Perched high on a steep canyon rim overlooking the Deschutes River sits a home affectionately known as “The Cabin.” At the end of its winding driveway, past a stable-turned-bunkroom and occasional sculpture made from old metal tools, the cabin greets visitors with an original Mt. Bachelor Summit chair sitting proudly by its welcoming front door. Warm lights from within cast a golden glow on dark knotty-pine posts and beams forming a cozy living space that embraces all who enter. As it grips the cliffside of a 10-acre lot split by the river 120 feet below, the cabin’s boards shift as the wind whistles past, and its wooden floors creak with every step—a celebration of all the footprints that have left their mark here.
Holding decades of memories, an old leather book with the word “Guests” scripted in gold on its cover sits on the cabin’s coffee table. Corners of thank you cards and pictures peek out of its bulging sides, bearing entries in 5-year old scribbles to polished cursive of moments dating back to 1967, the year the cabin became a centerpiece for Skip Frank’s large Portland family. Long before Portlanders began flocking to Central Oregon, Skip’s mother Paula encouraged her five adult children to join her in purchasing the Tumalo house as a family ski cabin. At the time, Bend had only 12,000 residents and Mt. Bachelor had just two chairlifts — Number 1 and Number 2 chairs.
“My mom was a visionary,” Skip explained, “She found this place and bought it on the spot. We’re a fanatic ski family. But above all, she loved family and didn’t want our family to separate in any way.”
The Patsy Effect
Skip and his late wife Patsy acquired the home as time went on. For decades, they traveled over the mountains from Portland for ski weekends, holidays and long summer getaways at the cabin, accompanied by their children, extended family members and friends from near and far. In 2004, the couple decided to move to Central Oregon and make the cabin their permanent home. With a creative eye, Patsy brought her passion for vintage collections and fashioning art out of ordinary items, filling the cabin with personality and charm.
“Patsy saw things nobody else could see,” Skip said. Outdoor sculptures crafted from barbed wire, garden tools, pipes, branches and a satellite dish stand guard, welcoming all who make the journey. Inside, Patsy’s collections of colorful vintage tablecloths, thermoses, metal picnic baskets, antique cameras, globes and typewriters are carefully displayed with a distinctively “Patsy” retro flair.
Built for Life
The home has been a space designed for the casual day-to-day realities of family life since it was built. Constructed in 1963 by the original owners for their three boys and one black malamute, the cabin has not changed drastically since, even as the world around it has.
“Our rotary phone used to be a party line with all the neighbors up and down the street. You’d pick up the phone and hear someone else talking on the line,” Skip laughed.
Resting atop a large stone hearth, a woodstove anchors the cabin and creates an inviting living space. Vaulted ceilings open up to a western-facing window that reaches the peak of the highest gable, letting in afternoon sunlight and tempting all to wander outside to the deck to witness its high desert views. Looking north and south, the meandering Deschutes River can be seen for a mile in each direction, and the snowy tips of Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters peek above the rim. The deck itself all but takes the breath away with its elevation and closeness to the edge of the cliff. A Dr. Seuss-worthy staircase descends the steep rock outcropping toward the river—76 steps built by Skip’s stepfather that have endured decades of winter storms. From the base of the steps, the journey down to the river follows a makeshift path between juniper trees, around tall boulders and past a hidden cave, giving it all the makings for a grand adventure.
As the sun drops behind the canyon’s rim, the firelit warmth of the woodstove beckons. Hearty couches, chairs and a dining table made by Northwood Furniture appear to have been built with the cabin in mind. Still in perfect condition, the sturdy furniture was purchased by Skip’s mother from Northwood’s manufacturing plant in the former Army training grounds of Camp Abbot—now known to the world as Sunriver.
Just beyond the woodstove, a ladder from a Navy ship invites curiosity, a feature built into the original design. Visually dividing the kitchen and living room, the ladder is a fitting coincidence considering Skip’s father was a WWII Naval officer, so his eldest son was given the nickname “Skipper.”
The kitchen is light, bright and functional, renovated by Patsy with Old-World pantry doors, rough-hewn marble tops and open-shelving for her vintage displays. Climbing the ship ladder leads to a bedroom loft adorned in a handmade quilt, vintage fan and a collection of antique leather suitcases overlooking the golden canyon walls and the river far below.
Legacy in Every Detail
A collection of ski gear and a pair of sleek leather riding boots attract the eye by the cabin’s front door. Nearby, shelves of gathered treasures tell tales of family lore to those who pause long enough to listen. Among them, a magazine photograph of Skip’s parents at the re-opening of Timberline Lodge after WWII; old-fashioned toy cars given to children from Santa Claus at the Portland department store the Frank family once owned; three rows of first-place Pole Pedal Paddle mugs and a signed portrait of Mother Teresa. Everywhere, stories await discovery.
Just beyond the shelves lies a bunkroom where the bottom row of bunks once served as study carrels for the original owners’ three boys. Now there are six bunks, each with its own privacy curtain, ladder and reading light, creating a space where kids and wonder reign.
On the northside of the woodstove, a hallway leads past an antique wooden boot jack and an impressive collection of vinyl records. Beyond, the primary bedroom of the 1,900-square-foot home is announced by Patsy’s favorite piece of art—a glowing fish that draws the eye to the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows which afford a view of the Deschutes that’s so expansive, it appears to be a mural painting.
“We have the river,” Skip said, gazing out at the canyon. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
There’s a word in the German language that has no English equivalent: Gemütlichkeit is described as a feeling of warmth, coziness and good cheer. After traveling across the world from Germany to spend time at the cabin, a guest shared in the guestbook at the end of her stay, “We enjoyed real old-style Bavarian Gemütlichkeit—it couldn’t be better, even in Bavaria.”
While most 13 year olds were doodling in their Lisa Frank notebooks, a young Nickol Hayden-Cady, founder of Foxtail Bakeshop, was elbow deep in a junior high cooking program that would change her life. Beyond the sounds of ingredients bubbling in pots or sizzling in pans, the idea that food could be something truly special is what captivated her.
“My dad often whisked me away to high-end restaurants, introducing me to famous chefs,” she reflected. “Their culinary creations completely shattered my beliefs about food and revealed a level of artistry I didn’t know existed. However, it was my Portuguese grandmother who instilled in me a deep reverence for the food ecosystem and the value of nurturing what sustains us.”
Hayden-Cady’s culinary journey began at a renowned Southern California catering company, where she was eventually handed the role of pastry chef at just 16 years old. Her training at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, further honed her skills, allowing her to work alongside some of the world’s best chefs.
“I don’t chase culinary fame,” she said. “What matters most is that people cook with intention, in a way that feels good.” She launched Foxtail Bakeshop in 2013 as a whimsical place for people to slow down and enjoy small-batch, from-scratch food. Despite the physical location closing in 2022, Hayden-Cady’s dedication to reimagining how we eat—in a way that’s both magical and nourishing—endures.
The Future of Foxtail Bakeshop
“Moving forward, I want to do something wildly different,” Hayden-Cady said. “It’s time to reclaim the ancestral legacy of nourishing ourselves. No one sits and savors anymore. We’re not enjoying our food or honoring the journey from farm to table.”
Over the past year, Foxtail Bakeshop has shifted from a brick-and-mortar establishment to a welcoming online hub for culinary connection and education, starting with the basics. “Without cooking skills, people become shackled to processed convenience foods,” she emphasized. Foxtail’s new digital space–affectionately called “The Den,” offers inspiration, recipes, forums, tutorials and online classes designed to equip people with a “kitchen of knowledge.”
Eventually, Hayden-Cady hopes to create a gathering space in Central Oregon that harmonizes food, nature and art. She envisions it as a community haven with room to roam, a farm store with locally sourced products as well as in-person cooking classes which celebrate the bounty of the earth. Seasonal communal dinners will allow guests to gather around long tables to savor a wholesome meal. “Hyper-local is the future,” she said.
Treats From the Den
For the past two years, Hayden-Cady has been creating a cookbook that transcends culinary norms. “Initially meant to be a heartfelt goodbye,” she said, “this book revealed my desire to evolve, not exit the industry.” Treats from the Den—available online and in local bookstores—boasts more than 175 treasured Foxtail recipes spanning brunch, baked goods, desserts and cocktails.
“This cookbook captures the essence of who I am and what I believe food can be,” Hayden-Cady said. An interactive journey for the willing and curious, the elevated recipes are meant to push people beyond their culinary comfort zones. “Take risks, expand your palate and make each recipe your own,” she encouraged.
Recipes from Foxtail Bakeshop
Editors note: In her kitchen, Nickol recommends using the metric system for accuracy. Here, find her recipes along with Bend Magazine‘s volume conversions.
Rabbit Confit
Yields six servings
INGREDIENTS
6 rabbit legs from Steady Home Farm
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper, ground
1 tablespoon juniper berries, ground
½ tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon juniper berries, whole
4 ½ cups duck fat or chicken fat (1,000 ml)
4 ¼ cups olive oil (1,000 ml)
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
2 shallots, quartered lengthwise
3 sprigs thyme
METHOD
Heat oven to 260°. Combine salt, pepper, ground juniper berries and brown sugar in a small bowl. Place rabbit legs in a large baking dish and season on both sides with the juniper mixture. Let sit for at least three hours, but not more than 24 hours.
Drain any liquid that’s come off the cured rabbit legs and pat dry. Scatter garlic, shallots, juniper berries and thyme around the rabbit, and cover with duck fat and olive oil. Season again with salt and pepper and cover with foil.
Roast for three hours. Remove foil, baste some of the fat on the exposed parts of the rabbit and bake for five more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. To serve, heat a neutral oil to 360°. Fry for four to six minutes until crispy. Plate immediately.
Shiitake Mushroom Velouté
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons dried mushrooms of any kind (25 g) 1 ¾ cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped (325 g)
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 shallots, roughly diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon tomato paste
¾ cup dry white wine (200 ml)
1 teaspoon brown miso paste
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
¼ cup heavy cream (75 ml)
METHOD
Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour 1 ¼ cups of boiling water over them. Set aside for 15 minutes to rehydrate.
Meanwhile, add one tablespoon of oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their juices and turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, and tomato paste and continue to cook until softened and just beginning to caramelize, about five minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
Add the rehydrated mushrooms and the soaking liquid and bring to a boil, then transfer the contents of the pan to a high-powered blender. Blend until completely smooth, then return the mixture to the pan. Reduce it to a creamy consistency, then add the miso paste, cream, and sherry. Season to taste and keep warm.
Smoky Potato Mashers
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ pounds petite golden potatoes (700 g)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ bunch chives, finely shredded
½ bunch parsley, finely shredded
2 tablespoons aioli or mayo
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon flake salt
⅛ teaspoon sherry vinegar
METHOD
In a heavy saucepot, add butter and heat on medium until foamy. Add onions and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally to sweat and reduce the liquid. Add garlic and cook on very low for 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally to caramelize. Once onion and garlic mix is caramelized, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then chop and set aside.
Heat oven to 350°. Place potatoes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and soft enough to smash (versus mash). To smash, press on each one with the bottom of a glass. Try to keep some shape to them. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Fill a large heavy bottom pot with two to three inches of neutral oil. Bring temperature to between 355° and 360°. Add smashed potatoes and fry for four to six minutes until golden brown. Drain and set aside for up to 30 minutes ahead of plating; keep warm at 200° in the oven.
In a large bowl, add chopped caramelized onion and garlic mix, chiffonade herbs, aioli, Dijon, paprika, salt and sherry vinegar. Whisk well to make a paste. Fold in the smashed potatoes and mix well, dressing every potato. Finish plating with salt, pepper and chopped herbs.
BUILD THE DISH
Heat mushroom velouté and place a dollop about 1/4 cup size in the middle of the plate and spread about two inches around the middle of the plate. Place smoky smashed potatoes on one side of the mushroom sauce, about four to five potatoes. On the other side of the mushroom sauce, place the rabbit leg vertically. If necessary, place one potato behind the rabbit to help stand it up. Garnish the dish with microgreens, Urfa chili, herbed oil and smoked flake salt.
Yam Croquettes
Yields 30 croquettes
BINDER SAUCE INGREDIENTS
⅔ cup olive oil (100 g) 2 cups medium yellow onion, chopped (300 g) ⅛ cup cane sugar (30 g) ½ tablespoon kosher salt (10 g) black pepper, ground (5 g) ¼ jalapeño chili, minced 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted, ground 1 teaspoon sweet paprika ⅔ cup vegetable stock (150 ml)
METHOD
In a heavy saucepot, toast the caraway seeds, then remove from heat and grind. Add toasted ground caraway back into the heavy saucepot with olive oil on very low heat. Add onions, sugar, jalapeño, salt and pepper and sauté until soft but not brown. Stir in sweet paprika and vegetable stock, then reduce for 15 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and place in blender on high until mixture is smooth, then pass through a fine strainer. Set aside to cool and save for the croquette recipe. TIP: This can be made a day ahead and reheated.
Heat oven to 400°. Prick russet potato multiple times with a fork. Place the potato directly on an oven rack. Bake for 50 to 75 minutes, rotating halfway through until the potato gives slightly when squeezed. Do not overbake as it will change the texture into dense versus fluffy croquettes. While still hot, carefully peel the potato and discard skin. Grate and set aside.
Start this next step 25 minutes after the russet potato goes into the oven:Cut washed and peeled yams into small cubes and rinse to remove excess starch. Place yams in a bowl with a half cup of water, cover with plastic wrap, and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on high. Place warm cooked yams into a bowl and mash until soft. It’s important to mash yams while still warm. Gradually work in the strained binder sauce with the mashed yams, grated russet potato, minced garlic, grated cheddar, egg yolk and olive oil until thoroughly and evenly mixed to the consistency of wet dough. Use a spoon to scoop and create individual balls of about 1 ½ inches. Place balls on baking sheet, cover with plastic and chill for two to four hours. After chilling, remove plastic and smooth the balls with lightly moistened hands to prevent the dough from sticking.
BREADING & FRYING INGREDIENTS
¾ cup all-purpose flour (100 g) 1 ¾ cups panko breadcrumbs (200 g) ¾ cup eggs, beaten (200 g) 4 ¼ cups rice bran oil or neutral oil (1,000 ml)
METHOD
Prepare three separate bowls. In one bowl, add flour; in the second bowl add panko; and in the third bowl add the beaten eggs. Line a sheet pan or plate with paper towels. Heat oil in a deep, wide saucepan to 350°; oil should be about 2 ½ inches from the sides of the pot. Dip the balls in this order: flour, egg wash and panko breadcrumbs until coated lightly but evenly. Cook the croquettes for two to three minutes, or until golden brown and warmed through. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with flaked salt. Serve immediately.
Dandelion Arugula Green Sauce
INGREDIENTS
½ bunch dandelion greens, bottom stems removed ½ bunch arugula ½ bunch cilantro 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce (50 ml) ¼ teaspoon coriander, toasted and ground ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground ½ teaspoon kosher salt
METHOD
Toast coriander and caraway seeds in a hot sauté pan on medium heat for one to two minutes until golden and aromatic. Make sure not to burn. Process in a spice grinder and set aside. Make a bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Toss in dandelion greens only and blanch for one minute. Remove and plunge into an ice bath for five minutes; drain onto a paper towel. In a high-powered blender, combine the blanched dandelion greens, arugula, cilantro, soy sauce, ground coriander, ground caraway seeds and salt, and puree until smooth, about one minute, scraping down in between. Do not over mix as this may lead to a brown sauce. It is ready to serve and best to eat the day it is made. Chill until ready to serve.
Labneh Kefir Sauce
1 cup “Karoun” labneh kefir cheese (240 ml) ½ teaspoon raw honey 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pink peppercorn, ground
METHOD
In a small glass bowl, combine the labneh kefir cheese, honey, salt and peppercorn and mix well. This can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
BUILD THE PLATE
1 container of pea tendril microgreens
Add the kefir sauce to a plate. Lightly swirl the dandelion green sauce without incorporating it fully. Transfer three to four croquettes to the middle of the plate on top of the sauce. Finish the plate with microgreens or pea tendrils and flake salt. Enjoy!
Buckwheat Crepe Dessert
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cup buckwheat flour (164 g)
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (150 g)
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cane sugar
8 eggs
4 ¼ cups whole milk (1,000 ml)
1 ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (370 g)
METHOD
Melt butter in a sauce pot and keep warm. In a high-speed blender, add flour, buckwheat flour, sugar, salt and eggs. Blend on medium until smooth. Slowly pour in melted butter and blend for one minute. Pour into a large jar, cover, and refrigerate for at least eight hours to create a thinner, more pliable crepe.
Heat an eight-inch nonstick pan on medium heat. Add a thin layer of butter to the pan (or use a pan spray of your choice). Pour about ⅓ cup of batter into the hot pan, working quickly to swirl the batter around creating a round shape that fills the pan. Cook for 45 seconds to one minute for golden crispy edges. Carefully flip the crepe over with a small offset spatula or butter knife to avoid tearing. Cook for 20 seconds on the bottom side and move it to a parchment-lined sheet pan to cool. Repeat the process until there are 24 usable crepes. Stack crepes on top of each other as they will not stick. These can be made three days ahead of time or frozen for up to a month.
Blood Orange Hazelnut Streusel Topping
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup cane sugar (50 g) ¼ cup pastry flour or all-purpose flour (50 g) ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup hazelnut flour or almond flour (50 g) ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold (50 g) 1 blood orange zested 5-6 Speculoos Cookies from Trader Joe’s
METHOD
Cut cold butter into cubes. Place Speculoos Cookies in a plastic bag, pound out to a fine crumble and set aside. In a food processor, add all ingredients except the butter and the Speculoos Cookies. Pulse for one minute and add in butter. Pulse until a sandy texture and dough starts to come together. Scrape dough onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 325° and when ready, place the sheet in the oven. Bake streusel for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and mix in the Speculoos Cookie crumble and combine while hot. Let cool.
Confit of Citrus Slices
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water (239 g) 1 cup sugar (206 g) ⅜ cup glucose syrup (85 g) 1 blood orange or 10 kumquats
METHOD
Wash citrus. Cut off and discard ends of the blood orange, then cut into ¼ inch slices. If using kumquats, cut in half or leave whole. Put citrus in a four-quart heavy bottom saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and drain. Repeat this process three more times using fresh cold water every time. Strain and set aside.
In the four-quart heavy bottom saucepan, combine sugar, one cup of water and glucose syrup, and bring to a simmer. Add the blanched citrus, cover with a lid and return to a low simmer. Simmer citrus for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally without smashing the citrus. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature in the syrup. Store in a sealed container.
Cookie Butter Whipped Ganache
INGREDIENTS
½ cup Speculoos Cookie Butter, Trader Joe’s (107 g) 1 cup Valrhona milk chocolate (169 g) 1 cup heavy cream (225 g) 1 ¼ tablespoon raw honey (28 g) 1 ¼ tablespoon glucose syrup (25 g) 1 ¼ cup heavy cream, cold (325 g)
METHOD
Melt chocolate to 110° over a double boiler. Bring the heavy cream, honey and glucose syrup to 120°. Pour the cream mixture into melted chocolate and emulsify with an immersion blender (hand wand). Add the cookie butter and blend for one minute. Add heavy cream in a very slow and steady stream, then blend. A slow pace will prevent the emulsion from breaking up. Transfer to a container and put plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin; chill overnight to mature. Whip the ganache mixture to medium-stiff peaks when ready to use. Keep for up to one week.
BUILD THE DESSERT
Heat oven to 325°. Cut all crepes into an even circle. Warm the crepes in the oven for six to 10 minutes. Let cool and prepare fillings. Whip cookie butter ganache to medium peaks. Warm the cookie butter in microwave to make it smooth and spreadable. On a serving platter, place the first crepe. Spread a thin layer of cookie butter on top. Place another crepe on top of that, then add two heaping spoonfuls of whipped cookie butter ganache; spread evenly. Place another crepe on top and repeat with every other layer of cookie butter spread and cookie butter whipped ganache. Top and finish with a thin layer of cookie butter leaving two inches of crepe around the side. Place the streusel in the middle covering the cookie butter. Finish with powdered sugar and some confit blood orange slices. Chill until ready to serve.
An easy escape to the vibrant Western-themed town of Sisters, Oregon is a short drive away from Bend. Pack up the skis and fishing reels—or just a wool hat and scarf to keep warm while window-shopping—and head to Sisters for a hassle-free, recharge weekend.
This hotel is located in the heart of East Cascade Avenue, is a central base camp for adventure or ambling around town while unwinding from the busy holidays and continuing to enjoy the season. “If you want that quintessential, holiday season experience, Sisters is tough to beat,” Brady Rhodes, owner of Ski Inn Taphouse and Hotel, said. The city’s lights, paired with the slow pace of the small town waiting just outside the rustic modern motif of Ski Inn, gives the feel of a classic movie.
The original Ski Inn dated back to 1972. For more than 40 years, the breakfast and burger spot, with its retro booths and hearty fare, had been a meeting place for locals and a road trip stop for travelers. In 2013, a ponderosa pine totaled the building during a windstorm. Rhodes and his partner bought the lot and in 2019 began to rebuild from the ground up, reopening the Inn’s doors in 2021 with a larger footprint and upstairs lodgings for guests. Rhodes wanted to pay homage to the restaurant by preserving the name. “I’ve talked to so many travelers and locals who say, ‘Growing up we always stopped at the Ski Inn,’” Rhodes said. “We felt it was a fun tip of the cap to keep the name alive.”
After a quick and easy contact-free arrival, much like an Airbnb check-in, the smell of in-house smoked brisket, pulled pork and ribs has a good chance of leading guests downstairs. A fan favorite is the Eddy burger, a classic bacon cheeseburger named after Rhodes’ daughter.
Things To Do in Sisters, Oregon
As the sun sets, head out onto the 1880s-era main street for entertainment like only Sisters can offer. The Barn—considered a community hub—is just one street over. Depending on the evening, enjoy live music in the open space while choosing from a selection of microbrews or craft cocktails and local food carts. The Belfry, a charming 100-year-old church adorned with stained glass windows and a namesake bell tower, now serves as an eccentric concert venue for shows and festivals, including the Sisters Folk Festival in the fall. Or, head to Sisters Movie House, an independent theater set inside a big red barn, and drink a local beer or have a meal delivered seat side while watching the newest box office hits.
In the morning, wake up in the middle of it all. Find a spot in line early at Sisters Bakery to pick up a local treat—the cinnamon roll or berry scone. Both a resident favorite as well as a road-trip pit stop, the bakery offers pastries, plus local coffee for energy to take on the day. Then, let the town’s Western theme inspire shopping at Baldwin’s, Blazing Saddles or Dixie’s. From leather goods to hats and boots, the fun is in finding a modern cowboy look. Peruse nearly a dozen art galleries featuring local artists, multiple sporting goods shops, eclectic gift boutiques and restaurants.
