reflecting the surrounding peaks that rise behind their shorelines. It is a metamorphosis that unfolds as we witness nature’s spectacular seasonal rhythms.
As the snow begins to fall, a lakeside cabin retreat is a perfect way to experience the blissful comforts of the season and the thrill of wintertime activities. Book a stay at one of these rustic lodges, which are sure to inspire an idyllic getaway for solitude, romance and everything in between.
The Suttle Lodge
Suttle Lake is a gem for all seasons; its picturesque Americana setting feels like a living reenactment of a Norman Rockwell painting. Come winter, the vintage summertime vibe gives way to an enchanted snow-blanketed wonderland. The Suttle Lodge is tucked in the wooded Deschutes National Forest, with lodging options from rustic rooms to deluxe cabins. During your stay, snowshoe the serene 4-mile loop around the lake or take a guided bonfire tour with Wanderlust Tours. Popular Hoodoo Ski Area is just a 15-minute drive away for Nordic, downhill and tubing adventures. After a day of exploring, enjoy a craft cocktail inside the Skip Bar near the roaring fireside hearth. The ambiance mixed with tunes from their local musician series creates a cozy vibe. (Tip: Time a stay for its anticipated Winter Beer Fest in February, a Bavarian-inspired outdoor gathering that brings together Central Oregon’s best trifecta: brews, eats and tunes.)
Suttle Lodge | Photo by Natalie Puls
Elk Lake Lodge
As a treasured favorite among the upper Cascade Lakes, Elk Lake Lodge offers a blissful respite for winter wanderers. The 11-mile stretch from Dutchman Flat Sno-Park to the lodge is accessible only by snowcat, snowmobile or cross-country skiing—so getting there is half the fun. The area surrounding the lake is a back-country recreationist’s dream, boasting more than 100 miles of fresh snow to carve. The lodge requires a two-night minimum for a stay in one of its 13 cabins, so there is plenty of time to embrace the present. Take in the sunrise from the deck as snow-covered ponderosas frame picture-perfect views of nearby Mount Bachelor. In the evening, a storybook winter scene emerges outside each window under the glow of star-filled lights. Settle in with a piping hot bowl of the lodge’s elk chili and a book from the community library.
Elk Lake Lodge
Paulina Lake Lodge
The Newberry Caldera is inaccessible by car in the winter months, and the only way to explore the splendor of this diverse geographic area is a 6-mile trek from the Ten Mile Sno-Park. Nestled in the volcanic crater is pristine Paulina Lake and its accompanying lodge, built in 1929. In its nearly 100 years, Paulina Lake Lodge has offered a “down-home” experience for its guests, with 13 pleasantly modest cabins. Trek around the lake and enjoy expansive views of Paulina Peak or rent a snowmobile onsite to explore the epic 150 miles of groomed trails. For the avid winter cyclist, take a scenic fat bike ride up the main road to neighboring East Lake. Every itinerary should also include a snowshoe outing to nearby frozen Paulina Falls to marvel at its icy curtain of suspended cascading water. Après-ski, enjoy a hearty pint and then retire back to the fire’s warmth of the lodge’s rooms.
Paulina Lake Lodge | Photo by Arian Stevens
Shelter Cove
As the summer bustle quiets at Odell Lake, and the smell of warm earth and juniper gives way to the scent of damp pinecones, Shelter Cove Resort offers a classic winter destination. More than 100 years ago, Shelter Cove was the site of the Cascade Summit train station. Today, it offers 14 cabins and limited RV spots on Odell’s western shore. Book in advance for an intimate stay at the historic cabin, formerly the train engineer’s private residence. Directly from the resort, guests can access a sprawling network of Nordic trails or drive 3 miles to the Willamette Pass ski area for a downhill fix. As evening falls, a blazing communal firepit awaits on the lakeshore—a welcome contrast against the ink-black winter sky. Quell appetites with a wood-fired pizza and reflect on the day’s adventures over roasted s’mores with new friends and old.
Inside her cottage studio, Paige Barnes works with acrylic paint to create colorful canvases that harmonize structure with intuition.
Her backyard workshop is lined by windows that frame an open yard. Dense Central Oregon trees and neighboring rooftops allow Barnes to keep bearings on her surroundings. After more than 20 years in Bend, the OSU-Cascades graduate and mother of three embraced life as a full-time artist just eight years ago. Since then, her pieces—donated, commissioned and displayed throughout Bend—have brought abstract beauty to the community.
Barnes initially studied photography in college, but after taking a one-off painting class, she found it more fun—it satisfied something she craved creatively. “Painting was gratifying and instant. I didn’t have to think so hard about manipulating a camera. My mind just moves quicker than photography requires,” Barnes said.
Inspiration is found everywhere for Barnes, but particularly in the landscapes surrounding her—the boulders along the Deschutes River Trail, the high desert terrain and the lush greenery she occasionally revisits in the Willamette Valley where she grew up. These elements inform her compositions, although they don’t appear literally on the canvas. Barnes’ paintings result from what she observes and become something cohesive but abstract, no longer directly a part of nature.
Morning Ritual
Music also plays a meaningful role in her creative process. Her recent taste for listening to classical melodies while painting has translated to more playful pieces.
Each day in the studio begins with what Barnes calls “mindless sketching,” a warm-up exercise where she draws continuously for about 10 minutes to ground herself. From there, Barnes pivots to her easel, layering paint, pen lines and bold figures, with no preconceived direction of where she wants to take her painting. She typically works on two canvases at a time, allowing ideas and techniques to flow between them. One canvas may serve as the primary focus, while the other becomes an outlet for experiments—a space to clean brushes, test colors and try new techniques. Over time, even these experimental works take on a life of their own.
Melodic Beauty
When frustration inevitably arises on her canvas, Barnes embraces it as a catalyst for transformation. She paints over tight or restrictive elements and leaves traces of earlier layers to build dimension and contrast. “I’m constantly finding the edge, going over it, then finding my way back,” Barnes said. “If I don’t push my work over the edge, then it’s never done.”
When Barnes finishes a piece, she feels deep, even if fleeting, satisfaction that reminds her, “This is why I’m here.” And then she starts all over again.
Barnes’ collaboration with Inspire Bend, the nonprofit branch of retailer furnish., has brought beauty and comfort to community spaces. One of her contributed works, created for the Bear Creek Elementary School teachers’ lounge, moved one teacher to tears with gratitude.
Barnes continues to look forward to the future, when she hopes to work on large, unstretched canvases spanning more than 6 feet in size. For now, she is focusing on consistency in her painting practice, with a goal of three two-hour painting sessions each day.
“I’m not worried about how far I go or how big of a name I have,” Barnes said. “I just want to keep going. I want to be one of those artists still making art at 95.”
Bob Woodward’s adventurous spirit, infectious humor and belief in community helped shape Bend’s identity.
It was early 2001, and I’d just made the decision to move to Bend. Someone told me that I should meet a fellow journalist there, Bob Woodward. I gave him a call, and he invited me to stop by. His wife, Eileen, was outside, greeted me, and directed me to his office, down a couple of steps in their home on Portland Avenue.
I don’t remember how much we talked about our work, which for him included contributing to many publications including Sports Illustrated, covering the Olympics multiple times and running his respected outdoor industry newsletter, SNEWS.
One thing he said, though, struck me: “Bend needs good people.” I was flattered, but more than a compliment — it was the implication that living in Bend is about giving, not just taking — a fresh new concept for someone who grew up in and around New York City. It said so much about how Bob viewed the importance of community. I’d later come to know his singular place in this one — a former mayor of Bend and one of the pioneers of its outdoor recreation scene, but always emphasizing camaraderie and fun — with a vehemence for not taking things too seriously.
It wasn’t on the local Nordic or mountain biking trails which he helped create where I got to know Bob “Woody” better, though. It was at the community theater — where he was instrumental in changing my life. Through doing a play that Bob directed, “Moon Over Buffalo,” a fast-paced, ensemble-driven comedy, I met my husband.
Bob Woodward | Photo by Julia Meglasson
But I’m far from the only one whose life improved because of Bob. His impact through the community is legendary. That Bend “lifestyle” known for drawing growing numbers of people to visit or move to this recreation mecca? Bob pretty much invented it, with no agenda but the sheer love of playing in the outdoors with others who did too, when Bend was a working town winding down from its timber heyday with seemingly endless stretches of forests, rivers and steeps to explore.
Simply look to the trails — including “Woody’s Way” at Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic Center — that he and his band of like-minded merry mountain bikers, Nordic skiers and paddlers pioneered. [Read more about the Phil’s Trail System and how it came to be.] It was a group of Portland Avenue area denizens known as the Klister Korner gang (named for a sticky cross-country ski wax) that drew attention to just how much fun you could have in the backcountry. In the late 1970s, when Bend’s population was less than 18,000, mail addressed simply to “Klister Korner,” would still be delivered to Bob’s house.
“We were exploring all the time, and there was always something new, someplace new to tour. Discovery was the key word, whether it was technique or things to do.”
He’d moved to Bend with Eileen in 1978, two years after they’d visited from the Bay Area and vowed to make Bend their home. As a freelance sportswriter and photographer, he showed the world the fun to be had pedaling through forests and down mountain peaks, careening over waterfalls in a kayak, shushing atop vast, white stretches of snow met by brilliant blue skies and heavenly, puffy clouds.
“There was a real sense of a little community that was building these sports, and it was the key to why it lasted,” Bob said in the same article, when he was 76 and skiing and biking frequently. “We got involved, stayed involved and spread it around. I’m tickled to death that there’s so much interest in Nordic. The only thing that bothers me is that people take it so seriously now. We had the dress-up days and kept a sense of humor about it at all times,” he said. “We’d get serious a few times for races, and the rest of the time was always about the fun and camaraderie. When I raced mountain bikes as the Reverend Lester Polyester and Art Deco, there were people in town who would call me Art — ‘Hey Art, how you doing!’ There was nudging and winking a jaundiced eye for anything too serious — everybody was in on the gag.”
Mark Pearson and Bob Woodward, 1986
He chronicled this and more in his weekly “Saturday Ramble” posts on Facebook, and his infectiously exuberant-yet-cool energy pervaded everything he did, from forming a comedy improv group or launching shows on the community radio station, KPOV. Local artist and DJ Teafly remembered the early days at the station, which was starting up in 2004.
“Bob taught me so much about what community building looks like,” she said. “How simply sharing the things you love with others can build bridges between differences. For Bob and I, our biggest difference was our age, but our sensibilities and humor were the same.”
Her favorite memories of him are how he shared things he loved — mostly jazz. “I would relish finding a CD in my mailbox or on my stoop with a simple note: ‘Tea — I think you’ll really dig this. It’s totally your vibe. — Woody’ ”
He was always right, too. “I always dug whatever he was throwing down,” Teafly said. “He opened up new worlds of music for me and always celebrated my own artistic endeavors. He encouraged me at every step and really made me feel like I was an important part of this wonderful community we call Bend. I will miss him.”
The last time I saw Bob was a chance meeting on an unusually warm, sunny winter day about 10 days before he died, on March 7 — he was doing an outdoor workout. Despite the progression of Parkinson’s disease, the 85-year-old was finishing laps around a quiet, pine-encircled parking lot off Shevlin Park Road, with help from a walker and Eileen.
We were laughing about a comedy sketch that Teafly and I did with his Around the Bend Players troupe in 2006 for the Bend 2030 future visioning project. In it, two women at a coffee shop are talking about skiing “Knott Fun Mountain,” the landfill-turned-ski resort that’s 20,000 feet high.
Right now, it’s hard to imagine a Bend future that doesn’t have Bob Woodward in it. One reassuring thought, though, is that the thousands of people who raced, explored and laughed along with him or those who never met him but will discover the glory of biking or skiing a trail he blazed, will carry his spirit — irreverent, fun and generous — forward. They will pick up on the message that he gave me the day we met: Bend needs good people.
There’s something about waking up to a Bend sunrise that feels like an invitation to dive into the day. When the morning light streamed through wall-to-wall windows in our living room, it cast warm hues of orange and pink across the walls, mirroring the colors of the art hanging in the condo where we were lucky to have a recent stay. Aerie by AvantStay at Discovery Corner, a concept in overnight accommodations for the Discovery West neighborhood, was our editorial office for a couple of days and served as a working staycation. A long table with plenty of seating gave the four of us a place to gather. The front balcony became our favorite spot for morning coffee and watching neighbors in the plaza below starting their days with dog walks and morning phone calls. Meanwhile, the back deck awaited us for evenings worth savoring.
An Art-filled Community Space for Year-Round Gathering
We were perched above Discovery Corner, the lively plaza and retail center that debuted in October 2024. It serves as an open space rich with art, thoughtful design and shops. The plaza’s circular shape naturally encourages gatherings. After a day’s work, we were drawn to the warm glow from a 600-pound steel firepit sculpture anchoring its center and created by Oregon artist JennyEllsworth. It was easy to envision music and conversation taking place there all year round. After warming up by the fire, we started what would be a tour of art throughout the neighborhood. Discovery Corner is adorned by “Mechanical Waves,” a striking mosaic by Bend artist Rochelle Rose-Schueler. Inspired by sound waves and tectonic energy, its flowing design led us along the plaza’s curves, prompting reflection on the forces that have shaped both nature and our community. We felt a deep sense of pride in Bend’s enduring connection to its surrounding landscape—a place where art, science and shared moments come together.
Steps away from the front door of our condo, new businesses like Sparrow Mercado and Put A Cork In It were preparing to open. They provide local bites and sips to fuel adventures, exploring the neighborhood and nearby hikes or bike rides at Phil’s Trail.
Wandering the new Discovery West Labrinyth
For an afternoon break from writing, we wandered the streets of Discovery West, following the bronze medallions along Discovery Walk, each honoring women who have made remarkable contributions throughout history. Standing beside the plaque of Ann Bancroft—the first woman to journey to both the Arctic and Antarctica—I felt a spark of inspiration from her adventurous spirit. Though our tour was more of a neighborhood education than a polar expedition, I shared my own thrilling sense of exploration.
We wove through streets and paths, and soon came upon the newest addition to Discovery West’s commitment to the arts: Discovery West Labyrinth. In partnership with Bend Park and Recreation District, the serene spot is a maze to wander and connect with nature. Designers Lea Good-Harris and Marilyn Larson of Creative Labyrinths created this space for quiet contemplation, with additional funding provided by the Bend Sustainability Fund. Collaborative projects like this welcome the entire community.
The neighborhood’s varied architecture added another layer of fascination to our walk—with examples from Craftsman and farmhouse-style homes, to mid-century and contemporary styles. It’s the kind of place where we felt we could walk for hours (and we did), admiring the art of everyday living. The neighborhood trail network forms a 7-mile loop that connects Discovery Park with the surrounding forested hills.
A Neighborhood Surrounded by Nature and Nearby Restaurants
Our stay with Aerie at Discovery Corner certainly spoiled us with modern luxury, yet the surrounding natural environment reminded us to enjoy the simplest moments. After full workdays and refreshing breaks along the paths outside our front door, we especially appreciated the choice of restaurants close by. At NorthWest Crossing, less than a mile away, we were tempted by fine dining at Rancher Butcher Chef, casual counter service from The Grove Market Hall or Poke Row, and restaurants such as Washington Dining + Cocktails, La Rosa and Mountain Burger. We opted to eat in, wanting to savor our meals in the comfort of our condo’s lovely deck.
The day’s adventures ended with a soak under the stars, my favorite way to take in Central Oregon’s dark sky. With the heat cranked up, the hot tub became our evening sanctuary. When the sun fell and made room for the night sky, it lit up with a different kind of mosaic—a blanket of constellations. Perhaps a cosmic nudge that even in calm moments, anything is possible.
A Distinctly Bend Experience
Discovery Corner is an invitation to out-of-towners, neighborhood residents and Central Oregon locals alike to enjoy community, nature and a lifestyle of connectedness. Aerie offers a one-of-a-kind experience for overnight stays in northwest Bend as the neighborhoods are absent of short-stay vacation rentals. With 20 rental units, you can plan a staycation, work and play like we did, or host friends and family and truly be part of the neighborhood, even if only for a short time.
Our “workdays” ended with a sunrise that seemed to thank us for taking the time to explore Discovery West and Discovery Corner. It was a reminder that we don’t have to go far to be wowed. All we needed to do was step outside, soak in what surrounded us and stay curious—something worth admiring kept reveal itself.
A surge of interest in contrast therapy has made it easy to unleash your inner Viking.
Photo of and by Elif Koyutürk
Frankly, I think they’re bonkers. Some friends and I are seated in a sauna sweating our cheeks-to-cheeks off. It’s a cold, brittle day in Ramsvik, Sweden, and the oven-hot air inside here has that spicy cedar scent. My leg muscles, tight from a morning trail run, now go slack like molasses in the sun.
“You ready?” prods my friend Jim, motioning toward the sauna door.
The sauna sits along a small cove of black, 43-degree seawater, which is a whopping 160 degrees colder than inside the 200-degree sauna. Jim wants to race outside and do a cold plunge. The Vikings themselves knew this kind of hot-cold routine could bring curative, transformative powers. To me, it sounds like torture.
Photo of and by Elif Koyutürk
“I don’t know,” I say. But peer pressure prevails and into the water I go.
You know what happens next. I freak out. The cold crushes my breath into sharp, inefficient gasps. The water drains the heat from me with lethal efficiency. Every brain cell tells me to get out of this, now. I do as Jim says and work to control my breathing. When I do, something odd starts to happen.
I find willpower. Time slows and thoughts go still. I stop reacting to the pain and let my mind feel it out, like a finger drawn on an old stone wall. For a moment, I’m in control.
In less than a minute survival instincts take over and guide me out of the water. Dripping wet in the icy breeze on the dock, I am neither hot nor cold but sharp and alert like never before. I feel like a guy who has learned he can fly.
Photo of and by Elif Koyutürk
Cold Plunge as Therapy
Scandinavians have long embraced the sauna-plunge ritual of vinterbadning, or winter bathing. But now “contrast therapy” is everywhere. In Bend, you could even say it’s having a moment.
Gather Sauna House | Photo by Samantha Henry
Consider this. Gather Sauna House: The original sauna/cold plunge business in Central Oregon is in its third year of a partnership with Bend Park and Recreation District. Its setup at at Riverbend Park allows you to sweat in a wood-fired sauna only steps away from a plunge in the chilly Deschutes River. Founded in 2019, Gather Sauna House will soon add a brick and mortar spot in addition to its seasonal park location. In late December 2024, SweatHouz opened on SW Century Drive with cold plunges and infrared saunas that warm tissues with a deeper heat. ChillWell opened in September 2024 on Olney and Wall streets. Flux Thermal Lounge in the westside Century Center will open in 2025 to provide hot and cold water immersion therapy. Bend’s mobile barrel sauna and cold plunge service, 541 Social Club, found a permanent home at Foundation Health and Fitness in southeast Bend.
Gather Sauna House | Photo by Samantha Henry
Want to build your own? Redmond Spa Stove and Sauna has the heat. For about $15,000, Redmond-based BlueCube will make you a handcrafted tub cooled by commercial chillers.
“People are digging it,” said Bryan Messmer, a former self-described contrast therapy skeptic who tried it, had a wonderful, transformative experience and launched ChillWell. “I thought for sure I was going to see a bunch of yogis and granolas and endurance athletes and biohackers and those kinds of people, but that has not been the case,” Messmer said. “This has been for everyone.”
From the Athletes
For years, athletes everywhere have fought muscle soreness and fatigue with cold therapies while others have sought the mental and physical benefits of cold plunges and breath work championed by people such as surfer Laird Hamilton and Wim Hof—the Dutch “iceman” known for his acts of enduring extreme cold. With this flush of new services in Bend, anyone can book a session and hire an expert to guide them through the experience.
Gather Sauna House | Photo by Samantha Henry
Clayton Reeves, a Mountain View High School grad and an Oregon State Beaver with a bachelor’s degree in exercise sports science, is one of those experts. He returned to Bend after seeing a need for a mobile contrast therapy service. By January 2023 he was rolling around town with a barrel sauna and cold plunge tubs on a trailer that he could set up outside of gyms. He showed up at corporate retreats and marathons. Often people would hire him to do private pop-up events on their neighborhood streets.
“So many people would stop me and be, like, is that wine?” Reeves said. “I’d say, ‘No, it’s performance recovery.’”
His new space at Foundation Health and Fitness is now fully enclosed but the benefits are the same. How hard you train is only as beneficial as how well you can recover, he said. Alternating between hot and cold can speed that up.
For the hot portion of contrast therapy to work best, Reeves said you need an environment that’s at least 170 degrees. That’s when our cells activate a flood of heat-shock proteins that cruise around the body looking for and repairing damaged cells. The heat also ups your heart rate, which ups your blood flow and results in faster repairs. A sauna also stress tests our abilities to sweat, which trains our bodies to cool themselves more efficiently in the future.
Photo of and by Elif Koyutürk
Adding in cold is when things get interesting. Getting into water that’s roughly 40 degrees drastically reduces inflammation throughout the body, slashing pain. Cold-shock proteins whirl to life and pick up the repairs. Feel-good neurochemicals such as dopamine, adrenaline, epinephrine and oxytocin surge into the blood stream giving us a euphoric rush. To warm ourselves back up, our cells incinerate “brown fat,” a healthier fat than the “white fat” that’s great for the brain. The hot-cold combo can leave you in a better mood with less stress and anxiety and more confidence to face new challenges. “Plus I sleep like a baby,” Reeves said.
Photo of and by Elif Koyutürk
Me, too. Not long after I get home from Scandinavia, my wife and friends book a session at Gather Sauna House. I’m tempted to try it again, but ultimately chicken out. My wife struggles to push through the pain, while another friend, Erin Morgan, is hooked. She lights up when I ask her about it a few days later.
“I feel like that yoga shirt that says, ‘I’m just here for the Shavasana,” Morgan laughs. “Bring it on.”
Bend’s Indian eateries will take you on a culinary journey through the subcontinent, from the expansive plains of the North to the sunny tropics of South India. Without leaving Central Oregon, you can try rich curries, hearty flatbreads, fragrant rice dishes and sweet desserts. With a new Indian market in town—the first of its kind in the region—you can even experiment with the rich and varied tastes of India from the comfort of your own kitchen. And contrary to popular belief, Indian food doesn’t have to be spicy. Just ask for the level of heat that suits your palate and dig in.
Papdi Chaat, Anitas Kitchen
Anita’s Kitchen
Located in the parking lot of SE 3rd Street’s Cascade Lodge, Anita’s Kitchen is proof that great things can come in small packages. The food truck opened in July 2021 and quickly gained popularity thanks to a solid menu of rich North Indian homestyle dishes, prepared with love by owner Anita Chopra. Chopra hails from the Punjab region of India—an area known for its rich culinary traditions—and has been passionate about cooking since she was 10 years old. This passion, and her love for feeding others, led Chopra to open the food truck. “It’s the easiest way to connect with customers and give them a taste of my culture,” she said.