Sisters is a gateway to outdoor activity, and in the winter, nearby Hoodoo Ski Area tops the winter list for locals. Known for being “cheaper, deeper and steeper,” the five-lift mountain is one of Oregon’s oldest resorts and beloved by many. Located near the summit of the Santiam Pass, Hoodoo is about a 40-minute drive from Sisters.
Take full advantage of winter’s short days and long nights by trying night skiing at Hoodoo Ski Area through late March. Wednesday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., ski 23 night runs lit by overhead lights on the mountain. Skiing under the moon and stars is a unique experience, and snowfall under the lights can be magical. Plus, Hoodoo Ski Area hosts live music with bonfires on Friday nights.
Another favorite winter activity around Sisters is fishing along the Metolius River. “It’s the best in January,” Ski Inn’s Rhodes explained. “Fewer people are fishing it, and it’s a spring-fed river, so the river stays the same temperature within a degree or two. The fish don’t notice if there’s three feet of snow on the ground or it’s 90 degrees. I’ve had some of my best days in the winter.”
The act of gathering in good company to share a home-cooked meal is a simple and universal joy. Picture the dining room of dear friends, where a table is bathed by the warm glow of candles, and the host shuttles between guests and the kitchen, presenting plates that overflow with homemade dishes. The air is rich with the aroma of freshly harvested ingredients and the pleasant hum of overlapping conversation as friends savor a meal together. This is a scene that can be found in many private homes, but is also commonplace in the welcoming dining room of Redmond’s Feast Food Company.
Photo by Tambi Lane
Chris and Emma Leyden, the attentive and kind hosts at Feast, met while working together in kitchens. While he was back-of-house and she was front-of-house, they shared a dream of starting a restaurant together, one that would foster community, support the local food system and celebrate the hard-earned harvest of the region’s producers.
The duo realized their vision by launching Feast in a vibrant red food truck in February 2021. Initially, they expected to operate as a mobile eatery for a few years; however, with overwhelming support from the community, their dream of a brick-and-mortar establishment became a reality in less than two years. In November 2022, they officially opened the doors to the cozy home where Feast is located in downtown Redmond.
Photo by Tambi Lane
Despite Feast’s growth, its foundational ethos remains steadfast. Emma emphasized, “We have always been focused on bringing the people who are often an afterthought of food to the front of your mind.” The seasonal bounty of local farms and ranches heavily influences Feast’s menu. Chris connects with up to 15 local purveyors each week, ensuring diners enjoy plates crafted with ingredients harvested just days or even hours before being served, as opposed to the hundred-plus-mile journey most food takes to reach consumers.
“People want to dine somewhere they feel welcomed, and we intend to welcome everyone into our ‘home.’”
The Leyden’s commitment to local sourcing results in a seasonal and ever-changing menu. “The cool thing about our food is that the products we are using at any given time are meant to go together,” said Chris. “They grow and are beautiful at the same time.” His creative process, which always begins with the vegetable, leads to a constant evolution of dishes inspired by the season.
Photo by Cody Rheault
On the Menu at Feast
Recently, Feast’s menu offered diners dishes such as gnudi with black pepper cream leeks, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, crème fraîche, kale and charred peppers. Also, on the menu: rich squash soup with hazelnut dukkah and kale chips, and a chicory salad with roasted hazelnuts, biscuit crumble, sweet-pickled carrots, apple, bacon and toasted honey vinaigrette. While there’s always a new dish to try, Feast also boasts a few staples, such as the popular fried mushrooms sourced from Deschutes Gourmet Mushrooms in Redmond, as well as the cheeseburger, a locally sourced beef patty topped with Alabama white sauce, house pickles, white cheddar and crispy onions, squeezed between a warm bun.
Feast also offers brunch and lunch service on select days. For brunch, patrons can savor dishes such as a sweet caramel-apple pop tart or a hearty serving of chicken and waffles. Lunch options include a roast beef sandwich with beef, relish, Swiss cheese and the gluten-free muffaletta on sesame focaccia.
When speaking of Feast’s libation philosophy, Emma shared, “We craft our beverages with the same intentions we do our food.” Which means, local reigns supreme. From fresh juices to homemade purées and syrups, the drinks are as thoughtful as the culinary creations. Draft beer is sourced from Central Oregon breweries, and the wine selection exclusively features wines from Oregon and Washington.
Chris envisions the future of Feast with optimism, sharing, “We are taking everything in stride; Emma and I are so elated with the successes we have seen thus far.” The couple is focused on making the existing location into a community pillar. Chris sees Feast as a place where patrons understand the value of their dollar and can support their community while eating good food together. Emma expressed, “People want to dine somewhere they feel welcomed, and we intend to welcome everyone into our ‘home.’”
Just as a good book can take a reader to another place and time, a fabulous meal can transport a diner to another world. Enter Trattoria Sbandati of Bend where guests are transported to the world of peace, love and porchetta.
“I think of my restaurant as an act of love. I can say that we still passionately and stubbornly love what we do,” Chef Juri Sbandati said of his restaurant tucked into an unassuming small business strip on Bend’s west side. “It is a way to celebrate life, family and, of course, the motherland Italia.”
Sbandati’s, as locals refer to the eatery, has been welcoming guests and treating them like family since 2009. That’s when Sbandati opened the doors, uplifting the local culinary scene with foods inspired by his native Tuscany. Sbandati’s cuisine tells a story, a tale of another land–the homeland of Sbandati–the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and birthplace of the Renaissance–Firenze, also known as Florence. The restaurant’s emblem is the symbol of Firenze, the Florentine red iris.
Dining at Sbandati’s is a joyful trip to the Old Country where artisanship is at the heart of the culture, where creating food with two hands in the pursuit of beauty is still honored and revered. The chef’s craft shines through in his menu, and the food itself comforts and nourishes; simple ingredients meld together in perfection for bites that satisfy the soul. “The core of our menu is a tribute to my family origins. And we have curated an all Italian wine list,” Sbandati said.
On the Menu at Trattoria Sbandati
In classic Italian style, the trattoria’s menu begins with antipasti. Those starters naturally include bruschetta, cured meats and the piatto di formaggi misti which is a selection of imported Denominazione d’Origine Protetta Italian cheeses served with organic Italian fig jam, walnuts, pine cone syrup, sliced pears and aged balsamic from Modena. The combination is simple perfection and just enough to stimulate the appetite for more.
The primi (first course) selections range from soups of the day to pastas. The trattoria regularly has seven different kinds of handmade pasta on the menu, made only with 100% Italian flour and Sicilian sea salt. One of the customer favorites, according to Sbandati, is the pasta dedicated to his wife, the Rebecca Special. The handmade saffron pasta is tossed in a sauce of olive oil, garlic, black olives, oil-soaked sundried tomatoes, cayenne pepper and soft burrata.There’s also the penne pasta tossed in spicy tomato sauce, a hand-cut spaghetti and pappardelle alla Chiantigana. This house made pappardelle is served with a traditional sauce from the Chianti region made with Italian sausage, fennel, tomato, leeks and Chianti wine topped with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Sumptuous secondi courses (main courses) include the restaurant’s well-known polpette, a must-have featuring chef’s family recipe of tender ground beef meatballs cooked and served in tomato sauce with melted mozzarella on top and a delicious side of sauteed spinach. Tuscany is also famous for its beef. The seasonal special Tagliata di Lombatello con Cavolo Verzotto e Acciuga, hanger steak with sauteed savoy cabbage, does not disappoint. Not only are the dishes beautifully plated, the flavors are amazing, transporting the eater with every bite to a place of love and connection.
The final dessert course or dolci, must not be skipped but rather savored and lingered over. The tiramisu, based on a Sbandati family recipe, is made with mascarpone cream, ladyfingers dipped in coffee and a chocolate finish. A sweet cream panna cotta with fresh berry sauce also graces the dolci menu,as well as a bongo, the Florentine version of a profiterole—an éclair stuffed with cream and topped with melted dark chocolate and powdered sugar. Buon appetito!
Those who have lounged on the back patio of Washington Dining & Cocktails, sipped coffee at Thump downtown or cozied up into a booth at Drake or Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. have unknowingly enjoyed the work of Sara Hobin. A local designer, long-time Bendite, and mother of three boys, Sara Hobin creates spaces that speak to people’s desire for comfort, beauty and function not only at home, but in their dining spaces.
Sara Hobin in front of Mountain Burger in Bend
Hobin’s career in design came a bit later in life, but the seeds were planted early on. At age 12, she wrote down “interior designer” when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. That childhood dream job quietly took a backseat while she pursued a career in the business side of creative work. With a degree in journalism and advertising from the University of Oregon, Hobin launched a successful career working for advertising agencies first in San Francisco and then later in Bend.
Cascade Lakes Brewery
Although immersed in the world of advertising, Hobin continued to nurture her eye for design, remodeling her home several times and assisting friends with their homes’ spatial planning and design. Her talent didn’t go unrecognized by those closest to her.
A DESIGN CAREER BEGINS
Her portfolio began to take shape when her brother-in-law leased the building on the corner of Riverside Drive and Wall Street in downtown Bend in 2013. Hobin eagerly accepted the offer to participate in the interior design of the space that is now known as Drake. The project provided Hobin with valuable experience in spatial planning, materials, branding and marketing.
The spaces she creates are purposeful and intentional to satisfy a range of clients with an inviting and elevated appeal. Sara Hobin Design work is recognizable at multiple other Central Oregon restaurants, including Walt Reilly’s, El Rancho Grande and most recently, Mountain Burger in NorthWest Crossing. There, Hobin and a team managed a comprehensive redesign from concept development, naming, branding, signage, menu creation to the interior design.
In approaching the space’s aesthetic, Hobin found inspiration in modern mountain design, a style that incorporates natural elements of mountain living with contemporary design principles, emphasizing clean lines, open spaces and functionality. The remodel involved substantial spatial and aesthetic changes. “We took an existing space that was beautiful, but it was dark and Old World. We brightened and lightened it up,” said Hobin.
A RESTAURANT REDEUX
The first step was painting the existing red brick a welcoming cream color, accentuating the existing beams on the ceiling and setting the tone for the space’s new identity. Hobin’s experience in spatial planning came into play in the alteration of the kitchen. Her team opened up the exposure of the space with the addition of windows accented by shiplap. The more open concept still allowed for a separation between the bar and dining sections. Down-lighting was replaced with scone fixtures to create a brighter atmosphere.
Inside Mountain Burger Restaurant in Bend
Outdoors, Hobin’s focus was on comfort. “We redesigned the outdoor patio, adding a fire pit and lounge seating, effectively creating an al fresco living room.” The welcoming area beckons those passing by into the space.
Her approach to a color palette is rooted in her marketing sensibility. She explained, “I like to use two main colors consistently throughout the project, colors that we tie into the restaurant’s branding and marketing.” Hobin uses wallpaper in many of her projects as a way to further expand on a client’s individual style and personality.
In design, these small details often elevate a project from good to exceptional. “It’s the little things that add depth and character,” she emphasized. At Mountain Burger, Pendleton fabric accents can be found throughout the space, in bench upholstery and patio pillows. Eye-catching blue and white wicker chairs and regional-inspired artwork by artist Andy Thornton infuse the bar area with personable charm.
Inside El Rancho Grande Restaurant in Bend
ENRICHING SPACES FOR DINING AND LIVING
Hobin’s design philosophy, as she puts it, is to craft spaces and experiences that are both captivating and comfortable while maintaining a classic, approachable and friendly allure. In addition to her restaurant design projects, Hobin has notably worked for more than a decade to build and grow the home-staging business Style 8 Design alongside its owner, Jennifer Thornton.
Hobin’s unwavering dedication to her craft enriches local spaces, making them more welcoming, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing for all. See more of Sara Hobin Design projects or learn more at sarahobindesign.com.
Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Central Oregon
As 2024 draws to a close, the air buzzes with excitement. Need a game plan for ringing in the new year? Bend Magazine has rounded up an array of parties, events and celebrations. Say goodbye to 2024 and usher in 2025 with our curated guide to New Year’s Eve in Central Oregon. Whether you crave a night of dancing and festivities, a trip to Mt. Bachelor or a gourmet dinner, the region boasts plenty of ways to celebrate the arrival of a brand new year.
Dear Irene
This New Year’s Eve Celebration Dinner features a pre-fixe dining experience to welcome the new year. Enjoy a carefully curated menu and festive atmosphere. Click here for more information.
Disco Inferno Ball at Riverhouse
Get ready to boogie into 2025 at the Disco Inferno Bal at Riverhouse Lodge. Presented by Patrick Lamb and Hit Factory, this night will be packed with glitz, glamour and giving. Take part in a silent auction with proceeds supporting the Alzheimer’s Foundation to begin the evening, followed by a four-course dinner, live entertainment, and as the clock strikes midnight, celebrate with a ball drop and champagne toast to ring in the New Year. Grab your tickets and dance for a cause at the Disco Inferno Ball! Click here for more information.
Immersion Brewing
Step back in time to the roaring 1920s at Immersion Brewing’s Bootleggers Ball. This 21+ event promises a night of vintage glamour and celebration. Doors open at 8 p.m., inviting guests to dress in their 1920s finest. Highlights include three bars, a 360-style photo booth, a sparkling balloon drop at midnight, and a champagne toast. Live music by Billy and the Box Kid will keep the party going. Advance tickets are $25, and $30 at the door. Click here for more information.
Lady Bird Event
“Putting on the Ritz!” This exquisite celebration offers a lavish multi-course menu, live jazz, dancing, and a late-night bubble bar. Priced at $155 per guest, the event encourages flapper dress and formal attire. Guests can look forward to extraordinary food, live music, and the warmth of exceptional hospitality. Click here for more information.
Leadbetter Band at McMenamins
Jump into the new year with the Leadbetter Band’s performance at McMenamins on December 31st at 9 p.m. A perfect option for music lovers looking to rock into 2025. Click here for more information.
ROAM New Year’s Eve Dinner
Celebrate 2025 at ROAM with special New Year dinner options. ROAM will be open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on December 31st, offering dinner specials and a prix fixe menu. Reservations are recommended – visit roambend.com to view the menus and secure your spot. Click here for more information.
Yoli Dinner
Limited spots remain for Yoli’s New Year’s Eve tasting menu. Book your Korean tasting menu at yolibend.com for an intimate and memorable evening. Click here for more information.
Photo by Tina Paymaster
Mountain Venues
Celebrate New Year’s Eve on the slopes, choose between Mt. Bachelor or Hoodoo for a perfectly Central Oregon celebration.
Mt. Bachelor brings an Irish-themed celebration with a day packed with festive fun. From 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., enjoy a hot cocoa handout at Sunrise Express. The First Level of West Village Lodge will host Kids Après and gingerbread cookie decorating from 12-2 p.m. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Rock Bar offers an Irish New Year’s Eve celebration, with a ball drop at 4 p.m. There will be a Nokian Tyre Green Tire Giveaway and other special events throughout the day. Click here for more information.
On New Year’s Day at Mt. Bachelor, MBSEF is hosting a 10 a.m. New Year’s Relay at the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center. Teams of three are welcome, with costumes strongly encouraged. Registration is open through December 30th at 5 p.m. Click here for more information.
Hoodoo Ski Area presents an all-day New Year’s Eve party with lifts running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy a special dinner menu, live music until midnight, and a stunning mountain fireworks show. This family-friendly atmosphere welcomes both skiers and non-skiers to join in on the celebration. Peak pricing applies. Click here for more information.
Be sure to check with each venue for the most up-to-date information on their New Year’s Eve plans, ticket availability, and any special events or celebrations.
Help Us Select the Cover for the January + February 2024 Issue of Bend Magazine! We’re excited to invite you to participate in the ever-challenging process of choosing our next cover photo. And we’re eager to discover which image resonates with you the most. Please cast your vote by midnight on Thursday, December 21, as we’ll be heading to print the following day.
Now that you have voted, keep an eye out for a grand reveal during the first week of January 2024. Subscribers, you’re in for a treat with an exclusive first look! Spread the word, rally your friends, and get excited to see the winning cover. Both cover images by Cody Rheault.
Segments for all Seasons on the Deschutes River Trail
The Deschutes River Trail (DRT) connects people to nature, history, neighborhoods and businesses as it courses through the heart of Bend. Locals know the 12-mile-long “river trail” offers opportunities to get outside and get in a walk, run, dog walk, bike ride, and, when the conditions are right, a cross-country ski. While an additional section of the DRT goes all the way from the Good Dog Park to Sunriver, passing Benham Falls and the Big Eddy rapids, there are five segments especially attainable from downtown Bend.
Bend Park and Recreation manages the section of the trail closest to Bend and breaks it into five reaches: South Canyon, Old Mill, Pioneer, River Run, and Awbrey. Remember: trail etiquette is to stay right and be alert for the call, “On your left!”
South Canyon Reach
Access for this loop begins by heading south from Farewell Bend Park, named for John Todd, who purchased the Farewell Bend Ranch in 1877 for $60 and two saddle horses. This stretch has the most “natural” feel of the entire DRT, as ponderosa pines and riparian thickets line the trail. Occasional breaks provide nice views of the river as it cascades over rapids or slips around boulders.
After crossing the South Canyon Bridge, the west side trail connects to the Haul Road Trail, historically used to haul logs to a point where they were off-loaded into the river and floated to the mills. A newly constructed landing downstream of the bridge provides access to the river and has interpretive panels honoring the Native Americans who inhabited this region for thousands of years.
Distance: 3 miles round trip Hiking Time: 1.5 hours Seasonal access: Year-round, but prepare for ice and snow in the winter.
Old Mill Reach
This popular urban stretch of the river trail is a contrast in time. Walk north from the spot of the original settlement at Farewell Bend Park to see the area that at one time launched the heyday of the logging industry, when two mills produced millions of board feet of lumber. Today, that spot is known as the Old Mill District, a vibrant hub of shops, restaurants, galleries and more.
Primary access is from Farewell Bend, Riverbend, and McKay Parks. The level, paved trail consists of two loops: Mill A Loop (1.5 miles) and Logger Loop (1.3 miles). The Old Mill Flag Footbridge, the halfway point, is a prime spot to watch paddlers during the annual Holiday Lights Paddle Parade. In winter, numerous waterfowl line the river.
Distance: 2.7 miles round trip Hiking time: 1-2 hours Seasonal access: A paved path is cleared year-round.
Pioneer Reach
Bend’s early history links McKay Park (honoring pioneer Bendites Olive and Clyde McKay and their sons) to Pioneer Park on this section of the DRT as it passes through neighborhoods and Drake Park.
At McKay Park, enjoy the view from atop the footbridge of Whitewater Park where intrepid kayakers don drysuits and play in the waves in all seasons. The bridge connects to another historic ranch site at Miller’s Landing. Continuing past the landing, the trail follows the sidewalk along NW Riverfront Street through a section of “Old Bend” before reaching Drake Park, named for early 1900s developer Alexander Drake and his wife Florence.
The paved trail continues alongside the calm waters of Mirror Pond, shadowed by towering Douglas fir and ponderosa pines. On the eastern shore of the river, the trail joins a newly constructed boardwalk that arcs along the river to the lower end of Mirror Pond, with access points to divert to downtown Bend before the trail reaches Pioneer Park.
Length: 1.7 miles one-way Hiking time: 1-2 hours Seasonal access: Accessible, moving from paved pathways to sidewalks.
River Run Reach
This stretch of the trail connects Pioneer Park to Sawyer Park, with another access point at First Street Rapids Park. From Pioneer Park, the trail follows the river downstream, past towering willows and pine trees, and encounters the Tumalo Irrigation Company’s diversion dam and fish ladder before crossing the footbridge over the river to First Street Rapids Park.
On the west side of the river, the level dirt trail passes lush riparian vegetation that lines the river and drier slopes with juniper, wax currants, sagebrush, and bunchgrasses. This quiet stretch of trail is a good spot in winter to birdwatch or to scout for wildlife tracks. Eventually, the trail crosses Mount Washington Drive and slips past the River’s Edge Golf Course to Sawyer Park.
Trail length: 1.7 miles one-way Hiking Time: 1-2 hours Seasonal access: Year-round, but it can be icy or muddy during the winter.
Awbrey Reach
The Awbrey Reach is a quiet out-and-back stretch from the Robert W. Sawyer Park, named for an early Bendite who moved here in 1912 and eventually became the long-time editor of the Bend Bulletin.
This section of the DRT utilizes the buried water pipeline right-of-way owned by the Tumalo Canal Irrigation Company. The wide trail of crushed gravel follows a somewhat level contour around Awbrey Butte to its end, where views of Black Butte, Mount Jefferson, and Middle and North Sister await. When snowfall is sufficient, this section of the trail is perfect for cross-country skiers. Beyond the intersection of the Archie Briggs Canyon Natural Area to Mount Washington, there is a stunning view of the river as it makes a sweeping bend in the canyon far below. A well-placed bench is accompanied by a plaque that reads, “How perfect is this.” Perfect indeed.
Trail length: 3.9. miles round trip Hiking time: 2-3 hours Seasonal access: Year-round with wide trails for cross-country skiing when snow permits.
‘Tis the season for all things magical, when hearts of all ages beat a little faster in anticipation of sugary wonders. Why do we go utterly bonkers over cookies during the most wonderful time of the year? It’s simple—cookies are a buttery hug, a burst of sweet nostalgia, and a speedy path to straight-up joy. In Bend, the holiday cookie scene is nothing short of spectacular.
Macarons by Too Sweet Cakes
Indulge in French Flair
Amidst the holiday frenzy, macarons emerge as festive jewels. And Too Sweet Cakes, the delectable brainchild of Shelbi Geyer, is a rendezvous point for these exquisite French delights. “They’re one of my favorite things to make,” said Shelbi. “Details matter, and not everyone can master the macaron.”
Too Sweet’s macarons are a labor of love, crafted using the Italian method of blending hot sugar syrup with egg whites and almond flour to achieve that coveted shine. The true marvel is what’s inside—a luscious buttercream filling with evocative holiday flavors such as peppermint, gingerbread, and eggnog. These dainty delights—perfect for parties, gatherings, or a secret stash—are tiny works of art that add a touch of French elegance to the season.
Pressed Flour Cookies by The Flourist
The Craft of Botanical Baking
Step into a realm where holiday cookies take a surprising turn thanks to the enchanting creations of Andy Andreu, also known as The Flourist. With a culinary background and boundless curiosity, Andy ventured into botanical baking during the pandemic. She has been forever pondering “What if?” as she experimented with edible flowers.
The Flourist’s pressed flower cookies bring a botanical twist to holiday treats. Made from shortbread dough, these crunchy, perfectly buttery delights are adorned with dried organic flowers and herbs that change with the seasons. Holiday flavors include cozy combinations like Turkish coffee spice and tahini chocolate.
Andy has also perfected the madeleine, a cake-like cookie French mothers used to whip up as an afternoon treat for their children. Crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside, madeleines are perfect for dunking in tea, coffee, or a steaming mug of hot cocoa. Andy cranks up the creativity by dipping half of the madeleine in velvety chocolate and sprinkling it with a blend of pistachio nuts and rose petals for a floral holiday indulgence.
Sweet Sugar Cookies at Sparrow Bakery
Your Classic Sweet Treat
Sugar cookies are timeless treats brimming with creative potential. When it comes to mastering this festive craft, the folks at Sparrow Bakery shine bright. Owners Whitney and Jessica Keatman have always held authenticity close to their hearts, striving to craft meaningful experiences for everyone who walks through their doors. What started as a scrappy word-of-mouth endeavor in 2006 has evolved into the bakery equivalent of Santa’s workshop.
Sparrow’s “Cookie Team” elevates creativity to the level of sugarplum dreams by plucking design inspiration from real life. Instead of following trends, they create cookie collections from holiday shapes and colors that tell a whimsical story—bewhiskered elves and furry friends in a frosty forest or a crackling fireplace surrounded by the family’s stockings. The buttery shortbread crumble is lip-smacking, but the real magic is found in the joy their cookies give—like a long hug from a beloved Nonna. With meticulous icing and attention to detail that would make Santa’s elves proud, each Sparrow cookie is almost too delightful to devour.
How to Bake the Best Holiday Cookies in Central Oregon
Here are some tips and tricks from Bend’s best bakers to ensure your cookies are as magical as a snowman at a penguin parade:
Before baking, chill cookie dough until it’s as cold as a winter night in Bend.
Home ovens are consistently inconsistent. Use a separate thermometer and keep a watchful eye.
Cool baking sheets with cold water between batches to ensure even baking.
Elevate creativity by using a vibrant palette of food dye colors for icing. Instead of piping bags, consider using convenient squeeze bottles for precise icing control.
For perfectly smooth icing, try “flooding.” First, outline the area with icing that has a soft-peak consistency. Then, steadily and quickly fill the outlined area (or flood) with slightly thinner icing. Use a toothpick to smooth air bubbles, and gently tap the cookie on the workspace to level the icing. Allow flooded cookies to dry for several hours before adding more decorations.
Don’t skimp on quality. Opt for premium organic flour and regularly replace older baking powders and sodas lurking in dark corners of the pantry.
Remember, the magic of cookies is found by spreading the love. Bake with joy and share those delicious creations with others. Looking for dessert while dining out, click here to read about a few of our favorites in Bend. Have a dessert you want to share with us, email us!
The gear, inelegant. The methods, crude. The hair, long. The pants, flared. The fun – full tilt. Bend’s “outdoor pioneers” transformed a region that would draw people from around the world with a thirst to explore the new. They were the founders of fun, Central Oregon’s original trailblazers.
Written by Cathy Carroll and Eric Flowers
When it comes to describing Bend’s outdoor recreation, the world has nearly exhausted the superlatives. The trails, rivers, lakes and mountain slopes fuel the area’s rapid population growth and an economy supported by a half-billion dollars in annual tourism spending. While this may be a year-round playground, it was once just a working town with a view. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a die-hard adrenaline junkie, you have others to thank for blazing the literal and proverbial trails that now define our region.
Our Outdoor Pioneers are still outside doing nearly every activity they founded decades ago, so if you run into them on the trails or at a local watering hole, say thanks and buy them a round. We owe them one.
Virginia Meissner
Nordic Skiing at Mt. Bachelor
Native Minnesotan Bob Mathews had stayed on at St. Cloud State College through the Vietnam War, and with a degree in history, didn’t know what he wanted to do this life, so he hit the road. While helping some of his high school buddies move to Bend to work at Mt. Bachelor, he got a job teaching cross-country skiing there.
“Cross-country was an afterthought at that time, so I went to Bill (Healy, a co-founder of the Mt. Bachelor ski area) to make something out of it,” said Mathews. “I typed a one-page proposal, and he said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ It was the right time and the right place, and he was an incredible guy to work for.”
That was in 1976, when there was just one small loop for cross-country skiing, and Mathews proposed a Nordic ski school separate from Mt. Bachelor’s alpine ski school. Mt. Bachelor began grooming a few cross-country skiing trails using one of its first snowmobiles. Just like that, the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center was born, rooted in the spirit of camaraderie from a simpler, bygone era.
“Most of the people who worked up there were—I don’t know—ski bums,” said Mathews. “They hadn’t gone to college for ski area management, so people did a lot of on-the-job training. They were there for the moment, and they liked to ski. It was a fun place to work, the whole industry was in an upswing.”
Nordic Ski Camps and Races
Mark Pearson and Bob Woodward, 1986
Mathews and Bob Woodward ran Nordic ski camps and races, drawing hundreds of people. In 1978, the year Woodward had moved to Bend, he helped stage the Cascade Crest Marathon cross-country ski race from Mt. Bachelor to Little Lava Lake and back. Racers carried their own water with no aid stations in sight.
“It was a real wilderness cross-country race and spurred interest in long-distance racing,” said Woodward, “people showed up from Portland because it was the only groomed Nordic in the state. People went home saying Bachelor was a great place to go, and that Bend was cool.”
Woodward had moved to Bend two years after he and his wife, Eileen, had first visited and vowed to make the small logging town with a population of less than 18,000 their home. Working as a freelance sports writer and photographer, Woodward shared his passion for cross-country skiing by running a summer ski camp at Mt. Bachelor, a tradition he began during his first few months in Bend and carried on for the next fifteen years.
The geography-is-destiny quotient played out on a micro level as the Klister Korner gang, a group of Portland Avenue area denizens who took their nickname from a sticky cross-country ski wax,generated interest in Nordic skiing, mountain biking and whitewater kayaking.
“It was natural synergy, with everybody loving and living to do all that stuff,” said Woodward. “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 on the snow like snow camping.”
Designing Nordic Trails
As Mathews designed and cut out new Nordic trails, he paid homage to his compatriots, naming Oli’s Alley for Dennis Oliphant and Woody’s Way for Woodward. By the time Mathews left his position as director at the Nordic Center in 1992, the groomed trail network had expanded to fifty-six kilometers, with several hundred season-pass holders.
“There was a real sense of a little community that was building these sports, and it was the key to why it lasted,” said Woodward, who at 76 still skis and bikes 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.”
These modern-day enthusiasts were building on the earlier roots of cross-country skiing in Central Oregon, established by those such as Virginia Meissner, a mountaineer, and Bend’s Nordic first lady. She began teaching cross-country skiing at Mt. Bachelor when the ski area opened in 1958.
“They would have to go out and break a trail because they didn’t have grooming equipment back then,” said her daughter, Jane Meissner of Bend. “They had a first-generation snowmobile and would drag a sled behind them with two boards to make ski tracks.”
Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Virginia Meissner taught cross-country skiing through Central Oregon Community College. She was known for her patience, encouragement, passion for sharing her love of the outdoors and for her perennially tan face. In the early ’70s, Meissner helped form the Central Oregon Nordic Club and served as its president, developing Nordic trails at Swampy Lakes, Dutchman Flat and Vista Butte. After Meissner died in 1988, the U.S. Forest Service named the Virginia Meissner Sno-Park in her memory.
Shown from left to right: Tim Boyle, Dan Ipock and Gary Bonacker, Bachelor Summit, 1976.
Bend Mountain Biking
If there is a sport more firmly rooted in Bend’s DNA than mountain biking, it hasn’t yet been discovered. The sport has its international roots in Marin County, California, where bikers in the late ’60s and early ’70s were first experimenting with off-road riding. But Bend is the official birthplace of mountain biking in the Northwest, and the founders here needed no more inspiration than their own sense of exploration and some fat tires.
Before Central Oregon became a world-class mountain biking destination, there was Phil Meglasson riding forest roads and deer paths on a second-hand mountain bike he got at an auction in Fossil.
Phil Meglasson
This true pioneer of mountain biking in Central Oregon, along with his friends (including Bob Woodward and Dennis Heater) began riding the area’s forests and deserts at the dawn of mountain bike manufacturing in the early ’80s. Phil’s Trail was originally called Double-Cut Tree Trail, for a tree halfway up the canyon, but as mountain biking began to take hold and the area gained popularity, the U.S. Forest Service started referring to the area as “Phil’s,” and the name stuck.
In those days there were no signs. No maps. Meglasson and Heater, who founded the area’s first mountain bike fraternity, took old logging and forest service roads wherever they led, veering off on game trails that served as the precursor to what is now the area’s legendary singletrack.
Phil’s Trail in Bend
“That’s how Phil’s Trail got started,” Heater said. “We’d follow it as far as we could and then we’d start bushwhacking.” The intrepid pioneers cobbled together spare parts to turn a Schwinn cruiser into an off-road cycle. This typically meant new handlebars, motorcycle grips and oversized tires. The tools were inelegant. The methods were crude. (Heater remembers using a two-by-four to pry open the frame of his Schwinn to accommodate the new fat tires.)
“We could name everybody in Bend who had cycling shorts–and they were wool.” said Dennis Oliphant. If bike shops didn’t know what to make of these DIY “dirt bombers” as they referred to themselves, neither did anyone else, including the Forest Service, whose timberlands were quickly becoming the playground for the pioneering bikers.
“We wanted to go where no other bicycles had gone,” Heater said. “Back in the early days before the wilderness was closed (to bikes) we rode around the base of the Three Sisters in a single day. Talk about a gnarly ride.”
A Vietnam veteran with thick muscled arms, Heater grew up around Gilchrist riding his bike down gravel roads to reach fishing holes at Wickiup Reservoir. After losing his job in Southern California in the ’70s, Heater returned to Central Oregon. He started mountain biking shortly thereafter because he “couldn’t throw his motocross bike over a fence.”
A gregarious guy with a penchant for adventure, Heater organized group rides and off-road biking events around Central Oregon. He founded the Black Rock Club with a dozen other dirt bombers and a box of black T-shirts with no sleeves, printed with the club name.
“When it came to trails, it was Phil. When it came to fun it was Heater,” Woodward said.
The Grit of New Trails
What the early adopters lacked in gear, they made up for in sheer grit. They rode Waldo Lake, made the first mountain bike trip up Burma Road Trail at Smith Rock and cut the heart of the trail system west of town. Other things were done, well, just because. That includes Gary Bonacker’s seminal descent of Mt. Bachelor with Tim Boyle and Don Ipock.
Armed with lightly modified cruiser bikes outfitted with coaster brakes, the trio hiked their steel frames up undeveloped summit slopes. It was October of 1976, nearly two decades before most people would even hear the term mountain biking.
A speed record may have been set, but never recorded. It was a different time. It wasn’t about conquering the mountain, it was about proving to themselves and maybe a few naysayers that it could be done. “Every one of the sports, it was uncharted water. It was new to here,” Woodward said.
Bonacker recalls training on Tumalo Mountain for the planned first descent of Mt. Bachelor. It wasn’t unusual for the group to run into the occasional hiker on the trail. At the time, the notion of bikes on sub-alpine trails was so unprecedented that the hikers would look at them as if they were from another planet. Bonacker and his merry band of bikers may have appeared fanatics and freaks to the outside world. But they never questioned the logic. “It was there. We needed to do it,” he said.
Closing in on 70 years old, Heater looks with awe at what the sport has become. From its humble beginnings, an entire industry and way of life that is now integral to Bend has grown. Dennis is still a regular trail rider, and the sport has a great future, in large part because of its storied past.
“I’m shocked that a few people have noticed that I was part of that gang that started it all,” he said. “And I think that’s a pretty good badge. I can’t think of another sport that I’d want to promote as much as mountain biking.”
Look around today and signs of river culture are everywhere in Bend. The region’s primary export, Deschutes Beer, takes its name from the river that cuts through downtown. A newly minted whitewater play park opened this past fall–the crown jewel of a paddle trail that stretches from the high lakes around Mt. Bachelor to Bend.
It wasn’t always so.
Back in the 1970s, the Deschutes River was still the lifeblood of agriculture and industry. Recreation was an afterthought. That all changed in the 1970s with the Klister Korner gang. The tightly knit group included Bob Woodward, Gary Bonacker and Dennis Oliphant who, together with a larger group of friends, started breaking down the boundaries. The approach was the same they would also take with mountain biking, substituting cheap kayaks and Army surplus rafts for their Schwinn Torpedos.
Together the group with its rotating cast of characters, including Woodward who had brought some whitewater experience and a passion for exploration, made the first kayak trips down the lower Crooked River, at that time a largely uncharted area filled with technical water and ever-changing obstacles thanks to its flood-and-drought regimen.
The group tamed Big Eddy, setting the stage for Oliphant to launch a rafting business out of the Inn of the Seventh Mountain (now Seventh Mountain Resort). He parlayed that into Sun Country Tours, the region’s premier river-guiding business.
Dennis Oliphant, Gary Bonacker and Bob Woodward, 1970s.
Oliphant had arrived in Bend in the winter of 1977, fresh out of college at the University of Oregon, for a recreation management internship at the Inn of the Seventh Mountain. During that internship, Oliphant proposed and drafted a budget for a program to do rafting excursions on the Deschutes River. Commercial rafting was in its fledgling stage in those days. Cobbling together Army surplus rafts and learning from trial and error, Oliphant and the other program employees brought 4,000 people down the river that first summer.
“We certainly weren’t all-stars, but we were adventuresome enough and maybe a little crazy,” said Oliphant, whose company guided its millionth guest down the river last summer.
When Oliphant and his running mates weren’t guiding, they were exploring and pushing untested boundaries. As usual, Woodward wasn’t far from the action.
Home Base for Paddlers
A reformed outdoor retailer-turned-adventure writer and photographer, Woodward used his industry contacts to wrangle at a super discount an entire truckload of Hollowform kayaks in 1979. They arrived on the back of a flatbed truck outside of Sunnyside Sports, one of only two shops on Bend’s west side and a gathering place for the area’s early outdoor adventure addicts.
Oliphant recalled hawking the novel, thirteen-foot (and one-inch) plastic boats around town. It didn’t take long for the idea to catch on. “It was like instant kayak community,” he said.
The group made their paddling home base at First Street Rapids, where Woodward taught Bonacker and others the basics, including how to roll a boat. “First Street was like a clubhouse,” said Bonacker, who sharpened his skills on the small wave that still attracts kayakers almost four decades later.
The First Documented Run of the Deschutes River
It wasn’t long before the ragtag group was adding more firsts to their growing list of outdoor exploits. Woodward and several others made the first documented nonstop run of the Deschutes from the Riverhouse to Tumalo State Park. It took two attempts and a small log removal project. Two weeks later, Oliphant would join them on the same run.
Soon they were venturing out of Central Oregon down the Klamath River, where they took on the expert-rated stretch below the John C. Boyle Dam at full high-water stage. It was on this stretch where Bonacker, who has lived twelve years with brain cancer and still bikes to work, had a near-death experience.
Bonacker recalls that he had attempted to “wet exit” his boat, dubbed “Fidel” for its brown, cigar-like profile, in a powerful eddy. Rather than slide out of the river’s hydraulic current as he had planned, he was recirculated. It ripped off his boat’s spray skirt–and his shoes. Unable to swim out, Bonacker was pulled down.
He remembers struggling, then, finally, relaxing. A single thought popped into his mind: the headline of tomorrow’s paper, “Bend Man Drowns.” It was then that he looked up and saw the white paint on the top of his boat. Energized, he struggled up through the current and poked his head into the inverted seat hole of the craft and the awaiting pocket of air. He was rewarded with his first breath in what felt like hours. Steadied, he maneuvered the upside-down boat out of the eddy to safety. The rest of the day brought multiple portages around the remaining rapids, and Bonacker’s nerves frayed.
His eyes are bright, soft and kind. His salt-and-pepper hair neatly combed. His skin is freshly tanned thanks to a two-week late winter stay in Baja, Mexico. His arms, however, are thin. He acknowledges that his kayak rolling days are over. Living with cancer for more than a decade, Bonacker has learned to accept some limitations even as he defies his doctors’ expectations.
Some of the risk-taking in his earlier years he chalks up to youth and ignorance. But he has no regrets. “If you start thinking about the “what ifs,” you’re probably done kayaking,” he quipped.
More than thirty years later, he’s still paddling, looking for the next adventure. Cancer be damned.
During the 1950s, Jack Watts and fellow Madras residents Jim and Jerry Ramsey started climbing at Smith Rock, putting up dozens of first ascents before it became a state park. Two decades later, Watts’ son, Alan, began climbing at age 14 with high school buddies. It was an inauspicious start to the birth of American sport climbing. Clad in the neon-colored lycra of the day, he–and Smith Rock’s standard-setting sheer canyon walls–would become world famous.
“The biggest obstacle I faced at the start was that almost no one climbed,” Watts said. “Developing the climbing at Smith Rock was not something that a young man should be doing with his life. My mom, in particular, was intensely concerned. Part of her concern was practical—I might very well kill myself pursuing my dream, but just as concerning for her was the fact that climbing wasn’t what normal young men did with their lives. Something must be wrong with me. Much like ski bums and surf bums, I was a climbing bum, more an outcast from society than a part of it.”
In 1979, traditional climbing was still the norm and sport climbing was controversial (people chopped off bolts in rock walls and got into fistfights). On top of this, Smith’s soft, crumbly volcanic rock is not the typical surface sought by climbers. Watts, however, having honed his rock climbing skills near Eugene during college, was drawn to the possibilities for the towering walls and textured spires.
“I spent so much time at Smith, I started noticing all of these unclimbed routes,” he said. “Almost everything done before 1980 followed a line up one of the natural crack systems splitting the walls. Once I started doing new routes at Smith Rock, it became apparent that traditional climbing tactics (used at Smith Rock and throughout the U.S.) wouldn’t work. I couldn’t just start from the ground and climb to the top. There was no way to protect myself in case I fell, and the rock was often dangerously loose.”
Rather than creating climbing routes from the ground up, Watts began bolting them by rappelling from the top of the wall to get a closer look at whether a route was possible, then drilling into the wall to place permanent bolts. Unbeknownst to Watts, this method of establishing climbing routes was catching on in Europe, but it was still relatively unheard of in the U.S. As a result, Watts took Smith Rock and American rock climbing to a new level.
Thanks to Watts, Smith Rock is now known as the birthplace of American sport climbing and attracts top climbers from all over the world. One classic route, Chain Reaction, became the most photographed route in the ’80s and helped spread the love for sport climbing around the globe. In 1986, the route To Bolt or Not to Be became America’s first 5.14 route and remains one of the hardest routes to this day. The origins of indoor climbing also can be traced to Smith Rock.
The Guidebook, Rock Climbing Smith Rock State Park
“I wasn’t the only one who saw the potential of Smith Rock, and together we unlocked the potential,” he said. “At most there were a dozen of us, all living in Bend, who transformed Smith Rock into a world-class climbing area. The most fun came from hanging out with these incredible, inspiring, fun-loving individuals, sharing the dream. It became obvious after a few years that our approach was working tremendously well, and we knew that someday the rest of the climbing world would have to take notice.”
Watts was waiting in line at Jackson’s Corner in Bend a few months ago when he ran into an old friend and chatted for a moment until it was Watts’ turn to order. “In the background I quietly heard him mention to his female partner ‘He’s the one who developed climbing at Smith Rock.’ And I heard her quiet reply, ‘He must feel horrible about what he did.’”
When Watts goes to Smith Rock on a sunny day in peak season, and there’s no parking for a half-mile before the park entrance, he understands her point and shares her frustration. “But I recognize that I’m not to blame,” he said. “The discovery of the climbing potential at Smith Rock was inevitable. If I had never been born, someone else would have done the same thing.”
Through the Eyes of Alan Watts
But despite the massive growth throughout Central Oregon’s outdoor playgrounds, Watts considers the environment remarkably well preserved. “There are still days when you can be enjoying Nordic trails at Mt. Bachelor almost alone, or riding or running on Phil’s Trail when few other people are out there,” he said. “I still go to Smith Rock from time to time and find myself alone.”
Some areas have barely changed from the early days, he added. On a sunny day in August, hundreds of people will climb South Sister, while just a few will stand atop North Sister. “We are blessed with the vastness of our outdoor recreation options … each one of us has the responsibility to treat these special places kindly, so that future generations can enjoy the same experience as the pioneers.”
Photos From the Early Days of Bend’s Outdoor Scene:
Bend Ski Camp, 1979
Virginia Meissner
Bob Woodward and Juha Mieto
Dennis Oliphant, 1980
Easter Relay Race, 1985
Jay Bowerman, 1978
Mark Pearson and Bob Woodward, 1986
Nordic Center Staff, 1987
Tim Boyle, Don Ipock and Gary Bonacker sit on the summit of Mt. Bachelor in 1976 with their “Klunker” bikes, an early, one-speed version of a mountain bike.
Gary Bonacker, 1978
Sports Illustrated cover, 1991
Steelhead Falls, 1986
Dennis Heater
Phil Meglasson, 2005
Dennis Oliphant and Gary Bonacker, 1978.
Sun Country Tours, 1970s.
Dennis Oliphant, Gary Bonacker and Bob Woodward, 1970s.
In Central Oregon, pizza is often described as a melting pot. While Bend isn’t known for any particular style, locals and transplants have introduced a variety of techniques from their travels across the U.S. and beyond. Do you prefer your pizza ‘party cut’ (round pizza cut into squares) or served in an ‘isosceles’ (the perfect slice from a perfectly round pizza)? Maybe you seek a slice with the ideal ‘cheese pull’ (the tantalizing stretch of cheese when pulling two slices apart), or a piece that won’t ‘avalanche’ (when all of the toppings fall off as you pick up the slice). After scouring peaks and buttes, we think we’ve found some seriously noteworthy pies.
BEND PIZZA:
Abe Capana’s Detroit Pan Pizza + Italian | Bend
Abe Cappana’s serves up delicious Detroit-style pizza, proudly upholding a 70-year-old tradition of pie perfection in Central Oregon. Parked at Crosscut Warming Hut in Bend’s Old Mill District, this food cart crafts masterful pies with homemade red sauce and dough. The Max, a crowd favorite, boasts a flavorful medley of pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, onions and black olives—all harmonizing with their signature red sauce. Another star on the menu is the Something About Olivia pie, featuring prosciutto, pear, mozzarella, arugula, lemon, balsamic and crumbled gorgonzola over a luscious white sauce. Click here for more information about Abe Cappana’s.
Bruno’s 6th Street Market | Bend
Bruno’s is not just a pizza stop, it’s a community market that caters to a wide-range of community cravings. Beyond pizzas, this neighborhood gem offers beer, wine, snacks, candies, calzones, sandwiches, salads and breakfast items—a one-stop-shop for quality and convenience. The pizza is a standout, though and here are some recommendations: The Meatza Pizza is a hearty delight, laden with ham, sausage, pepperoni, salami and roasted garlic; The Taco Pizza features refried beans, taco meat, red onions, pickled jalapenos and cheese, crowned with lettuce, tomatoes and crumbled tortilla chips for those wanting a south of the border adventure. Click here for more information about Bruno’s 6th Street Market.