The menu at Anita’s features rich North Indian favorites, including dal makhani (black lentils cooked with plenty of butter), palak paneer (spinach and cheese curry) and butter chicken (chicken cooked in a buttery gravy). Chopra also offers a special dish that’s hard to come by outside of India: bhalla papdi chaat. This popular roadside treat—chaat refers to street food snacks in India—features a mélange of spongy lentil fritters and crunchy, cumin-infused crisps doused with slightly sweet plain yogurt and topped with a tangy tamarind sauce. The result is a taste-it-to-believe-it mix of textures and flavors that collectively create an adventure in every bite. See anitaskitchenbend.com.
Masala Dosa, Taj Palace
Taj Palace
If you’ve had Indian food in Bend during the past two decades, the chances are high it came from Taj Palace, the longest-running Indian restaurant in town. Originally located downtown, the local favorite beckoned hungry guests with its sumptuous buffet. In 2022, Taj Palace moved into a larger space on South Highway 97, and the food remains as flavorful as ever.
Most Indian restaurants in the United States—including Taj Palace—serve plenty of North Indian classics such as dal (lentils) and chicken curry. However, Taj Palace also offers South Indian dishes, an homage to owners Nagendramm and Pullareddy “Reddy” Lakireddy’s southern home state of Andhra Pradesh. Must-try South Indian dishes include idlis—fluffy, spongy rice-and-lentil cakes—and masala dosas‚ ultrathin crepes made of lightly fermented rice-and-flour dough and stuffed with a warming—but not too spicy—mashup of fragranced potatoes and onions.
Both idlis and masala dosas are traditionally served with coconut chutney and sambar, a light vegetable and lentil soup. If it’s your first time trying South Indian food, order the Taj Combo and get one masala dosa and two idlis. To sample a little bit of everything, make a beeline to the buffet, which features a changing selection of vegetarian and meat-based curries plus pakoras, rice, naan and sweet treats. See tajpalacebend.us.
Biriyani, Real Taste of India
Real Taste of India
Meet the city’s newest Indian restaurant: Real Taste of India. This gem is tucked into what may seem to be an unlikely location within the Shilo Inn on Bend’s north side. Owners Raja Ram Pundir and Sam Saurabh are cousins from the North Indian state of Haryana who bring years of experience with them, having operated Real Taste of India branches in Roseburg, Medford and Klamath Falls before moving to Bend. Since opening their restaurant in January 2024, they’ve gained a steady customer base, in part because of their massive menu. It features a variety of dishes ranging from shrimp vindaloo to nine types of biriyani, an aromatic rice dish cooked with meat, vegetable or both. However, the hospitality of the owners shines through.
“My father taught us that we’re running this restaurant as a family, so it’s important to treat our customers as family,” said Saurabh.
Real Taste of India isn’t just a restaurant, either. In November 2024, the pair opened Central Oregon’s first Indian market. Although it occupies one corner of the restaurant, the shop stocks a serious collection of Indian goodies, including hard-to-find spice mixes. They have plenty of Indian treats, too, including Parle-G cookies, perfect for dunking in tea, and namkeen, a collective term for savory, crunchy snacks made from dried beans, lentils or peas, and flour. Don’t see what you’re after? There’s plenty more inventory in the back, and Saurabh makes weekly trips to Seattle for stock, so just ask. See realtasteofindiabend.com.
Chaat, Anita’s Kitchen in Bend
On the Side
Add an extra zing to your meal with these tasty additions
Samosa
A quintessential on-the-go snack, and a popular appetizer at Indian restaurants around the world, samosas are triangular savory pastries that are usually stuffed with a mix of peas and potatoes and then deep fried to crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside perfection.
Pakora
If you’re a fan of French fries or onion rings, you’re sure to love pakoras, crisp deep-fried fritters breaded with chickpea flour. Spinach, cauliflower and onion pakoras are all popular options—they’re best enjoyed with a piping-hot cup of milky masala chai.
Lassi
India’s answer to the milkshake, a lassi is a rich, yogurt-based drink that makes a great accompaniment to spicy dishes—the cooling effect of the yogurt balances out fiery flavors. Try a mango lassi, flavored with India’s national fruit.
Nonprofits are the winners of Bend’s fundraising game card
Every Sunday morning, there’s a line of people at Silver Moon Brewing’s side door, waiting to indulge in a breakfast cocktail and throw money at a good cause.
This is Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo—six rounds of fun and fundraising games with host Dusty Riley and her partner, Stacia Guzzo, cofounders of YOUNI Movement, a company dedicated to promoting inclusivity and awareness at community events. The duo provides event planning, production and execution. As emcee, Riley brings high energy vibes and a pay-it-forward spirit to each gathering.
Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo started about nine years ago, when Riley was general manager of Silver Moon Brewing and planned the brewpub’s events. “It was a natural arm for Silver Moon to be a hub for the community and to support local nonprofits,” she said.
In 2016, the bingo games raised money for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue foundation each Sunday. The bingo program continued to grow from there, and in 2024, almost 30 nonprofits benefited from the events at Silver Moon Brewing. Riley estimates that more than $2 million has been raised for organizations throughout the region.
Working closely with the featured nonprofit in the weeks leading up to an event, Guzzo and Riley design a program to meet the organization’s goals, from raising money or identifying new donors and volunteers to increasing awareness of a nonprofit’s mission.
“It’s very intentional. You may show up and think, ‘This is crazy chaos!’ But it’s carefully crafted. It might seem like this spontaneously crazy event, but ultimately we’re working for that communal uplift,” Guzzo said. “People in the audience aren’t even aware that we have goals in mind.”
In Oregon, bingo games are governed by the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ). Nonprofits must apply for a bingo license, and there are restrictions and legal hoops to jump through. Each October, YOUNI Movement opens up its schedule for the coming year to connect with nonprofits. Those interested in participating must meet all Oregon DOJ requirements, and representatives are asked to attend a Q&A. Upcoming beneficiaries include Healing Reins, Saving Grace, Mount Bachelor Ski Patrol and Bend Park and Recreation District. The schedule is full throughout the spring.
Deschutes Children’s Foundation Executive Director Cassi MacQueen is a longtime partner with YOUNI Movement, and the Foundation has fundraised through Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo many times over the years.
“The participatory, high-energy bingo events they run are some of the most fun and effortless fundraising opportunities we’ve ever enjoyed,” MacQueen said. “Being able to invite our supporters for a boisterous event that celebrates community and inclusion while furthering our mission? Yes, please!”
Noting that there is a trifecta that brings these events together, Riley explained how she and Guzzo, Silver Moon Brewing and the nonprofit all share in each other’s goals. “One of them,” Guzzo added, “is that we can inform and introduce the community to even more of the amazing things that are happening in Central Oregon.”
Winter fishing in Central Oregon falls into the Big Risk, Big Reward category. The rewards, which outweigh the risks of cold temperatures and slick footing, center on a Zenlike tranquility of beautiful snow-lined rivers while testing one’s fishing skills against the genetically wired instincts of a fish in the middle of winter.
Trout, like other fish, remain active in winter; however, cold water temperatures slow their metabolism. They still prey on the larval stages of aquatic insects, scuds (small shrimplike crustaceans) and smaller fish. Understanding the river’s biology and a trout’s seasonal dietary preferences are important additions to any angler’s winter tackle box.
Salmonids 101
Not all trout are “trout,” but rather are representative of the salmon family. Rainbow, brown and redband trout, as well as steelhead, are “true trout.” Steelhead differ in that they are a “sea run” form of either rainbow or redband trout, meaning these fish migrate from freshwater to the Pacific Ocean where they live for several years before returning to their birthplace or natal stream to spawn. Kokanee, common in Central Oregon, are a non-anadromous form of sockeye salmon, meaning they do not migrate to the ocean. Brook, lake and bull trout may bear a trout name but they are char, a group of fish defined by a lack of teeth in their upper palate, and they bear various light-colored spots on their dark backs. Another salmonid, the mountain whitefish, is also found throughout Central Oregon.
Winter Fly Fishing Locales
The Metolius River is a spring-fed river with its headwaters in the shadow of Black Butte near Camp Sherman where bull, rainbow and brown trout are found. The river runs north, clear and cold, gliding past the Green Ridge escarpment before reaching Lake Billy Chinook. Spectacular scenery is a bonus to this world-class fishery. Local angler Kacey Davey, a public information officer for the Oregon Department of Transportation, became hooked on fishing for bull trout, known as the “grizzly bear of the fish world,” along the Metolius in winter. She uses big streamers—artificial flies she creates with feathers that imitate small fish.
Winter Fishing, Fall River
Both the Deschutes and Crooked are two tailwater rivers, meaning river flows are dam-controlled. The 9 miles below Bowman Dam on the Crooked has deep pools and pocket water—smooth water above and below a protruding boulder—to fish even during the low flows. Nymphing, lightly weighted artificial flies that sink and drift along the bottom of the river, is the preferred method for trout and mountain whitefish during the cold months, especially in the absence of insect hatches.
The Deschutes River is the premier rainbow trout fishery in Oregon; the Lower Deschutes Back Country Byway, from Maupin to Mack’s Canyon, is more angler friendly than the upper stretches in winter. Fall River is spring fed, resulting in clear and cold water year-round with many downed logs that provide cover for trout.
An Ice Fishing Option
“Diamond Lake is one of the coolest spots to ice fish because everything is right there at the lodge, and it’s a really fun place to take the kids,” said RA Beattie, a filmmaker with Off the Grid Studios, “You can walk right out of the lodge onto the ice.” Ice fishing requires minimal gear: a warm-water rod and reel with lightweight line, a tackle box, some bait and a chair or bucket to sit on. An ice auger bit attached to a power drill can be used for making holes in the ice. Powerbait works well for rainbows or tiger trout, a unique hybrid species named for its tigerlike stripes and aggressive behavior. These catch-and-release fish were stocked in Diamond Lake to prey on invasive bait fish.
Safety Tips
Before heading out, check myODFW’s Recreation Report and Oregon Trip Check online for seasonal closures, license requirements and road conditions. Stop by one of the many fly fishing shops in the region for information and gear. For those new to winter fishing, Beattie recommends hiring a guide to be safe and to enhance the experience.
“There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing,” added Davey. She bundles up in fleece under her chest waders, plus uses toe and hand warmers. She may slip traction cleats over her boots for better grip on slippery river banks, but boots with studs are kinder to the river bottom. Anglers fishing on ice-bound lakes should wear a life vest, too. With some planning and fortitude, there are plenty of opportunities to fish on a winter day in Central Oregon. See myodfw.com.
Mt. Bachelor rises out of the Central Oregon landscape as both a landmark and a playground. Known for its vast terrain, it’s a favorite for skiers and snowboarders in the Pacific Northwest. The mountain offers something for everyone, from beginner-friendly greens to expert runs off the summit, making it a destination worth exploring, whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth.
“Mt. Bachelor is a stunning dormant volcano with diverse natural terrain and a laid-back atmosphere,” says Gabe Stephens, Marketing Coordinator at Mt. Bachelor. “With 360-degree access to over 4,300 acres, Mt. Bachelor offers a big-mountain skiing and riding experience while maintaining the friendliness and authenticity of a small resort.”
From its breathtaking summit views to the vibrant community that thrives on its slopes, Mt. Bachelor invites adventure, connection and discovery. This guide will help you plan your trip, navigate the mountain, and make the most of your time, whether it’s your first day or your hundredth.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
Preparing for Your Day
Planning ahead is key to enjoying Mt. Bachelor. Ticket lines are long during busy weekends and holidays, so buying them online in advance will save you time and stress. Hardcore skiers and snowboarders often opt for season passes to get up to the mountain as often as possible.
For first-time visitors, Stephens recommends downloading the Mt. Bachelor app. “Through the app, you can access our mountain report, trail maps, lift status information, real-time expected wait times at each lift and the local weather forecast,” he says. “You can also share your location with friends, pinpoint your exact GPS location should you need to contact patrol, and track your stats for a chance to win prizes.”
Renting gear or booking lessons? Reserve online before you arrive to ensure you get what you need without the last-minute rush. The same goes for parking—check the resort’s website for updates on availability and shuttle options, especially on powder days when the lots fill up early. And be sure to always check the weather report – here’s our weekly report during the winter season.
Getting to the Mountain
The drive to Mt. Bachelor along Cascade Lakes Highway is as much a part of the experience as the skiing itself. Thick forests and mountain views make for a scenic journey, butwinter roadsdemand attention. Snow tires or chains are strongly recommended, and it’s always a good idea to leave early to avoid any delays.
For a hassle-free option, consider taking the Mt. Bachelor Shuttle from Bend. It’s a stress-free, environmentally friendly way to get to the mountain while skipping the parking challenge.
Navigating the Mountain
You’ve made it to the mountain. Skis or snowboard in hand, ticket in your pocket—now what? What lift do you ride? Which runs do you hit? All valid questions that have a multitude of answers.
“The variety of terrain makes Mt. Bachelor unique,” Stephens shares. “Whether you’re seeking gently sloped beginner zones, terrain parks, open glades, tree runs, or pristine corduroy, there’s something here for every kind of skier and rider.”
Mt. Bachelor’s layout makes it easy to find runs that match your skill level. Beginners often start at Sunrise Base, where the terrain is mellow and inviting. Intermediate skiers tend to favor Cloudchaser, with its mix of open cruisers and tree runs.
Advanced skiers and snowboarders head to Summit Express, where they can take in 360-degree views before dropping into steep, fast terrain. On a powder day, the Northwest Chair is the go-to spot for tree skiing and untouched snow.
Exploring Beyond the Runs
If you’re looking to mix up your day, Mt. Bachelor offers plenty of alternatives. The Nordic Center has 56 kilometers of groomed trails for classic and skate skiing. For something more adventurous, try dog sledding with Alaskan Huskies or join a ranger-led snowshoe tour to learn about the mountain’s volcanic history.
Staying Fueled
Long days on the slopes call for good food. Stephens suggests heading to Pine Marten Lodge for a meal. “If it’s a busy day, get food from Pine Marten Lodge instead of West Village or Sunrise,” he says. “The mid-mountain views are hard to beat, and crowds are generally smaller.”
But if you’re really in the know, there’s one spot that’s worth a bit of a detour: the Nordic Center serves up burritos, and according to Stephens, “They’re the best-kept secret.”
When the lifts close, the fun doesn’t stop. Just 20 miles away in Bend, the craft beer scene is worth exploring, with spots like 10 Barrel Brewing, Lifty’s and Boss Ramler Beer Club all offering local brews and a laid-back vibe.
RendezVan 2024 | Photo by Jon Tapper
Mt. Bachelor also hosts plenty of fun events throughout the season. The RendezVan Festival celebrates van life with live music and food trucks, while the Big Wave Challenge combines snowboarding with surf-inspired competition.
“The community around Mt. Bachelor is deeply connected to a passion for outdoor recreation and a vibrant local culture,” says Stephens. “This culture of supporting outdoor activities is reflected in the resort’s operations.”
RendezVan 2024 | Photo by Jon Tapper
Final Tips
Mt. Bachelor is massive, and it’s easy to overdo it. Dress for the conditions, carry snacks for lift lines and pace yourself so you can enjoy the whole experience.
Whether you’re carving fresh tracks, exploring the Nordic trails or swapping stories over a beer, Mt. Bachelor offers a mix of adventure and community that keeps people coming back. “The resort is known for incredible spring skiing, with more than 1,500 acres of terrain open through Memorial Day Weekend,” Stephens notes. “While most resorts are winding down, Mt. Bachelor offers consistently excellent snow conditions, a packed event schedule, and a large operating footprint through the end of May.”
Your Voice Matters! This is your space to shape what you see here. We’re diving deep into the things you—and we—are curious about: local secrets, travel gems, restaurant must-tries, and beyond. Tell us what you want to know! We’re all ears. [Photo by Johnny Oliver]
Compassionate Canines has Comforted Central Oregon with Therapy Dogs for Almost 25 Years
When Heather Wingate loads up any of her five border terriers for a therapy dog visit in Central Oregon, she’s never quite sure what the experience will bring. Sometimes it’s walking into a room of children and watching her dog Lily zero in on a child who had a rough morning at home. Sometimes it’s a quiet moment with a hospital patient who has received unwelcome news. Many times it is walking through waiting rooms, classrooms or the airport to bring smiles, pets and pleasantries to all types of people. “There is nothing better than teaming up with a dog and sharing the same joy and love they give me with someone else,” said Wingate, who most often does therapy dog visits with her terriers Ozzy, Lily and Bunny, the three of her five dogs that seem to enjoy the work the most.
Wingate and her dogs are one of more than 80 human-dog therapy teams registered with Compassionate Canines, a volunteer-run organization that brings therapy dog teams into many locations across Central Oregon, including, but not limited to local hospitals and medical offices. Founded in 2001 by Mare Peters, the organization facilitates the certification of therapy dog teams, who then volunteer to make local visits where the dogs can interact with the public. This year will be the organization’s 24th serving the community.
Therapy Dogs 101
Different from service dogs or emotional support animals, therapy dogs are trained and certified to provide therapeutic and psychological benefits to the public by allowing people to pet, cuddle and hold them. Dogs can be any breed and need to be calm, confident and friendly in addition to having basic obedience commands down. Successful teams are made up of dogs and people who have a close relationship and good social skills, according to Jennifer Horsman, volunteer coordinator for Compassionate Canines. Horsman said service dogs should be the type who initiate socialization with other people with tails wagging, a soft face, good eye contact and calm behavior.
Compassionate Canines has therapy dogs who visit various settings throughout Central Oregon, including retirement communities, memory care facilities, a cancer center, elementary, middle and high schools, Redmond Municipal Airport and Central Oregon Community College during finals weeks.
Compassion For All
After years of therapy dog visits, many of the volunteers with Compassionate Canines have observed that the dogs often end up comforting people other than the intended recipients. Wingate has come to expect her intuitive 10-year-old border terrier Lily to sense who needs her attention the most. “Lily is pretty empathetic,” said Wingate, recalling a memorable visit to an ICU waiting room. Lily showed little interest in the waiting room occupants and kept staring at the hospital’s program coordinator across the room, who finally bent down to call over the scruffy terrier. As it turns out, that week had been difficult for the woman, who had spent the past few days cleaning out a garage full of her late husband’s things. “Lily ran right over and put her entire body against her,” Wingate said. “Lily definitely knew she needed her more than the family in the ICU did.”
Wingate said it’s experiences like those that remind her why she’s so passionate about therapy dog work and so inspired by the moments of comfort that dogs can provide to people in need. “There is no better feeling than having that kind of purpose in life—I feel it, and I know that all five of my therapy dogs do, too.”
To learn more about Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon, including information about requesting therapy dog visits for events or programs, or pursuing certification for a new therapy dog team, see compassionate-canines.org.
The term multigenerational can have multiple meanings. The McCann House, one of Bend’s most recognizable homes, underwent a Herculean renovation, resulting in a lasting legacy. The family that saved it from demise were the skilled craftspeople who helped restore it and the Historic District, one of Bend’s oldest neighborhoods.
Preserves a Gem of Bend for Future Generations
The imposing four-level house was built in 1916 for Thomas McCann, the vice president and general manager of the Shevlin-Hixon Company. He arrived in Bend from Minnesota, bringing with him a sophisticated sensibility along with his family. David C. Lewis, a renowned Portland architect, was enlisted to bring his signature Georgian Colonial design to the emerging city. After having eight private owners during the 100 years since the mill sold the house into private ownership, along with a sagging roof and decades of deferred maintenance, the house was in need of a benefactor. “It hadn’t been loved,” said Melissa Barnes Dholakia, who along with her husband Sanjay Dholakia, had previously renovated a historic home when they lived in Oakland, California. “Unfortunately, [maintenance] got away,” she said. Sanjay added, for “any rational person,”taking on the project was a bad idea. But with a penchant for historic preservation that runs in the family, and community-mindedness, the Barnes Dholakias were all in.
Photo courtesy of The Deschutes Historical Society
Generations of Family
Melissa fell in love with Bend decades ago as she headed to Whitman College, stopping along the way to backpack the Three Sisters Wilderness and climb at Smith Rock. “Bend is where I’ve come home to for a long time,” she said. She and Sanjay married at Broken Top 26 years ago. Her parents have lived in Bend for more than three decades, and her mother, writer and former journalist Christine Barnes, served on the Bend Landmarks Commission and penned the book Great Lodges of the National Parks as a nod to preservation and design.
Many of the original trees are still on the property. The view from the front of what is now Congress Street.
On the National Register of Historic Places, the McCann House was a center of attention when it went into foreclosure in 2017. Sited on four city lots, developers had their sights on razing the home and building homes or condominiums. Hearing about the intense interest from developers, Sanjay and Melissa were extra motivated to save the property. They bought the home in April of 2018.
Saving the McCann House
“I’d driven by the property hundreds of times,” said Josh Wilhite, principal of Copperline Homes, and the contractor selected to take on the renovation project. “It’s the jewel of Bend,” he said. “Taking an older house and revitalizing it has always been important for these neighborhoods to keep them fresh and vibrant,” he said.
Along with John Kvapil and Kimberly Stroup of DKA Architecture & Design, P.C.— architects who renovated the Tower Theatre—the team included Ani Cahill of Cahill Design, Chris Ferguson of Part & Process, Parker MacDonald of Landscape Elements, Lisa Rokosh of Brass Tacks Design and Doug White of White’s Fine Woodworking. More than 300 “artists, not just craftspeople” took part in restoring the house, Sanjay added.
It took close to three years to finish the project, which had to balance the standards of historic preservation and period aesthetics with contemporary code and livability.
Rebuilt Step by Step
With four levels and 6,890 square feet, the home was built for another era. Formal rooms were for entertaining, with practicalities—including servants’ quarters—hidden behind doors or on the upper levels of the home. During the renovation, the footprint of the home was preserved as were many of the rooms.
“I love different spaces that hold the different parts of your life, like a formal parlor or dining room,” Melissa said.
Architects Kvapil and Stroup helped open up areas, such as the kitchen, to be more usable for a busy family, which includes daughter Maya, 21, son, Kai, 15 and puppy, Oakley. The kitchen was originally anchored by a wood stove and a three-story chimney that extended from the basement to the third floor, previously an unheated servants’ quarters.
The renovation’s design removed the chimney, extending the kitchen through a new breezeway to the garage, added central heat to the upper floor, and finished the lower level of the home. From the top floor down, details were attended to one by one: A clawfoot tub was removed, refurbished and reinstated with period fixtures including paint color and wallpapers to match the era while reflecting the Barnes Dholakias’ more contemporary style.