Cibelli’s | Various Locations in Central Oregon
Cibelli’s brings the taste of a New York slice to the heart of Oregon, thanks to the vision of NYC native Frank Cibelli. With more than two decades of dough-spinning expertise, Cibelli’s has become synonymous with exceptional customer service and the finest, freshest ingredients. The simple menu pays homage to classic pizza, offering everything from plain cheese and pepperoni to Hawaiian and combos. Pizza lovers can craft their own pizzas, customizing bases, cheeses, meats and veggie options. With six locations around Central Oregon, Cibelli’s taste of the Big Apple right in the heart of Central Oregon. Click here for more information about Cibelli’s.
God of Pizza! | Bend
God of Pizza might seem like an impossible name to live up to, but the reviews are in and it seems as though this Bend food truck serves heaven-sent pies. Located off NE Oxford Court in Bend, this spot crafts thin-crust pizza topped with flavorful and fresh ingredients. Pies to tempt your palate include Apollo’s Sunburst with yellow heirloom tomato sauce, a house cheese blend, sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto, basil oil and aged pecorino cheese. Another tempting option is Garuda’s Flight, which has a base of house red sauce and cheese topped with duck sausage, caramelized onion, sheep’s milk cheese, basil oil and aged pecorino cheese. Click here for more information about God of Pizza!.
Jackson’s Corner | Bend
What started as a weekly special—the Honey Pie— has become a permanent fixture on its menu. Jackson’s Corner uses locally sourced ingredients and naturally leavened dough for their pizza. For over 24 hours or more, the sourdough is left to rise using a generation starter created more than five years ago, allowing the dough to rise without commercial yeast additives and accounting for its remarkable flavor. This sweet-meets-savory pie is made using Home Farm Foods pork sausage, mascarpone cheese, sliced jalapeños, wildflower honey from Bend and house-made marinara. The omission of mozzarella for creamy mascarpone allows the house-seasoned sausage to bring a briny, salty element. The sweetness from local honey, drizzled over each slice, harmoniously balances out the heat from fresh jalapeños. Click here for more information about Jackson’s Corner.
Ken’s Artisan Pizza | Bend
Portland’s acclaimed Ken’s Artisan Pizza has arrived in Bend. Experience their legendary wood-fired pies with blistered crusts, hand-stretched mozzarella, and sustainable toppings. Ranked 5th best in the USA, they offer Italian-inspired deliciousness, from salads and starters to hand-crafted pizzas like the Burrata and Margherita. Don’t forget their delightful desserts, including Earl Grey Panna Cotta and Affogato, plus a curated selection of cocktails, beer, and cider. Visit Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Bend Thursday – Mondays.
Ken’s Artisan Pizza
Old Towne Pizza Company | Bend
Remember those hometown pizzerias with red and white checkered tablecloths, neon signs, a fresh salad bar and a jukebox? They were for go-to Friday nights and when Mom didn’t want to cook. For twenty years, Olde Towne Pizza Company has been serving family favorites at their Greenwood location. The Stromboli is arguably the best pie on their menu, loaded with classic pepperoni, thinly sliced white onion, green bell peppers and Italian sausage.
A robust crust, made with hand-thrown dough, holds up the weight of each slice, packed with traditional marinara and hot, gooey cheese. Terry Parker, owner, operator and full-time pizza maker, believes in consistent quality and service for his dedicated customer base. Crust lovers, choose from Original, Chicago, New York (thin), or New York City (extra thin) when ordering your pie. Click here for more information about Old Towne Pizza.
Pacific Pizza and Brew | Bend
Driving down the mountain after a day of adventure? Pacific Pizza and Brew is the ideal spot to fill up with pizza. Serving up ‘za since 2013, the vibrant and family-friendly ambiance also makes it a perfect place for weekend lunches or relaxed weeknight dinners. And the pizza doesn’t disappoint. The Greek Sausage Pizza, a flavor-packed creation featuring marinara sauce, mozzarella, sausage, mushrooms, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese, is sure to hit the spot. Or, for something a little more elevated, try the Bacon & Fig Pizza with a garlic olive oil base, mozzarella, bacon, figs and roasted red onions, topped with arugula and a balsamic vinegar reduction. Click here for more information about Pacific Pizza.
Pinky G’s Pizzeria | Bend
Bend, get ready to join the Pinky G’s pizza family! It’s not just pizza; it’s about building community, one perfect slice at a time. Pinky G’s Bend is here, bringing their commitment to top-notch local pizza, a full bar, and that welcoming vibe we love. From their 2011 roots to their new home in Bend, they’re all about your satisfaction. Come taste the Pinky G’s difference daily (and late on weekends!).
Pizza Mondo | Bend
An iconic Central Oregon eatery, Pizza Mondo has been a downtown fixture for more than 25 years, welcoming guests with slices and whole pies to calzones, salads, breadsticks and garlic knots. For a rewarding post-adventure treat, indulge in the “After Mountain Special,” which is a carb-laden take on the idea of happy hour–get two slices with bottomless soda for $8, or swap in a pint for an additional $2. Click here for more information about Pizza Mondo.
Raganelli’s Pizza | Bend
Named after the founder’s grandfather, Raganelli’s Pizza has been a family affair since 2011. Committed to fresh, local ingredients, and with the owner’s kids often lending a hand in the kitchen, Raganelli makes its signature dough from scratch daily and crafts pizzas and Italian sub sandwiches that hit the mark on quality and flavor. Try Vito’s Supreme, built on a bed of red sauce, layered with pepperoni, Italian sausage and veggies, or opt for the Mediterranean Veggie, a savory blend of fresh spinach, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese. Click here for more information about Raganelli’s Pizza.
In order of appearance: Old Towne, Grace & Hammer and Jackson’s Corner | Photo by Alex Jordan
SISTERS + TUMALO PIZZA:
Boone Dog | Sisters
For the mother of all prestigiously decorated pizza pies, head north to Sisters. Boone Dog Pizza, a food cart on Hood Avenue, has created the Quattro Formaggi, a garlic-and-cream-based pizza loaded up with every kind of specialty cheese you could imagine. Cascadia Creamery’s finest are showcased, including their Sleeping Beauty, Glacier Blue, the milder Sawtooth or a Bellweather Farms ricotta. Apprehensive about the distinctive blue cheese aroma? Fret not. Cascadia Creamery describes its Glacier Blue as the “gateway blue.” Buttery Sleeping Beauty is a fantastic complement to its cream-based sauce, while the ricotta offers a balance to toppings of sliced red onions, Castel Vetrano olives and fresh thyme. Balsamic reduction drizzle completes the acidity slice of the pie, curating umami with each savory bite. Flock to their cart early in the day, as they tend to sell out before 6 p.m. Click here for more information about Boone Dog Pizza.
Pisano’s | Tumalo
When you want a pizza that can pass for a salad, go for the Proscuitto e Pomodorini. This pie starts out as a classico wood-fired pizza; the hand-tossed dough is covered in crushed San Marzano tomatoes and topped with fresh mozzarella slices. After this beauty is pulled from the oven, it’s loaded with prosciutto slices, heaps of arugula, cherry tomatoes and hearty shavings of parmesan cheese. We’re fairly certain this counts as your serving of greens for the day. Pisano’s, located in the heart of Tumalo, is stacked full of cut lumber for fueling their stone oven. Aside from a multitude of fifteen-inch blanco and rosso pies, the roadside pizzeria offers Italian favorites such as Zeppoli (fried pizza dough tossed in cinnamon and sugar), “insanely good” cheesecake, as well as clever beer and wine idioms scribbled in chalkboard pen. Click here for more information about Pisano’s.
REDMOND PIZZA:
Grace & Hammer | Redmond
The pizzaioli (AKA pizza makers) of Grace & Hammer elevate the white pizza sauce game with their bechamel-based pie, Propriety. French butter sauce delivers a slightly more sophisticated spin on the classic Alfredo sauce and is most often used for blanco pies. Propriety starts with a housemade bechamel, topped with fresh mozzarella and goat’s milk feta cheese. Chefs Pio Valensin and Adam Valentine chose button mushrooms to grace this pie atop the cheese and sourdough crust. After the pie emerges from their monstrous steel oven, it’s dressed with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. For a pop of color and peppery bite, it’s finished with a handful of fresh arugula. For a match made in non-denominational heaven, pair this pie with signature cocktail Three Finger Jack—Maker’s Mark whiskey, local smoked honey, orange bitters and Oregon cherry. Click here for more information about Grace & Hammer.
Grace & Hammer Pizza | Photo by Tambi Lane
SUNRIVER PIZZA:
The Fold Craft Pizza + Kitchen | Sunriver
The Fold is a must-stop for anyone on the hunt for a good slice in a bright atmosphere. While the pizza is the star of the show, the diverse menu offers something for everyone. Find salads, sandwiches, appetizers and a full bar alongside signature pizzas. But if you are craving a cheesy slice of pizza pie, check out the Bee Sting with house tomato sauce, homemade sausage, mama’s lil’ peppers, onion, provolone, parmesan, and spicy honey. Alternatively, try the Sweet Cheesus, featuring house tomato sauce, burrata, basil, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan. Click here for more information about The Fold Craft Pizza.
We created this helpful gift guide for the 2023 holiday season. But this curated Central Oregon list of some of our favorite things would be helpful for gift-givers year-round. Whether shopping from a place of ACTION or AFFECTION; seeking to feather a NEST or NURTURE minds and bodies—remember to PLAY and enjoy the process. Often, it’s the best of times when we give, more than when we receive. Happy giving!
Gifts of AFFECTION
Page 1, from top: SEEING STARS: Each of these pendants allow you to give the moon and beyond. Here, 18kt yellow gold shines bright, along with centerpieces that include mother of pearl and diamond accents. Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, Old Mill District. SAY VOLUMES: If you can’t find the words, there’s a poet that will help. Pablo Neruda’s words in Spanish, translated to English, show affection isn’t lost in translation. Mary Oliver’s connections to nature and the human experience are gathered in Devotions. Find at local bookstores. MIDAS TOUCH: A gold link necklace or geometric earrings are a simple touch of luxury to tuck in a stocking. Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, Old Mill District. GIFT OF TIME: Whether as a reminder of each precious moment or to keep loved ones on time, the gift of a watch is not only old school, it’s always in style. Shinola watches, made in Detroit, are found at Revolvr Menswear, Bend. THE WAY TO A HEART…is likely through chocolate. 80% single-origin Tanzania chocolate is used in this decadent cocoa mix made by Bend chocolatier Seahorse Chocolate. GIVE A HAND: Bangle stacks and rings are affectionate adornments in 18kt gold with diamonds and jade. Artistry from Roberto Coin and other designers is available at Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, Old Mill District.
Gifts for PLAY
Page 2, from left: PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD: Copper and concrete fondue set at Wild Petals Provisions, Bend. FOR KIDS AND COLLECTORS: Breyer horses are beloved, found at Absolute Horse, Bend. MAKE MUSIC: Soprano Carbon Fiber Ukulele, made in Bend by Outdoor Ukulele with packaging illustrated by Megan Marie Myers. Find it at The Bend Store, downtown. GAME TIME: Artisan-made balsa wood backgammon sets in two sizes, for travel or home, found at Merryweather Home Gift Design, The Box Factory. SHAKEN AND SERVED: Rocket cocktail shaker, from Furnish. in Bend; and fish-etched Rolf martini glass from Pomegranate Home & Garden. PET PLAY: Leashes from local brand Spindrift expand up to two feet, making walks safer (and more fun) for dogs and owners. Find them at Bend Pet Express, Bend. SMALL WORLD: Discover the adventurous world of Maileg mice at Hopscotch Kids, Bend.
ACTION Gifts
Page 4, from top: LAYER FOR ADVENTURE: Lined denim jacket from Filson, at Les Newman’s Quality Footwear and Clothing, Bend. WEATHER OR NOT: For rain or style, Ilse Jacobsen boots from North Soles Footwear, Bend. ACTIVITY-FRIENDLY JEWELRY: In a rainbow of colors, hand-woven bracelets from Bronwen Jewelry, Bend, are meant to be worn on all of life’s journeys. POURING FRESHIES: A pressurized growler keeps beer both cold and effervescent, available at The Bend Store. SIP: Refreshments never looked better than in glasses, from pilsner to pint, etched with a pinecone motif, from Pomegranate Home & Garden, Bend. READY FOR SNOW: Find snowy trails on a pair of snowshoes from Mountain Supply, Bend.
RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT: Be ready to meet the fish of your dreams with a waterproof pack from Confluence Fly Shop, Old Mill District. CATCH THIS: A silver flask for good luck or hydration, at Pomegranate Home & Garden, Bend. RUN: Top off the feeling of elated feet with a wicking runner’s hat from FootZone, Bend.
NURTURE Gifts
Page 5, from left, clockwise: PICK A FAVORITE: Floral silk pajamas are just one style from a bouquet of choices in the pajama room of Lulu’s Boutique, downtown Bend. RELAX: Fill a bath, add mineral-rich elixirs from OSEA and hydrate with Salt & Stone body wash of ocean botanicals, and antioxidants found at Wren & Wild Clean Beauty, Bend. REJUVENATE: Spa treatments stay home by give soothing treats—Knesko eye masks, jade roller and Black Pearl resurfacing serum from Evoke Healing Space & Spa,, Bend. BREAKFAST ALL DAY: New, from Foxtail Bakeshop’s Nickol Hayden-Cady is Treats from the Den, a cookbook collection of comfort foods. SLIPPERS ALL DAY: A platform for details of embroidery and full luxury from UGG, Bend Shoe Co., Bend. BALANCING ACT: Tipsy the Bird balancing bottle opener is as much art as utility, from Furnish., Bend. POUR: Share wine from Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards. TEA TIME: Breakfast, herbal or High Tea is served up in a proper English ceramic pot—a classic 1896 design from Great Britain at Kara’s Kitchenware, Old Mill District. MOOD RINGS: Settings and stones as individual as the people who wear them, from designer Jamie Joseph at Silverado Jewelry Gallery, Bend. SAGE THOUGHTS: Clear minds and space with fragrant bundles complemented with gems, Evoke Healing Space & Spa, Bend.
Gifts to NEST
Page 6, from top left: NATURAL GLOW: Zebra agate table lamps bring earthly grounding to a space, The Jewel, Sisters. RETRO VIBES: Countertops become galleries when appliances are art. Smeg toaster from Johnson Brothers Appliances, Bend. GATHER TOGETHER: A sipping tray signals time for a toast or aperitif. Find it at Arrange, Bend. GINGERBREAD HOUSE: For a host gift, or gift to your own holiday home, Gingerbread Coffee Liqueur from Oregon Spirit Distillers. PIECE BY PIECE: Gather around and work together on a German-designed Ravensburger puzzle from Leapin’ Lizards Toy Company, downtown Bend. LET THERE BE LIGHT: Stained glass refracts a rainbow of color in a House of Joy. Find both hanging art and the book from Root Adorned, NorthWest Crossing.
Embrace the Chill: The Winter Benefits of Laser Treatments, Featuring Fraxel® DUAL Laser at Bend Dermatology Clinic’s DermaSpa
As winter blankets the world in a serene, snowy hush, it is not just the perfect time to enjoy cozy nights by the fire; it is also an ideal season for rejuvenating your skin. While laser treatments are suitable year-round, the winter months offer distinct advantages for addressing a variety of skin concerns. DermaSpa at Bend Dermatology Clinic, offers an exceptional range of laser treatments, including the transformative Fraxel® DUAL Laser. Let us delve into the winter benefits of laser treatments and why Fraxel DUAL Laser is your go-to solution for radiant, revitalized skin.
Why Winter is Ideal for Laser Treatments
Reduced Sun Exposure: Winter’s shorter days and lower sun angles mean you are less likely to be exposed to the sun’s intense ultraviolet (UV) rays. This is a significant advantage, as UV exposure can increase the risk of post-treatment complications and prolong healing.
Smoother Recovery: After a laser treatment, your skin may be sensitive and require some downtime for recovery. The cooler, less humid winter air can be more comfortable for this period, reducing the chances of sweating and irritation during the healing process.
Less Risk of Hyperpigmentation: Laser treatments can sometimes cause temporary hyperpigmentation or darkening of the treated skin. With less sun exposure in winter, there is a decreased risk of triggering or worsening this condition.
Collagen Stimulation: Many laser treatments, including Fraxel DUAL Laser, work by stimulating collagen production. Collagen provides structural support to the skin, leading to improved texture and reduced wrinkles. Winter is an ideal time for these treatments, as it allows for the gradual development of new collagen before the skin is exposed to the sun’s harmful rays.
Fraxel DUAL Laser: A Versatile Solution for Winter Skin Woes
Fraxel DUAL Laser is a game-changer in the world of dermatology. It is known for its versatility, effectively targeting various skin concerns. Here are some reasons why Fraxel DUAL Laser stands out:
Improved Skin Texture: Fraxel DUAL Laser excels in enhancing skin texture by stimulating collagen production and encouraging the turnover of damaged skin cells. It can help smooth out rough patches and minimize enlarged pores.
Wrinkle Reduction: Say goodbye to fine lines and wrinkles! Fraxel DUAL Laser stimulates the skin’s natural rejuvenation process, resulting in visibly smoother and more youthful-looking skin.
Pigmentation Concerns: Whether you are dealing with sunspots, age spots, or melasma, Fraxel DUAL Laser can target and break down pigmentation, revealing a more even complexion.
Scar Revision: Scars from acne, surgery, or injuries can be a source of self-consciousness. Fraxel DUAL Laser helps improve their appearance by promoting the regeneration of healthy skin cells.
Customizable Treatment Plans: Everyone’s skin is unique, and Fraxel DUAL Laser offers a customizable approach. Your dermatologist can tailor the intensity and depth of the treatment to address your specific concerns effectively.
Minimal Downtime: With Fraxel DUAL Laser, you can expect minimal downtime, making it an ideal option for individuals with busy schedules.
Long-Lasting Results: The results achieved with Fraxel DUAL Laser are not only noticeable but also long-lasting. The new collagen and elastin fibers continue to develop over the following months, providing a sustained youthful appearance.
DermaSpa at Bend Dermatology Clinic: Your Winter Laser Destination
DermaSpa, located in Bend, Oregon, is your premier destination for Fraxel DUAL Laser and a wide array of other laser treatments. Our team of skilled dermatologists, certified physician assistants, registered nurses, and aestheticians, is committed to providing top-notch patient care and creating personalized treatment plans tailored to your unique needs and goals.
Whether you are aiming to reduce the signs of aging, address pigmentation issues, or enhance your skin’s texture, Fraxel DUAL Laser treatments can help you attain the radiant, rejuvenated skin you desire. Give yourself the gift of revitalized skin and experience the confidence and radiance that come with it. To schedule an appointment, visit BendDerm.com or call them at 541.382.5712.
ABOUT THE DERMATOLOGY PROVIDER
Mariah Johnson, M.D. – Dr. Johnson is a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon and a Board-Certified Dermatologist working at our East Bend Mohs & DermaSpa, Redmond, and Klamath Falls locations. She specializes in Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, Skin Cancer Treatment, Medical Dermatology, and Cosmetic Dermatology. When asked about her passion for dermatology, she answered, “The skin is a fascinating organ as a window into our internal health, genetics, and environmental exposures. A multitude of health information can be gleaned simply by examining the skin.”
December 4, 2023 | Sponsored Content
Unlocking Radiant Skin: The Benefits of Fraxel® DUAL Laser at Bend Dermatology Clinic’s DermaSpa
In today’s fast-paced world, where appearances often take center stage, achieving and maintaining healthy, radiant skin can feel like a never-ending quest. Thankfully, advances in dermatological technology have provided us with powerful tools to address a wide range of skin concerns, from fine lines and wrinkles to sun damage and acne scars. One such groundbreaking treatment available at Bend Dermatology Clinic’s DermaSpa, is the Fraxel® DUAL Laser. This innovative laser technology is revolutionizing skin care by offering a wide array of benefits that can help you achieve the clear, youthful complexion you have always dreamed of.
What is Fraxel DUAL Laser?
Fraxel DUAL Laser is a non-invasive fractional laser treatment that utilizes the power of focused light to rejuvenate and resurface the skin. The name Fraxel comes from, fractional, and laser, highlighting its unique approach of treating only a fraction of the skin at a time, leaving surrounding tissue untouched. This allows for quicker healing and minimal downtime, making it an attractive option for busy individuals seeking noticeable results.
The Benefits of Fraxel DUAL Laser
Improved Skin Texture: One of the primary benefits of the Fraxel DUAL Laser is its ability to address a variety of skin texture issues. Whether you are dealing with rough patches, enlarged pores, or acne scars, this laser can help stimulate collagen production and encourage skin cell turnover, resulting in a smoother and more refined complexion.
Reduction of Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Over time, the skin naturally loses collagen and elastin, leading to the development of fine lines and wrinkles. Fraxel DUAL Laser triggers the body’s natural healing process, leading to the production of new collagen and elastin, which can effectively reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Treatment of Pigmentation Concerns: Sun damage, age spots, and melasma can significantly impact one’s self-esteem. Fraxel DUAL Laser targets these pigmentation issues, breaking down the pigment and encouraging the body to eliminate it, resulting in a more even skin tone.
Reduction of Scarring: Whether it’s from acne, surgery, or injury, scars can be a source of frustration and self-consciousness. Fraxel DUAL Laser can help soften and improve the appearance of scars by promoting the regeneration of healthy skin cells.
Minimal Downtime: Unlike more aggressive laser treatments, Fraxel DUAL Laser boasts minimal downtime. Patients can typically return to their regular activities within a few days, making it a convenient option for those with busy schedules.
Customizable Treatment Plans: Fraxel DUAL Laser is highly customizable to meet the specific needs and goals of each patient. Your dermatologist can adjust the intensity and depth of the treatment to address your unique concerns effectively.
Long-Lasting Results: While multiple sessions may be required for optimal results, the improvements achieved with Fraxel DUAL Laser tend to be long-lasting. The new collagen and elastin fibers continue to develop in the months following treatment, contributing to a sustained, youthful appearance.
Enhanced Self-Confidence: Achieving smoother, more radiant skin can have a profound impact on one’s self-confidence and overall well-being. With Fraxel DUAL Laser, many individuals experience a boost in self-esteem and a renewed sense of self.
DermaSpa at Bend Dermatology Clinic: Your Fraxel Destination
We are proud to offer the transformative benefits of Fraxel DUAL Laser to patients seeking to rejuvenate their skin. Our team of experienced dermatology providers provide top-notch patient care and ensure each treatment is tailored to the unique needs of the individual.
At DermaSpa you can trust that your skin’s health and appearance are in good hands. Whether you are looking to reduce the signs of aging, address pigmentation issues, or improve skin texture, Fraxel DUAL Laser treatments can help you achieve your skin goals.
If you are seeking a minimally invasive treatment that provides noticeable and long-lasting results, DermaSpa at Bend Dermatology Clinic, is your premier destination for Fraxel DUAL Laser treatment. Experience the beauty and confidence that come with radiant, healthy skin, and unlock a brighter, more youthful version of yourself with Fraxel DUAL Laser. To schedule an appointment, visit BendDerm.com or call them at 541-382-5712.
ABOUT THE DERMATOLOGY PROVIDER
Mariah Johnson, M.D. – Dr. Johnson is a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon and a Board-Certified Dermatologist working at our East Bend Mohs & DermaSpa, Redmond, and Klamath Falls locations. She specializes in Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, Skin Cancer Treatment, Medical Dermatology, and Cosmetic Dermatology. When asked about her passion for dermatology, she answered, “The skin is a fascinating organ as a window into our internal health, genetics, and environmental exposures. A multitude of health information can be gleaned simply by examining the skin.”
July 5, 2023 | Sponsored Content
Sculptra® – Rejuvenation with Longer-Lasting Results
Sculptra® is a dermal filler that has gained significant popularity in recent years because of its unique approach to facial rejuvenation that provides a long-lasting solution to facial wrinkles, lines, and creases. Approved by the FDA for cosmetic use since 2009, it has been used in Europe since 1999. It has since become a go-to option for those seeking a more youthful appearance without surgery. Sculptra’s unique mechanism of action makes it a particularly attractive option for individuals seeking a gradual and natural-looking improvement in their skin’s texture and volume. We asked Alexandre Becker, RN, from Bend Dermatology Clinic to answer some questions about Sculptra as we explore Sculptra’s effectiveness in addressing facial aging, how it differs from other
fillers in the market, its longevity, and what to expect during and after treatment.
Q: What is Sculptra, and how does it work?
Sculptra is a prescription injectable cosmetic product used to restore facial volume and improve the appearance of wrinkles and folds. It is considered a bio-stimulatory filler made up of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a substance that is naturally found in the body. When injected under the skin, PLLA stimulates the production of collagen, which helps to plump up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Collagen is a protein that gives skin strength and elasticity. As we age, our bodies slow down the production of this vital protein, which starts to show on our faces through wrinkles and loss of volume. As Sculptra stimulates the production of collagen, the deep, underlying structure of the skin is restored, the skin becomes plumper, and the appearance of wrinkles and folds is reduced. This process is gradual; you will see results within four to eight weeks of your treatment, depending on the patient. Your results will be more natural looking and longer lasting than other injectable fillers that generally last around ten months.
Q: What does Sculptra treat?
Sculptra is FDA-approved for the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (the lines that run from the nose to the mouth), marionette lines (the lines that run from the corners of the mouth to the chin), and chin wrinkles. It can also improve the appearance of sunken cheeks and jowls. And as of April 26, 2023, the FDA has approved Sculptra for the correction of fine lines and wrinkles in the cheek area (see Market Insider news release here).
Q: How is Sculptra different from other fillers?
This unique injectable filler differs from others in several ways. Unlike traditional hyaluronic acid fillers that provide immediate volume to the treatment area, Sculptra works gradually by stimulating the body’s natural collagen production. This means that the results of Sculptra can last up to two years or more, making it a longer-lasting option compared to other injectables. Additionally, Sculptra can treat larger areas of the face, such as the temples and cheeks, whereas other fillers are typically used for smaller, more localized areas. Finally, Sculptra is often used for patients who desire a more subtle and natural-looking improvement, as the results are achieved gradually and without the appearance of over-
filling or puffiness.
Q: Will I need multiple treatments for the best results?
Sculptra is typically administered in a series of four to six treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart. The results are gradual and may take several months to develop fully. However, the results can be long-lasting, with some people seeing results lasting up to two years.
Q: What should I expect on the day of treatment and after?
Your rejuvenation journey will always start with a consultation. While the consultation is the best time for your provider to review your medical history, it is also essential for you to ask questions and explain what you are trying to achieve. This conversation will ensure that the best treatment plan is put in place. In addition, always make sure your treatments are being administered by a trained healthcare professional to avoid any complications. On the day of your treatment, the targeted area will be cleaned, and an anesthetic may be used to make you more comfortable. Then, the provider will inject Sculptra underneath the skin with a thin needle at the desired treatment sites. Sculptra does not require downtime, so you can go about your normal activities after your session. As with any medical procedure, some potential risks and side effects are associated with a Sculptra treatment. These include bruising, swelling, redness, and tenderness at the injection site. This may last a few days. In rare cases, more serious side effects can occur, such as infection, delayed onset nodules, allergic reaction, and changes in skin pigmentation.
Q: Is Sculptra safe for everyone?
Yes, Sculptra is a safe dermal filler that has been used since 2009 for cosmetic use here in the U.S. Sculptra is not recommended for patients who are pregnant, lactating, breastfeeding, or under 18 years of age. Its safety and effectiveness have not been evaluated on these patients or patients with bleeding disorders, active hepatitis, cancer, myocardial infarction, or on any immunosuppressive therapy.
In the Spring of 2022, BOTOX® Cosmetic celebrated its 20th year since being approved by the FDA as a temporary cosmetic treatment for moderate to severe frown lines in adults. Today, it is a popular and safe treatment for different types of lines and wrinkles. We asked Cosmetic Nurse Injector Alex Becker, RN, at Bend Dermatology Clinic to answer your top questions about BOTOX Cosmetic.
Q: What is BOTOX Cosmetic, and how does it work?
BOTOX Cosmetic is a neuromodulator that blocks communication from your nerves to your muscle. This action results in the muscle relaxing. There are two classifications of wrinkles. Static wrinkles are the ones we have at rest. In contrast, dynamic wrinkles are those created with muscle movement such as frowning, laughing, or raising your eyebrows. BOTOX Cosmetic is excellent for these because it improves the appearance of the dynamic wrinkles you already have and can prevent new ones from forming.
Q: What is the difference between BOTOX Cosmetic and fillers?
This is a great question, as the two are often confused! BOTOX Cosmetic works by preventing muscle contractions, thus helping prevent fine lines and wrinkles. Fillers add volume, structure, and support in areas such as the lips and cheeks. Some of the fillers we offer at Bend Dermatology Clinic include Restylane®, RADIESSE®, and JUVÉDERM®.
Q: At what age should I start using BOTOX Cosmetic?
This truly varies from patient to patient. It depends on the degree of your fine lines and wrinkles. It also depends on how comfortable you are getting this type of procedure and doing what feels right for you. I think starting in your 30s is a great time to begin preventing wrinkles from forming.
Q: How long do results last?
BOTOX Cosmetic results last two to three months. If you need a touch-up or want to start a maintenance schedule, consult with your Provider to formulate a plan specific to you.
Q: If I want to get BOTOX Cosmetic before a special event, when should I get the treatment?
I recommend four to six weeks before your event. BOTOX Cosmetic takes about two weeks to fully take effect. In two weeks, we can reassess to see if you need a touch-up in any areas. If a touch-up is necessary, this will allow an additional two weeks for the BOTOX Cosmetic to take effect. However, I suggest starting six months in advance if you are planning for a big event like a wedding. If you are new to BOTOX Cosmetic, this gives you time to see if you like it or allows us to make adjustments. It also allows us to create a customized treatment plan to prepare you for your big event!
Q: Can I use BOTOX Cosmetic to prevent lines from forming?
Absolutely! BOTOX Cosmetic is fantastic as a preventative treatment to keep lines and wrinkles from forming. Now, let’s be clear, BOTOX Cosmetic can postpone wrinkles, but it cannot stop the aging process.
Q: Is everyone a candidate for BOTOX Cosmetic?
No. Upon consultation, we will discuss risks and explore your health history to see if you are a good candidate for BOTOX Cosmetic. Pregnant or breastfeeding clients are not candidates for these injectables.
About the Dermatology Provider
Alexandra Becker, BSN, RN – As a Cosmetic Registered Nurse, Alex is passionate about providing patient-centered care by helping her patients feel educated and confident in their skin care and aesthetic decisions. You can consult with her about BOTOX Cosmetic treatments at the West Bend or East Bend Mohs & DermaSpa locations. You can also see us at our East Bend Main location, Klamath Falls, Prineville, and Redmond. You can book an appointment online or call us at 541-382-5712.
May 1, 2023 | Sponsored Content
Enhance Your Skin’s Appearance with Fraxel® DUAL Laser Now Available at Bend Dermatology Clinic
Our skin serves as a shield for our body, but it can also reflect the impact of various factors such as genetics, age, health, and environment. We may observe blemishes like redness, sunspots, dullness, scars, and wrinkles on our skin. To address these issues, a recommended approach is receiving a laser skin resurfacing treatment using the Fraxel® DUAL 1550/1927. By targeting the skin’s surface layers, this treatment can help you achieve a smoother, more youthful, and refreshed appearance. Bend Dermatology Clinic answers your top questions about the Fraxel DUAL laser and laser skin resurfacing available in Bend, Oregon.
How does the Fraxel DUAL laser work?
Fraxel DUAL is a non-ablative, fractional resurfacing technology that employs two wavelengths (1550nm and 1927nm). Like other lasers, Fraxel DUAL targets water in the middle layer of the skin, gently heating it to cause controlled thermal tissue damage. By creating microscopic columns of tissue injury across the treated area, the Fraxel DUAL stimulates collagen production, enabling the skin to heal itself. The two wavelengths enable the laser to treat both the superficial and deeper layers of the skin, and the fractional approach allows for precise targeting of specific areas without affecting surrounding tissue. These factors make Fraxel DUAL treatments less harsh than ablative lasers and result in a shorter recovery time.
Fraxel DUAL treatments are also known as skin resurfacing or skin rejuvenation treatments, as they stimulate the growth of new cells and restore natural collagen production, resulting in smoother and plumper skin. While the Fraxel DUAL laser is most commonly used on the face, it can treat any area of the body, such as the neck, arms, legs, décolletage, hands, and back.
What does the Fraxel DUAL laser treat?
The Fraxel DUAL is an effective solution for several skin concerns. It can enhance skin tone, texture, and radiance, making it a popular choice. The following is a list of the conditions it can help treat:
Fraxel DUAL laser treatment benefits include smoother, more youthful, and radiant skin, minimal downtime, and lower risks of side effects than ablative lasers. Patients typically notice immediate improvements and further results develop as the skin heals over several months.
Q: Will I need multiple treatments, and how long do results last?
As the Fraxel DUAL laser operates by treating a smaller section of skin at a time, it may be necessary to undergo multiple sessions. The optimal number of treatments varies depending on the individual, but typically, the most effective outcomes are observed after three sessions. The intervals between each treatment are usually spaced out at four to six-week intervals.
Following your treatment, you will experience immediate outcomes, and your skin will gradually enhance over the course of six months. By utilizing quality skin care products and wearing sunscreen daily, you can anticipate maintaining the results for a year or even longer.
In addition to the Fraxel DUAL laser, other procedures can be performed to complement your skin care regimen. Consult your dermatology provider to determine the most suitable treatment options that can optimize your desired outcomes. At Bend Dermatology Clinic, our dermatology providers will engage in a comprehensive consultation with you, taking into account your expectations and individual requirements, and customize a treatment plan accordingly.
Q: What should I expect on the day of my Fraxel DUAL laser treatment?
A common concern among patients is whether the procedure involves any discomfort or pain. During the treatment, you may experience a slight pricking sensation and warmth, according to some. While some may feel a mild prickling sensation accompanied by heat, your provider will apply a topical numbing agent for your comfort.
The Fraxel DUAL laser is adaptable, allowing us to customize the intensity of the heat delivery to suit your individual needs. Additionally, the laser includes a cooling mechanism that alleviates any discomfort. The duration of the treatment is dependent on the treatment area’s size and the underlying condition being treated.
Q: What is the downtime after a laser treatment?
This treatment involves minimal downtime. You may experience a sunburn-like sensation immediately following the procedure, accompanied by dryness and itching. It is advisable to use a gentle cleanser and a rich moisturizer to nourish and soothe the skin. Refrain from applying any products that may cause skin irritation, including retinols and exfoliants. To safeguard your skin, avoid sun exposure and apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. If necessary, your dermatology provider can recommend suitable products based on your specific skin type. While the healing process varies for everyone, most patients typically recover within a week.
For more information regarding the Fraxel DUAL laser treatment or any other cosmetic dermatology procedures, Bend Dermatology Clinic has six convenient locations in Klamath Falls, Prineville, Redmond, West Bend, and two in East Bend to cater to your needs. Our team comprises of board-certified dermatologists, certified physician assistants, registered nurses, and certified advanced aestheticians, who possess extensive expertise and training in managing Medical Dermatology or Cosmetic Dermatology concerns. To schedule an appointment, visit BendDerm.com or call them at 541-382-5712.
March 1, 2023 | Sponsored Content
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JUVÉDERM®
By Alexandra Becker, BSN RN
JUVÉDERM is one of the most popular dermal fillers available in the market today, and there are some great reasons for this. Registered Nurse Alexandra Becker with Bend Dermatology Clinic talks with us about JUVÉDERM and shows us why this is an excellent option for those looking to freshen up their look.
Q: What is JUVÉDERM, and what makes it different?
JUVÉDERM is a beautiful product line of six different hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Fillers replace volume loss that naturally occurs in the aging process. The collection of dermal fillers in the JUVÉDERM line provides full options tailored to specific areas of the face using hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring substance in the body. Because of this, HA fillers provide less risk of side effects while giving excellent results. What makes JUVÉDERM fillers so unique is its Vycross® Technology which cross-links the hyaluronic acid molecules making for a smooth gel filler with longer-lasting results. Allowing JUVÉDERM products to provide natural and beautiful results!
If you are interested in learning more about all the different cosmetic injections, we spoke with Alex about this topic here.
Q: What are the different JUVÉDERM fillers available?
At Bend Dermatology Clinic, we carry five different types of JUVÉDERM fillers. Each of these is for a particular area of the face, such as the cheeks, lips, nasolabial folds, and marionettes. The following fillers are FDA approved for the uses mentioned:
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC – used for providing structure and support and to help replace volume loss on cheeks. This subtle lift can last up to two years.
JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC – these fillers are used for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.
JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC – is approved for lip augmentation, as well as correction of perioral
lines. Results last up to one year.
Q: Is JUVÉDERM the right choice?
Yes, JUVÉDERM is the right choice! Upon consultation, we will address your areas of concern and discuss filler options. Besides having a full line of fillers, JUVÉDERM’s other benefits include the following:
There is little to no downtime.
When performed by an experienced Provider, there is a low risk of complications.
Provides natural-looking results that last.
If you are unhappy with your results, HA dermal fillers can be reversed using hyaluronidase. This injection will break down or reverse the original product.
The dermal fillers contain lidocaine to help ease any discomfort from the procedure.
Q: Are the results immediate with JUVÉDERM, and how long do they last?
JUVÉDERM fillers provide immediate results, which is another fantastic thing about dermal fillers! It is so special to see patients’ faces after and to see how excited they are about their results! It is important to know that some swelling will be present after injections. Allow two weeks for swelling and potential bruising to subside. JUVÉDERM fillers last anywhere from one to two years, depending on which filler is used.
Q: Are there risks to using JUVÉDERM?
There are risks with any injectable. During the initial consultation, we educate the patient on the products, assess the patient’s facial anatomy, and thoroughly discuss risks and benefits. We also want to know what their expectations and goals are. All this allows the Provider to select a product that is best suited for the patient and for the patient to make an informed decision.
About the Dermatology Provider Alexandra began her career more than ten years ago, first as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and then as an RN. She loves incorporating science with artistry, which is why she is passionate about cosmetic dermatology. She is equally passionate about patient-centered care with a focus on education and empowerment. Alexandra sees patients at our West Bend location in Northwest Crossing, to request your next injectables appointment with her click here.
July 1, 2022 | Sponsored Content
Your Guide to Cosmetic Injections from a Licensed Cosmetic Injector
Registered Nurse Alexandra Becker talks to us all about what you need to know when considering wrinkle reducers, fillers, and more.
Cosmetic injections have gained increasing popularity to help delay and reduce signs of aging and enhance natural features. With minimal discomfort and approachable treatment pricing, wrinkle reducers and fillers are helping many people achieve that youthful look they want Increased product quality and advances in injection techniques have yielded better results over the years while offering no downtime and almost immediate results making them very appealing for those looking for quick results.
Registered Nurse Alexandra Becker from Bend Dermatology Clinic shares her insight on cosmetic injectables in today’s dermatology Q&A. It is a must-read before trying these popular aesthetic treatments.
Q: Wrinkle reducers vs. fillers – how are they different?
Neuromodulators are wrinkle relaxers. They work great for someone who has dynamic wrinkles with facial movements, such as strong frown muscles that we often use subconsciously while thinking or going about our day. Neuromodulators are also commonly used for decreasing lines in the forehead and crows’ feet. Neuromodulators block communication from your nerves to the muscle, resulting in a relaxed muscle.
Fillers, on the other hand, help replace volume loss that naturally occurs as we age. Younger patients use fillers to augment areas where they desire more fullness or contouring. They are ideal for static wrinkles or lines, meaning wrinkles or lines that we have at rest without facial movement. The most common fillers are comprised of hyaluronic acid, which is something we naturally create in our bodies. Other popular ingredients are collagen, calcium hydroxylapatite, and a synthetic filler such as poly-L-lactic acid, which helps stimulate collagen production. Fillers are commonly used to:
· Minimize fine lines, deep creases, and hollow areas
· Plump lips
· Diminish scars
· Restore volume to cheeks
· Rejuvenate hands
Q: What are the top neurotoxin brands, and do you have a favorite?
At Bend Dermatology Clinic we use BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport®, and Xeomin®. My favorite is BOTOX Cosmetic, but they are all similar and provide remarkable results!
Q: Do specific fillers work best in certain parts of the face?
Understanding fillers is essential. Certain fillers are only meant for a specific area of the face. Some fillers are thinner, making them great for fine lines around the mouth where we have a lot of movement and therefore would not want a thick filler to be injected there. Thicker fillers have a better lifting capacity, making them more appropriate for use on the cheeks.
Q. What should I know before trying cosmetic injections for the first time?
Cosmetic injections are a quick procedure with little downtime. Before trying wrinkle relaxers or fillers, a thorough consultation is required. You want a highly-qualified medical provider or licensed cosmetic injector to work with you to determine your cosmetic goals and health history, product recommendations, and after-care instructions. Understanding your goals is critical to achieving the results you want, and you want to be 100% confident with your chosen cosmetic dermatology professional.
Neuromodulators are safe and have been around for 20 years. Our body completely metabolizes the neurotoxin and there are no long-term effects once worn off. For the first 24 hours, it is important to not massage the area, not lie down for at least four hours after injections, no strenuous activity or heat, and no headbands or hats if the forehead was treated. It is also important that you avoid using deep cleansing tools. Make sure you share your skin care regimen with your medical provider or cosmetic injector so they can give you detailed after-care instructions.
Alex began her career more than 10 years ago, first as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and then as an RN. She loves incorporating science with artistry, which is why she is passionate about cosmetic dermatology. She is equally passionate about patient-centered care with a focus on education and empowerment.
With five locations in Oregon, Bend Dermatology Clinic has been caring for its community with medical dermatology, Mohs surgery, and cosmetic dermatology services since 1980. To book appointments online, click here.
The holiday season in Central Oregon is full of festive events and traditions. Snap pictures with Santa in the morning and attend a holiday market from local makers in the afternoon. December nights are filled with local theater and colorful holiday light displays. Whether you prefer running a festive 10K or riding a sleigh at local resorts, there’s an event for everyone. Discover the holiday magic in Central Oregon.
Experience the Bend Christmas Parade
You can’t have a Central Oregon holiday without the Bend Christmas Parade. With the theme The Heart of Christmas, the downtown streets will be filled with festive floats, local performers and, of course, Santa. This tradition has been lighting up the streets since the ’50s, and it’s the perfect way to kick off your holiday season. Be there to catch the action, soak in the sights and kick-start your December with a little holiday magic.
Where to Shop for Gifts at Central Oregon Artisan Markets
Local artisans are out in full force this season, offering everything from holiday decor to one-of-a-kind gifts. Take a stroll through these festive markets, warm drink in hand and check off everything on your gift list. With live music, food trucks and plenty of holiday cheer, these markets are as much about the experience as they are about shopping. Explore the best holiday markets in Central Oregon here.
Photo courtesy of Schilling’s Garden Market
Seasonal Theater and Music in Central Oregon
Whether you’re craving classic holiday tunes or something a little more unconventional, Central Oregon has a show for every mood. From jazz and musicals to bass-dropping holiday DJ sets, the entertainment options are as varied as they are festive. Grab your tickets and get ready to be entertained.
Photo courtesy of the Tower Theatre
Holiday Magic | Dec 7 & 8
For a twist on your typical holiday concert, check out Holiday Magic with the Cascade Chorale. Featuring jazz renditions of holiday classics and works from composers like Eric Whitacre and James Knox, this event promises to hit all the right notes. Plus, you’ll get a double dose of musical brilliance with performances from the 27th Street Brass Quintet and the Dove String Quartet.
Jingle Ball 2024 | Dec 6
This isn’t your average holiday party. Jingle Ball is back for its third annual holiday EDM bash, and it’s taking things up a notch. Local DJs and headliner Maddy O’Neal will take the stage in a transformed Midtown Ballroom, creating a holiday wonderland filled with an instant photo booth, activities and a whole lot of dancing. Think of it as a one-night festival with all the holiday spirit.
Swingin’ Tower Christmas | Dec 20, 21, 22
Looking for a family-friendly way to celebrate the season? Swingin’ Tower Christmas has all the holiday tunes and carols you can handle, performed by a 16-piece big band. Hosted by Mollie Tennant, it’s a show that’ll get the whole family into the holiday spirit with some toe-tapping tunes.
Wreath-Making Workshops
The holidays are all about getting your hands in the festive spirit, and what better way to do that than by crafting your own wreath? Whether you’re a crafting pro or just looking for a fun, hands-on activity, these wreath-making workshops are the perfect way to add some personalized charm to your holiday decor. Here’s where you can get crafty this season:
Get your creative juices flowing at a Wreath Making Workshop with Summer Robbins wreath-making workshop. With small bites, drinks and a capped class size, you’ll have all the space and festive cheer you need to design your perfect wreath. It’s crafting and community wrapped into one fun afternoon.
Summer Robbins Wreath Workshop
Holiday Wreath with Leah Thompson of Stumpmunk Farms | Dec 1st & Dec 7th
Join Leah Thompson at Space in Common for a wreath-making workshop that’s all about fresh, organic greenery. Leah will guide you through the entire process—from layout to finish—while you learn about the plants and flowers used, all sourced from her farm in Sisters.
Time to swap your regular running gear for something a little more festive. From ugly sweaters to reindeer headbands, these holiday-themed runs are a fun way to stay active and get in the seasonal spirit.
Ugly Sweater Run | Dec 7, 2024
It’s the 4th Annual Ugly Sweater 5K in Sisters, and it’s as festive (and hilarious) as it sounds. Run or walk through a scenic route while rocking your favorite ugly Christmas sweater, and cap it off with a post-race party at The Barn food truck pod. Bonus points for joining as a team and showing off those wild sweaters. A portion of the proceeds goes to Living Well With Dementia and the Outlaws Downhill Ski Team.