Rokosh helped bridge the centuries, nodding to the past in places such as the living room where bold-patterned wallpapers evoke the Chinoiserie popular in the early 1900s. Appointments are from many local artists, such as Sheila Dunn, Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer, Shelli Walters and Valerie Winterholler. A centerpiece of the home is a Palladian window at the main staircase landing which is visible when first stepping into the home. A signature feature from architect Lewis, the window was important to preserve as the historic heart of the home. Its weight-and-pulley system and single-paned glass, complete with marbled imperfections, are visible reminders of its age. The motif of Palladian arches continues through interior doorways of the first floor and wallpaper selections throughout the house. Less obvious to an onlooker is the meticulous restoration and replication of pristine, first-growth woodwork throughout the house.
To remain true to historic standards, Wilhite and his team examined boards one by one to replace them with highly specialized wood products consistent with wood products of the original construction and not commonly found in wood mills today, even if the boards were to be painted over. “The level of detail in the restoration was that important,” said Melissa.
Designs from the Past and for the Future
The main footprint of the house remained, as did the geometric Chippendale pattern found on the portico, with an 18th-century design that proved to be a challenge to meet both preservation and current safety code. The Barnes Dholakias and Landmarks Commission worked through a careful process to deem the Chippendale pattern significant enough to the project that it remains and is echoed in design in other areas of the home, such as its garden fence.
Sanjay, Melissa, Kai, Maya, Oakley & the late Jesse.
A breezeway was added to seamlessly link the main house with a garage for cars and sports equipment, and also an activity bay for the 1948 Ford tractor Melissa bought at auction from her family’s legacy farm in Missouri.
For the Barnes Dholakia family, history is important but so is the ability to play sports on the front lawn, walk a few blocks to downtown Bend and to be part of a bustling family neighborhood. The renovation of the McCann House has created a legacy for the community.
“Many families have grown up here,” said Melissa. “Everyone has a story about the house. It was an opportunity to keep a piece of history for Bend and bring it back to life. We feel fortunate to be the current stewards.”
Glide down a snowy mountain glistening as brightly as the stars above. Slip into dimly lit enclaves bubbling with banter. Sip smoky-spicey cocktails and nibble eclectic tapas. Seize country-hip-hop-swing moves that connect you to everyone on the dance floor. Even when the sun goes down early, there’s plenty to satisfy everyone late into the night.
Nighttime Is the New Nosh Time
Feel the warmth of Mayan and Mediterranean flavors whisk you away on a frosty January night.
San Simón
[Pictured Above] Alleys take you off the beaten path. After dark, there’s an air of intrigue. What better way to embrace the night? In Tin Pan Alley downtown, feel like a film noir character as you slip into one of the cozy wooden booths outside San Simón, with the chiaroscuro of lights strung above and the flicker of firepit tables. Slyly sip a concoction of freshly squeezed juice, spirit-lifting spirits and liqueurs made by mixologists intent on transporting you to another country in a glass. Nibble charcuterie, cheeses and briny bites of sardine and mussel conservas from Spain.
Linger here or step inside as you let loose your inner Bohemian amid the candlelit brick walls. Should some of your wishes for the evening not yet be fulfilled, consider invoking a favor from the bar’s eponymous Mayan folk deity who smokes, drinks and answers prayers that would make saints blush.
Bar Rio Cocktail
Bar Rio
Imagine burning cacti—warm and prickly—in an image Frida Kahlo might’ve painted. Then sip one: Bar Rio’s burning cacti cocktail is golden brown reposado tequila, peppery, roasted-chile Ancho Reyes liqueur, prickly pear, dark chili-rich simple syrup, lime and a rim encrusted with Tajín (ground dried chili peppers, dehydrated lime and sea salt). Revel in the lovely heat on a winter night.
Order Cuban pork sliders with prosciutto, pickles, spicy mustard, Jack cheese and Calabrian chili oil on a local Curmuffins hoagie, or get comfy with a small plate of lamb merguez sausage and orecchiette pasta, zucchini, basil, tomato, light gorgonzola cream and hazelnut-chorizo crumb. Head to Bar Rio.
Inside Bar RBC Downtown Bend
Bar RBC
Make your way down the long, narrow bar or up the stairs to an intimate, loftlike space that’s perfect for sharing nighttime secrets. Time for a French Kiss—here, it’s a brandy-soaked prune shamelessly stuffed with foie gras—the start of a smooth, oaky-sweet, buttery party on your palate. Pair it with gintonic (as it’s known in Spain), and the housemade tonic’s serious bubbles will make you feel effervescent, too.
Then bring on the ocean. Bite into grilled octopus with the mild heat of piperade and a cilantro-jalapeño-mayonnaise-Parmesan aji verde. Dip salt cod fritters into aioli, and order that second libation.
Going out at night to dance is more than a mere pastime. “On a biological level, dance is something that connects us in a very human way,” according to Alex Reininger, a marine biologist and a dance teacher at Cross-Eyed Cricket Watering Hole where the focus is on fun and line dancing. Lessons out on the floor make line dancing easy for first-timers, whether it’s kicking it to ’90s classic country, hip-hop country or swing. All ages are welcome, no need to bring a partner, and kids’ lessons in the early evening get parents out there, too. Dancing is not only fun and noncompetitive, it’s health-boosting, said Reininger. “If we can find these fun outlets for movement, such as line dancing, you can let loose. You can be a little silly. And when we dance, we’re kind of connected in a nonverbal way. It’s very physical…similar to fish in the school. Dance is a way that we can communicate and express and tap into our creativity and connection as a species.” Dancing also taps into deep cultural roots, she added.
Line Dancing, Cross Eyed Cricket in Bend
The vibe goes south—longitudinally speaking—at a few venues in Bend. At the vaguely equatorial lands of The Flamingo Room, the dance vibes heat up on the last Sunday of every month. Escape to a tropical foliage-packed packed hideaway with creative cocktails, where you can dance an early winter’s night away from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Miraculously, you’ll be in bed before the clock strikes nueve.
Nothing lets you feel the heat of Latin culture quite like the tango. Take a lesson and practice your moves Wednesday nights at the (not-so-Latin sounding) Sons of Norway Hall. The weekly sessions called Tango in Bend have gained popularity over the past decade, with teachers Tyler Haas and Emma James. Although the couple is taking a break from the endeavor, the sessions aren’t skipping a beat in 2025 with students trained to step into their role, Haas said.
On the first Thursday of every month, venture underground to The Capitol for Latin dancing that starts at 8 p.m. and goes late. Discover DJs playing a range of Latin genres or live music by BENDiciones Salsa Orchestra. It pays to heed the Flamingo’s call on social media: “What the world needs now is dance, and love, and dance.” Whether you think of yourself as a dancer or not, they encourage people to join in creating good energy—and that’s good for you, too.
Kindled Spirits
Embers swirl, scarlet flames leap and your cheeks glow beside the iron firepits. Raising a glass of rich amber single malt, you take in the toffee-almond buttered popcorn aroma. The powerful warmth and caramel finish envelop you—body, mind and soul. You’re among like-minded members of the Whiskey Club on the spacious patio wrapping around the intimate O’Kane’s at McMenamins Old St. Francis School, the 1936 Catholic school turned brewery. Peruse the members’ Whiskeys in the Shed menu for a rare special release, hard-to-find whiskey or a limited-edition McMenamins library spirit. A quarterly release of small-batch spirits rounds out members-only shenanigans, along with Whiskey Rambles: tastings and small bites with the distillers on tours of the production spaces.
O’Kane’s Fire Pits, McMenamins Downtown Bend
The patio with strings of lights and foliaged arbors attracts dozens imbibing McMenamins creations such as Bamberg Obsession, a 2023 International Beer Awards gold-medal winner. Their Munich Helles lager’s beechwood smoked malt suits the atmosphere perfectly amid the smoldering wood, the bar’s massive, kettle-like Round Oak stove from 1896 and the aroma of cigars, also a throwback (to 2007 when O’Kane’s was grandfathered in before the state ban on smoking in bars).
Firepit studded pubs, such as Crux Fermentation Project and Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5, have popped up since O’Kanes, the OG which opened 20 years ago. Back then, old-school bartender recruits said no one would want to sit outside at night and drink when it’s cold. But they were dead wrong, and it set a trend, said O’Kanes General Manager Freestar Yost.
Hoodoo Nights: Onesies, Thriftys and Tikis
Stars up, skis out. Long known for its nighttime slope action, Hoodoo Ski Resort has more reasons to head up the mountain in Sisters after the sun has slipped below the horizon: family-and-wallet-friendly fun and a romantic option, too. This year brings the new Onesie Wednesdays—don a vintage ’80s ski suit or zip your plush unicorn, hedgehog or Minion pajama over functional gear to ski or ride 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for $30. The tradition of Thrifty Thursdays continues: wear anything for the first chair through the last at 9 p.m. for $35.
Even in the dark, you can soak up Hoodoo’s locally owned and operated, noncorporate, family-first culture. “We’re not the biggest mountain, we don’t have the most terrain, but what we do have is a ton of heart,” said Jennifer Davis, marketing director at Hoodoo. “We don’t have a lot of rules. We get to be unique individuals, and when you come to Hoodoo, you feel that and…fall in love with us.”
Night skiing Wednesday through Saturday includes Friday Night Lights with live music, bonfires and giveaways. For the first time, the annual Enchanted Nordic Trek will be held on Valentine’s Day this year, with Nordic skiing or snowshoeing on a loop lined with tiki torches. Nibble chocolate-covered strawberries and hit the downhill trails afterward.
Nestled in the bluffs at the Old Mill District is The Eight by Arrowood Development. This collection of eight distinctive townhomes invites clients to live in a design-forward home that celebrates Bend’s future as well as its heritage.
Set near the Deschutes River and the urban energy of Bend’s “second downtown,” The Eight at the Old Mill is a model for contemporary living and an innovative way of designing for urban density, connection and client lifestyle. A quiet U-shaped street creates a micro-community for owners that is both welcoming and energizing. With four 2024 Central Oregon Builder Association Tour of Home awards, including ones for Best of Show, Architecture, Design Feature and Interior Finish, The Eight delivers customizable urban spaces created to adapt to each client’s desires and lifestyle.
Q&A with Femke van Velzen
Femke van Velzen, brand and design director for Arrowood Development
How do projects such as The Eight fill a need to both fit into an environment and also stand out?
We appreciate that the Old Mill District has done such a good job of preserving its vision for this area of Bend. Our goal as developers is to fill a place within that vision while upholding its high standards, which benefits the greater community as well as end users.
Through the site design and the creation of The Eight, we are providing a luxury townhome product that fits the environment and offers clients a unique, elevated living experience. What makes this neighborhood even more special is its overnight rental zoning. Whether clients choose to rent the entire space or just the first-floor lockout ADU, it’s a very attractive investment opportunity in one of Bend’s most sought-after markets.
How did you use elevated design to set The Eight apart?
We like the challenge that pushes the boundaries of how to use materials in exciting ways, but keeps it accessible for people with different tastes and styles. The color palettes in The Eight layer neutrals and textures with a mix of hard and soft materials that create an ideal backdrop for a wide range of furnishing styles. Taupe, warm white and beige tones are combined with “colors of the moment” that deliver an imaginative, memorable visual impact.
We are mindful that, first and foremost, these are spaces where people will live. Our goal is to offer a mix of materials that is really user-friendly and easy to maintain, while creating visual landing spots that evoke an emotion when you step inside.
Tell us more about visual landing spots.
Good design should offer opportunities that spark a conversation. The Eight delivers those moments with features such as handmade Brazilian light fixtures in the main spaces as well as bursts of color and texture delivered through paint and wallpaper. We reimagined how to utilize glass panes, leveraging frosted glass to obscure laundry areas, provide privacy in exterior spaces and skirt interior staircases. We also viewed the exterior as an extension of each home’s floorplan and created four decks that offer year-round covered dining and a place to enjoy the Old Mill’s vibrant environment.
How do site design and selection of materials create a custom space within the environment?
The building envelope offered plenty of space to create eight townhomes laid out in a way that creates its own welcoming destination neighborhood with a distinct look and feel. That atmosphere is supported with ample landscaping for privacy and beauty along with natural stone, wood and iron elements that recall this area’s important place in Bend’s history.
The Eight is intentionally close to the Old Mill District, but residents can choose what they want to let in, mentally. We embraced this mindset by designing indoor-outdoor spaces to maximize their views and experiences. Incorporating multiple decks offers space to relax with the sounds of a concert right outside your door, while large-format windows let in abundant natural light and provide beautiful views indoors as well. Inside and out, our goal was to create a special place that embraces urban living, celebrates the stunning natural surroundings and answers our clients’ desire to realize the ultimate carefree lifestyle.
Arrowood Development 250 NW Franklin Ave. #403, Bend arrowooddev.com
The first homes at Black Butte Ranch have good bones — think midcentury elements such as exposed roof beams and cedar ceilings, but many need updating, and the spaces are tight by today’s standards. A desire for more space led the couple who owned a 1971 cabin, a vacation refuge for their family of four since 2015, on a significant renovation in 2021 to maintain a rustic cabin feel.
“They also wanted to bring it up to date, making it more functional and stylish, while still unique to them,” said architect Brandon Olin who took the house on the Big Meadow Golf Course down to the studs, expanding the footprint to add a primary bedroom, which allowed them to enlarge the living and kitchen areas.
One of Black Butte Ranch’s original homes gets a colorful and personality-filled renovation
The home was refinished inside and out. Olin suggested creating a detached garage and turning the existing garage into more living space. He added on to the front of the house to make the primary bedroom suite. He removed the loft in the main living area to create a great room that isn’t much bigger than the original footprint but feels larger due to a 16-foot-high vaulted ceiling and transom windows showcasing views of trees, the golf course and Black Butte beyond.
The homeowners entrusted designer Allison Clouser of Clouz Houz with interiors from concept to completion. Inspired by the color palette found in Black Butte and Sisters, from chartreuse yellows to deep greens, she worked closely with them to select everything from finishes to artwork and create interiors infused with warmth and personality.
Practical Yet Polished
It’s hard to believe the home’s kitchen was once a tiny galley kitchen with low ceilings. An extension of the main living room, the kitchen has painted cabinets and a large island clad with reclaimed planks in a dark stain and topped with durable quartz. The comfortable Denver Modern bar stools are the family’s preferred place to sit and dine when not entertaining. The green Bedrosians tile catches the light behind the range, which is surrounded by a butcher block countertop, bringing in warmth and rustic vibes. A small but mighty pantry conceals food and small appliances.
The living room furniture is comfortable and functional, a necessity with kids and family members coming in and out of the home. Clouser chose a performance-grade fabric for the sofa and covered the Kravet chairs in durable Pendleton wool. “It doesn’t feel too precious,” said Clouser.
When standing in the room, the eye can’t help but go to the blackened steel fireplace with a built-in shelf for stacking firewood and to the “candelier” above the dining table, a cascading light fixture designed by GLGR (Gallagher) out of Portland and made from beer cans the homeowners collected.
“They love pops of unexpected and whimsy, and they don’t want anything too serious, too stuffy,” said Clouser.
Grown-up Spaces
Olin kept the ceilings high even in the powder bath, which feels elevated yet cabinlike with a classic marble hex pattern floor and western-themed wallpaper by designer Max Humphrey. The primary suite has oak floors by Duchateau, a cedar ceiling to match the original ceilings in the home, black and white photography by Bend photographer Zack Fagin and a sliding glass door opening onto a hot tub and wrap-around patio.
Pops of color can be found throughout, such as the retro orange table lamps from Etsy in the guest bedroom. Beyond a sleek and stylish mud room, in what used to be the garage, lies a bunk room with an elegant built-in bunk bed.
A collaboration among the owners, Clouser and Olin ensured that adults are as comfortable sleeping in the bunkroom as children. It has four queen beds, sconces for reading and outlets for charging devices. Built-in cubbies offer a convenient place for guests to stash clothes and other items. The only room in the house that is carpeted, the bunk room can be a cozy kid area, a family suite or another guest bedroom. Comfortable cubes by BOBO Intriguing Objects add flair.
“We thought through every room. I’m proud that it lives really well,” said Clouser. It may not be the largest home in Black Butte Ranch, but every inch of the modern cabin in the woods is thought out and utilized.
Recreation in Bend might stereotypically look like snowboarders hurling through the air or mountain bikers screaming downhill, but there’s an enthusiastic subset of locals who like to crowd around tabletop board games to laugh, drink, strategize and relax.
These are the gamers. Some love Dungeons and Dragons, Sorry! or Code Names, while others are drawn to Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer or Gin Rummy. These days, gamers of any kind can meet up outside the confines of someone’s living room and stake out a table at dedicated hubs such as Modern Games, a game shop in Bend, and Pangaea Guild Hall, a bar and restaurant in Redmond.
“It seems that the event space and cafe model has been trending in game shops in the post-pandemic era,” said John Stacy, executive director of the Game Manufacturers Association, a national nonprofit trade organization dedicated to advocating for the hobby games industry. “People want to hang out together, and it’s been a useful way for owners to diversify revenue streams.”
Modern Games in Bend
The isolation and dynamics of the pandemic inspired avid gamers Peter Askew and his wife Lindsay to buy Modern Games in The Box Factory between downtown Bend and the Old Mill District in 2022. Peter wanted to realign his life around his values and passions. He quit his management position at a commercial bakery to build this gathering spot for people who wanted a “third space,” a place to relax and hang out outside of work and home.
“There’s something magical about sitting around a table with people to play a game,” said Peter. “It unlocks a special social dynamic. People come to the table without phones in hand and enjoy a connective moment.”
Peter Askew, Owner of Modern Games, Bend, Oregon
That magic could be why the gaming industry is exceeding pre-pandemic growth. “The scope of the $12.4 billion industry is forecast to grow to $20 billion in the next 10 years,” said Stacy. This is a growth industry.”
Peter saw his business grow around 25% in 2024 as he positioned his store as a modern rendition of the traditional game shop. Not only does Modern Games have snacks and beer for sale, the newly designed space has a completely different vibe.
“I’ve been going into game and card shops for 35 years,” said Peter. “Shops all look the same: dark with wobbly folding tables and chairs and stained carpet. At Modern Games, we have skylights, a bay door and custom-made tables and shelving. It’s a welcoming space for everyone. I have no qualms about bringing my 12-year-old daughter to play with whoever is there.”
Most days of the week, there are themed gatherings at Modern Games, with Sunday morning Magic: The Gathering and Wednesday night Wargaming sessions being the most popular. But people are welcome anytime during opening hours to crack open a game and settle in.
Play and Stay Awhile at Pangaea Guild Hall, Redmond
In downtown Redmond, customers are also encouraged to play and hang out at Pangaea Guild Hall, a bar and cafe dedicated to gaming which opened in May 2024. Though Pangaea doesn’t sell games, it has tables for gaming and private game rooms decorated with different themes, including Dungeons and Dragons, Tarot Fortune Telling and a Zen tea room.
“We named it Pangaea after the supercontinent,” said Christopher Trulsen, co-owner, general manager and Dungeon Master of multiple Dungeons & Dragons games. “It’s a space for everyone of all different backgrounds to come together, whether it be business folks looking to hole up with their laptops, families with kids or senior citizens meeting for happy hour.”
Trulsen and his wife Keri had noticed there was no tabletop gaming spot in Redmond. “There were dive bars that would tolerate gaming, but nothing else. The pandemic taught us that humans need face-to-face interaction. People need a place to play and geek out about games together, so we went for it.”
Trulsen left his career in food manufacturing and food science and partnered with his brother, a bartender and bar manager. Every day they offer a different cocktail special, including Cosplay Saturdays—$1 off a drink for anyone dressed up as their favorite game character. Their events aspire to bring the community together, such as a Murder Mystery dinner party series. So pull up a chair, grab an ale, and play through the winter in good company.
Roughly 71 hours and 58 minutes before most adult hockey pickup games in Bend, a ritual ensues. Phone alarms go off, cars pull to the side of the road, ski days and vacations are interrupted. Wi-Fi connections are checked and meetings are put on hold. Many take a deep breath. Some crack their knuckles as they log in to their Bend Park and Recreation District (BPRD) account. The world, for these die-hard hockey players, comes to a stop. They settle in at their computers or focus on their phone as the clock moves forward. When they’re officially 72 hours from game time, registration opens. Sixty seconds later, it’s over. The rosters are full. The unlucky ones—those unfamiliar with the process or who foolishly logged in a minute too late—rattle off a text to their buddiesthat usually begins with “Damn it!” [First image: Adam Oroslan, Bend Rapids Hockey 12U]
“I feel like I spend the whole winter living 72 hours in advance so that I can get signed up,” said Kirsten Romney, a veteran of Bend’s adult hockey D-League. “I do the sign ups for my wife too, so I have this pressure to not let her down. The exhilaration of getting a spot is unbelievable, but the crush of defeat is pretty rough if I don’t get in.”
This ritual will happen dozens of times through early April as the ice season at The Pavilion comes and goes. Because while Bend has been known as a ski town since the 1960s, it’s an ice sports town now, too.
Nixon
Bend Ice
For more than 100 hours each week, Bend’s only full-size sheet of ice is filled with open public skating sessions, adult and youth hockey leagues and lessons, figure skating programs and curling leagues. Today, there are 375 players in BPRD’s adult hockey league and another 80 were on an initial wait list, hoping to get in. A separate lunch league features 60 players and 100 more on a waitlist.
But even more telling about ice sports in Central Oregon: 350 people are registered for learn-to-play and learn-to-skate programs with 150 more on waitlists.
“More and more people are getting interested in hockey. It’s a growing sport,” said Pavilion Manager Clare Gordon. “Our learn-to-play programs are doing really well and more kids are interested. We’re really trying to guide people through that process if they’re interested in playing—to promote growth through fundamentals.”
Outside BPRD’s programs, the Bend Rapids youth hockey program has nearly 125 participants across multiple age levels, and the Bend Ice Figure Skating Club has about two dozen members.
“Every season for the past five or seven years has filled up,” said Aaron Olson, president of Bend Ice, the organization that includes the Bend Rapids, the Bend Curling Club and Bend Ice Figure Skating Club. “The popularity is definitely there…the big struggle is availability for use. We have one rink to run all this programming on.”
Rusty Merritt, an adult-league hockey player and president of Bend Ice Figure Skating Club says the camaraderie among hockey players is “phenomenal. It’s all walks of life—young and old playing together—which I think is special in its own way,” he said. “I think you have a group of people who are really committed to persevering and participating in whatever level they have here, but would enjoy more opportunities to see programs develop and participate at a higher level.”
Left to right: Connor Farron, Michael Coe and Jason Burge
If You Build It, They Will Skate
It wasn’t always like this. In the ‘50s, BPRD flooded part of Juniper Park and Troy Field downtown for public ice skating. In the ‘70s, small ice rinks were built at Seventh Mountain Resort and The Village in Sunriver. The facilities hosted skating lessons and makeshift youth hockey programs, but it was a far cry from the real thing.
Ice sports options were limited until voters narrowly passed a $29 million park district bond measure in 2012 that called for, among other projects, an NHL-sized sheet of ice at a multipurpose pavilion near the Old Mill District. Construction started two years later, and The Pavilion opened for business in 2015. It’s been a frozen frenzy ever since.
Nixon
No Skates Required
“I feel like we’ve seen the excitement over ice sports grow since The Pavilion opened,” rink Manager Gordon said. Merritt said he’s had conversations with people who have moved to Bend because of the rink. One of the biggest attractions at The Pavilion has nothing to do with skating.
Curling enthusiasts say all you need is an interest in the sport and a desire to have fun. Few people grow up with a curling background, so everyone kind of starts at the same level. “It’s a really accommodating sport and a really welcoming sport,” said Billy Duss, the social media manager for the Bend Curling Club, which has nearly 70 members.
Curling is always a hit during the Olympics, and local interest jumps a bit every four years, Duss and Gordon both said. The game is relatively simple: “Get your stone closer to the center of the target circles—called “the house”—than your opponent,” according to the Bend Curling Club’s Curling 101 Facebook page. The club’s website has a ton of useful videos and information to help people get started and learn the game. There’s beer, funny outfits and plenty of camaraderie during every curling event at The Pavilion.
Bend Curling Club
Duss has taken to the ice and curled in a variety of costumes over the years. He’s dressed as a chicken, curled in shorts and a tank top and competed dressed as one of those old-school concession-stand plastic cups. “It’s a quirky sport,” he said. “You can be as serious about it or as social about it as you want and have a great time. I’ve never met a curler who was a jerk.”
The park district runs leagues and learn-to-curl programs, and the Bend Curling Club runs several more. “That speaks to the growth of the sport and the potential of the sport,” Duss said. “There’s a huge interest in the learn-to-curl programs. It’s just hard for The Pavilion to try and balance it all. There’s so much demand—it’s wild how full it is.”
Ava Schoesler, Bend Ice Figure Skating Club
Figure Skaters Glide for Time
Figure skating in Bend is also growing in interest, and the BPRD lesson programs are as tough to get into as the ever-popular and always-full swim lessons. Most currently have a waitlist. Lily Clark started ice skating at the rink in Sunriver when she was 10 years old. Now, the 17-year-old competes regionally and helps coach younger skaters with the Bend Ice Figure Skating Club. “The club has grown so much since I first joined,” she said. “Our new development academy has really brought in so many kids, which is amazing because it’s growing our town’s next generation of skaters.”
Soleil
Ice, Ice Maybe?
About the only thing missing from Bend’s ice sports repertoire is the opportunity for more ice sports programs. Talk to anyone involved in the hockey, figure skating or curling community and the one thing they hope for is a second full-sized sheet of ice that’s open year-round. “So much of this town is seasonal,” Olson said. “To have an opportunity to have a seasonal sport year round, where kids can develop and be more competitive across the state, region and nation will only benefit the region as a whole.”
There’s long been whispers of the possibility of an indoor rink, but nobody’s holding their breath. A new Central Oregon SportsPlex Alliance (COSPA) has recently mobilized and started community discussions on a regional multisport facility with eyes on the Deschutes County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, which is looking at ideas for its next phase of expansion. It’s a massive project that even its organizers say is years, if not decades, from coming to fruition. It’s still very much in the exploratory phase. “It’s never as quick as any of us wants it to be,” said Derek Berry, a Bend resident and president of the alliance.
His 12-year-old daughter is part of the Bend Rapids hockey program and also plays for the Coeur d’Alene Girls Hockey Club. “We need more ice here in Central Oregon, not only for providing more youth opportunities and growing youth sports, but we need more space to meet the needs of all our ice sports, like learn to skate, curling, adult hockey, figure skating and adaptive ice programming,” he said, adding that his daughter practices at 5:30 a.m. due to limited ice time at the rink. Berry believes our region is “closer than we think we are” to adding at least one indoor facility. But it’s not currently in the plans for BPRD.
“The next 10 years are going to be interesting as ice sports continue to grow,” The Pavilion’s Gordon said. “For us, as a parks district, we have to be cognizant of the overall recreation needs and the overall community needs.” And the community needs change when the weather warms up. Come summer, The Pavilion’s sheet of ice transforms into a sports court for roller hockey, skating, basketball and a child care program that’s critical for parents while school’s out.
Before the Melt
As the final skates hit the ice at the Bend Ice spring figure-skating showcase in April, the community celebrates another season of growth and camaraderie. From fierce competition in pickup hockey to the quirky joy of curling and the elegance of figure skating, The Pavilion has created a thriving hub of ice sports. Although ice time remains limited, dreams of a second rink and expanded facilities are alive, fueled by rising demand and unwavering commitment. For now, Bend’s skaters, curlers and hockey players continue to carve out a unique place in this town’s recreational landscape, proving that Central Oregon’s love for ice is more than a seasonal affair—it’s a way of life.
Whether you’re recharging from a morning hike, grabbing a bite between meetings or settling in for a leisurely midday meal, here’s a list of 8 places to enjoy lunch in Bend, Oregon. From indulgent sandwiches and global bites to comforting classics, there’s no shortage of lunch options in Bend. Enjoy! [Photo above of Fix & Repeat, by Tambi Lane]
Jackson Bleu Salad, Jackson’s Corner | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Jackson’s Corner
A longtime neighborhood favorite, Jackson’s Corner excels at turning local ingredients into deliciously fresh meals. At lunch, find a menu that relies heavily on partnerships with local farms and ranches to create everything from bright, herb-laden salads and rich and creamy tomato soup, to brunch-inspired egg dishes and hearty, satisfying sandwiches. It’s casual enough for a post-mountain pit stop but atmospheric enough to want to linger a little longer. For those on the go, order ahead and enjoy a farm-to-table lunch wherever the day takes you.
Spork definitely isn’t interested in playing it safe. With a menu that pulls from Thai, Mexican, and African influences, its menu tempts you out of your comfort zone with great reward. Dishes like the coconut green curry or smokey pork belly are packed with flavor and spice that embodies the chefs’ expertise and varied cultural inspirations. Lunch at Spork brings a little adventure to your day—one that, thankfully, doesn’t involve those long dinner lines. Learn more about Spork and their incredible menu.
Don’t expect to find your typical pad-thai and potstickers at Wild Rose. This family-owned spot serves up delicious, traditional Northern Thai cuisine, offering bold, balanced flavors that have kept all of Central Oregon consistently returning again and again. Lunch here offers smaller portions perfect for sampling in its cozy downtown dining room. The khao soi curry, a rich coconut curry noodle soup is a must-try, along with the incredibly flavorful curry basil noodle dish. For something lighter, opt for the tom kha soup; its balance of citrus and spice makes for a restorative and nourishing meal. Read more about Wild Rose here.
Tucked into the Box Factory, Valentine’s Deli serves up crave-worthy sandwiches that make for the perfect mid-day meal. The menu is straightforward, dependable, and completely dialed in. Whether you’re craving a loaded Italian hoagie or a lighter veggie-forward sando, Valentine’s delivers. Each sandwich is crafted with locally crafted sourdough bread and layered with fresh ingredients, punchy dressings, and flavorful sauces. When you’re simply in the mood for a great sandwich, head here.
A downtown Bend institution, Pizza Mondo is the definition of no-fuss, quality dining. The slices are huge, the crust is crisp, and the toppings are generously applied. It’s everything you want when running around town doing errands or needing something fast on your lunch break. Also, if you’re feeling indulgent, be sure to grab a comforting garlic knot or a perfectly baked brownie. See a sample of Pizza Mondo’s menu, here.
Active Culture offers health-conscious, plant-forward meals close to downtown Bend. Grain bowls, wraps, and hearty soups dominate the menu, alongside fresh smoothies and acai bowls for the perfect midday energy boost. It’s casual and friendly and features a great outdoor playground, making it ideal for families. For an afternoon treat, grab a scoop of the variety of Bonta Gelato available and be sure to snag a refreshment from the massive refrigerator wall. See a sample of the menu found at Active Culture in Bend.
Sparrow Bakery may be known for its famous Ocean Roll, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The lunch options, like the Croque Monsieur sandwich or rotating seasonal soups, are equally as excellent. The bakery’s emphasis on quality ingredients and artisanal preparation make for a simple but elevated lunch. Whether you’re grabbing something sweet or savory, Sparrow has something delicious to satisfy your craving.
For a lunch that won’t leave you feeling sluggish, head to Fix & Repeat for a menu chock-full of vegan options. The colorful and nutrient-packed dishes are healthy and definitely don’t skimp on taste. Find a variety of smoothie bowls, sandwiches, grain bowls, and juices that will leave you feeling nourished and ready for the rest of your day. It’s a go-to spot for health-conscious diners looking for a fresh, flavorful meal.
The mountains aren’t just a playground; they’re launchpads for world-class athletes. For Bendites, much of that credit goes to our local resort, Mt. Bachelor. It boasts an insanely long season, 360 degrees of challenging terrain, fun transitions that demand (and develop) expert edge control and, of course, the stellar parks and pipes. But the accessible backcountry must not be overlooked, including nearby Tumalo Mountain and deeper into the Deschutes National Forest. Here, eager skiers and snowboarders find steep slopes and narrow couloirs, plus perfect transitions for catching air. [Photo above credit: Asa Silver | Snowboarder: Kai Huggin
Central Oregon’s Hot Shots and the Next Gen of Rippers
What stands out in Central Oregon is how seamlessly the culture of skiing and snowboarding is enmeshed in young athletes’ lives. Lifelong friendships are forged while sliding on snow. The uppermost possibility of a professional career is right in front of them in the professional snowboarders and skiers on the slopes daily—from Olympians, including Alpine racer Tommy Ford and halfpipe snowboarder Ben Ferguson, to big-mountain icon Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Youth Olympic Nordic standout Neve Gerard—to name only a few.
This season, the next generation of rippers are making a name for themselves, including skier-turned-adventure-videographer Morgan Tien and budding extreme skier Tyndall Wells. The duo are evolving their racing and jibbing skills honed at Mt. Bachelor into bold feats documenting their alpinism adventures. This is exemplified in their successful two-week tour across the mountains of Kazakhstan resulting in the film, “Tien Shan Dream.” Bode Barrett and brothers Sebastian and Dominic Bowler are freeskiers also pushing boundaries, with the Bowler brothers eyeing the 2025 Winter Olympics representing Brazil. Freeskiers Kainoa Pyle and Tatym Smith and snowboarder Marlo MacMillan are local high schoolers who are already making waves on the USASA Futures Tour circuit. Bend’s next generation isn’t just looking to take its turn, it’s here to set a new standard.
Oh, to be a kid growing up on the slopes of Mt. Bachelor, where young skiers and snowboarders evolve into fearless phenoms. While much credit goes to an abundance of gentle, fall-line groomers, these little rippers also benefit from expert instruction. Kids as young as 3 can learn how to make their first turns with Mt. Bachelor Ski & Ride school. Before long, Dilly Dally Alley and its entry-level natural transition and jumps have them hooked, with longer, faster runs waiting just around the corner. The elite training starts as young as 8 years old in Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation’s (MBSEF) racing, Nordic and freeride programs; It’s a launching pad for taking their skiing and snowboarding to new heights and learning the ropes of competitive racing and freestyle comps. Soon enough, these former groms are catching big air, ripping through halfpipe transitions and carving high-speed turns around the gates.
There’s no shortage of talent in Bend’s youth athlete pool. Among the youngest standouts are snowboarders Milo West, Jack Clark, and brothers Hampton and Cannon Coon, along with freeskiers Rowan Smith and Finley Flanagan. They have all competed at the premiere competition event of the season, the USASA Nationals. Keep an eye on these young rippers–they’re only getting started.
Sip Different: Raising a Glass To Zero-Proof Drinks
Central Oregon loves a good shake-up, and what’s in the cocktail glass is no exception. Zero-proof drinks are no longer the wallflowers of the menu. They’re unapologetically bold, with flavor that doesn’t just show up—it owns the room. These drinks aren’t about what’s missing, they’re about what’s possible. Crafted to celebrate connection and creativity, they ensure no one misses out on life’s moments or wakes up Googling “how to cure a hangover in five minutes.”
High Desert Hideaway: The Dez
By day, Palate coffee fuels Bend’s caffeine faithful. But when the clock strikes five, the space transforms into The Dez, a low-lit, zero-proof cocktail lounge that’s part eclectic hangout, part global escape, part your best friend’s living room. Think candles, world beats and cozy corners. The “Dez Den,” a velvet-draped nook, is perfect for intimate gatherings, while Foxtail Bakery desserts and local charcuterie add a bit of indulgence to the experience.
Mocktails at The Dez, Dessert by Foxtail Bakeshop
Owner Corrine Coxey’s vision started years ago as she filled notebooks with recipes, ideas and dreams that reimagined what “going out for a drink” could mean. At The Dez, there’s no FOMO. Every drink and detail is designed for connection, reminding folks that what matters most isn’t what’s missing — it’s what’s shared. The crowd-favorite Blue Guava Kava Colada is a burst of tropical joy. This mocktail is complete with coconut cream and vibrant blue spirulina, while the Lively Lavender serves sophistication in a coupe with Pentire Coastal Spritz, delicate herbs and a citrus twist. Served hot, the Elderberry Elixir is made from wild-foraged elderberries, ginger and other herbs and spices, and a dusting of cinnamon on the rim.
“We aren’t a sober bar,” Coxey said. “We’ve created a space where meaningful connections thrive — that just happens to not serve alcohol.”
Cool Grandma Energy: Gigi’s
Walking into Gigi’s feels like stepping into a grandma’s house — if she were impossibly cool and swapped the candy dish for Ayurvedic elixirs.
“We wanted to design a space where people feel cared for, where every drink has a story and a purpose,” said owner Emma Thompson, an Ayurvedic practitioner and the creative mind behind Gigi’s.
Tucked inside the Pantry in Bend, this weekend bar is cozy and warm, much like its muse, Thompson’s mother-in-law “Gigi,” whose joyful wisdom inspired the space’s name and energy.
At its heart, Gigi’s is a love letter to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical system that balances the body through a deeper understanding of the five elements—earth, fire, water, air and space. Each drink is crafted with these elements in mind, landing somewhere on a spectrum of cooling to heating, grounding to uplifting. The Blushing Babushka, a rosy twist on a White Russian, calms the nerves with vitality-boosting collagen, cardamom, and activated charcoal. With saffron honey, citrus bitters and a subtle hint of Palo Santo, the Oh Beehave delivers all the flavor of a bourbon sour—minus the booze. For something more cozy, the Gam Gam reimagines the Painkiller with housemade chai syrup, coconut milk, pineapple and Anima Mundi Cerebrum, a memory-enhancing herbal tonic. “Our drinks are meant to be a meaningful experience in themselves and are served with a poem to share their origin story,” Thompson reflected.
“Chill” as a Secret Ingredient: Hosmer Bar
Hosmer Bar, located in Bend’s Waypoint Hotel, brings zero-proof drinks to the forefront in a reimagined, inclusive hotel bar experience. Owner Mike Aldridge saw a glaring lack of effort and creativity in alcohol-free options and decided to change the narrative: Every drink at Hosmer Bar begins as zero-proof, with the option to add booze. A subtle flip of the script places nondrinkers at the center, offering cocktails crafted with the same care as their boozy counterparts. “It’s not about what’s left out,” said Aldridge. “A great zero-proof cocktail is all about what you put in.”
Fresh-squeezed juices, housemade syrups and a rotating menu of specials highlight Hosmer Bar’s creativity and bold experimentation. The Cultus Lake Caipirinha is a bright, refreshing mix of strawberry, balsamic reduction, basil and sparkling water, and the Green Lakes Jalapeño Margarita cranks up the heat with muddled jalapeños and zero-proof tequila. For something different (that also feels familiar), the Smoky Old Fashioned features woodchip-smoked zero-proof whiskey with a depth that rivals the real thing.
Hosmer’s centerpiece — a stunning 16-foot epoxy and maple wood bar shaped like its namesake lake — is designed for gathering and connection. The vibe is no fuss, all chill — think lingering with friends, not rushing for last call. Pair a spicy margarita with a Deluxe Boi burger from the MidCity SmashedBurger truck parked outside, and the night feels complete.
More Sip-Worthy Spots
Restaurants and bars across Central Oregon are reimagining what a drink can be. At Lady Bird Cultural Society, prohibition-era cocktails get a zero-proof glow-up with creations like the Never Been to Spain. This mocktail is crafted with alcohol-free gin, cucumber, citrus and DRAM adaptogenic soda, and the Milan Darling, a sparkling blend of Wilderton aperitivo, roasted pineapple, lime and a splash of NA prosecco. Redmond’s Terra Kitchen brings the flair with drinks like the Neruda. It’s a tangy-sweet mix of fresh lime, house grenadine, cinnamon syrup and bubbles. For beer lovers, Crux Fermentation Project’s hop-forward NØ MØ beer lineup includes the River Refresher IPA and Sunset Summit Hazy IPA. Spork spins global inspiration into sippable art with original cocktails like the Thai Kondo. This is a zesty mix of cucumber, lemongrass and mint, and the Spice Queen, made with strong black tea, lemon, Morita chili and other tongue-tingling spices—a punchy reminder that zero-proof is anything but zero flavor.
Never Been to Spain Mocktail at Lady Bird Cultural Society in the Old Mill District
With a knack for rejuvenating interior spaces, Instagram digital creator Mackenzie Craven of Craven Haven and her husband, Kenny, remodeled the primary bedroom of their 1990-built southeast Bend home with a thoughtful, unhurried approach. They purchased the property in 2022, complete with the original carpet still in place—even in the bathroom. “The carpet really grossed us out, so we didn’t actually use the bathroom at first,” she said, laughing. For a year and a half, they focused on updating other rooms in their home until they were ready to tackle the bathroom.
For her 103,000 Instagram followers, Craven shares her renovation journeys—including the primary bath, engaging them with wit and practical advice. She describes herself as a “fast-paced mom chasing slow living plus curated charm that’s part bougie, part budget and 100% real on a 5-acre ‘90s fixer.” She blogs about everything from design trends and shopping finds to cost-saving tips and mood boards.
A Thoughtful Remodel of a 1990s Primary Bath
In the bathroom, the couple focused first on layout and plumbing. “We looked at leveraging the existing footprint while still making it a nice, modern space,” she said. “If you can find a layout that works without moving plumbing, you avoid the expense of paying electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists to relocate ducts, pipes and other elements.” They removed the old fixtures but kept the existing drainage systems for a new water closet, vanity sink and expanded shower.
They also took a DIY approach throughout the remodel. “I did a ton of the work myself to bring costs down,” she said. “People can always choose to paint or lay tile themselves, which limits how many experts they need to bring in and lets them reserve the budget for hiring specialists where they’re really needed.”
One specialist Craven needed was her friend and interior designer, Kate Hector of Kate Hector Interior Design in Seattle, who helped her rework the layout and maximize the footprint, along with architectural renderings. “Collaborating with Kate on this bathroom really helped me elevate it to something outside our norms,” Craven said. Craven offers what she calls “interior design light” consultations to take some of the stress out of picking elements, “without it being a sign-your-life-away sort of experience hiring a designer.”
The layout involved removing a bulky tub, window and door along one wall—essential to creating a major focal point. Now, a gleaming white freestanding tub draws a person into the space and guides the eye toward the picture window which frames serene views of the family’s pastoral backyard.
In keeping with the home’s mountain modern farmhouse style, Craven strove for consistency with the rest of the home’s aesthetic. For example, a signature of Craven-owned homes is black and white—a design motif found in the children’s bathrooms and other home parts. In the bathroom, it appears on the striped tile floor, a pattern she created. A waterproof plaster known as Concretta lines the shower and walls, echoing the finish of the living room fireplace.
The Cravens also wanted to incorporate natural elements, choosing a wood-clad ceiling for the bathroom to complement the black-and-white tilework. “It’s our way of introducing a natural material we can use in other parts of the house,” she said of their ongoing renovations in other rooms.
Craven wanted the primary bathroom to feel a bit more luxe than the rest of the house, so she mixed materials and finishes, such as aged brass and polished nickel. “I love mixing metals,” she noted. She also upgraded the water closet with moody, floral wallpaper and a sleek black toilet. “These tones appear throughout my home, but this floral pattern feels more grown-up.”
The primary bath continues a process that started with the home’s purchase, merging Craven’s practical, cost-saving approach with a design that creates a harmonious retreat for the couple to enjoy for years to come. See more over at cravenhaven.com or @craven_haven.
On what would have been Bill Healy’s 100th birthday, Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) and Mt. Bachelor celebrate his life and legacy on January 16at the Tower Theatre. The founder of Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, Healy will be honored with a screening of the film, “Bill Healy: A Man Who Loved a Mountain,” a tribute to his pioneering vision and how it transformed Central Oregon’s identity.
At this moment, the future of Mt. Bachelor is in transition while the resort is currently for sale. A new owner will inherit strong local sentiment, grounded in Healy’s commitment to community, but in a changing ski industry. With the proliferation of multi-mountain passes such as Epic and Ikon, there have been economic shifts for the parent companies, Vail Resort and Alterra, among others. Plus, Oregon has a complicated legislation background as one of the few states that nullified the validity of liability releases for resorts in 2014. New Mt. Bachelor owners will have to navigate more than mountain operations.
Stuart Winchester, founder and editor of the Storm Skiing Journal, (found on Spotify) explained at a December City Club forum that it’s not inevitable a large company will purchase the ski area. He added that 75% of United States ski areas remain independently owned, a message that may resonate with a potential local coalition of buyers.
Working to create an entity using a community-based investment model, Ryan Andrews, CFO of Hiatus Homes and member of Mount Bachelor Community Inc., is formulating an effort where profits and decision making remain in the region, ensuring the mountain’s development aligns with community values.
The future owner of Mt. Bachelor will play a role in shaping Central Oregon’s identity, one launched by Bill Healy’s vision and legacy of a world-class ski mountain in Bend’s backyard.
This season marks sixty years since Mt. Bachelor’s visionary founder, Bill Healy, brought a ski dream to life.
On a clear, sunny April day in 1957, Bend furniture store owner Bill Healy and small group of friends skied to the base of what then was Bachelor Butte, gazed up at the snow-covered flanks of the mountain, and said, “This is it!”