Photo courtesy of Run Sisters Run
The Reindeer Rush | Date TBD
The Reindeer Rush gives kids and families a chance to run the same route as the Bend Christmas Parade. Registration is free, and the first 500 kids get a whimsical reindeer headband.
Holiday Season at the Old Mill District
The Old Mill District transforms into a holiday haven, offering everything from sparkling lights to festive performances. With a mix of shopping, music and holiday cheer, it’s the perfect place to create memories with family and friends this season.
Photo courtesy of the Old Mill District, by Gwen Shoemaker
SantaLand
Step into SantaLand at the Old Mill District and you’ll feel like you’ve walked straight into a holiday storybook. Open on select days from Nov. 29 through Dec. 23, it’s the place for kids (and adults) to visit Santa, snap a photo and even send off a letter to the North Pole. Plus, with the Tree of Joy providing gifts to families in need, this spot really captures the spirit of the season.
Holiday Lights Paddle Parade | Dec 13
If you’ve never seen kayaks and paddleboards lit up like holiday trees, you’re missing out. The Holiday Lights Paddle Parade turns the Deschutes River into a river of lights, with paddlers cruising through the water in light-adorned boats. It’s a magical display that will make you feel like you’re in your own holiday movie.
Menorah Lighting | Dec 25
Celebrate the Festival of Lights at the Menorah Lighting in the Old Mill District, hosted by Chabad of Central Oregon. Starting at 4 p.m., join in the festivities with music, hot drinks and food. It’s a beautiful way to commemorate the spirit of Chanukah with the local Jewish community, and all are welcome to attend.
Photo courtesy of the Old Mill District, by Gwen Shoemaker Photography
Central Oregon’s resorts know how to do the holidays right. From sleigh rides and ice skating to cozy dining experiences, these spots are the perfect getaway to create lasting holiday memories.
From festive runs and family-friendly performances to cozy resort getaways, Central Oregon is filled with ways to celebrate the season. So whether you’re looking for adventure or just want to enjoy some holiday cheer, there’s plenty to make this season unforgettable. For more details on upcoming events, check out our full calendar of celebrations.
That Guy’s Bistro Brings Flavorful Philly’s to Bend
Craving flavorful, satisfying and homemade fare? That Guy’s Bistro delivers on all three. With three locations in Bend and Redmond, this food truck turned brick-and-mortar bistro has only continued to grow. It’s being lauded for its delicious salads, pizzas, burgers, and, most famously, its signature Philly-inspired open-faced sandwich.
In 2018, he guys behind That Guy’s Bistro launched their first food truck in Redmond, followed by one on Bend’s northside in 2022, and finally opening a brick-and-mortar location in southeast Bend this past March. Its continued growth and the praise customers offer up is more than understandable once you take your first bite.
Photo courtesy of That Guy’s Bistro
What You Can Expect on the Menu
With a range of bistro-style fare, from wings to pretzels, flatbreads to burgers, That Guy’s knows how to do a lot of things well. But the shining star is definitely the variety of takes on their “Filly” sandwiches, a twist on the iconic Philly-cheese steak, each served on an open-faced flatbread with plenty of options to satisfy every palate.
The Pesto Chicken Filly is flavor-packed, featuring marinated and grilled chicken breast, provolone, pistachio-basil pesto, tomato, lettuce, garlic aioli, all drizzled with balsamic glaze on warm flatbread. Next up, the Veggie Filly is perfect for the vegetarian who still craves the satisfaction of a hearty sandwich. A colorful medley of onions, mushrooms, peppers, and roasted greens topped with melted provolone cheese and a garlic aioli are stacked atop the signature That Guy’s flatbread, making it a warm and nourishing meal.
Photo courtesy of That Guy’s Bistro
Finally, the Tri-Tip Filly is closer to what you may expect when ordering a Philly-cheese steak sando, served with That Guy’s specialty tri-tip steak. Grilled to perfection and adorned with a mix of marinated onions, mushrooms, and red peppers, then smothered in melted provolone and a drizzle of garlic aioli, this signature masterpiece is juicy, satisfying and full of flavor.
These items only scratch the surface of what’s available on the menu—plan a few trips with an empty stomach to get a taste of everything That Guy’s Bistro has to offer. Looking to take the flavors home? That Guy’s Bistro sells many of its popular sauces, seasonings and marinated meats so you can cook up your own bistro-inspired meals.
Across the high desert, skiers and snowboarders eagerly await Mt. Bachelor’s opening day announcement. Hoping for the sight of snow-covered peaks isn’t enough for many hardcore winter devotees, who are called to action at the first signs of snow. Increasing impatience leads them to check weather apps and text friends to see if their favorite preseason spot has enough snow for some short runs before the ski area begins its chairlift operations.
For those anxious to test their ski or snowboard legs and get a jump on the season, early November is the time to head out and earn some turns before the lifts open. Just don’t forget to prepare mentally and physically to keep that childlike enthusiasm strong for all of winter and the better part of spring.
Photo by Christian Murillo
Train for the Season
One essential component to making the whole season as enjoyable as possible lies in the mental and physical preparation. Boss Sports Performance Director of Performance Erik Jorgensen recommends single leg exercises and working on dynamic core strength to ward against early season injuries, such as knee ligament and hip flexor strains. “People should take their time building up to more intense ski sessions and longer days of skiing,” said Jorgensen. “It’s a long season and the snow only gets better.” For support, find winter sports conditioning classes at gyms throughout town or work with trainers to reach individual strength goals.
Upgrade Your Gear
Each year, manufacturers introduce new products to enhance the winter experience. Preseason is a great time to research new products and test existing gear for the upcoming season. When sticking with a trusty pair of skis or snowboard, make sure to get gear tuned and pack a backpack with the 10 essentials: navigation, light, sun protection, first aid kit, knife, fire starter, shelter, food, water and clothes.
“Without a doubt, the most important gear to carry in the backcountry, especially in avalanche terrain, is the snow safety trifecta of a beacon, probe, and shovel,” said Kevin Ganey, general manager and buyer at the Bend-based gear shop Mountain Supply. “Get the gear, get the knowledge through a course, and then get out into the backcountry!”
Many local shops have annual fall parties with discounted, past-season winter gear and new arrivals. Check out Pine Mountain Sports Powderhound Preview and Fundraiser in November. In addition, gear shops begin their rental programs ahead of opening day at the mountain.
First Tracks and Cone Laps
By far, the most popular spot for preseason runs lies on Mt. Bachelor’s Cinder Cone with a hike that takes about 45 minutes to reach the top. The cone is located on Mt. Bachelor’s northern flank with parking available in the West Village Parking Area. The Cinder Cone’s approximately 180 acres of terrain include 715 feet of vertical drop, though preseason means finding the best snow and routes possible. Be careful with your line so as not to end up too far north, thus resulting in a longer hike back for your second lap. Also, take heed of preseason obstacles such as downed trees and rocks not fully covered by the new snow. Remember, all snow riders must obey Mt. Bachelor Ski Area’s uphill travel policy and the cone is not patrolled so no emergency assistance is available.
After tackling Mt. Bachelor’s Cone, explore other preseason options by heading across the street to Tumalo Mountain. This 7,775-foot butte is approachable for skinning or hiking up its 1,400 feet from the Dutchman Flat Sno-Park. Probably the area’s most accessible backcountry spot, Tumalo Mountain allows backcountry enthusiasts to spend the day doing full laps up and down the south side, or dropping into the bowl and hiking back around. Go-getters wake early and take a few laps before work from the time snow hits until it melts in late spring.
When the snow is particularly good, and for some nostalgia, drive Skyliner Road west of Bend and park in the Skyliner Sno-Park. Before the days of Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, the Norwegians built a ski jump on the hill that is directly in front of the parking area. People now use it for sledding in the winter.
Before Meissner, Wanoga or Swampy Lakes sno-parks have enough coverage, nordic skiers looking for early season fun can drive up the Cascade Lakes Highway, park at Dutchman Flat Sno-Park and head west into the more level Deschutes National Forest area.
To watch and learn from the masters of winter sports, Bend’s Tower Theatre kicks off the preseason with a screening of ALL TIME, Warren Miller’s 74th annual film featuring greats such as Olympian Jonny Moseley, “Maine’s finest athlete” Donny Pelletier and an exploration of the birth of the country’s most iconic ski towns.
Perhaps the local’s choice to prepare for the coming of the winter ski season is grabbing a friend and heading to one of the many winter beer release parties. The parties usually include music, gear giveaways, ski and snowboard waxing, and of course, beer. The 10 Barrel Pray for Snow Party has become an annual tradition for more than a decade. Bend Brewing Company partners with Oregon Adaptive Sports each year for their “Sno’d In” Winter Ale release party. Locals have looked forward to the yearly release of Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale Festive Winter Ale and its accompanying artwork since 1988. So, check the forecast, finish a leg workout, grab a beer, and above all else, pray for snow!
THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. Thank you for your interest in our Old Mill District sponsored holiday giveaway. Please head over to our Instagram Post to see who won.
PRIZES:
We’re giving away more than $1,000 in OMD gift cards, split between SIX LUCKY WINNERS! Grand Prize: $500 in gift cards / 2 Second Prize Winners: $250 in gift cards / 3 Third Prize Winners: $100 gift cards
4️⃣ Be sure to complete the entry form above – it’s how we will contact you if you win.
Good luck!
The giveaway ends on WEDNESDAY, December 6, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be announced on THURSDAY, December 7, 2023, via email and DM. You must reside in the United States to enter this contest. Per Instagram rules, this contest is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 18+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use.
The contest begins on November 29, 2023, and ends on December 6, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. For the complete list of rules, visit our contest policy page.
Biancha Emery, a 16-year-old Caldera High School sophomore, doesn’t have a driver’s license. She doesn’t even have a permit. Yet, she routinely cruises down steep hills, taking curves and hitting 85 MPH with no brakes.
Wearing spikes, a thin race suit and a helmet, this 16-year-old skeleton racer spends her days throwing herself head first onto a sled so small it looks like a boogie board. At dangerous speeds, she careens down a winding ice track. “Going fast is always fun,” Emery said. “I liked it after my first run.”
Emery’s father is a former bobsledder. When she was 14 and the family lived in Utah, her father suggested she try skeleton racing.
“The first time sucks,” she said, laughing. “It’s really scary. I got bad ice burn and I hit basically every single wall the first time and I said, ‘I never want to do this again.’”
But she was hooked, and she discovered she had a natural skill for steering and judging turns. Though she said she’s not much of a risk taker in other parts of her life, she found a need for speed. Each run takes about 50 seconds and covers close to a mile of ice.
Young But at the Top of the Sport
Though she’s only been competing for a short time, at age 14, Emery became the youngest skeleton racer to ever start from the top of the track at Lake Placid. She’s also the only female skeleton racer on the U.S. Olympic development team and is currently ranked eighth in the world, though she doesn’t think her friends at school really understand what she does. Emery said, “I think a lot of people don’t realize how much really goes into the sport.”
With only two tracks in the United States—one at Lake Placid, New York, and one at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah—Emery travels frequently to compete in Canada, South Korea, Austria and Norway, among other spots.
When she trains during these competitions, Emery is only allowed to do two training runs each day. “The G-forces take a lot out of you,” Emery said.
The G-forces are at their worst on the curves, and Emery feels an incredible amount of pressure on her back, head and shoulders as she’s slammed into the ice because of the force.
“It’s very unforgiving,” she said.
Training in Bend
When she’s not competing, Emery trains daily here in Bend, lifting weights and completing sprint workouts at the Central Oregon Community College track. She also attends training camps, including visiting push tracks where she can work on sprinting, holding and pushing the sled, which weighs about 70 pounds. She also plays lacrosse for Caldera High School.
In a sport with little room for error, crashes happen. Biancha’s mom, Michele Emery, remembers watching her daughter flip while racing at Lake Placid. She held onto her sled so she wouldn’t be disqualified. It’s this kind of athleticism that keeps her calm as she watches Biancha race.
“I have confidence in her. I have confidence in her ability. She’s an amazing driver,” Michele Emery said. “I don’t stress out. I just want her to have the best run she possibly can.”
Emery competes in the Youth Series as part of the USA Bobsled-Skeleton team, a season that starts in October and runs through March, giving her the chance to compete in several international races before the Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea beginning January 19.
After that, it’s all up in the air, but Emery dreams of someday competing in the Olympic Games. She knows she’ll still be too young in 2026 when the next Winter Olympics come around. By then she might even have her driver’s license, though Emery’s not interested in getting a car. She wants a motorcycle.
Where to Savor the Festive Feast in 2023 without the Fuss
Thanksgiving in Central Oregon is full of camaraderie, crisp air and holiday joy. Soon, the aromas of turkey and pumpkin pie in the oven will fill the air, beckoning us to gather and celebrate the season of gratitude together. If the thought of spending hours in the kitchen doesn’t appeal to you, though, Central Oregon offers a variety of options for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner away from home. Enjoy all the beloved holiday dishes with none of the cleanup.
Thanksgiving dinner lakeside at Elk Lake Resort is surrounded by the serene beauty of the Deschutes National Forest and the towering Cascade Mountain Range. Diners warm up their bellies with starters such as butternut squash bisque and harvest greens salad before diving into a main course featuring roasted turkey with sage gravy and applewood smoked ham—side dishes like traditional homestyle green bean casserole and roasted garlic mashed potatoes round out the Thanksgiving table. Conclude the feast with a choice of peach cobbler à la mode or a double-layer pumpkin pie. Dinner seating opens at 5 p.m. Prices are $50 per person, with a special Kids Plate for $25. For a delightful holiday experience, make your reservations by calling 541-480-7378 or emailing elresort@gmail.com.
The recently renovated Lodge at Black Butte Ranch hosts a family-style Thanksgiving feast that will produce lifelong memories. To kick things off, enjoy a family-style charcuterie board and pick from an array of appetizers, including butternut squash soup, smoked beet salad, baby kale salad, or burrata and peperonata. The entrée lineup includes Thanksgiving turkey, roast prime rib, northwest salmon, beef short rib or mushroom bourguignon. Indulge your sweet tooth with desserts like classic pumpkin tart, apple cranberry crisp and maple pot de creme. The kid’s menu features Thanksgiving turkey, macaroni and cheese, a cheeseburger and chicken strips. With breathtaking views and a warm, elevated ambiance, the Lodge at Black Butte Ranch provides the perfect setting for a Thanksgiving to remember. Dinner is served from 12 to 4 p.m. with plates priced at $65 per adult and $18 per child. Secure your spot by making reservations online or calling 541-595-1260.
Celebrate Thanksgiving at The Lodge in Sunriver with a four-course plated dinner in their beautiful dining room with meadow and mountain views. The menu promises an elevated feast full of the season’s flavors. Appetizers include a choice of cheese fondue or house milk rolls. For the second course, patrons pick between fall greens and cauliflower bisque. For the heartier dishes, options include dry-aged prime rib, turkey roulade and winter tagliatelle. Sunriver is known as a place known as a place full of family tradition, and this is a place for creating new memories or returning year after year. Thanksgiving dinner is available from 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. Adults dine for $95, kids for $47, and kids under 5 are complimentary with a paying adult. Ensure your place at the table by calling 541-593-3740 for reservations.
Want to keep it a bit more casual? The Thanksgiving special at McMenamins Old St. Francis School is a beloved tradition for many. Alongside their regular pub menu, enjoy a curated selection of Thanksgiving specials to enjoy in the cozy pub atmosphere. Specials include a traditional Thanksgiving turkey plate, cider-glazed pork medallions, northern star wild Alaskan cod and a holiday vegan plate. The ambiance of this historic school-turned-pub adds extra charm to the holiday festivities, and with all ages welcome, the whole family can be together. To save your spot, call 541-330-8563 for reservations.
Juniper Preserve is known as a wellness haven, so you can be sure its “Gobble ‘Til You Wobble” Thanksgiving Dinner will offer a nourishing and balanced buffet of festive food. The feast takes place in the beautiful Chanterelle Dining Room with panoramic views of the juniper forest. The main buffet offers all the beloved holiday staples such as butternut squash soup, crispy Brussels sprouts, classic green bean casserole and more as appetizers. The main courses include pork belly macaroni and cheese, garlic-chive mashed potatoes, cedar plank wild king salmon, and a roast turkey and prime rib carving station. The dessert buffet features a lineup of delicious pies, including pecan pie with bourbon glaze, chai-spiced cheesecake, classic pumpkin pie with pepita brittle and more. The kiddos have their own buffet, which includes classics like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, roast turkey, gravy and more. Dining service begins at 12 p.m., with plates priced at $120 for adults and $45 for children. Click here to RSVP.
Tetherow invites guests to a festive and delicious Thanksgiving celebration. With dine-in and to-go options available, indulge in a menu inspired by Central Oregon ingredients. An abundant lineup of sides includes cornbread stuffing, honey-glazed carrots, candied yams, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, root vegetable medley and fresh rolls. The salad bar features a beet salad, Caesar salad and Batavia wedge salad. The shining star is the carving station with roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham, house-smoked salmon and a forager’s board. For dessert, choose from brownie bites, Dutch apple pie, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. The dining room will be open from 12 p.m.- 7 p.m. Prices range from $15 for ages 4 and under to $105 for adults, with special pricing for children 5 and up. To reserve your spot, call 541-388-2582.
* Note: Please confirm availability; all Thanksgiving dinners require reservations.
More Thanksgiving Activities in Central Oregon
Get Outside in Central Oregon
Before everyone sits down at the table to focus on the delicious feast at hand, getting outside and moving around is a popular way to start Thanksgiving in Central Oregon. There are plenty of hiking trails in Central Oregon to wander with your family before a day of cooking (and eating).
Top Thanksgiving-Day Runs
The I Like Pie run hosted by Cascades Relay sets up a course in the Old Mill District each year for a race full of family fun, funny hats and plenty of pie. There are two courses for racers to choose from: a 1.5-mile loop and a 5K route. Racers depart from the starting line between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Not only are you doing something good for your body, but race proceeds benefit the Bend Boys and Girls Clubs.
In Redmond, sign up for the annual Redmond Turkey Trot with 5K and 10K courses and a 1K kids race. All racers depart from, and finish at, Sam Johnson Park, with the kid’s race kicking things off at 9 a.m. and the rest of the races starting at 9:15 a.m. in multiple waves. The routes loop through Dry Canyon, with two aid stations along the way. All proceeds from the event go to Bright Eyes Bright Future and Family Access Network.
Black Butte Ranch hosts its own Turkey Trot Fun Run and Walk this year with a short course of 1.2 miles and a longer route of 3.5 miles, both departing from Lakeside Activity Center. Both courses promise beautiful meadow views and breathtaking views of the Cascade Range, weather permitting. The fee is $10, plus a can of food. Proceeds benefit Ten Friend’s Elevate Nepal Initiative.
Ski First Tracks
Opening day at Mt. Bachelor is projected to be Friday, November 24, officially signaling the arrival of ski season in Central Oregon. Just hours after the Thanksgiving dishes are cleared, gear up, express your gratitude for winter’s arrival, and enjoy the start of the ski season.
Holiday Festivities Commence
The weekend following Thanksgiving in Central Oregon doesn’t have to mean a lull in the festivities; Sisterskicks off the rest of the holiday season strong with its Holiday Palooza featuring a parade and tree-lighting ceremony. The lively parade will travel down Main Street toward Fir Street Park, where the annual lighting of the town’s Christmas tree occurs.
Santa Claus makes hispilgrimage from the North Pole to SantaLand in the OldMill District at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 24. This year SantaLand will be indoors between Sweet Tooth Candy Shoppe and Sunglass Hut at 450 SW Powerhouse Dr. Suite 403.
Meanwhile, Redmond is also getting into the spirit with its annual Starlight Parade, which takes over the streets of downtown on Saturday, November 25th. This year’s theme revolves around Dr. Suess’s Grinch Who Stole Christmas and will feature twinkling lights, merry tunes and beautiful floats.
Five Fusion Offers an Elevated Sushi Experience in Downtown Bend
Nestled in the heart of downtown Bend on Wall Street, Five Fusion & Sushi Bar’s exceptional sushi and culinary artistry has firmly established itself as a beloved community cornerstone since 2010. Renowned Chef Sascha Lyon, with a background in esteemed kitchens in New York and Los Angeles, continues to deliver excellence by seamlessly blending traditional Japanese dishes with a touch of French influence.
A Fine-Dining Atmosphere
Upon entering, guests are welcomed into its sleek and sophisticated atmosphere. The interior, characterized by its harmonious blend of wood and glass elements, exudes an air of refinement, creating an ideal setting for a fine dining experience. The seating options range from a well-appointed bar to comfortable booths and tables, with additional outdoor seating available for those who prefer an al fresco experience, weather permitting.
During a recent Wednesday evening visit, commendable service was evident, with Chef Lyon personally extending a warm welcome to patrons, setting the stage for a personalized dining experience. The attentive wait staff provided insightful recommendations, ensuring the timely arrival of dishes. Due to the restaurant’s popularity, particularly on weekends, reservations are highly recommended.
Starters and Sushi Menu
Five Fusion’s offerings strike a balance between creativity and approachability. Its menu is not overwhelming, yet it provides enough variety to captivate taste buds. The selection includes an array of cold and hot appetizers, as well as plentiful sashimi and sushi rolls.
To commence the meal, miso soup, with its comforting warmth, and garlic-spiced edamame, a delightful fusion of savory and garlicky notes, make excellent choices. Another course from the starter menu are Korean Short Ribs, marinated in a lovely blend of sweet tamari and garlic. The result is a harmonious blend of savory richness and subtle sweetness paired with flavorful Kimchi Slaw.
The sushi selection is inventive and fulfilling, with a roll that caters to every taste. Standout rolls include the Geisha roll—an explosion of spicy tuna, salmon, mango, and yuzu tobiko—and the Yasai roll, with avocado, cucumber, carrots, asparagus and micro-greens.
Libations at Five Fusion
Complementing the food at Five Fusion is a variety of libations. The impressive beverage menu boasts a wide array of wine, sake, cocktails and more. Notable choices include The Botanist, featuring Hendrick’s gin, lime juice and a serrano-ginger-cilantro infusion for a refreshing and slightly spicy kick. Alternatively, the Browned Butter Old Fashioned, with infused Bulleit bourbon and Aztec chocolate bitters, offers a rich and indulgent pairing.
Consistently impressive with its refined ambiance, excellent service, and, above all, outstanding sushi, Five Fusion & Sushi Bar is a fantastic night out when cravings for high-quality sushi hit.
Although the end of summer brings shorter days, fall weather brings phenomenal trail conditions for mountain biking in Bend, Oregon. Dry, dusty trails have been hit with some rainfall and cooler temperatures, creating that “hero dirt” mountain bikers are looking for.