A former member of the 10th Mountain Division, one of the only pieces of the U.S. Armed Forces that donned skis and rifles during World War II, Healy was not one to shy away from a challenge.
Healy admitted to local historian Peggy Chessman Lucas that he needed no lengthy research, no snow data reports, no feasibility studies. “I just said to myself, ‘Let’s go for it,’” Healy told Lucas in her book, Mt. Bachelor: Bill Healy’s Dream.
A little over a year after that backcountry foray, Healy’s vision was realized as a Bachelor Butte, renamed Mt. Bachelor, opened December 19, 1958, with one Poma lift and two rope tows for weekends and holidays only. An all-day adult lift ticket cost $3.
Bill Healy
Mt. Bachelor Today
Today, the mountain is the 7th largest ski resort in North America, and offers 12 high-speed lifts serving more than 4,300 acres spread across more than 100 runs for all experience levels. Mt. Bachelor also offers a Nordic center with miles of groomed cross country and snowshoe trails and a variety of year-around activities. This year, Mt. Bachelor Resort will celebrate its sixtieth season, having cemented itself as both an economic and a cultural institution in Central Oregon.
“Bill Healy and his original group of enthusiasts picked a great mountain to start with. Our abundant snow, long season, surfy terrain and world-class tree skiing provide plenty of reasons for attracting visitors from all corners of the map,” said John McLeod, Mt. Bachelor’s president and general manager through February 2023.
A second dynamic that McLeod believes has significantly contributed to Mt. Bachelor’s success is the resort’s partnership with Central Oregon and its passion for winter sports. Especially noteworthy, McLeod said, has been the U.S. Forest Service’s steady support of Healy’s vision by incorporating essentially the whole mountain in Mt. Bachelor’s permit area. The Forest Service leases the land to Mt. Bachelor LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of POWDR Adventure Lifestyle Co., a Utah-based firm that purchased Mt. Bachelor in 2001.
Mt. Bachelor has been a part of Central Oregon’s culture since its inception, playing a huge part in the region’s winter recreation and social fabric. It’s been a gathering place for friends and families and a proving ground for Olympians like downhillers Kiki Cutter, Laurenne Ross, Tommy Ford, and, more recently, snowboarders like Ben Ferguson.
Mt. Bachelor has contributed more than just chairlift rides to powder hounds. It’s also helped cement the region’s reputation as a four-season recreation mecca and a great place to live.
“We recognize our place as a seasonal winter employer, creating jobs at a time when other businesses are cutting back or closing for the winter,” McLeod said.
Healy knew how important the ski resort was to the region’s economy and identity, but he liked to downplay his own role.
Chairlift access began in 1961 with the debut of the “Black Chair” which was later replaced by the Pine Marten Express Lift.
Jim Crowell, long-time Bend historian, author and close friend, said it was Healy’s nature to make light of his motives for developing the resort.
“He used to laughingly tell me that one of the main reasons he pushed for Mt. Bachelor was because the locals who bought furniture on the installment plan couldn’t make payments in the winter,” Crowell recalled. “He said after Mt. Bachelor got going and skiers began coming to Bend, the local economy surged, and with the boom, his accounts receivable started to look a helluva lot better. I think some of this was semi tongue-in-cheek, because he wanted to ski closer to home.”
Not surprisingly, Mt. Bachelor’s sixty-year run has not been without its challenges, including several years of drought, leadership and ownership issues, increased competition and the changing economics of skiing that made it harder to compete with some of the new resorts. 1977, for example, was a particularly bad year when drought essentially closed the mountain from January through March. Healy showed his well-known sense of humor when he told historian Lucas, “After the potato famine and the depression, last winter wasn’t really that bad.”
Healy stepped down in 1988 and passed away in 1993 at the relatively young age of 68 after suffering a number of years with rheumatoid arthritis, and from a neuromuscular ailment not unlike Lou Gehrig’s disease. The legacy Bill Healy left behind endures, read more here at mtbachelor.com.
Central Oregon is a magical place that fills visitors with a sense of wonder and, sometimes, romance. There’s just something about a getaway, an escape from the everyday humdrum of life, that fuels love. Maybe it’s the sudden alleviation of stress upon leaving work responsibilities behind or the free time to be attentive to the relationship and spend fulfilling one-on-one time with your partner. Or, it could be the chance to indulge in plenty of wine, chocolate and local craft beer. Whatever it might be, there are some amazing places across Central Oregon where couples can connect in romantic getaways.
Located near the pristine waters of Suttle Lake, about forty-five minutes from Bend, The Suttle Lodge embraces rustic Pacific Northwest style without skimping on quality whatsoever. Nestled directly in the Deschutes National Forest, this getaway truly feels like an escape from all things urban. Outdoorsy couples will thrive with the opportunity to hike, snowshoe, stargaze, snowmobile, cross-country ski, and do pretty much any other activity one would do in a lakefront forest in the winter. From rustic, reasonably-priced cabins to luxurious premium cabins, couples will find a lodging option that fits their taste and their budget. Don’t forget to stop by SKIP, the cocktail lounge that features homemade, locally sourced drinks and meals.
Tetherow is perfectly situated near the edge of the Deschutes National Forest but still only minutes away from the heart of Bend. Seven minutes from the Old Mill District and twenty from Mt. Bachelor, Tetherow becomes the perfect home away from home for couples who love the best of both worlds: urban amenities and natural adventure.
Tetherow
Stay bundled up and lounge by the fireplace on the private decks and patios in the many rental options offered, or go for a nature walk on the miles of available trails. Couples who love to do it all will enjoy Tetherow’s proximity to Bend and the Deschutes National Forest, where they can shop and dine minutes away from skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing opportunities.
Nicknamed “The Ranch,” Brasada Ranch is a quick thirty-minute drive northeast of Bend. Guests here are encouraged to connect with nature and “find your wild” as they pursue adventure while hitting pause on life. Lovebirds should check out the Romance at The Ranch package, which includes a two-night stay in one of The Ranch’s luxury cabin accommodations featuring a private hot tub, wine with complimentary glasses to take home, locally made toffee and artisan bath bombs, all awaiting for guests prior to arrival. Brasada Ranch was named The Most Romantic Honeymoon Cabin in the US by Brides Magazine in 2021.
What was once a Catholic school for Bendites in the 20th century has since been renovated into a movie theater, pub, restaurant and hotel featuring unique rooms filled with old-school style. Couples can often be spotted in white bathrobes making their way from private accommodations to the soaking pool, a semi-enclosed pool room covered in turquoise tiles that depict images of St. Francis in a style reminiscent of Catholic churches.
McMenamins Old St. Francis School Soaking Pool | Photo by Steven Heinrichs, Courtesy of Visit Central Oregon
In fact, handmade tiles and stained glasswork are found across the entire property. Add some extra romance to any stay with the Add A Little Romance package, which adds sparkling wine, keepsake champagne flutes, chocolates and massage oil to any room.
Perhaps the most urban stay on our list, the Oxford Hotel puts couples right in the middle of Bend, with seemingly endless options for entertainment. The rooms utilize a modern style that celebrates natural materials, neutral tones, clean lines and geometric features. From enjoying the plentiful shopping and restaurant scene downtown and in the Old Mill to wine tasting, brewery hopping and even play watching at the Tower Theater, the Oxford Hotel provides a high-end sanctuary and becomes a great basecamp for a romantic Bend adventure.
An ever-popular destination for weddings in Central Oregon, Sunriver Resort rests in the shade of the Deschutes National Forest under towering ponderosa pines and overlooks plenty of sunny glades near the Deschutes River. The resort features forty miles of paved trails through idyllic nature scenes, ready to be explored on foot or by bike, and couples should consider special deals offered in the relaxing resort spa, such as couples massages and more. For a romantic night out, stop by the Oregon Observatory, a huge telescope sponsored by NASA, perfect for stargazing on clear nights. With 245 guestrooms and suites, along with many more fully furnished condos and vacation rentals, the resort is able to provide couples with any lodging they need.
With a claim to be the most romantic getaway in Central Oregon, couples can expect to be wowed while staying at the FivePine Lodge & Spa, located in Sisters, a small town with a cute Western-themed downtown strip, about thirty minutes away from Bend. Select either the Classic Romance package or the Ultimate Romance Package to cater the stay to personal tastes, and prepare for a two-night stay in a private, luxury cabin with wine, chocolate, bubble baths, couples massages, two tickets to the Sisters Movie House and much more. It’ll be tough to leave FivePine without feeling giddy about romance.
In a cozy neighborhood above Bend’s First Street Rapids Park, a 3,300-square-foot family home is tucked in, oriented to take advantage of river views and Central Oregon sunshine. Dubbed the River House by its designers, this family home overlooks the Deschutes River, which can be seen and heard from the living room when the sliding floor-to-ceiling glass walls are opened.
Inside a Peaceful, Functional Family Home on the Deschutes River
The design process kicked off in 2020 for the homeowners, who first selected Rea Company Homes as builders, and then began interviewing architects for the project. Central Oregon architect Jim Rozewski was a perfect fit, having already designed a previous home for the exact lot about 20 years prior, when the parents of one of the current owners had considered building on the parcel. The parents planned a cottagelike home but ended up not building it.
“The vision of the current owners was to do something far more contemporary. With changes in building codes, a different design style and different room needs than the original plans, Rozewski started fresh. The plan would maximize space and the indoor-outdoor connection on this rare riverfront lot. “The thing about river home sites is that they aren’t making any more of them,” Rozewski said, “So having the opportunity to work on a project on the river is a real honor.”
Crafting a Home with Heart and Harmony
Rea Company Homes began to bring Rozewski’s plans to life, working closely with Iron Roots Design, which was hired for interior architecture and design. Principal Designer Celeste McGowan began to focus on the home’s interior, space planning for each room and choosing hard and soft finishes—everything from lighting, flooring, tile and cabinetry to furniture, textiles and paint colors. “We consider how each room is going to function,” McGowan said. “The architectural plan set us off on a great track, and then we were able to thoughtfully select materials and furniture pieces and design each unique detail throughout the home.”
Visitors enter the home from a side entrance and head down three stairs to the living room, which is anchored by a floor-to-ceiling fireplace. Its wall is finished with a custom plaster using an ombre effect by Juanita Perdomo of WallsArt, Inc., whose work is featured throughout the home. Bend’s Cement Elegance crafted a floating hearth for fireside seating. The tile behind the built-in shelving carries over into the kitchen, matching the island seating, island countertop, sink and areas surrounding the upper cabinets. McGowan used the repetition of materials to create a cohesive, grounded feeling throughout the space.
The eight-seat family dining table is a custom live-edge solid wood piece designed by McGowan’s husband, Tim McGowan, her counterpart at Iron Roots Design, who offers both design and building services. Nearly two years after the project was completed and the family moved in, the dining room feels cozy and settled, ready for holiday celebrations.
Upstairs, the Pacific Northwest modern design continues, with light and airy spaces and organic, nature-inspired accents. The primary bedroom opens up into a spacious primary bath, with Art Deco-inspired flooring along with sconces and green watercolor tile in the oversized walk-in shower. Off the primary bedroom is a home office and a small deck area, the perfect spaces from which to watch the river flow year-round.
The harmony felt in the design throughout the home is the result of a cohesive interior design plan, something McGowan said comes from hiring an interior designer specifically, which isn’t something all homeowners do when embarking on a new build project. “Your home is one of your largest investments, which makes hiring an interior designer a smart move. It eliminates a lot of the confusion and stress you might otherwise feel during construction. We take care of countless back-end tasks for our clients so that they can actually enjoy the process.”
Back in the home more than 18 months after construction and design wrapped up, McGowan was able to reflect on the project and experience, and reconnect with the homeowners, who she’d worked closely with during the two-year project. “I spent many hours with this family to determine their lifestyle needs and plan their home accordingly,” McGowan said.
“It’s amazing to stay connected with the families we work with because you really get to be a part of their lives.”
Having completed an extensive remodel of one of their homes before (a 1910-built Craftsman), Tyson Gillard and his family set out to find “a light fixer” when they relocated to Bend in 2022. They discovered a 1977 ranch-style home in southeast Bend, full of potential for reshaping into a multigenerational compound. As an architect, general contractor and founder of Life Design Build, Gillard was ideally suited to remodeling the home, which, among other improvements on the property, included gutting the old primary bathroom and modernizing it.
Before
The original bathroom, with its cream-colored walls and bland countertops, lacked character. The remodel was more a transformation to create a spalike ambiance featuring warm, textured, nature-inspired materials that added richness, depth and more natural light. Gillard shared insights into the process and the thoughtful choices he and his family made throughout the remodel.
After
Q&A with Tyson Gillard of Life Design Build
Many ranch-style homes from the ’70s and ’80s have seen minimal updates. What factors make remodeling a home practical, both structurally and financially?
Tyson Gillard
Start by asking if you genuinely love your home and if it has the “good bones” needed for remodeling. We liked our neighborhood, and while our home was dated, it was still fully functional. We tackled the remodel by gutting the old bathroom but kept costs down by building the new shower and sinks in the same place as before and doing some of the work and all the management ourselves. Removing the tub also allowed us to add an enclosed water closet, maximizing space and utility.
Conceptually, what were the driving elements of the remodel?
We designed the space as a spa-like retreat, using nature-inspired materials like a dynamic wood ceiling made of exotic Okoume board and rough-sawn cedar. This ceiling also brings a modern interpretation of a cozy log cabin interior. An extra-large shower with dual heads allows for two-person use. Dark wood accents and the absence of white on any surfaces create a darker, moody and colorfully vibrant space, while natural light floods in through a new skylight and an expanded existing one. Green tiles with salmon-colored variations wrap the room, paired with radiant heated floors for added warmth. A floating concrete vanity by Cement Elegance introduces a sleek, contemporary touch, while new thermal and acoustic insulation prioritizes energy performance and privacy.
Your business, Life Design Build, has offered a full range of services since 2022, from design conceptualization to general contracting. How does this integrated model benefit clients?
Clients’ budgets and desires are rarely aligned, particularly with the recent rise in construction costs post-pandemic. Our model addresses both design and construction costs early in planning, aligning them through our robust design process. This spares clients the hassle of sourcing multiple contractor bids that will likely exceed their budget and the associated extreme disappointment of getting excited about and paying for a design they can’t afford. We aim to establish and manage a realistic budget early and throughout the project’s lifespan, leading to fewer surprises and a smoother overall experience.
With a dedicated team of 16—including three project managers, three designers (myself included), and eight in-house carpenters—Life Design Build also takes on construction-only and design-only projects. However, I tell clients that we provide the most value when we do both, providing continuity of care and communication from start to finish.
Beyond the design-build delivery model, what other aspects might interest clients?
While we have a disposition toward biophilic (nature-inspired) modern design and a passion for sustainable building solutions, a few other aspects of our business are important for clients to know. First and foremost, timely and transparent updates on design, schedule and cost are key to smart decision-making and helping clients have agency in their projects. After all, in the end, it’s their house and money.Second, we pride ourselves on not being a “one-trick pony” and are excited to work with clients with an array or stylistic interests and with any budget level. The variety actually makes our jobs more interesting. Whatever the style or budget, we want to execute it exceptionally well. Like most architects and carpenters, our team takes pride in craftsmanship and elegant detailing.
For those craving a grab-and-go sandwich of a different ilk, James Gage, owner of Kita Café, creates authentic Japanese sandwiches that are a welcome surprise in a lineup of takeaway fare. These sandwiches are built around shokupan — Japanese milk bread. Shokupan isn’t your typical sandwich bread. Each loaf has a golden crust with a snow-white interior, yielding a pillowy yet sturdy texture and hint of sweetness.
It’s this special bread that forms the foundation of Kita Café’s wholesale business, where Gage has mastered the notoriously demanding dough through countless iterations.
“That’s one of our biggest selling points, the fact that we make our own bread,” Gage said, noting how he now mixes the dough by feel rather than using precise measurements.
The visual appeal of Kita Café’s fruit sandwiches is bold and immediate—the precisely cut sandwiches reveal cross-sections of fresh fruit, such as strawberries or mandarin oranges, nestled in a sweet cream and arranged as edible art between slices of the cloudlike shokupan. The bread’s tender composition and sweetness create the perfect canvas for both sweet and savory fillings.
Each sandwich requires complete attention, from hand-selecting and washing individual strawberries to cutting slices of bread by hand. This careful preparation shows in the final sandwiches, whether it’s different varieties of fruit sandwiches, egg salad or chicken katsu resting between two slices of shokupan. Beyond sandwiches, Kita Café’s pick up and go offerings include other Japanese classics such as onigiri (rice balls), chilled somen noodles and castella cake, all made fresh by Gage. These and other seasonal offerings are available at six specialty markets around Bend.
While Gage looks forward to introducing a brick-and-mortar cafe in the future, his current wholesale model has found success in bringing these Japanese tastes to customers on the go, offering a taste of Japan and creating meals that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
With layers of paint, Jake Kenobi creates tableaux that mimic layers of the human psyche—bright glimpses of colorful palm trees and flamingos are juxtaposed with macabre symbols of death.
At his studio in northwest Bend, the artist, who goes by the moniker Spring Break Jake, presents contradictions. Dressed in black from head to toe, his wide grin offers a welcome to his world, one he shares with his young son, Casper, age 2 ½, and his wife, Kait, owner and graphic designer at Midnight Grim. Surrounded by paints and works in progress, Kenobi uses art as a tool for connection with others and the world around him.
Jake Kenobi
Creative from a young age in Minnesota, where he was born and raised, he had an intense bout of depression in high school that led him to express himself through the arts—first music, then graphic design, and ultimately, fine art.
“The depression taught me empathy,” he said. “I realized, ‘What if everyone was going through something?’ I found compassion through art, and it gave me an outlet to share a message.”
In Bend, Kenobi credits a 2019 mural project and his 2021 residency at Scalehouse Collective for the Arts as cornerstones for his work as a full-time artist. Spending eight months painting in the Patricia Clark Studio reinforced the wiring of his brain, he said. Painting full time allowed him to communicate his past experiences.
Scalehouse was an incubator, and his show at the Scalehouse Annex was an emergence from the dark into a new phase. “He has chosen to work with symbolic motifs which not only define an aesthetic, but help him to express himself as an artist,” said Marley Weedman Lorish, operations and programming manager and incoming executive director of Scalehouse.
Now You Must Keep Living
His paintings begin with handmade wood panels prepared with gesso. He adds layers of acrylic paint, incorporating found materials to create spots with a sculptural quality. He equates building depth and three-dimensionality with exploring the layers of his life experiences. A painting may have five to 15 layers of paint, with final top coats of black. The visible colors or white are negative space, and Kenobi creates the outlines of those shapes first, so that they remain portals to the base, much as a glimpse into the psyche.
His work can appear simple, with few elements on each canvas, but each painting has a deeper meaning. The overt subject matter of skulls and tones of darkness belie Kenobi’s deeper thinking of subjects such as neuroscience and philosophy. For Kenobi, the irony of the playful name Spring Break Jake provokes thoughts of how we should celebrate life. The philosophical concept of momento mori, Latin for remembering death, is a theme in his work, he said. Momento mori is a motivation to live, with the understanding that time, and life, are finite. There’s a playfulness to the graphic design work Kenobi has done for companies such as Avid Cider, 10 Barrel and Somewhere That’s Green. Skeletons dance in a series he created for Visit Bend’s Bend Ale Trail as a reminder to live fully while we are still alive.
Last Night Before the Dawn
His new collection, “Night Life,” diverges in its palette from pinks to swaths of yellow, green and grey, and focuses on themes of insomnia and the vulnerability of a human mind that goes without regenerative hours of sleep. The body of work will debut at a solo show, opening June 1 at the Purple Door gallery in Portland.
“I hope to create vulnerability in my paintings by looking inward,” Kenobi said. “Ultimately, I want to create solidarity and compassion around a shared experience,” he added. “Once a piece is done, it’s not about me anymore.”
A slight turn of the throttle thrusts the snowmobile forward. My muscles tense up in an effort to hold on tightly as I race across a snow field with childlike enthusiasm. Below me, a new 2024 Polaris XC 650 matches my adrenaline while the Cascade Range frames an adventure. The wind practically rips through me as I glide atop the snow trying to reach maximum speed before I slow down, shift my weight, and lean into the curve to execute a 180-degree turn and accelerate once again. The conditions place me in a state of Zen as one thought floats in and out of my brain: This is not my grandfather’s snow machine.
In 1959, Canadian entrepreneur Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the iconic Ski-Doo, complete with wooden skis and a strut-type suspension. Over the next few decades, increased horsepower and improved suspension brought snowmobiles to a wider audience. By the late 1990s, four-stroke engines forged reliability and environmentally conscious practices through fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. But it was 21st-century technology that gave the sport the biggest bump in popularity. Advanced suspension systems improved ride comfort, stability and handling to expand the terrain and conditions that snow machines could safely travel. In addition, GPS navigation systems, Bluetooth connectivity and smart displays enhanced the experience and bring snowmobiles, or sleds, into the modern recreation vernacular.
The day touring the Newberry National Volcanic Monument began early with quick introductions and an important safety check. My tour group and I met at the winter headquarters of Octane Adventures, located at the 10-Mile Sno-Park parking area. The staff fitted us for helmets and checked for correct clothing inside its warm Mongolian Ger (aka yurt) before we headed out to the lined up snowmobiles. Our gang of seven listened intently to the enthusiastic guide, as he methodically spoke about the snowmobile’s workings, how to operate it safely and abide by the rules of the trail, and what we could expect on our four-hour tour.
Our guides began their day several hours earlier as they lit a fire in the yurt, checked the day’s weather report and discussed trail conditions. Next, they pulled out the snow machines, performed safety checks and linked the GPS units for their groups. Last season, Octane Adventures guided roughly 400 tours on trails in the around Paulina Peak.
“In our opinion, the Newberry National Volcanic Monument is one of the most scenic locations you can snowmobile in Central Oregon, or Oregon for that matter,” said Octane Adventures Owner Matt Miller.
Central Oregon’s Snowmobile Playground
Enthusiasts travel from across the world to hop on a snowmobile and experience Central Oregon snowfall on thousands of acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land. Some seek the unimproved backcountry while others hit the hundreds of miles of smooth corduroy on groomed trails, including the 150 miles circling Paulina Peak where we would ride that day.
Another popular venue for a winter’s outing is up Century Drive, which inevitably involves trailers and trucks filled with sleds on their way to adventure. For those with their own equipment, Kapka and Edison Butte sno-parks offer great trails on both sides of the highway. Easily accessible Wanoga Sno-Park includes a warming hut in the parking area for riders to discuss their plan for the day or boast about their day’s accomplishments on the more than 180 miles of groomed trails. Central Oregon Adventures leads tours out of Wanoga for those interested. The even more popular Dutchman Flat Sno-Park offers some of the best views in the state as snow riders weave in between the Three Sisters mountains. If you’re looking for an overnight lodge stay, ride the 11 miles down the Cascade Lakes Highway to Elk Lake Resort for accommodations ranging from rustic cabins to luxury mountain vacation home rentals.
The best day with incredible views thanks to our tour with Octane Adventures
Outside of the Bend area, the Three Creeks Sno-Park provides access to the backside of the Three Sisters Wilderness and Tam McArthur Rim.
“Whether you want to visit the frozen waterfalls or obsidian flows, play around in the pumice flats or take a ride to the top of Paulina Peak at nearly 8,000 feet, it offers something for everyone,” explained Miller.
Our crew followed our guide as we weaved in and out of his tracks and peppered snow behind us from bursts of acceleration. Though traveling together, each rider controlled their own destiny of speed and path taken.
Those enjoying the groomed trails can thank local snowmobile clubs that pay for most of the grooming through dues and fundraising events. Statewide, 30 clubs, including locally-based Moon Country Snowbusters and Lodgepole Dodgers Club, promote the sport of snowmobiling, the benefits of environmentalism, and staying safe in the backcountry.
Clubs promote camaraderie between snowmobilers and fellow recreationalists. I have been towed by into the backcountry by enthusiastic snowmobilers to ski both Tam McCarthur Rim and Broken Top Mountain. These local nonprofits also help the Deschutes County Search and Rescue Team find lost snow revelers.
Find cold beer, and fresh fish brought in from the Oregon Coast at Paulina Lake Lodge.
But this excursion was a revved-up opportunity to have fun on sleds. The day includes a dose of adrenaline along with nature’s spectacular beauty and sweeping views from 7,303 feet at the Cinder Hill Viewpoint.
Toward the end of our tour, our guides led us to Paulina Lake Lodge to take advantage of the diverse menu, including fish brought in almost daily from the Oregon Coast. We had a respite in the cozy wood-framed cafe, and took stock of our shared experience. That day proved snowmobiling is more than just 650cc of power on snow; it’s a connection to the wilderness and those who spend the day enjoying it with you.
A Celebration of Culinary Artistry in Central Oregon
Yellowfin Tuna au Poivre
A palate of hues, yellowfin tuna and its crushed fennel seed and peppercorn crust find elegance alongside potato pavé, local huckleberries and brandy-peppercorn sauce.
Chef John Gurnee | Lady Bird Cultural Society Lady Bird Cultural Society is a stylish Prohibition-era dining room serving wood-fired fare and stunning libations.
Oli
Cooked to perfection, seared duck breast finds its complement in colorful mung bean puree, beet puree, quince and sunchoke.
Smoked trout roe-vermouth cream creates a bed for regional rainbow trout topped with gold potato salad and fresh herbs.
Chefs Andres and Ariana Fernandez | Ariana Restaurant Ariana is an intimate fine dining restaurant serving seasonal chef’s tasting menus, featuring locally sourced ingredients in a sophisticated atmosphere.
Citrus, Burrata & Prosciutto Salad
Blood and Cara Cara oranges inspire with layers of burrata, prosciutto, fennel, mint, pomegranate vinaigrette and toasted pistachios.
Tucked into the unassuming Brooks Alley of downtown Bend, Dear Irene elevates a dining experience, quite literally. Three steps up off the alley, an unexpected surprise awaits those who enter its front door. Inside, an expansive bar hums, guests sip on inventive cocktails and savor beautifully plated dishes, surrounded by daring design and statement artwork. The space feels intimate yet alive, a testament to Jonny and Irene Becklund’s vision. “We didn’t move to Bend to blend in,” Jonny said. With Dear Irene, they’ve delivered a sophisticated culinary addition to Bend’s dining scene.
For all its polish, Dear Irene is anything but pretentious. There are no white tablecloths, dress code, or stiff formalities. You could just as easily stroll in after a day on the river, and no one would blink an eye. The Becklunds aren’t interested in the rigidity of fine dining. Instead, they’ve coined their approach as “New American modern dining”—a philosophy that lets Jonny and his team play with global flavors, fueling a fiery, unpredictable menu.
When the couple moved to Bend four years ago, they took their time. Instead of rushing to open, they spent two years getting to know the town and its hospitality scene, figuring out what was missing. “We wanted to share with the Bend community an elevated hospitality experience that’s memorable for all aspects,” shared Jonny. For the Becklunds, that experience begins the moment you walk through the door. The scene is designed to make you feel intrigued right from the start.
The space—formerly the Wall Street Bar—was completely redesigned by the Becklunds who worked with Inspired Spaces and Celeste McGowen with Iron Roots Design. “We intentionally built out the space to feel intimate, vibrant and timelessly elegant,” Jonny said. The result is a rich, indulgent dining room with bold, eye-catching art, leather chairs you can sink into and chandeliers casting a moody light that makes everyone look just a little more interesting. The 14-seat bar is the place to be, whether you’re grabbing an after-work cocktail or settling in for an evening to soak up the scene.
The space comes alive when the restaurant is full, buzzing with what the Becklunds call “the magic moment.” “There’s a mix of guest laughter and lively conversation, upbeat music, the sound of cocktails being shaken at the bar and the clatter of beautiful plates being delivered,” Jonny described. At that moment, Dear Irene feels less like a restaurant and more like a living, breathing entity—pulsing with the joyful energy of people savoring their evening.
And what they’re savoring is anything but ordinary. While Bend’s dining scene is evolving, it still leans on comfort food framed in familiar ways.Dear Irene offers something novel. Jonny’s culinary roots are grounded in his Sicilian grandmother’s kitchen, but his global travels are what have informed his approach. “As I got older, I was lucky enough to travel a lot and meet different chefs who grew up cooking with different flavor profiles than mine,” Jonny said. His style is a fusion of these international techniques and flavors adapted to the seasonal, local ingredients available to him.
Take the whole Greek tai snapper: Vietnamese glaze, crispy shallots, Thai basil, Fresno chili, lemongrass and ginger combine for a dish that feels fresh, bold and international. The Oregon Dungeness crab arancini, is on the other hand. It strikes the perfect balance of familiar comfort with an unexpected twist—delicate crab blended with Arborio rice, Calabrian chili lemon aioli and Parmesan. It’s comfort food at its finest. These creative, boundary-pushing menu items offer something unexpected without going too far. Guests craving simple, local ingredients will also leave satisfied.
And then there’s the bar. In some restaurants, the bar is where you wait until your table is ready. Not here. At Dear Irene, the bar is the centerpiece. “We want to be known not only for our delicious food but also for our carefully curated drinks list.” Jonny shared. And it shows. The house martini, with botanicals and brine, is reason enough to visit, while the smoky, sweet Al Pastor Mezcalita makes you want the night to linger just a little longer.
Along with the beautiful bar comes the bold 21-and-over policy. In a town full of family-friendly eateries, Dear Irene made a deliberate choice to create a refined, adult-centric atmosphere. This is a place designed for conversation, slow meals and cocktails that invite you to stay.
That same intentionality extends to the entire team the Becklunds have assembled. Warm, professional and attentive without being overbearing, the staff embodies the restaurant’s balance of refined yet welcoming service. “We’re not formal or stuffy, but upscale and personable,” Jonny explained. This isn’t a place where you feel rushed or overlooked—regulars return because they know the service will always be just right, the atmosphere always lively and there’s always a new, mouthwatering menu item to try.
As Bend grows and evolves, Dear Irene feels like a reflection of the town’s future. It expands on Bend’s laid-back, casual vibe by offering something more polished. You can dress up, try something new, and still feel at home if you walk in covered in trail dust. So while Dear Irene might carry a hint of cosmopolitan flair, its adventurous spirit is perfectly in step with Bend.
Few foods inspire devotion quite like cheese. We coax people to smile at the mere mention of it. Our refrigerators have a drawer dedicated to it. There’s even scientific proof that eating it lights up the brain’s dopamine centers. So really, when that third helping of mac and cheese is calling, it’s not lack of willpower—it’s basic biology. The line between ‘too much cheese’ and ‘not enough’ is blurry at best. But really, who’s trying to find it? In Central Oregon, our love for cheese is here to stay.
Wild Petals Provisions | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Cheese Heaven, Right This Way
Cheese cases should come with a warning: “Highly addictive.” At Wild Petals Provisions on Brooks Alley in downtown Bend, owner Nancy Chapluk Zadoff has curated a treasure trove of cheeses so tempting that “just one wedge” quickly turns into a full-blown cheese haul. Urdina Blue from the Basque Country, Bio Truffle Gouda from the Netherlands and rosemary-matured Pasamonte Romero from Spain are just a few crowd favorites. But really, the magic lies in that moment when a customer stumbles upon a rare cheese and realizes, “I need this in my life.” A few blocks away, San Simón offers a different kind of cheese experience. Guests build their own charcuterie boards, mixing and matching cheeses, meats and pickled delights. One might find Mitica Manchego from Spain paired with a soppressata from Wisconsin’s Underground Meats or Novak 7 Year Sharp Cheddar cozied up next to San Simón’s famous Castelvetrano olives. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure board for those who believe cheese is the answer, regardless of the question.
Grilled Cheese, But Make It Fancy
Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food—warm, gooey and capable of turning any bad day around. This legendary sandwich reaches its full, melty potential at Farmer’s Deli. Chef Justin Halvorsen uses thick-cut Pullman sourdough from Sparrow Bakery and grills it in butter to crispy, golden perfection. Tillamook medium and extra-sharp white cheddar melt into a molten mess, what Halvorson describes as the ultimate “CHZY experience.” The Washington, a crowd favorite stacked with cheddar, smoked bacon, caramelized Walla Walla onions and crisp Washington apples, is like a cozy blanket in sandwich form. “Cooking for others is all about love. You know what else is love? Cheese,” said Halvorsen.
For those seeking Pacific Northwest flair, The Lake House at Caldera Springs in Sunriver offers a wild mushroom and fontina grilled cheese with truffled peppercorn aioli. Big Ed’s sourdough lays the foundation for this savory masterpiece. Throw in a view of Mount Bachelor, and it’s grilled cheese living its best life.
Wild mushroom and fontina grilled cheese | Lake House
Bar RBC takes grilled cheese international at its downtown Bend locale with Chef John Gorham’s Basque-inspired talo—grilled corn flatbread topped with smoky Idiazabal cheese and spicy Chistorra sausage. It’s a simple yet bold almost-a-sandwich Gorham fell in love with at a harvest festival in Rioja. Melted cheese oozes into the sausage, packing every bite with savory depth and a kick that keeps things interesting.
Grilled corn flatbread topped with smoky Idiazabal cheese and spicy Chistorra sausage, RBC downtown Bend | Photo by Tambi Lane
At The Row at Tetherow, grilled cheese takes on a sultry vibe with the aptly named Fromage à Trois. Asiago-crusted sourdough hugs layers of Tillamook cheddar and honey-glazed ham. Butter, the unsung hero of any good grilled cheese, is applied generously for the ultimate crunch factor. And, of course, the Fromage à Trois is served with fire-roasted tomato soup. Because grilled cheese is made for dunking.
When in Doubt, Add More Cheese
There’s no resisting the gravitational pull of a good mac and cheese. At Junior’s Grill on Bend’s southside, the magic is in the mix-and-match madness. Its build-your-own bowl starts with macaroni drenched in creamy cheddar and Monterey Jack sauce, setting the stage for endless flavor experimentation. Customers can go wild with add-ons, such as crispy fried onions, house-smoked pulled pork and cowboy candy (for those who like a little snap with their mac).
Just off SE 9th Street in Bend, Little Red Kitchen takes comfort food to new heights with its cavatappi mac and cheese, available as a side or a full-blown cheesy feast. The rich, creamy sauce clings to the corkscrew-shaped pasta like it’s got nowhere else to be. Add in tender pulled pork and collard greens, and suddenly this dish feels like a warm hug with a dash of Southern charm.
At Brother Jon’s Alehouse in the heart of downtown Bend, mac and cheese comes in three equally irresistible forms. The classic creamy mac is a purist’s dream, while the spicy chicken mac—loaded with grilled chicken, bacon, blue cheese and Frank’s Spicy Buffalo sauce—brings the heat. For those craving something garden-fresh, the pesto mac with grilled chicken, bacon, tomato and Parmesan, adds an herby twist. There’s something for everyone—or, let’s be honest, the perfect excuse to order a mac and cheese flight for one.
Brother Jon’s Alehouse | Photo by Arian Stevens
Because You Didn’t Come This Far to Skip Dessert
No cheese journey is truly complete without a sugary sendoff, and Little Slice of Hell dishes out cheesecake that’s equal parts creamy and unforgettable. Its food trucks have become delicious detours at the Podski lot and Century Commons Taps & Trucks in Sunriver. Originally known as Little Slice of Heaven, the brand got a cheeky makeover after owner Julie Higgins emerged from a battle that reshaped her world. And the cheesecake is still every bit as divine. Crowd favorites such as Marbled Marionberry and Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter vanish fast. Even the vegan slices have a loyal following, proving that cheesecake can do whatever it wants. As Higgins likes to say, “It’s heavenly—or hellishly—delicious, depending on your perspective.”
Little Slice of Hell Cheesecake | Photo by Tambi Lane
A full day in Central Oregon is best measured in bites, not hours. It’s not about rushing from meal to meal, but letting each dish (and maybe a cocktail or two) set the pace. Breakfast can roll into an afternoon hang, and dinner might need an extra napkin (or three). Wherever the day begins or ends, these locales make every bite count.
Sintra Cafe, downtown Bend | Photo by Arian Stevens
Rise and Dine
Mornings in Central Oregon are best with something fresh, and Haven Bagel and Coffee Co. on Bend’s southeast side is the go-to for pillowy perfection. Its Morning Classic stacks local bacon, egg and organic cheese on a cheddar scallion bagel. The sweeter side belongs to the Sunday Roll, with a burst of orange zest and a swirl of crème fraîche. Pair either with a piping hot cup of Backporch coffee and call it a win for the morning.
Haven Bagel and Coffee Co. on Bend’s southeast side
For homestyle vibes in downtown Bend, Cafe Sintra’s Portuguese Benedict never disappoints with spicy linguiça sausage and chipotle Hollandaise, served with ridiculously crispy-but-also-fluffy potatoes. Chase a French toast high with a stack of thick golden sourdough slices dipped in vanilla custard that practically float off the plate, or dive into a Mediterranean omelette stuffed with feta, linguiça and sweet peppers.
Bend Breakfast Burrito serves up a double-fisted grab-and-go breakfast at two westside locations with its Original burrito, crammed with morning must-haves: eggs, potatoes, bacon, cheese and that magical mix of tomato, onion and cilantro. Three sauce options crank things up a notch. And don’t miss the famous banana bread muffins, baked fresh daily.
Cafe Sintra’s Portuguese Benedict | Photo by Arian Stevens
Brunch With Benefits
At Roam, brunch charts its own course in the heart of downtown Bend. The Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes are smothered in lemon curd and cream cheese frosting while the Elk Morning Hash—a mix of savory potatoes, elk sausage, eggs and pickled Fresno peppers—is both down-to-earth and just a little bit fancy. For cocktail lovers, the Forager (Sun Ranch gin, Lillet Blanc, lime, eucalyptus and cucumber bitters) is pure wanderlust in a glass.
Brunch goes all out at westside Bend’s Victorian Café with an Earth Harvest Benedict piled high with roasted sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, kale and asparagus. But the Victorian’s graham cracker-crusted Caramel Apple French Toast is the kind of decadence that deserves a slow clap. Choices, choices. Round out the meal with the notorious Proud Mary—a 24-ounce glass of sass that’s more feast than cocktail.
Caramel Apple French Toast, Victorian Cafe | Photo by Tambi Lane
At The Lemon Tree, brunch brings global flavors to the table in a sunny downtown Bend space. The Turkish Eggs showcases Middle Eastern flair with its roasted eggplant, tomatoes, olives and a chickpea melange sprawled out on a swoosh of labneh. The signature Crab Cake Benedict is a crowd favorite, featuring chunky East Coast crab atop a toasted English muffin, crowned with a rich butter Hollandaise. Add a full espresso bar and bottomless coffee and you’re in brunch paradise.
Crab Cake Benedict, The Lemon Tree | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Long Live Lunch
At Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya on Bend’s southside, lunchtime finds its groove with fresh fish flown in from around the world. The Sunset Roll, a fusion of spicy tuna, avocado and crispy rice, is a sushi lover’s dream, and the Salmon Tower Roll is a stacked masterpiece of salmon, tobiko, crab, cucumber and a drizzle of miso magic. True to its izakaya roots, Ryoshi’s small plates—such as garlicky edamame and buttery-fresh nigiri—have a way of turning lunch into a “Where did the time go?” afternoon.
The Bread and Bunny food truck at the Midtown Yacht Club in Bend piles on the flavor without holding back. Its Where Reuben All My Life sandwich is aptly named, a knife-and-fork affair piled with Wagyu pastrami, melty Swiss and tangy kraut on toasted rye. For a different kind of bite, the Jack Talk Thai salad is a medley of yakisoba noodles, farm fresh greens, chicken thigh and a peanut dressing that adds some punch but keeps the focus on the crunch.
Campfire Lunch at Luckey’s Woodsman, Sisters | Photo by Arian Stevens
In Sisters, Luckey’s Woodsman brings a campfire to the table with fresh, hearty fare. The Lumber Jack plate—midnight brisket, forbidden rice and woodsman beans topped with cotija, chipotle aioli and charred sprouts—is nature’s goodness defined. Equally tempting is the Backpacker’s Delight ranch burger, with pasture-fed beef, huckleberry compote, gorgonzola, bacon and pesto aioli smashed between a brioche bun.
Dinner is Served
As the day winds down, Central Oregon’s dinner scene turns up. At Spork, it’s all about globally inspired comfort food in this popular westside Bend spot. The Lomo Saltado—a savory stir-fry of juicy steak, pan-kissed potatoes and grilled veggies—layers smoky flavors with the tangy heat of aji amarillo and the familiar comfort of a fried egg. Spork’s Goodbye Punch, a lively mix of rum, apricot liqueur, Avena, black tea and cinnamon, wraps up the flavor-packed journey.
Spork | Photo by Arian Stevens
Dear Mom Cafe off Bend’s SW Century Drive takes taste buds on a direct flight to Thailand. Grandma’s Pad Thai, with chewy rice noodles, fork-tender chicken and the magical combo of bean sprouts, shallots and peanuts, brings soul-deep flavors perfected over time. Midnight Chicken Wings, lacquered in caramelized fish sauce, play it cool but pack a sticky, sweet, savory punch with a slow burn that insists on being remembered.
BOSA | Photo by Tambi Lane
On the thriving NW Galveston Avenue, BOSA Food & Drink blends Old World Italian recipes with seasonal Pacific Northwest flair, complete with fresh pasta made daily in its dedicated “pasta room.” Start with the warm homemade focaccia served with whipped butter. The Gnocchetti alla Norcina—tossed with black pearl mushrooms and mascarpone-truffle cream—is always a crowd-pleaser, while the shareable bone-in ribeye satisfies heartier appetites. A curated wine list spanning the Pacific Northwest, Italy and France ensures the perfect pour for every dish—a fitting end to a day that didn’t waste a bite.
With a 30-year career constructing homes for others—and recently one for his own family—Dave Hall brings fresh insight from experiencing both sides of the business. This dual perspective has added to his knowledge, ultimately benefiting his clients.
He founded DH Builders in 2014. Shortly after, he brought on master carpenter Sean McKinney, who became a key part of the company as part-owner and chief operating officer. Their teamwork is showcased in Central Oregon luxury housing communities, including Broken Top, The Highlands and Crosswater. In 2022, Hall had time to focus on building a home for his family.
An important lesson he learned from building his own home was that it doesn’t have to take 18 months to two years—or longer—to complete if the builder and client have mutual trust. He finished his personal residence in just 11 months.
An interview with Dave Hall of DH Builders
What are the first steps you should take when considering building a home?
Start by doing your homework on what you want in your house, then focus on assembling a team of professionals. Sometimes clients come to us after hiring an architect, and other times it’s the reverse. What matters most is that the builder and architect work well together and that the builder is involved in the design process from the beginning. Interior designers usually join the project later, but bringing one in early can be beneficial—they can help set realistic allowances based on the overall budget.
What features are your clients asking for today?
The trends haven’t shifted much—clients still want wood floors, fireplaces, and modern styles with Northwest Lodge elements. They want durable, industrial finishes like steel and concrete softened by warm wood accents. Granite and quartz remain popular for kitchen islands and engineered quartz slabs for kitchen perimeters. Powder baths are a place where clients often choose something bold or funky. People want to open up to the outside using sliding, stacking or accordion-style doors.
For your own home, what did you choose?
We picked a sunny lot in Bend’s Westgate neighborhood to take advantage of passive solar energy—maximizing warmth in winter and shade in summer. The house features advanced insulation systems, radiant heat over concrete floors and ductless mini-splits for cooling. The house is so efficient, it’s silly. For fire resistance, we opted for stucco and durable fiber cement boards. The entry has a salvaged barnwood cladding that was treated with a fire-resistant clear coat.
Our 2,700-square-foot modern home with shed and flat roofs includes three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and a mud room for all the Central Oregon gear. The primary suite includes a “wet” cedar sauna, hot tub, cold plunge and a “beachy” patio area with real sand.
Tell us about trust issues.
Between 2020 and 2023, during and after COVID-19, the construction frenzy drew an influx of marginal or inexperienced builders, which led to consumer horror stories. These experiences left homeowners hesitant to trust builders, which often slows projects down significantly. I’ve seen builds drag on for two years or more. My wife was so happy that we got exactly what we wanted on a good budget in just 11 months, from the start to move-in date.
DH Builders has refined a system that allows us to build efficiently and handle high-level, complex remodels without delays. Sean’s technical wizardry and problem-solving skills help us move more quickly. Every Monday, he and our project managers outline the week’s plan, followed by a Friday update with what’s coming the next week. After each on-site meeting, we provide detailed follow-up documentation to ensure we’re on the same page as our clients. This communication protocol goes far beyond what most builders do, making the client experience much more enjoyable and relaxing. When clients know how much we care about their project, they often return because we’ve established an element of trust.
These Bendites get your sticks in top shape for a slippery season on snow.
You know the feeling. There you are, cross-country skiing along the first leg of the Tangent Loop at Meissner, when everything goes south. For me, it often happens after that left at the five-point intersection and the long climb toward Swampy begins. Sure, it’s uphill but it’s not that uphill. Suddenly I’m working 20 times harder. My form crumbles and lungs burst. Snowshoers are faster. What a drag.