In Bend, we are incredibly fortunate to have access to hundreds of miles of singletrack just minutes from our doorsteps. The trails range from family-friendly greens snaking through Ponderosa forests to black diamond jump lines and everything in between. We even have a bike park up at Mt. Bachelor. In Bend, there is a trail for every rider. Probably a beer, too.
Phil’s Trail | Photo by Samantha Weald
The Phil’s Trail and Wanoga Trail Complexes
With nearly 100 trails in the Phil’s Trail Complex, we’ll only touch on a few. Phil’s has something for every rider and every riding style. On the south side of the highway is the Wanoga Trail Complex. The area has 30 trails, and the riding is more advanced.
These are all multi-use trails, meaning you could encounter runners, hikers, and equestrians. Follow trail etiquette, which means yielding to other users. And be careful when descending. Some trails are directional, but others can be ridden in either direction.
It may be a small slice of the MTB pie, but these are some of the best mountain biking trails in Bend.
Phil’s Trail | Photo courtesy of Pine Mountain Sports
Beginner: Green Trails
When discussing mountain biking in Bend, it is hard not to mention perhaps the most well-known trail, Phil’s Trail. This beginner-level, or green, trail descends 684 feet over nearly 6 miles. If you ride Phil’s Trail, be sure to stop at the flaming chicken—you’ll know when you see it.
But, the Phil’s Complex has much more to offer. Linking the three Ticket to Ride trails together forms a nearly 6-mile loop. Rocky climbs, and long, fast descents push the green trail boundary. You can expect climbing and descending to be around 500 feet. Tackle this loop on any mountain bike and ride in either direction.
Phil’s and Ticket to Ride are both great options for kids. Ticket to Ride is especially ideal for kids who are ready for a bit rougher terrain.
Intermediate: Blue Trails
Upper and Lower Whoops in the Phil’s Complex are excellent trails to advance your riding to the intermediate level. Upper Whoops is fast and flowy. While the trail has nothing overtly technical, it has excellent corners, allowing for easily maintained speed. But be aware of uphill traffic. Some riders like climbing Upper Whoops rather than taking the fire road.
Lower Whoops, which is descending only, maintains the fast and flowy feel with the addition of more technical features. We’re talking jumps. The jumps aren’t mandatory, meaning they can be rolled or have a go-around. They aren’t small jumps, though. Ride carefully, even if rolling them. All of this culminates into a trail that is perfect for progression.
You can expect to climb and descend more than 1,100 feet if riding both trails and pedal about 8 miles—4 miles up, 4 miles down.
Tiddlywinks, Phil’s Trail | Photo by Max Rhulen
If you like Lower Whoops, Tiddlywinks is up your alley. Tiddleywinks sits in the Wanoga complex and takes Whoops to the next level with its length, tech, and speed. And jumps, lots of jumps.
Tiddlywinks offers riders a longer and faster ride through the forest. With its mix of rollable jumps, side options, and rock tech, it is an excellent trail for progressing as an all-around rider. Tiddlywinks is also a descending-only trail—no need to worry about riders coming up.
One of the most consequential features is an up-and-over rock roll about halfway down the trail. Look before you leap on this mandatory feature. Going over the bars isn’t out of the question, so don’t be too proud to walk.
Tiddlywinks Trail | Photo by Max Rhulen
Advanced: Black Trails
Looking for an advanced jump trail? Look no further than Wanoga’s Lone Wolf. Lone Wolf starts with a technical rock roll into a short, technical descent. Squeezing between rocks and a tree, Lone Wolf then sends you into a 5-6 foot drop. If you find this to be too challenging for you, Lone Wolf may not be your trail.
Jumps of all sorts continue down Lone Wolf’s 1.5 miles. Expect mandatory doubles, hips, and step-downs averaging 15 feet as you descend nearly 500 feet. Again, if you are not a confident jumper, Lone Wolf may not be the trail for you. Fortunately, Lone Wolf is a descending-only trail—no thinking about mountain bikers climbing.
If jumps aren’t your thing, but you are looking for an advanced trail, head back to the Phil’s Complex and check out South Fork. Getting there is a bit of a bear, but fantastic views await you on the climb. With more than 3 miles and nearly 1,000 feet descending, South Fork always provides miles of smiles.
South Fork is Bend’s option for fast, backcountry descents. The rough and rowdy track quickly gathers speed and incorporates roots, rocks, and natural corners. A modern, full-suspension trail or enduro bike is recommended. Although most riders descend South Fork, some do come up. Hikers, too, so be on the lookout.
Phil’s Trail | Photo courtesy of Cogwild
Other Options to Ride
With hundreds of miles of trails, we are just scratching the surface. Remember that mountain biking in Bend, Oregon, doesn’t stop when the snow flies.
Cline Butte and the Maston Trail System, just north of Bend, are great winter riding options. Maston consists of cross-country green trails with a few blues mixed in. This system is perfect for the whole family. Cline, just across the street, takes it up a notch.
The trails descending the butte are advanced. The terrain is very rocky, steep, and technical—only recommended for more advanced riders.
On the south side of Bend, Horse Butte is another excellent option in winter. These trails are great for the whole family, but it is important to note that the loops are rather long here. Most are more than 20 miles, with the shortest being 10 miles. But, as the trails are multidirectional, you can always ride in a few miles, turn around, and ride out.
Grit Clinics | Photo by Katie Sox Photography
Food, Beer, Rentals, and Extras
No bike? Dying to try a full suspension? Bend has fantastic bike shops to rent from. Project Bike and Pine Mountain Sports offer top-of-the-line rentals.
When your ride ends, head to one of Bend’s many food cart pods. The Lot and On Tap have a vast selection of beer and food options that will make everyone happy.
Mountain biking in Bend is an excellent way to connect with others. Pine Mountain Sports has group rides on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. On the second and fourth Wednesdays, it’s ladies only.
If Wednesdays don’t work, check in with other bike shops—Bend has plenty. If you want to ride solo, plan your route ahead of time. Bend Trails is a comprehensive resource, and having an app like Trailforks downloaded on your phone never hurts. Ride safe!
Luckey’s Woodsman became the latest food truck success story in Central Oregon, welcoming patrons into its new brick-and-mortar location in Sisters this past July. The truck, known for its outdoor-inspired cuisine, initially opened its windows for service in December 2020, setting up shop at the Mt. Bachelor parking lot, then at the Brown Owl and at GoodLife Brewing before embarking on this new venture.
Oregon Roots and Family Ties
Jackson Higdon, the owner and head chef of Luckey’s Woodsman, draws inspiration from his deep ties to Oregon, shaped by his upbringing in Bend and culinary experiences in local restaurants and breweries. Notably, he served as Executive Chef at Crux Fermentation Project for six years. After exploring various culinary roles, the pandemic presented an opportunity to establish Luckey’s Woodsman, a venture rooted in a rich history.
Founded in 1956 by Higdon’s grandparents, Curtis Luckey and Jeanne Solberg, the original Luckey’s Woodsman aimed to provide specialty foods at affordable prices, fostering a loyal following with six locations across Oregon and the West Coast. Economic challenges in the early 1970s led to closures, so Higdon resurrected the name in honor of his grandparents’ legacy, bringing Luckey’s Woodsman into the 21st century.
What’s on the Menu?
The menu draws inspiration from the farm-to-table movement but with its own twist on the trend. Embracing a “forage-to-fork” ethos, Luckey’s Woodsman’s motto embodies Higdon’s mission to craft dishes influenced by the season’s bounty of locally sourced and foraged ingredients. The goal is to offer convenient, healthy, fresh and wild cuisine that nourishes the Central Oregon community. Whether guests order a hearty rice bowl, nachos or a juicy burger, one thing is sure the impeccable quality of ingredients can be tasted in each and every dish.
The Forager Hot Kit is a warm and nutritious meal bursting with fresh flavors. The dish starts with a bed of black (forbidden) rice, offering a nutty base for the creation. Shaved carrots add color and natural sweetness, while wild mushrooms provide an earthy richness. Roasted sunflower seeds give a satisfying crunch, complemented by creamy goat cheese. Mixed in are arugula, shaved radish and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Diners can choose from various protein options, from tender pork carnitas to blackened tempeh, catering to multiple preferences.
Those craving something a little heartier may want to order one of the Luckey’s Woodsman burgers. The Home Grown features a juicy, pasture-raised, grass-fed burger patty from Splitting Aces Ranch in Prineville. Nestled between a warm brioche bun, the burger is topped with whiskey-caramelized onions, creamy white cheddar, living butter lettuce and fresh tomato, all drizzled with a house-made ranch dressing. The result is a combination of simple, straightforward ingredients that pack a punch of flavor and satisfaction.
A delightful variety of sides are available, featuring options such as salty truffle fries, loaded poutine, indulgent nachos, warm homemade pretzels, creamy mac and cheese, and much more. As for desserts, the sweet conclusion to your meal includes the comforting Luckey’s homemade pies and an ever-changing seasonal selection of delectable specials.
A Welcome Addition to Sisters
Luckey’s Woodsman weaves tradition and innovation into its narrative, honoring a legacy that prioritizes quality in a warm and welcoming setting. For those seeking sustenance during their outdoor adventures, Luckey’s Woodsman provides camper kits to take on the go, and catering options are available for groups craving a nutritious meal. With its nod to family history, friendly hospitality, and ample indoor and outdoor seating, Luckey’s Woodsman is a delightful addition to the growing food scene in Sisters’ vibrant downtown.
Once a month, Rose Archer’s cozy house on Bend’s east side is magically transformed into an intimate restaurant. Over three evenings, she welcomes 60 strangers into her home for a dinner party. It’s a dream come true for the professional chef who took an 11-year break from the food business. “I wanted to be in food again. I wanted it to be a part of my life, and I wanted to throw the most amazing dinner parties ever once a month,” Archer stated emphatically before hosting one of her dinners.
Rose Archer of Luscious Supper Club
After years of dreaming about it, Chef Archer’s Luscious Supper Club was born in December 2022. From that very first dinner party of 14 hand-selected guests, the club has expanded to three gatherings of 20 people each over one weekend a month–with a waitlist of more than 1,100.
Archer and her small team work hard to create an “energetic feeling that’s different from going to a restaurant.” Before anyone arrives for what’s typically a seven- or eight-course supper club meal, the chef and her crew, who’ve been prepping for days beforehand, huddle together and set their intention. “We are here to make each night special and magical. I want people to feel so lit up when they leave that they bring that light back to their own dinner tables, to their own communities, to their own neighbors and that ripples out,” Archer said. That connection starts in Archer’s kitchen where she’s focused on creating something as good for the staff as for the customer. “There’s no front of the house, no back of the house, we’re one team who puts love and energy and light into the food.” In her words, “It’s fun, fine dining.”
She strives for a direct connection with each person attending. Everyone is greeted at the door. If it’s wintertime, they’re shown to the dining room area for welcome drinks and a half hour of socializing. If it’s warmer weather, the happy half-hour takes place in Archer’s beautiful outdoor garden area.
Being invited into someone’s personal space, amongst their plants and books and belongings, has a tendency to open people up. It’s not long before lively conversation ensues and soon, everyone is beckoned indoors to take their seats at two impeccably set long tables. With gorgeous fresh flowers as centerpieces, just-right mood music and ambient lighting, guests are drawn in, getting their first glimpse at the evening’s menu. That’s right, supper club tickets are bought without even knowing what food will be served.
Archer doesn’t divulge the menu until the night of the dinner because she might not decide on what to cook until a few days beforehand, depending on what’s in season or what she finds at the market. “I am inspired by what’s freshest and most amazing right now in this moment.” No matter what month it is, the entire menu screams the season, thanks in part to time spent cooking in Paris, Italy and the Bavarian Alps. Archer explains her style as “very seasonal with a Western European aesthetic, featuring lots of herbs and lots of fresh.”
Whether it’s heirloom tomato gazpacho and salmon tartare in the summer, or hot baby rose potato filled with gruyere puree in the fall, each seasonal offering and each plate invites a collective gasp of awe. With the effusive chef making timely appearances tableside to gush over ingredients or relate an engaging, personal story, guests get to know her and each other over the likes of savory blue cheese tart with golden raisin verjus or perhaps butter-poached spot prawn with Sungold tomatoes. The conversation is lively, engaging, relaxed and connected.
Guests can see Archer and her team at work in the nearby kitchen to appreciate the attention to every detail. Most don’t want the night to end. It’s not unusual for Luscious guests to bond over the delicious meal and end up exchanging numbers and getting together post-Luscious. That is the connection that Chef Rose Archer was hoping for all along.See eatluscious.com.
An outdoor store dedicated to supporting the local community, Pine Mountain Sports is a dynamic community in and of itself. It is driven by a mission to make staff and customers feel welcome and important. At the heart of it all is Dan McGarigle, the shop’s charismatic owner who wakes up every day, looks out his blinds and says one word: “Stoked.” With a love for Central Oregon, McGarigle leads with gratitude, trust and the motto, “People will forget what you do and say, but they will always remember how you make them feel.” Bend Magazine shares a conversation with Dan McGarigle, revealing not only the origins and impetus behind Pine Mountain Sports, but the humility and heart that has made it the champion of community it is today.
Q: Pine Mountain Sports has been a cornerstone of the outdoors community in Bend since 2000. Tell us about its origins.
I was the kid with the garage where all the BMX kids hung out—I had all the little drawers with all the little bike parts. In the summer, we’d build ramps and fly off these big jumps into a pond. Then we’d go back to my garage and rebuild our bikes. In spring of ‘96, I moved to Bend and got a job working as a bike mechanic at Hutch’s Bicycles Westside–I was there until 2000 when the guys at Hutch’s jumped on an opportunity to open what was then the second outdoor store in all of Bend. I walked into Hutch’s one day, and the manager said, “Dan, we want you to run this new store for us.” So I did. After three years, I purchased Pine Mountain Sports from Hutch’s and moved into [the Century Drive] location in 2004.
Q: To what do you attribute Pine Mountain’s longevity?
I love bikes and I love skiing. But I don’t believe my passions for those activities would have fueled me to stay in this industry. Providing an outstanding experience to our guests and participating in the community at the level that a business can are the things that keep me passionate about what we do. The great thing is, it makes my mom smile. And if something makes my mom smile, I know I’m doing it right.
Q: Your Community Ambassador program has benefited so many nonprofits in our community. How did it get started?
We were fortunate to have Bob Woodward work in the retail store for a year and that’s like having Michael Jordan play on your 8th grade basketball team. He said, “You can continue to offer goods and services to the community and hope that they come to you, or you can go out to the community and tell them why.” This was one of the first times I saw the difference between working in the business versus working on the business. We started a 1% program–donating to five nonprofits here in Bend; but we weren’t maximizing the story that could be told. So we designed the Community Ambassador Program–partnering with one nonprofit for an entire year—using our vehicle to tell their message. Nonprofits have a hard time connecting with small businesses and individuals, especially inside the outdoor community of Bend. That’s where the magic of this program is–we’re simply just connecting the dots. The money raised is essential, but what’s more important is that we are giving nonprofits the opportunity to form new relationships. We focus on access to education, healthcare, shelter and food–the bare essential needs of a family. The magic about the nonprofit community here is that they truly lift each other up. That builds a lot of camaraderie, and we get to be part of that network. I don’t know what feels better than providing a family shelter or making sure kids don’t go through the weekend without a meal. It’s just the right thing to do. And it makes my mom smile.
Q: What do you want people to say when they hear the name Pine Mountain Sports?
“I love going there.” We’ve learned that what we do is one small part of the whole picture– it’s how we do it that matters. A while back, we had a customer named Wes who loved us, but we weren’t providing him the best service. He actually wrote a song about us that went, “Danny, without consistency, you’ll never have integrity.” That messaging came at a really important time for the development of the organization, but also for my personal development. I wasn’t taking the opportunity to evolve into a true business owner. I needed to learn. I wanted to become a better business leader, a better general leader and more importantly, a better person. Our goal is really simple: we want people to be in a better mood leaving here than when they walked in the door. What do I want people to say when they hear the name Pine Mountain Sports? I want them to say, “Man, I love that place.”
Poke bowls and Cubano sandwiches might not be typical brewery fare, but Boneyard Beer in Bend has always done things a bit differently. From its unconventional beginnings (with a “boneyard” of old brewing equipment sourced from 13 different breweries nationwide), to its distinctive grunge aesthetic and its anti-pub pub food, Boneyard Pub stands apart.
Not Your Classic Brewery Ambiance
Boneyard Beer, which started brewing in 2010, opened its current location on Division Street in 2018 and established itself as more than just a brew pub. With an impressive array of more than 20 taps, they serve clean, balanced beers perfectly complemented by a menu of delicious cuisine. So delicious the pub’s motto is, “Come for the beer, stay for the food.”
The large pub offers three distinct areas to suit your mood: its beer hall, a cozy private corner bar with plush seating, or an expansive wrap-around patio complete with fireplaces and outdoor heaters, and fantastic views of Pilot Butte. Nestle up and browse the menu; it’s guaranteed to offer a few surprises.
The Anti-Pub Pub Food
The Thai Peanut Bowl is a fusion of flavors and textures, featuring pickled onions, crisp cucumbers, edamame, fluffy rice, mixed greens, tofu fried to perfection, and a medley of cilantro and basil. Topping it all off is a generous drizzle of deliciously spicy peanut sauce. You can also swap for chicken as your protein choice.
Photo by Kevin Prieto
The Cubano sandwich is a must-try for anyone craving Latin flavors. It boasts marinated crispy pork, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, yellow mustard and mayo, all tucked into a warm hoagie. The balance of flavors is just right, with the savory pork and ham complementing the zing of the pickles and creamy Swiss cheese.
The appetizers and side orders are not an afterthought. Consider adding a side order of the polenta tots to your meal. These little nuggets are made from creamy polenta and served with a togarashi sauce, offering a hint of spice. And, of course, one of Boneyard’s exceptional craft beers is a must-have addition to the experience.
Boneyard Pub in Bend is a Must-Visit
From its origins in an old mechanic’s garage in Bend’s Historic District to the new Division Street pub, Boneyard Pub has set itself apart as a brewery where patrons can savor exceptional beers and delicious food. If you’re in Bend and searching for something beyond fries and burgers to pair with a locally renowned microbrew, Boneyard Pub is your destination.
We’ve teamed up with Visit Central Oregon on a giveaway that celebrates the flavors of our area. So, get ready to embark on a culinary adventure through the heart of Central Oregon!
TO ENTER to WIN our Savor Giveaway
1️⃣ Head over to our Instagram Post comments, tag a friend you’d love to dine out with AND the restaurant you hope to win from.
2️⃣ Repeat a few times! NOTE: Each comment = 1 entry.
3️⃣ Complete the entry form:
The Savor Prizes
We’re giving away more than $2,000 in gift cards to some of Central Oregon’s most beloved local restaurants and businesses, split between several lucky winners! Here’s the list of who can win from:
NOTE: Giveaway ends on WEDNESDAY OCT 25, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Winners will be announced on OCT 26, 2023 via email and DM. You must reside in the United States to enter this contest. Per Instagram rules, this contest is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram. By entering, entrants confirm that they are 21+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s terms of use. Please see our CONTEST POLICY PAGE for a complete list of rules and restrictions.]
Sponsored Content: A Celebration of Contemporary Culture in an Iconic Landmark | Article originally published October 2023; updated in February 2025
Since 1940, the neon sign advertising the Tower Theatre has been an iconic symbol of downtown Bend. Drawing performers from near and far, the Tower entertains audiences with film festivals, concerts, theatrical performances, lectures, ballets and so much more. Here are five reasons to visit the Tower Theatre this spring.
The Tower turns 85 in March 2025. Located in the heart of Bend’s bustling downtown for nearly a century, the Tower Theatre is located near some of the best restaurants and bars, charming boutiques and local coffee shops. Drawing locals and visitors alike, the Tower’s diverse offerings are a perfect way to wrap up a day of outdoor adventure or an exploration of the high desert region. The shows at this historic, independent and non-franchise venue make all who attend feel the energy of the local scene, bringing cultural flair and the spirit of community to a Central Oregon visit.
Attend the Tower Theatre Anniversary Film Festival. To celebrate the Tower’s many years of entertainment, on March 1 the theater showcased films from each decade of the Tower’s “life,” beginning with Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and rounding out with Forrest Gump (1994). Plus, tickets for the festival showings are available at their historic prices, meaning you could have caught a film for as low as 25 cents!
Watch the stage come alive. Mean Girls, The Musical (May 15 through 18, 2025), comes to the Tower Theatre stage presented by TMP (Thoroughly Modern Productions), a group of Central Oregon youth aged 13 to 18. And Oregon Ballet’s second company, Oregon Ballet Theatre 2, tip toes onstage for the 2025 Spring Tour (May 24, 2025). Stay after the show to meet the dancers.
Enjoy musical sounds. Experience the Magic and Moonlight Tour from Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (July 1, 2025), a fun night of the classics and modern day hits. For lovers of bluegrass, make sure to grab tickets for The Fretliners (July 20, 2025). This quartet brings soulful Americana to the stage. And don’t miss Shinyribs (July 22, 2025), an eclectic mix of soothing southern sounds by singer-songwriter Kevin Russell.
Laugh the night away. The current cast of the hit television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” comes to the Tower for 90 minutes of improve with Whose Live Anyway (June 2 through 3, 2025).
Photo by Karen Cammack
About the Tower Theatre
Central Oregon’s Top Spot for Live Performances
At just 460 seats, the small size of the theater allows for shared experiences between audiences and performances alike. Audiences delight in sitting a mere 40-feet away from local celebrities and world-renowned performers. Creating an ideal “off-Broadway” vibe, the Tower is a perfect place for local theater companies like TMP/Thoroughly Modern Productions, to try out new performance ideas, produce original projects and stage scaled-down versions of larger shows.
Photo by Benjamin Edwards
History and Rebirth of the Tower Theatre
At its inception, the theater brought Streamline Moderne architecture to Central Oregon design, with its travertine marble imported from Italy, acoustical tiles and an avant-garde women’s lounge. For decades, the brightly lit marquee shined with Hollywood hits, Vaudeville shows, plays, dancers and musicians, enticing theater-goers with live stage performances and the allure of the silver screen.
After falling into disrepair in the 1990s, the Tower Theatre underwent a complete renovation starting in 2002 and supported by a collective fund-raising effort and the motto: “Encore! The Return of the Tower Theatre.” In 2004, the community celebrated the theater’s grand reopening, welcoming patrons with upgraded box seats, an expanded lobby with refreshments, plus state of the art sound and lighting throughout. The new design stayed true to its Art Deco Streamline-Moderne origins continuing its tradition of being a vibrant celebration of the arts and community through decades.
Photo by The Speedy Butterfly
Vision of the Tower Theatre Foundation
The nonprofit Tower Theatre Foundation, a collaborative community organization, was created in 1997 to revitalize and manage the venue. Driven by its belief in the power of the performing arts to strengthen community, the Foundation is committed to providing events and educational programs to a diverse audience. Working with area schools and hosting non-profit organizations each year, the Foundation continues to inspire and support an appreciation for the arts.