Dan Simoneau, Powder House | Photo by Ely Roberts
My waning fitness notwithstanding, the culprit is almost always the base of my skis, and my alpine skis aren’t immune. If the bases are damaged or slathered in the wrong wax—or no wax at all—chances of suffering are high.
That’s where the Ski Tune Masters of Bend can help. These folks don’t just drizzle on a layer of all-temperature hot sauce with an old iron in the garage and call it good. Each has taken the craft of unlocking your equipment’s top-notch gliding performance in innovative ways that keep in mind Central Oregon conditions. Their work can improve anyone’s skiing, no matter the level.
Masters of the Glide
Dan Simoneau has been thinking about cross-country skis and how to maximize their glide for pretty much his entire adult life. A three-time Olympic athlete, Simoneau made the U.S. Men’s Ski Team in 1976 before “skate skiing” was even a sport. That discipline didn’t appear at a World Cup until 1985, and Simoneau, who became the second American cross-country skier ever to podium in a World Cup, was there racing at that inaugural event, too. The twist?
“We all skated on classic skis,” he said with a laugh. “Classic poles. Classic boots. There was even a classic track in the way.”
Eric Holmer, The Race Place | Photo by Ely Roberts
Today, Nordic skiing has become much more sophisticated. To get the best glide, Simoneau says what matters most is the ski base and the tiny, strategic cuts that give it “structure.” Skis glide best on a thin layer of water that forms between the base and the surface of the snow, and managing that water for optimum glide is a delicate function influenced by temperatures, water content, the shape of the snow crystals and more. Too much water under the ski will make it sticky; too little water means too much friction. Tweaking the density, length and depth of those cuts can produce a Goldilocks glide.
To do that, Simoneau and his co-workers at the Powder House use a stone grinder, Central Oregon’s only such dedicated machine, to create structure in cross-country bases. Figuring out the ideal structure is where Simoneau really shines. Every winter you can find him out at Meissner testing at least nine pairs of skis, each with a different structure. The result means he can tune your bases to your own skiing habits, including whether you go in the morning or evening, on cold winter days or warm spring ones, or all of the above. (In that case, ask for the universal “S22” grind.) And if you’ve never had your bases ground at all, even one tune up will make a huge difference.
“We’re not testing anywhere else in the world,” Simoneau said. “We know what works here.”
Eric Holmer, The Race Place | Photo by Ely Roberts
The Racer’s Edge
Eric Holmer moved with his parents as a kid to Bend in 1988, when he joined Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and saw his ski racing career take off. By his late teens and early 20s, Holmer had become one of the top male downhill racers in the country, and his father, Scott, had developed a serious interest in how best to tune skis.
“I remember one time my father started questioning a World Cup technician about the accuracy of his method,” recalled Eric, who runs The Race Place after his father’s retirement. The Race Place was one of the first—if not the first—ski shops in the country dedicated to ski racing. The elder Holmer and the technician started disagreeing and things soured fast. “My father was genuinely curious and wanted to learn,” Eric said.
Between Evergreens | Photo by Ely Roberts
That disagreement led to great things, however, when Scott Holmer invented one of the most celebrated edge-tuning devices shortly after that time. Soon, racers from across the country clamored to get their edges tuned by Scott. Called the Base BEAST, for Best Edge Accuracy Ski Tool, it’s still one of the easiest and most intuitive ways for alpine racers to get the edges they need to win.
The BEAST edge boils down to the angle of the metal edge as it relates to the base of the ski. Racers typically want a 1-degree bevel, which helps the ski onto its edge before grabbing the snow. It’s a minute but critical angle.
“One-degree on an edge that’s at most 2 millimeters thick can ruin your day if it’s not proper,” Eric said.
To get that angle, skiers used to wrap tape around the handle of a file to thicken it up and increase the cutting angle when the handle was placed on the base. It was all very subjective. The BEAST took the guesswork out by using a jig for the file that would produce consistent results every time. Since it was cheap and easily shipped, The BEAST also democratized the ski-tuning process.
“People no longer had to send in their skis, because the shop was the only place that could do it,” Eric said.
Tune-Up on Wheels
For most skiers and snowboarders, the best wax is any wax, but taking your boards to a shop isn’t always convenient—especially if you’re a visitor who’s come to town for a getaway. That’s where Ben Beyer can help. He’s the owner of Between Evergreens, a mobile ski shop that fits inside a Sprinter van that can roll right up to your doorstep.
“I got the idea while living up in Portland where it can take a week to get your skis tuned,” he said. “I was thinking of starting a brick and mortar shop but then thought, what if we did it out of a van?”
Ben Beyer, Between Evergreens | Photo by Ely Roberts
Beyer, now in his 40s, learned the craft working in shops throughout Park City, Utah, before moving to the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife Sarah now own the shop Between Evergreens in NorthWest Crossing which also services bikes, but the van is dedicated to skis and boards. Inside you’ll find a powerful electric generator that can handle the energy waxing irons demand as well as all the tools needed to do other tasks, such as mount new bindings and sharpen edges.
He does more than house calls, too. Look for the van parked at events at Mt. Bachelor or outside of Boneyard Pub from time to time. “You can have dinner and drinks and your skis will be done by the time you leave,” he said.
Shot on location at theHistoric Great Hall at Sunriver Resort
When it comes to the holiday season in songs, a range of artists have lent their talents to covers—from Lady Gaga and Coldplay to Justin Bieber, Diplo and Tyler, the Creator. (For a real treat, listen to Twisted Sister’s rendition of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.”) But certain chords and refrains from original classics dance in our heads like sugarplum fairies and sound like home. Find gift ideas, songs and the spirit of the season from Bend Magazine to help make your holidays merry
and bright.
Chestnuts Roasting onAn Open Fire
Nat King Cole’s 1946 recording of “The Christmas Song” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Gene Autry’s recording of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1949, but the Rankin/Bass stop-motion animation television special from 1964 brought the song (and the Abominable Snow Monster) to life.
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin both recorded versions of “Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let It Snow!” ironically written during a 1945 heatwave in Hollywood, California.
It’s no secret that Bend’s summer and winter tourist seasons are big economic drivers; however, the holiday season (from Thanksgiving through the New Year) is a key period for the local economy. According to Visit Bend, Mastercard charges in Bend during the highest lodging occupancy months–July and August– total $37 million each; whereas December, when lodging occupancy rates are near their lowest, charges surpass the peak tourism season at $38 million.
Photo by Ely Roberts
”There’s evidence that local business sustains the economy during the holidays,” said Nicole Ramos, an economist at the Oregon Employment Department focused on regions east of the Cascades.
Ramos noted that employment numbers are highest in the third quarter (July through September), but that the numbers of business entities increase in the fourth quarter (October through December), as does the number of employees being paid; indicating that local businesses pop up around the holidays to meet demand, and wages are higher to compete for a reduced employee pool.
“We’re not just a tourist economy,” said Don Myll, the Bend area director for the nonprofit Economic Development of Central Oregon, known as EDCO. “The holiday season is a ‘tweener’ season (between the big summer and winter tourist seasons), and it’s central for our retailers.”
Over the past 10 years, Bend’s economy has diversified. Tourism numbers have remained relatively stable while the local population has increased, and other industries have taken root and grown. The bioscience, aviation and outdoor products industries, and small tech startups, are having significant economic impact. All the while, small businesses continue to be a Bend hallmark.
“The average number of employees for a Bend company is nine,” said Myll. “Bend has comparatively more small businesses because of its remoteness, but also because of the entrepreneurial spirit. The culture in Bend has lots of energy around encouraging local markets and local businesses.”
Schilling’s Makers Market
Shopping Local
The guiding principle of shopping local is never on display more than during the holiday season. Peruse local art, handmade crafts and artisan products during the magnificent flurry of holiday markets and fairs such as the Bend Moonlight Market, First Friday Market, Holiday Makers Market, Magical Markets of Merriment, Craft-O! Holiday Bazaar and Holiday Spirit Market. See our complete guide to the best holiday markets for 2024, here.
Joe and Melinda Nichols own Schilling’s Garden Market, a plant nursery located on 8.5 acres east of Tumalo. They have tapped into the holiday vibe, selling live holiday trees and locally foraged wreaths. Additionally, on the first weekend in December, they host the Schillling’s Makers Market, which is more of a destination market than an in-and-out affair.
“Families come out to spend the day on our land playing cornhole, listening to live music, compiling gift baskets from local artisans and drinking cider or spiked hot chocolates and boozy holiday cocktails,” said Melinda. “It’s a whole experience.”
The past couple of years, tickets for the market have sold out; they sell a limited amount of parking tickets, per car not per person. So carloads of people, whether it be families or friends looking to shop, fill up the outdoor patio decked with holiday lights, greenery and vendor stalls. “As we close the year and go into winter, our nursery business crawls to a halt,” said Joe Nichols. “The Makers Market is a good financial capstone that provides one last weekend of sales and gives us a way to offer our seasonal employees more work.”
Though pop-up markets abound, steady brick-and-mortar businesses also look to the holiday season to make their target earnings. It’s hard to get more local than Donner Flower Shop on NW Newport Avenue, which has been around since 1911 and is the third-oldest business operating in Bend. Owner Tanja Rodgers left her corporate job five years ago to take over the business from her mother, who ran it for 30 years.
“The holiday season is very important to us. It’s a key part of our annual income,” said Rodgers, who paused the conversation to momentarily help a customer who had shopped at Donner for three decades.
On the day after Halloween, the Donner staff transforms the shop into a whimsical winter wonderland. Over the season, people rely on them for a significant number of custom fresh floral arrangements, and they have a robust selection of high-end artificial trees, fresh wreaths and garlands, gifts and other holiday decor.
“None of us would exist without the locals,” said Joanne Sunnarborg, Downtown Bend Business Association board member and owner of Desperado, a downtown clothing boutique which has operated in Bend for 17 years. “Locals know how important they are to our economy; there is a strong culture of locals supporting locals. December is my best month and that has little to do with tourists. We love them, but they are just the icing on top.”
No passport is required to discover the sweet, rich world of Mexican desserts
Everyone knows Mexico’s savory dishes. Tacos, guacamole, burritos, enchiladas and others are firmly entrenched in the American culinary lexicon. Mexican cakes and pastries, however, remain lesser known, left to discover. Fortunately, Central Oregon’s Mexican bakeries are full of crunchy, flaky, creamy and sweet postres — desserts that transport your palate to a delicious place south of the border. At each of these bakeries, display cases teem with treats — rich, caramel custard and chocolate flan; elaborately decorated cakes, rows of cookies covered in sprinkles or colored pink-and-green to resemble watermelon slices and more. Embark on a sweet journey in Bend’s backyard. No suitcase or plane ticket needed.
Milhojas Thousand-Layer Cake
Colima Market, Bend & Chavez Market, Redmond
Defined by its countless paper-thin layers of flaky pastry with a creamy filling, at Colima Market, milhojas is made with a lemon cream-cheese filling, topped with whipped cream and adorned with intricate flower-shaped mosaics of sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and other fruit. The pastry, with its satisfying crunch and rich cream, is an irresistible combination of flavor and texture, said Yamely Chávez Kennedy, CEO of the family-run market and bakery.
Popular for birthdays and other celebrations in Hispanic communities, the delectable pastry—not unlike a mille-feuille or Napoleon—is one that many Americans likely haven’t tasted, Chavez Kennedy said. It’s sold by the slice, which makes it easy to try, or order a full, rectangular sheet cake, decorated for birthdays or other celebrations.
During the Christmas holiday, tradition reigns with treats such as Rosca de Reyes, or three king’s bread, which celebrates the biblical story of the three kings who followed a star to find the newborn Jesus and bring him gifts. Baked within the sweet, wreath-shaped bread is a little plastic baby figurine symbolizing the Messiah. The desserts are made in the Colima Market bakery and are sold there and at their second location, Chavez Market, Redmond.
Colima Market
228 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend
Chavez Market
2498 S Hwy 97, Redmond
Tres Leches Cake
Panadería y Pastelería El Moy, Bend
This light and airy sponge cake is moist and delicious because it’s soaked overnight in a combination of three milks, or tres leches: evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk. It’s topped with piped rows of sweet whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce and crowned with a cherry. Baking it, allowing it to cool, adding the combined milks and decorating it is a 12-hour process, said Alejandra Reyes, co-owner of Panadería y Pastelería El Moy. The result is dessert that will captivate even those who don’t typically indulge in sweets.
As if this tempting confection couldn’t get any better, they make a mocha version too.
Tres leches cake helped Reyes and co-owner Moyses Maldonado start the Bend business, which had its grand opening in August. Reyes had been going door-to-door, selling the cakes and brought a tray of them to the restaurant Hola! The meeting led to inclusion in the first Central Oregon Taco Fest in May, which drew attention to the new endeavor, Reyes said. Stop in for an individual portion or order a full cake to be enjoyed tres times more than expected.
Panadería y Pastelería El Moy
1375 NE 2nd St., Bend
Conchas
La Frontera Bakery, Redmond
This colorful, soft and brioche-like sweet bread is made by scoring the top of the dough so that when baked, it opens into a seashell-shaped creation, hence the name. Concha means shell. At La Frontera Bakery, owner Andoreni Luna Hernandez offers pink, yellow, white and brown versions, perfect with coffee for breakfast or alongside hot chocolate after a day outside in the snow.
At the family-run La Frontera, as well as at each of these bakeries, conchas are sold alongside Mexican cookies and pastries adorned with colorful sprinkles, or puffy, softball-size pillows of brioche rolled in sugar and filled with luscious, fluffy whipped Bavarian cream.
When the snow begins to blanket Central Oregon, there’s no better way to embrace the chill than with a cocktail designed for the season. Whether you’re cozying up indoors or gathered around an outdoor firepit, these winter drinks blend local flavors, bold spirits and a touch of creativity to keep you warm. From spiked hot chocolates to inventive takes on the classic hot toddy, here are the best places to sip your way through the season.
Photo by Arian Stevens
Bar Rio – Naughty & Nice Holiday Cocktails Series
“We’re having some fun with the holiday spirit,” says Amy Draheim of Bar Rio’s holiday menu. The team is rolling out a “Naughty & Nice” cocktail series all December long. On the Nice List, expect comforting flavors and local ingredients, like Thump Coffee, Holm Made Toffee and Glacier Gourmet, perfect for pairing with some falling snow.
Photo by Arian Stevens
The Naughty List, on the other hand, pushes the holiday boundaries with creative mocktails and richer cocktails. Imagine hot cocoa topped with an entire dessert garnish or a bold espresso Negroni designed to power you through the season’s long nights. Pop in all Demember long to see what the team at Bar Rio is mixing up behind the bar.
McMenamins Old St. Francis School – Hot Chocolate Orange
“This drink combines the best of winter’s classic flavors—rich chocolate, bright citrus and a warming spirit,”* says McMenamins’ Justine Goodiel. The Hot Chocolate Orange takes the traditional hot cocoa and gives it a luxurious twist with Cheshire orange liqueur, your choice of High Council Brandy or Hogshead Whiskey and a dollop of whipped cream. “The inspiration came from those oranges we used to find in our Christmas stockings,” Goodiele shares.
The result? A drink that feels nostalgic and indulgent in all the right ways. Whether you’re sharing stories around McMenamins’ fireplaces or relaxing after a holiday shopping spree, this is the kind of drink that makes winter feel magical.
San Simón – Hot Toddy
“Since we opened five years ago, I’ve been proud to say we have the best hot toddy I’ve ever had anywhere,” says Brian Trottier, the owner of San Simón. It’s not just talk—this hot toddy has a cult following, thanks to its fresh, thoughtful ingredients. The base is a ginger-rosemary simple syrup, made in-house by juicing fresh ginger and steeping rosemary in hot water.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, hot water and your choice of spirit (rum is the house favorite), and you’ve got a drink that’s both invigorating and soothing. “For mezcal lovers, we add a dash of hibiscus simple syrup, which gives it this subtle floral note that’s really special,”* Trottier explains. And yes, the toddy is reason enough to visit, but the real magic is sipping it outside in one of San Simón’s heated cabins, watching snowflakes fall around you.
Photo by Arian Stevens
Jackalope Grill – Bourbon Fireside
At Jackalope Grill, the Bourbon Fireside cocktail is as comforting as its name suggests. Made with fresh hot apple cider, Basil Hayden Bourbon, a spritz of orange zest and a cinnamon stick, it invites you to slow down and savor the season. “There’s something magical about wrapping your hands around a warm glass and letting the steam rise on a chilly day,” says Laura Bliss of Jackalope Grill.
The bourbon adds depth and warmth, while the orange zest and cinnamon stick give it just enough brightness to feel festive. It’s the kind of drink that doesn’t need any bells and whistles—it’s simple, perfectly executed and best enjoyed with friends after a day in the snow.
Currents at the Riverhouse Lodge – Avalanche
Currents at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, Oregon, is offering a signature cocktail called the Avalanche, which combines the boldness of an espresso martini with the creaminess of a White Russian, and adds a local twist with Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka. The cocktail is ideal for festive gatherings or a quiet evening by the fire, and can be paired with chair massages to melt away any slope-induced tension. The Avalanche is available starting in January. Read our full feature on this cocktail, here.
Hungry for More? Check out more of what Central Oregon’s dining scene has to offer all year long with our dining guide.
Mention Bend and folks say “beautiful” and “beer.” But there’s another descriptor taking the stage. “Central Oregon is an incubator of instrument building,” said Brad Tisdel, creative director of the Sisters Folk Festival. “People here have an expansive view of music and art as an expression of culture and economic vitality. We have created a very healthy ecosystem.”
For more than three decades, Central Oregon companies and luthiers have created fretted, stringed instruments—works of art played around the world. Some conjecture that Central Oregon has become an incubator for instrument building because of its manageable humidity and temperature, or perhaps it’s proximity to the robust builder scene in Portland and the availability of ideal wood in the Pacific Northwest. Then, there’s Bend’s laid-back, music-centric culture set in nature’s playground.
“Every builder I know appreciates just being around wood,” said Andrew Mowry, a Bend mandolin and archtop guitar builder who spends free time outdoors. “When I see a giant spruce tree, it’s hard not to think of how many instruments could be made out of it.”
While living in Montana, Mowry harvested an Engelmann spruce—a favorite for instrument tops. With undergrad and graduate science degrees, he uses a computer-controlled device to rough-carve his tops. But he’s a scientist who also likes to draw. “The convergence of art and science is one of the draws to lutherie.”
His work is in high demand, as attested by a waiting list of more than three years and clients in Canada and the United Kingdom. That’s without a single dollar spent on marketing. “Hand-made instruments are sold mostly by word of mouth,” he said.
Jayson Bowerman and Susie Zeither’s glass guitar
A Reverence for Wood
It all begins with the wood. Instrument builders hoard it, hunt it and honor it. In essence, it’s the soul of a hand-made instrument.
Bend luthier Butch Boswell thinks about wood incessantly, spending most of the year locked in his Franklin Avenue shop bending, carving and gluing pieces of wood together. At least once a year, he heads off to the Siskiyou Mountains where he harvests old-growth redwood from an abandoned railroad tunnel. “Tunnel 13” is the title of a Mark Knopfler song and the wood used in one of the several Bowell guitars Knopfler owns. The former lead of Dire Straits has collaborated with Boswell on a signature model. The 20 slots sold almost immediately when the model was announced.
Boswell studied engineering in college while learning guitar repair at a music shop. Although he played in several bands, he was more drawn to instruments than performing. He spent 15 years repairing guitars but eventually began building them. About 12 years ago, he relocated from California to Bend, and his reputation soared. Boswells are described by Fretboard Journal as Martin-flavored, “inspired by the classics, but also sporting forward-thinking features.”
What makes a good instrument builder? “Drive and tenacity,” said Boswell. “You must give 150 percent to the work.” Being a luthier is hard on the body, with hours spent hunched over a bench. All the carving, binding, inlaying and finishing require nuclear-level focus. Many materials, tools and operations performed by 21st-century luthiers would be entirely familiar to Stradivari, the 17th-century Italian string-instrument master craftsman. Unusual materials exist: Jayson Bowerman, a former Breedlove luthier, recently made one of the world’s first lap steel-glass guitars with Sister’s fused-glass artist Susie Zeitner.
Andrew Mowry mandolin and archtop guitar builder in Bend, Oregon
Tradition Meets Innovation
In 1990, two Taylor Guitar alumni, Larry Breedlove and Steve Henderson, founded Breedlove in a Tumalo studio. Breedlove’s brother and banjo builder Kim joined them. The three builders carved a niche in an industry dominated by Gibson, Martin and Taylor by combining a distinctive modern design with Pacific Northwest woods, such as myrtlewood, redwood and Port Orford cedar. The operation moved to a new Bend facility in 2008 and encountered financial headwinds, leading to the sale of Breedlove to Tom Bedell, a guitar entrepreneur. Today, Bedell and Breedlove’s two guitar brands are crafted by an almost 40-person team under the corporate entity “Two Old Hippies,” Bedell’s company. More than 1,500 Breedlove and 200 Bedell guitars are made in Bend annually. A luthier working alone would be hard-pressed to make more than a dozen instruments a year.
The two brands are strikingly different: Bedells harken back to another era of guitar building and are, in essence, an “old classic car,” according to Robert (RA) Beattie, marketing and artist relations director. Breedlove, on the other hand, stakes its claim on innovation and sustainability, a kind of “Tesla of the guitar world.” Breedlove pioneered the use of Oregon myrtlewood, which is wavy-patterned and more sustainable than most instrument wood. Company outreach includes donating materials to Sisters High School’s luthier program and annually donating a guitar for the Sisters Folk Festival.
Also in Bend is Weber Mandolins, once part of the Two Old Hippies cohort. Since 2022, former Breedlove luthier Ryan Fish has run the company independently, with a reputation for making top-flight mandolins. If listening to Counting Crows, Trampled by Turtles or blues musician Keb’ Mo’, the bell-like mandolin pickings come from a Weber.
Tom Nechville, Banjos West, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Joins the Band
The small town of Sisters is another hotbed of instrument building. Thompson Guitars, founded in 2013, is a boutique shop, building about 100 instruments a year. The company was founded by Preston Thompson, a guitar maker who fashioned instruments in the 1930s, the golden era of Martin Guitars. Master luthier Thompson passed away in 2019, but his approach to building continues at his Sisters shop. Thompson devotees include Grammy-award winner Peter Rowan, who bought his first guitar from Thompson in the 1980s, and Billy Strings, a wildly popular contemporary guitarist whose band played the Redmond “Farewell Festival” in July. Molly Tuttle, who won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2024, has several Thompson guitars in her collection, including a Thompson Signature model.
Down the street from Thompson Guitars is the retail location of Banjos West owned by Tom Nechville and his partner Linda Leavitt. Nechville, an inventive banjo maker formerly based in Minnesota, recognized kindred musical spirits in Sisters. “Our alternative designs take the best ideas from the past and improve them, for an interesting balance of tradition and innovation,” Nechville said. He found the designs were more readily acceptable in the northwest, making Sisters a natural location for Nechville’s new production facility, Banjo Revolution, which allows him to spend more time on every banjo he creates.
The Billy Strings band embodies the instrument building scene in Sisters: Not only does Billy Strings play a Thompson guitar, but his banjo player Billy Failing picks a Nechville Vintage Eclipse.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tom Nechville , Butch Boswell, Jayson Bowerman, Andrew Mowry & Rebecca Urlacher
The Artistry of Lutherie
Rebecca Urlacher is a rarity in the lutherie world. In the early 2000s, she Googled “female luthiers” and found only three women in the field. Urlacher, who moved to Bend in high school and earned a BFA at the University of Oregon, is also rare as a luthier who doesn’t play music. “She’s one of the top 10 builders I’ve encountered,” said Boswell. “She can voice a top like no one else.” Voicing a top involves tapping the wood, carefully listening to the tone and then adjusting its thickness and shape. When Urlacher taps a guitar top, she’s imagining “how that guitar will sing.” she said. Her finger-style guitars are known for their playability, amazing sustain and wide dynamic range.
Urlacher was a decade into a successful career as a porcelain ceramicist when she took a right turn toward guitars. “I saw a picture of a luthier’s shop—all those tools and wood—and said, ‘That’s it.’” Urlacher learned instrument building by reading books, watching videos and interacting with other builders. “You can approach building very scientifically, but I approach it more instinctually.” Her instincts—honed by years of hand-building classy, simple vessels of clay—help her shape magnificent instruments of wood, and she builds only five or six guitars a year, which allows her meticulous focus.
She said she builds guitars for the music. “There’s no greater thing than creating something people play.”
Local Guitar maker, Rebecca Urlacher of Bend Oregon
Anton Yakushev fits in well at Dry Canyon Forge in Bend. His bear-like frame equals the size of hulking machines around him. Five-pound hammers sit at ease in his calloused hands, as do the tongs holding a glowing bar of steel just removed from a 2,300-degree forge. Yakushev does not hesitate as he pounds a shape on the anvil, yet his focused eyes make sure all is right before each strike. In steel sculpture, Yakushev’s braun and artistic grace alloy into finely balanced creative expression.
Neither the acquisition of blacksmithing skills nor his relocation to Bend were quick nor easy. Like one of his sculptures—entirely hand-forged, never cast—Yakushev’s success has relied on perseverance, dedication and long-term vision.
Forging Ahead
Originally from Kolomna, a historic city on the outskirts of Moscow, Yakushev pursued a fine arts degree in the early 2000s. In school, he excelled at drawing and knew he wanted to sculpt, but he hadn’t yet discovered the right medium. A visit to a friend’s forge ended the search. Seeing what could be done with steel, the equilibrium between weight and elegance, Yakushev decided to invest a decade of time learning the craft of blacksmithing so that one day he could make art.
Following a few years spent observing blacksmith artists, and eight more as an apprentice, Yakushev opened his own blacksmith studio in Kolomna. He built handrails and other architectural pieces as he honed his ability further. He started making sculptures, which led to shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and to teaching workshops across Europe.
“Star Horse”
In 2018, Yakushev and his wife, Kat, first visited Bend, invited by the Central Oregon Metal Arts Guild (COMAG) to give demonstrations and teach workshops. Yakushev felt appreciated here, not a common feeling he had in Russia, where he said art had to be made according to rules.
“When I was doing demonstrations in America, people who were watching kind of absorbed everything—they wanted to learn, and they were so grateful,” Yakushev said through Kat as interpreter. “And you sense that it’s a very important mission. It’s so wonderful that people are interested. I feel so welcome here.”
In February 2022, the Yakushevs arrived for another trip to the United States. Two days later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Anton, whose mother is Ukrainian, applied for political asylum here and the Yakushevs have been living in Bend ever since.
“The Owl”
Forging Ahead in Central Oregon
Central Oregon has given Yakushev a fresh perspective on life and art. “There’s just a different mood here—I feel safe, and that influences my art,” he said. “I would never make a lamp with a bird in Russia, but now I have several projects about nature. Here, I started to feel more life, and that’s why I’m able to enjoy nature around me, and to show it through my art.”
The Central Oregon and North American metal arts community also benefits from Yakushev’s presence. He’s a member of COMAG, and he continues to teach and share his knowledge. Friend and fellow blacksmith, Joe Elliott, remains impressed by the skills and techniques Yakushev has brought to Bend.
“It’s a new skill set of how to make proportionally correct sculptures out of multiple pieces using traditional joinery,” Elliott said. “That wasn’t here beforehand.”
Elliott owns Dry Canyon Forge and rents space to Yakushev. The two have collaborated with others on projects including a life-size bald eagle, covered with 400 hand-forged feathers, that Yakushev designed for the High Desert Museum. Elliott marvels at Yakushev’s innate ability to capture movement, something often missing in sculptural work.
“1.5” from The Leaves Cover the War Project
“Anton’s work is unique, not only in terms of design but in terms of how he puts things together,” Elliott said. “He uses traditional joinery with contemporary design. It’s a very unusual technique using rivets and collars, as opposed to just welding or casting, and I don’t know of anybody else really doing that.”
Currently, Yakushev is working on a life-size horse that, like his eagle, will require the help of other blacksmiths. He has also taken to jewelry, a testing field for the sculptor. As Yakushev learns to work with silver and gold, and to set stones, he expands his own experience as a metal artist.
“I believe if you like what you’re doing, challenges can help you develop and grow,” Yakushev said. I like [the part] during the process when I say, ‘Okay, this is a challenge, so how can I do it?’ Then, I just keep working.”
Bachelor is open. The road is slick. Don’t be that driver.
When Mt. Bachelor opened on November 15, it was the earliest the lifts had spun since 1998. That means I got a jump start on being cranky.
That has nothing to do with the mountain or Powdr Corp. or the way the Skyliner lot fills up hours before it used to back in the Old Timey times when two hand pulled pints at Deschutes with a burger and a side Caesar cost you $12. No, no. Bachelor is one of my favorite places to ski and I’ve skied in about 20 countries. It’s that damn drive up. And it’s not even the drive, really. It’s the people who can’t just chill out that make me a frosty Ebenezer. You know who they are.
They’re the yahoos who loathe the conga line and inexplicably try to frogger their way up a 20-mile line of cars. They drive too fast for conditions, jamming out to music I hate, and spin off the road in disbelief. (“I wasn’t going fast!”). Most of the time, nothing happens, until it does, and then the rest of us who were at least tolerating doing 45 have to either abort, wait or turn around and go through Sunriver. I hope no one gets hurt but the impatience is enough to make me pop.
The worst of the bunch, in my grumble opinion, are the drivers who are either too inexperienced, too ignorant or too lazy to be prepared. I sorta get it, though, having been “that guy” myself when I first experienced a proper winter, in Montana, when Bush 1 was president. It didn’t take long for me to learn that a two-wheel drive pickup with bald tires isn’t a great way to get to Bridger. So I made other arrangements. That was the first winter I’d ever heard of AWD.
Accidents are accidents and not “on purpose-ents.” We live in a place that attracts a lot of people who may arrive in rental cars or in their little two-wheel drive Westsidemobiles. A lot of locals work their asses off just to afford a pass, let alone a $30,000 Suby. And so they set out on Century Drive with an “it’ll be fine” attitude. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. But you have a choice. So, for the love of Ullr, here’s what I’m begging you to do:
Get proper snow tires.
All-season tires are not proper snow tires. Those “mud and snow” tires, the ones that say M+S on them, are not proper snow tires. Get something like what I’m running this year, Nokian Hakkapeliittas, the “granddaddy of all winter tires,” as the guy at Discount Tire said.
At the very least, look for the three peak mountain snowflake on your tires. That means they have been verified by a third party to perform in extreme winter conditions. The tread is good, yes, but the rubber compound remains flexible and grippy in cold temperatures. Nokian Tyres even makes an “ice grip” tire that goes a step further, which is what you’d expect from a Finnish company that invented the snow tire. Don’t think you need them? Your AWD or 4WD does nothing to help you stop or turn. That’s up to your tires.
Studs vs no-studs.
This is like asking, Deschutes or BBC? Everyone will have an opinion and swear theirs is right. The simple answer: Studs are superior when the road is slick as snot or packed in rock hard snow. But that’s it. Most of the time, like 95 percent of Central Oregon winter driving, proper non-studded snow tires are the way to go. They handle better on dry pavement than most studs do, too.
Slow down.(That means you.)
“Most people try to go too fast,” says Michael Johnson, a retired sheriff’s deputy who taught cops how to drive for years. Brake before you enter a curve, he says. Accelerate after you’ve come out of the curve. When coming downhill, downshift. “If you get the tire sliding and you try to turn, the car is going to just go straight,” he says. “Start managing this weight and energy when you can drive in a straight line, before a corner.”
Take a course.
Johnson offers a “Skid Car” training class with hands-on instruction on how to handle skids and slides using a car set atop a special rig that mimics losing traction. Have a young driver who loves to ski in your family? (I do). Best $100 ever spent.
Leave lots of room.
The person in front of you driving way too slow? Maybe it’s a young driver who’s playing it cautious because they worked all summer to save up for their first car and don’t want to smash it. Maybe it’s a visitor. Maybe that person just doesn’t want to risk making everyone else go around through Sunriver. So chill out. Back off. Enjoy the drive. Breathe. (Bend has classes on that.) You’ll get there a whole two minutes later. Who cares?
Take the bus.
I’ve lobbied for years that we need aski train but while we’re waiting for that $10 billion idea we have the $7 Mt. Bachelor bus. Don’t have those snow tires? Take the bus. Don’t feel comfortable driving in the snow? Bus! Want to be a lay-arounder and not a zoom-arounder? Stay home and watch ski movies. I mean, take the bus!
Opening day, I let my daughter skip school. We were giddy as could be until the guy in front me was doing 44 on dry pavement. Still, ever the role model, I backed off. Good thing. My brand new snow tires got a workout near Virginia Meissner, where winter really began.
You know who didn’t have brand new snow tires? The guy in the white SUV who spun out near Swampy and got stuck in a snowbank.
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! (Photo above of Schillings Garden Market)
Nancy P’s 11th Annual Makers Market
November 30th | Nancy P’s Bakery, Bend, Oregon
Kick off the holiday season with a trip to Nancy P’s 11th Annual Makers Market. This Small Business Saturday event brings together local artisans selling everything from jewelry to ceramics—plus, there are plenty of delicious bakery treats to fuel your shopping spree. It’s the perfect way to knock out your shopping list and enjoy some holiday cheer all in one.
Bend Moonlight Market
November 30th | Open Space Event Studios
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.
Somewhere That’s Green Magical Markets of Merriment
Nov 30/Dec 1, Dec 7/8, Dec 14/15, Dec 21/22| 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.
Get ready to shop some serious leather goodness and stunning handmade jewelry at Maya Moon Designs’ Holiday Pop-Up Shop. This mobile boutique is bringing fresh seasonal styles for women and teens, plus studio ceramics and other unique gifts. Whether you’re shopping for someone else (or yourself), you’ll find something special here.
Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards Holiday Market
November 30th & December 1st | 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.
Oregon Spirit Distillers Holiday Market
December 7th | Oregon Spirit Distillers
Nothing pairs better with holiday shopping than a cocktail, and Oregon Spirit Distillers is offering just that at their Women-Owned Holiday Market. Sip on festive drinks while browsing local vendors and supporting women-owned businesses. Bonus: Bring a toy for the toy drive, and you’ll be entered to win a prize basket. Who said holiday shopping can’t be fun?
Schilling’s Garden Market Holiday Makers Market
December 7th & 8th | 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?
Bevel Holiday Market
December 14th & 15th | Bevel Beer
Bevel’s Holiday Market is bringing all the festive vibes. With 15 local vendors each day, tasty food carts and free photos with Santa, it’s the perfect opportunity to check off all the things on your holiday list. Plus, donations to Toys for Tots will make you feel extra good about your purchases. Don’t forget to grab a seasonal beer while you shop—it’s the holiday spirit we all need.
The Workhouse: 14th Annual Craft-O!
December 14th & 15th | 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.
Craft-O | Photo by Arian Stevens
Holiday Spirit Market at Groove Yoga
December 21st | Groove Yoga
For those seeking gifts with a little extra heart, the Holiday Spirit Market at Groove Yoga is the place to shop. Curated by Justicia Healing and Groove Yoga, this market brings together locally made treasures—from artisan jewelry to natural skincare—with a focus on intention and mindfulness. It is perfect for anyone who wants to shop gifts that truly resonate with the spirit of the season.
With festive food, local artisans, and the joy of supporting small businesses, these markets are the ultimate way to embrace the season. So whether you’re looking for the perfect gift or just want to soak up the holiday cheer, make sure to carve out time for these local gems. Happy shopping!
Artist Maija Kellner-Rode Paints Natural Flora Guided by Intuition
In her Gathered Wares studio of Bend’s historic Old Iron Works Art District, artist Maija Kellner-Rode engages in somatic and instinctive artmaking. She channels her reverence for the natural world through colorful and textured paintings, offering captivating imagery that is also a testament to the healing process of life as an artist.
“I live in a world where I’m always surrounding myself with art and art inspiration,” Kellner-Rode said, her world extending beyond studio walls and into the landscapes of Central Oregon. Kellner-Rode is a fine art painter who works with acrylics, oil pastels and graphite to achieve layered, colorful compositions. Her artworks depict rich, leafy botanicals, color-blocked landscapes and abstract interpretations inspired by the outdoors. Based in Bend, Kellner-Rode is the owner and designer of Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, a local paper goods and design company. In 2023, Scalehouse Gallery’s Patricia Clark Studio residency program provided her with a six-month creative sanctuary where she had the opportunity to play and explore her art.
“The Warmth That Carries Me”
Kellner-Rode’s creativity is in her blood. “I come from a deep line of artists,” she said. Her aunts, Rachel Binah and Bonnie Ora Sherk, have been influential role models to her throughout her life, blending art with activism and environmental stewardship. Kellner-Rode’s family has been immersed in the Bend community for 17 years and has continued their legacy of creativity and civic engagement. Her brother, David, operates Boundless Farmstead, one of the largest vegetable producers in Central Oregon. Three years ago, she relocated from Portland to Bend to be near her family and continue the legacy of art and community contribution.
The nuanced world of shadows is a well of inspiration for Kellner-Rode’s work. A lot of her current pieces can be interpreted as shadows of nature’s flora. “When you look at a plant, there’s this very specific dimensionality, but once it becomes a shadow, it flattens and the shape can become something different entirely… I find shadows to be really mysterious and beautiful,” she said.
“Self Energy”
Intuition guides Kellner-Rode’s process. Sometimes, she inscribes words directly onto the canvas, akin to a journal entry, allowing them to peek through or disappear behind veiling layers of paint. “I don’t plan anything out beforehand. It’s all very of the moment,” Kellner-Rode said. Unwilling to let wet paint interrupt her momentum, she may even employ a hairdryer to prepare a piece for its next layer. Her approach oscillates between diluted pigment for watercolor-like washes and bold, opaque applications to form color blocks, investigating the possibilities of texture and hue in her medium. “It’s like being a kid, going back and allowing myself to play, not having rules and seeing what happens,” she said.
A photo of Kellner-Rode as a toddler hangs in her studio. For her, childhood healing is an undertaking she can permeate with her art–an introspective approach that allows her to explore her personal evolution. When Kellner-Rode channels various stages of her adolescence while creating, as she often does, she becomes her own muse.
Pulling on 13 years of experience mentoring youth—from Portland’s p:ear center for houseless youth to Central Oregon’s Caldera Arts program—she’s now devoting her passion for art to a new venture: the Open Arts Center. This nonprofit, co-founded with Claire Brislin, aims to provide a safe space for middle- and high-school aged youth to explore creativity. “The creative arts are a really powerful tool to engage awareness and understanding,” Kellner-Rode said. The center will offer after-school programming, self-directed learning and community-sourced mentorship opportunities, embodying Kellner-Rode’s vision of art as a catalyst for personal and community wellbeing.
Kellner-Rode’s studio in the Old Iron Works Art District is an intimate, public-facing workspace that she is grateful to call home for her artwork. Synthesizing personal development, social connection and nature’s wisdom, Kellner-Rode is both a student and teacher of art’s capacity for healing. See maijakellnerrode.com, @maijakellnerrode.
There’s a distinguished group of people who don’t need the word “super” in front of “hero,” because their feats of heroism are real. Their origin stories are also more humbling. This heroic group is honored each Veterans Day, a federal holiday on November 11 recognizing United States Armed Forces military veterans.
While all veterans deserve recognition, there are organizations, volunteers, and veterans across the country and in Central Oregon working to honor more military women who have historically received less acknowledgment.
In March 2024, Central Oregon Community College (COCC)hosted“I Am Not Invisible,” a campaign started in 2017 by the U.S. Center for Women Veterans (CWV) to recognize some of the more than two million female veterans who make up 10% of the military population. To date, the CWV project has crossed 50 states to capture more than 3,200 portraits of female veterans, including women of Oregon who shared their stories — especially about lack of recognition and barriers they face to access health care and additional resources.
Meet Local Female Veterans
Inspired by the exhibit, local veterans Debbie Restivo, Kristi Russ and Anita Sergeant audio-recorded their military stories with the Library of Congress Veteran History Project, a program of COCC. The project uses trained volunteers to interview veterans, thereby preserving their stories for an online public audio library.
In their words, Restivo, Russ and Sergeant share their stories.
Debbie Restivo
U.S. Marine, Communication Operator (1990-1994)
“Cherry Point, North Carolina, was my first duty station. Barely a year in, I was sexually assaulted by members of my unit. I felt ruined; there was no command support, not even therapy. I loved serving; I felt a part of something special as a com-operator. The assault and lack of support led to my military departure. Now, I’m a veteran peer support specialist in Bend; I influence all veterans to speak out about sexual assaults and how to find health resources. Providing the support I didn’t have to every veteran brings me solace.”
Kristi Russ
U.S. Coast Guard (2002-2006)
“I was stationed in Alameda, California, and assigned to a drug interdiction ship crew. My unit seized tons of cocaine and detained smugglers attempting U.S. entry, towing or destroying their boats. We had 110 crew members, 10 of whom were females. Our crew was like family, but our expectations from leaders were unequal. When men make mistakes, they were viewed as an individual’s flaw. For females, mistakes were usually seen as a collective gender flaw. I would do it all again. It was an honor serving alongside both men and women who deserve equal recognition.”
Anita Sergeant
U.S. Navy, Aviation Supply Operator (1990-1995)
“I was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. At only 21, I managed millions of dollars working in administration. During the audits, I was responsible for balancing the budget for mission success and couldn’t be a penny off. Being an African American female adds to the pressure. All female service members were judged as a collective. However, supervisors frequently reminded me that my performance would reflect my gender and race. I’m part of the first generation in my family to serve, and it’s an honor. Every gender and race contributed to our nation’s military legacy.”
Suzette Hibble is doing it to discover who she is beyond a wife and mother. Anna Schmitt is in it to uncover her true self — the one she was before societal roles such as educator defined her. Clint Reinhard loves saying “yes” to new things. Elizabeth Havice does it for fun with friends and heard it could help her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, too. Luke Warren wants to tap into the fun he had trying acting when he was younger.
They’re all taking a Central Oregon Community College (COCC) continuing education class in improvisational theater, or improv, in which actors have no script but simply make it up as they go along, often based on suggestions from the audience. Although their reasons for joining vary, each participant is drawn to the diverse benefits improv offers. Locally, people are seeking out improv not only as entertainment but for a range of other benefits, from boosting career skills and interpersonal relationships to helping with serious illnesses such as cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Photography by Ely Roberts
The Rules of Improv
Renny Temple, a longtime L.A. actor in television, commercials and improv theater, has been teaching “Improv for Life” at COCC since he moved here in 2018. “I decided to connect the life factor to improv,” he said. “You have hundreds of scenes every day that you call your life,” he described. “You talk to cashiers, you talk to friends, you talk to your boss, you talk to your spouse, your kids, and you don’t have a cue card and you don’t have a teleprompter, and you can use the same rules of improv in your life.”
He named some of the rules of improv: “Take care of the other person—don’t try to be better than anybody, try to make everybody better because of you. Collaborate, don’t be competitive.” People start understanding the concept of how you can take these rules and apply them to their lives, he said. “Pretty soon it starts becoming part of your life, and magic starts to happen when you start cooperating rather than arguing. You start creating things that are better than one person thinking by themselves.”
Temple isn’t alone in recognizing the power of improv in everyday life. At the Bend Institute of Comedy, professional actor-writer-director John Breen emphasized the joy and growth that comes from play. Improv boosts confidence and communication, and the physiological benefits of laughing are scientifically proven, he said. “All of your relationships will improve when you can listen better,” he said. “And, we’re laughing throughout the whole class—we’re having fun.That’s a major part of it. If you stick with it—guaranteed many things will improve in your life.”
Remembering to Play
Simply getting to play is vital, too. “If you forget how to play, life is hard,” Breen said.
For Carol Sternkopf, one of the eight members of the improv performance group The Roundabouts, the aspect of play carried her through treatment for bladder cancer this year.
“It’s pure play. It’s absolute play, and it’s not something a lot of adults get to do,” said Sternkopf, a photographer who learned the craft of improv from Temple and took classes from Breen, too. “[When doing improv] I did not even give cancer a second thought. I was like, I’m here to play.”
Improv is taking other forms locally, too. One example is the monthly show “So You Think You Got Jokes,” at Silver Moon Brewing and elsewhere. There, standup comedians do improv jokes based on audience suggestions collected at the beginning of the show.
John Breen, founder of Bend Institute of Comedy with Ally Hickson.
More improv opportunities are on the horizon as well. Ryan Traughber founded entertainment production company Bend Comedy in 2015, halted it during the pandemic, and will restart Bend Improv Group shows and workshops this year, he said. Learn more at bendcomedy.com.
Meanwhile, on any given weeknight, a local improv class is likely underway, offering lessons for life as well as for laughter. Learn more atbendinstituteofcomedy.com.
The Bend Improv Trio “Harris, Mills & Gibler” is Robert Mills, left, Liam Gibler, right and Nancy Harris, background.
Joshua Hyde speaks about his vision for Hydes Custom