Igniting a passion for the arts in youth is at the core of the Tower Theatre Foundation’s mission. In addition to engaging LessonPLAN programs created to captivate young audiences, the Foundation established the Doug Watson Scholarship for Performing Arts to inspire and support students as they pursue education in the arts. Honoring the legacy of Doug Watson, a local theater-enthusiast who dedicated his life to promoting the arts, the Foundation awards scholarship funds to a group of high school seniors each year, empowering them to thrive in their creative journeys.
Photo by The Speedy Butterfly
Live like a Local
Follow the shining lights that have marked the skyline of downtown Bend for close to a century. Thriving as Central Oregon’s premiere stage since the 1940s, the iconic Tower Theatre awaits to entertain, inspire and connect all who enter its doors.
Creating well-designed metal fabrications for homes, businesses and public spaces requires a clear artistic vision and refined technical skills. That’s exactly what Doug Wagner, owner of MODERNFAB, brings to the table. Wagner brought his business from Missouri to Central Oregon more than a decade ago and builds everything from fireplace facades to hand railings, furniture, cabinets, sculptures and all types of custom projects. He shared with us some of the stories behind his craftsmanship.
Q: How did you first become interested in fabrication?
A: I started out building with Legos, which gave me problem- solving skills early on. Growing up in Missouri, I had access to my dad’s shop and metal-working tools, and also enjoyed sketching everyday objects, which taught me to have a trained eye. I found that working with my hands and using materials that I could get quick, visual results with was satisfying.
How did your artistic pursuits lead you to starting your business, MODERNFAB?
After high school, I attended the Kansas City Art Institute, graduating with a degree in fine arts. A couple years later, I came back to the Art Institute as a staff member in the metal shop and taught a few elective classes. I started working on my own projects between classes. Before long, I was taking custom orders for metal fabrication projects, and the business was born.
How did you end up in Central Oregon?
In 1999, my wife Shelly and I took a road trip through the Pacific Northwest. While we really blazed through Bend at the time, we had heard “Bend is the new Boulder, Colorado.” We kicked around the idea of moving to Oregon for years, and finally in the summer of 2010 made the leap, along with our daughter, who was 6 at the time. Once we were settled, I focused on rebuilding my business with local clients.
How would you describe your design style?
Clean, minimal and modern details make me happy, hence [the name] MODERNFAB.
Walk us through the process of creating something start to finish.
The process usually starts with a meet and greet with a client to define the parameters of the project. Collaboration happens among all parties involved to start understanding the design intent, materials, finishes and budget. I start with renderings to create a visual reference for approval, and then the project can be built and installed.
What is it like running your own business and working with clients?
I treat every project like it’s for my own home. This creates a sense of pride, ownership and gratitude, knowing I am building a project that will get visual attention or be used daily as a functional part of someone’s life. A lot of my work is about building trust with clients, which means making them feel comfortable and educating them about the process.
Do you have any favorite projects?
I build so much, it’s really difficult to have a favorite, but a few projects stand out in my memory. One of my favorite pieces was a permanent sculpture for Central Oregon clients who wanted the piece for their home in San Francisco. They gave me a desired size, a budget and a bit of inspiration, and I started designing. Logistical considerations included transporting the piece to California and installing it on the rooftop garden of a garage, so it couldn’t be too heavy. The finished piece was made of 3/8-inch thick aluminum, cut with a water jet and then triple-powder coated in a shiny bright orange color.
Do you have any projects on public display in Central Oregon?
Several. A fun spot to check out is Stoller Wine in the Box Factory, which has some of my furniture, benches, a large facade cooler wall and drink taps. While at the Box Factory, also check out Modern Games where there are a couple large-scale tables and benches that I built. Then swing by Lone Pine Coffee Roasters downtown; I built the large steel- and-glass window front system that separates the sitting area from the coffee-roasting and bagging space.
What’s next for the company and your future?
I’d like to work toward more art-based sculpture work, in addition to keeping up with the architectural demand. I recently designed and built my own home, as well as a work studio on property on the outskirts of Bend. I won’t have to hustle quite as hard to pay rent on a shop since I can now work from home. I’m looking forward to spending more time on projects that inspire me creatively and artistically.
Backporch Coffee Roasters: A Central Oregon Favorite
If you’re passionate about coffee and have spent any time in Central Oregon, chances are you’ve been to one of Backporch Coffee Roasters’ four locations, and you may already be a regular. If so, we understand why; the attention to detail that goes into Backporch coffee, from bean to cup, is evident in every delicious sip.
Ethical Coffee Sourcing
One of the standout qualities of Backporch Coffee Roasters is the company’s commitment to purchasing ethically grown coffee beans. Sourcing 100% Arabica beans from Indigenous farms worldwide, the Backporch team forms direct relationships with farmers in El Salvador, Burundi, Colombia, Costa Rica and more. This direct-trade method ensures that the production honors and fairly compensates the hardworking farmers who dedicate themselves to their craft, allowing us to enjoy a quality cup of coffee each morning.
Photo courtesy of Backporch Coffee Roasters.
Eco-Friendly Roasting
Once the beans have completed their journey to Central Oregon, they are roasted with precision on a Falcon Loring Roaster, a piece of machinery with an impressive legacy, initially manufactured by NASA scientists. Backporch’s commitment to sustainability is able to shine through in the roasting process, as the Loring Roaster allows it to save up to 80% on fuel and produce coffee that’s virtually smokeless compared to conventional methods.
The Menu at Backporch Coffee Roasters
Enter any of the Backporch locations and be met with the warm, inviting smell of freshly roasted coffee, along with the joyful sound of mugs clinking and community chatter. The Backporch menu offers an array of options that cater to every palate. Whether you’re in the mood for the rich intensity of a cortado, the creamy embrace of a latte, the sweet allure of chai or the simplicity of locally produced tea, Backporch has it all. From the ethically sourced beans to the precision of their roasting process and the artistry of their baristas, every Backporch beverage tells a story of quality and dedication.
Tasty Haven Bakery Collaboration
Photo courtesy of Backporch Coffee Roasters
Pair your drink of choice with one of Haven Bakery’s tasty pastries, and you’ll be in for a treat. A local bakery and partner of Backporch, Haven Bakery sources non-GMO and organic ingredients, prioritizing regional farm partnerships and sustainability. The result is an array of delightful breakfast options, from traditional handmade bagels to reimagined pastries and breads. Your mouth will water just looking at them!
Two Decades of Delicious Coffee at Backporch
Backporch Coffee Roasters stands out with its commitment to quality, the environment and the local community. For nearly two decades, owner Dave Beach’s dedication and love for his hometown have fostered a devoted following of coffee lovers and a staff of more than 30 employees. So, whether you’re looking for your daily caffeine fix or a tranquil spot to savor a warm drink and tasty treat, Backporch Coffee Roasters invites you to embrace coffee as it’s meant to be served.
Norman Built: Making it Just Right For a Family of Builders
When two custom home builders come together–one to create a home and the other to live in it–symbiosis happens. Tami and Bill Taylor of Anchorage, Alaska, were thinking of having a home built in Central Oregon and stopped by Norman Building & Design’s Bend headquarters to see their son Patrick, an architectural designer, who was working for the company at the time. The Norman business model of providing all services under one roof–from architectural concept to construction, interior design and furnishings–appealed to the couple as an efficient way to move through the process with a respected local company.
The idea to build a home started with a golf game. Patrick was standing near a tee box when he noticed an empty lot nearby and thought to himself, “I’m going to build my mom a house there.” His parents had made several unsuccessful offers on resale properties in the city. As a residential real estate agent in Anchorage, Tami knew how to craft an offer with good terms, but other buyers offered more. Meanwhile, Patrick mentioned the lot to his dad, a builder himself, who took the idea to the next step. During Christmas dinner in 2020, Bill told Tami, “I bought a lot for you.”
Patrick said that in 40 years of building custom houses, his parents never built a dream home for themselves. “We were so excited to have Patrick design our home and have Norman build it,” Tami recalled. “With the talent they have in-house, I was wowed by every Norman home Patrick took me through. I wanted our Bend house to be welcoming and serene, with a touch of awe.”
Jim Norman, founder of Norman Building & Design, started out in 1977 and over the years built a reputation in the luxury home market for classic Northwest lodge styles. The Taylor house would represent Norman’s entry into the contemporary housing market.
Creating a Prairie-Style Home with Mid-Century Modern Touches
For the past 31 years, the Taylor family had lived in a Craftsman-style home with what Tami calls “heavy interiors.” A second family home in Kona, Hawaii, nudged the Taylors closer to a modern, lighter aesthetic. The Bend home would carry the modern theme further by incorporating elements from Prairie-style architecture–a distinctly American design from the early 20th century founded by Frank Lloyd Wright–and mid-century modern elements.The fusion of both designs creates a dwelling that blends with its surroundings, has open and airy spaces, large windows, horizontal lines and simple, unfussy finishes.
Patrick designed the house, and Norman’s senior interior designer, Selah Ewert, worked closely with Tami, who has 37 years of experience in the design world as owner of an interior design company in Alaska along with her real estate career. “I have the exterior architecture brain, and Mom has the interior design brain,” Patrick said.
“It was a high honor to be trusted with another builder’s project,” said Brittany Grogan, another interior designer with Norman. “We all tried to keep a modern and minimalistic, design-forward look with clean lines. It reflects more of what [Norman] is doing, with a brighter take on a traditional Northwest home.”
The New Home Details
Completed in late 2022, the 2,500-square-foot residence includes three bedrooms, three baths and a three-car garage. The floor plan interconnects the kitchen, dining and living spaces, and facilitates a seamless flow into outdoor spaces, such as the southwest-facing covered courtyard. “All the public areas are staggered to look down the fairway onto the lake,” Patrick said. The design purposely blocks the view of nearby homes by opening up to the golf course.
A shed roof created a 12-foot ceiling over the kitchen, bringing in the morning light from the east and sloping downward over the west-facing dining room, giving it a more intimate feeling that welcomes the last splash of the day’s rays. Patrick notes that the shed roof is metal, the first of its kind allowed by the architecture review committee in the home’s golf community.
The fireplace in the living room, built of black stone and hemlock panels, is reminiscent of lava rock and ponderosa pine hearths from Central Oregon’s past, and takes the chill off a wintery night. Ewert designed both the front door and fireplace, with Norman’s in-house woodworking and cabinetry professionals making and installing them.
The Norman design team selected round, oversized wooden pendant lights handmade in Bend, to hang over the kitchen island. Delicate vertical pendants were chosen for the foyer and the dining room table, to contrast with the round pendants.
Norman’s project managers oversaw the construction of the home with Bill’s practiced eye in the background. Since the couple was living in Alaska at the time, Bill touched base with David Norman, project manager, several times during the build-out. “Designing a home a thousand miles away could be difficult, but Norman’s team handled it exceptionally well,” Bill said.
“A home tells your story. It’s uniquely you and communicates something about the people who live there,” interior designer Grogan said. The Taylors brought their vast experience and personal preferences to the task, and Norman Building & Design supplied its full-service expertise.
“Team Norman exceeded my expectations,” Tami said. “I felt I was home the minute I opened the door. It’s exactly what I envisioned.”
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in October 2018.
These low-elevation trails are usually clear of snow year-round and are great for winter hiking. When the snow is sticking around in Bend, head to these hikes around Central Oregon that are lower in elevation. You’ll find clear trails without many people for a great hike throughout the winter months.
Tam-a-lau Trail
The Tam-a-lau Trail is one of the newer trails in Cove Palisades State Park in Culver. The six-mile loop trail is easy for kids and families year-round, but best in the winter when it’s not as popular or hot outside. The trail usually stays clear of snow. The area is popular for seeing a variety of wildlife, as well as great views of the Cascade Mountain Range.
Distance: 6-mile loop Difficulty: Easy Dogs: Allowed on a leash
Rimrock Springs Trail
Off Highway 26 in the Crooked River National Grasslands, the Rimrock Springs Trail is open year-round. There’s very little elevation gain in this two-mile out-and-back hike. The first half-mile of the hike is paved. There are several information signs about the wildlife and natural area as well as viewpoints along the way.
Distance: 2 miles out and back Difficulty: Easy Dogs: Allowed
Otter Bench Loop Hike
If you want to get away from the crowds that can populate the year-round hikes in the winter, head to the Crooked River Canyon for the Otter Bench Loop Hike. The main part of the hike doesn’t have much elevation gain, but there are offshoot trails you can take that will give you more of a challenge. The trails provide impressive views of the canyon and is lightly trafficked in the.
The trails along the Metolius River usually stay clear all year. From the Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery, wind through the forest and along the crystal-clear water of the Metolius. The trail going downstream creates 6.5-mile loop that stays flat most of the way.
Distance: 6.5 mile loop Difficulty: Easy Dogs: Allowed on a leash
Tamolitch Blue Pool Hike
The 3.7-mile out-and-back hike along the McKenzie River Trail to Tamolitch Blue Pool provides a diverse landscape. The green, temperate forest slowly changes to a flow of lava rock as you hike along the trail. A short climb will lead to the Blue Pool, an almost impossibly blue lake formed from the McKenzie River. The trail is very popular year-round.
Distance: 3.7-mile out and back Difficulty: Moderate Dogs: Allowed on a leash
Creating well-designed metal fabrications for homes, businesses and public spaces requires a clear artistic vision and refined technical skills. That’s exactly what Doug Wagner, owner of MODERNFAB, brings to the table. Wagner brought his business from Missouri to Central Oregon more than a decade ago and builds everything from fireplace facades to hand railings, furniture, cabinets, sculptures and all types of custom projects. He shared with us some of the stories behind his craftsmanship.
Doug Wagner, Owner of MODERNFAB
How did you first become interested in fabrication?
I started out building with Legos, which gave me problem-solving skills early on. Growing up in Missouri, I had access to my dad’s shop and metal-working tools and also enjoyed sketching everyday objects, which taught me to have a trained eye. I found that working with my hands and using materials that I could get quick, visual results with was satisfying.
How did your artistic pursuits lead you to start your business, MODERNFAB?
After high school, I attended the Kansas City Art Institute, graduating with a degree in fine arts. A couple years later, I came back to the Art Institute as a staff member in the metal shop and taught a few elective classes. I started working on my own projects between classes. Before long, I was taking custom orders for metal fabrication projects, and the business was born.
How did you end up in Central Oregon?
In 1999, my wife Shelly and I took a road trip through the Pacific Northwest. While we really blazed through Bend at the time, we had heard “Bend is the new Boulder, Colorado.” We kicked around the idea of moving to Oregon for years, and finally in the summer of 2010 made the leap, along with our daughter, who was 6 at the time. Once we were settled, I focused on rebuilding my business with local clients.
How would you describe your design style?
Clean, minimal and modern details make me happy, hence [the name] MODERNFAB.
Walk us through the process of creating something start to finish.
The process usually starts with a meet and greet with a client to define the parameters of the project. Collaboration happens among all parties involved to start understanding the design intent, materials, finishes and budget. I start with renderings to create a visual reference for approval, and then the project can be built and installed.
What is it like running your own business and working with clients?
I treat every project like it’s for my own home. This creates a sense of pride, ownership and gratitude, knowing I am building a project that will get visual attention or be used daily as a functional part of someone’s life. A lot of my work is about building trust with clients, which means making them feel comfortable and educating them about the process.
Do you have any favorite projects?
I build so much, it’s really difficult to have a favorite, but a few projects stand out in my memory. One of my favorite pieces was a permanent sculpture for Central Oregon clients who wanted the piece for their home in San Francisco. They gave me a desired size, a budget and a bit of inspiration, and I started designing. Logistical considerations included transporting the piece to California and installing it on the rooftop garden of a garage, so it couldn’t be too heavy. The finished piece was made of 3/8-inch thick aluminum, cut with a water jet and then triple-powder coated in a shiny bright orange color.
Do you have any projects on public display in Central Oregon?
Several. A fun spot to check out is Stoller Wine in the Box Factory, which has some of my furniture, benches, a large facade cooler wall and drink taps. While at the Box Factory, also check out Modern Games where there are a couple large-scale tables and benches that I built. Then swing by Lone Pine Coffee Roasters downtown; I built the large steel- and-glass window front system that separates the sitting area from the coffee-roasting and bagging space.
What’s next for the company and your future?
I’d like to work toward more art-based sculpture work, in addition to keeping up with the architectural demand. I recently designed and built my own home, as well as a work studio on property on the outskirts of Bend. I won’t have to hustle quite as hard to pay rent on a shop since I can now work from home. I’m looking forward to spending more time on projects that inspire me creatively and artistically.
Coming out of the challenges of the past few years has emerged a newfound respect for the home office. Months hunched over a laptop on a couch with virtual meetings at the kitchen table made many people long for a quiet, organized space where work could be a priority.
PJ Hurst Design
PJ Hurst, a Bend-based interior designer, found herself in much the same situation, but with a skillset and design eye that made her DIY home office remodel an inspiration for others. Using a six-week timeline and a variety of low-cost materials, Hurst took an awkward loft space and turned it into a functional, attractive work area–almost creating a nostalgia for those days of endless Zoom meetings. Almost.
The home office was part of a larger remodel of a decidedly country-meets-Pacific Northwest motif—think bears and trees and heavy wood. “It definitely needed to be upgraded,” Hurst said. Luckily, she’s no stranger to DIY.
Taking on a Homeowner Design Challenge
Hurst decided to take on the home office as part of Better Homes & Gardens’ One Room Challenge. The goal of the Challenge? To implement a design and remodel of one room in the house in just six weeks. The upstairs loft area had an awkward nook that measured just 5 feet, 6 inches across, but ran 20 feet long in an L shape. The previous owners had shoehorned a desk in the corner, and it had only one other design element–a giant stuffed bear. Hurst knew she could do better.
“It didn’t really have a flow or a purpose,” she said. The one-room challenge provided a timeframe. She gave herself another parameter–to stay on a tight budget by trying to use repurposed pieces and accessing the bulk of her materials on Facebook Marketplace.
The office space sits outside the primary suite, and Hurst wanted the door to signal to others it was a closed-off space where she could focus. She took inspiration from the charred wood look of Japanese Shou Sugi Ban siding and used a Stikwood product to create a chevron design on the repurposed door. It became the launching-off point for the showstopper centerpiece–the dark beam and box ceiling.
A charred-wood look of the ceiling features Facebook Marketplace-scavenged beams, and it proved to be Hurst’s biggest challenge. “It took a lot of muscle and work to go up and down that ladder,” she said. The beams were heavy, and the boxed angles on the sloped ceiling required hours of work and math to create. “It was more complicated than I could have ever imagined.”
Another risk was the ceiling. She wondered, what if a dark element on the ceiling made the space look smaller? Hurst offset the risk with the window. Fortunately, the openness and light of the loft space kept it from feeling oppressive.
The centerpiece of the Room – The Desk
Another key to a functional workspace for Hurst was a long, L-shaped desk where she could spread out blueprints, paint samples and other plans. Heavy cabinetry would have overwhelmed the space and made it feel smaller. Instead, Hurst installed a floating butcher block from Lumber Liquidators, attached to the wall with heavy-duty brackets. I can stand on that desk, and I have,” Hurst said.
Add engineered oak flooring (another Facebook Marketplace find picked up for $450 from a contractor who had some leftovers), walls with hand-trowled cement created with a readily available product called SureCrete and an oak plywood wall to create an area of interest, and the space came together, looking simple and clean.
Revamping the Stairs
Though not technically part of the office remodel, Hurst’s stair renovation completely changed the look of the home and served as a finishing touch on the loft space. Removing the white, heavy balusters and handrail in favor of dark metal and light wood opened the space and created a sculptural piece–the first thing visitors see when they enter the home.
While Hurst believes most at-home DIYers could handle the bulk of remodeling tasks she took on in her home office, she cautions against working on stairs without professional help.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life,” Hurst said with a laugh. “It is best left to the professionals. It took a lot of knowledge, understanding codes and getting everything lined up.”
The stairs create a perfect entry to the fresh new office.
Completing a project such as this is more within reach than it looks, according to Hurst, who said it can be accomplished with attention to detail, patience, and a willingness to spend some time perusing YouTube for instructional videos.
“Design is a language, and to me as a designer, that language can be curated and refined with repurposed materials and just a little can-do attitude,” Hurst said. “It’s easy to just look at Instagram. But it’s so much more rewarding to roll up your sleeves and get your hands into building something, and then to use what you create and have it function well.”
The Bend Film Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The festival will take place in person at multiple locations in Central Oregon October 12-15, 2023, and virtually, October 16-22, 2023. Since its launch in 2004, the nonprofit BendFilm has worked hard to uplift the art of independent filmmakers, bolster the cultural offerings found in Central Oregon and establish itself as an industry-recognized name. As its 20th milestone festival, BendFilm brings world-renowned filmmakers, enlightening panels, festive parties and a stellar lineup of 122 independent films to Central Oregon.
The 20-Year Bend Film Festival Journey
To thrive for two decades as an independent film festival in a cinematic landscape increasingly dominated by mainstream productions and streaming platforms is no small feat. But BendFilm has done just that, growing in both scale and significance over the years, with more and more programs offered each year.
Recent milestones include innovative festival programs such as its music video program, Indie Filmmaker of the Year award and Indigenous film program. Plus, an annual $20,000 BIPOC production grant. Along with establishing the festival as a platform for emerging talents that fosters creativity and innovation, BendFilm also offers year-round programming at the downtown art-house cinema, Tin Pan Theater, acquired in 2019, as well as screenings at the Tower throughout the year.
Short Films Opening Night
This year’s Bend Film Festival kicks off with a block of short films. As an Academy Award-qualifying festival for shorts, BendFilm has a successful history of programming outstanding short films that go on to earn accolades at the Oscars.
“Some of the best films we see all year are short films. It’s a less recognized and appreciated form, but we’re really into short films as a festival,” said Selin Sevinç, BendFilm’s programming director.
The unconventional opening night program aims to introduce audiences to this thought-provoking art form.
Academy Award-Qualifying Festival with Record Submissions
BendFilm’s consistent success in curating exceptional shorts earned it prestigious status as an Oscar-qualifying festival, a distinction shared by only 27 festivals in the United States. This recognition not only elevated BendFilm’s reputation but led to a surge in submissions. More submissions mean a larger pool of films to choose from, resulting in higher-quality selections. This year’s festival witnessed a record-breaking 75% increase in submissions, with 2,800 entries.
A Filmmaker’s Festival
Beyond bringing excellent films to audiences, BendFilm prides itself on being a filmmaker’s festival, going above and beyond to support and nurture its filmmakers. “We want to make it as easy as possible for them to attend by providing accommodations and travel stipends, something not all festivals do. We also ensure a diverse array of filmmakers gets screen time; we program people who are early on in their careers along with those a bit more established,” Sevinç emphasized. Once filmmakers are at the festival they’re further treated to happy hours, parties and meal provisions, along with casual networking opportunities. “It’s really special for me as a filmmaker and screenwriter that we are doing so much for filmmakers,” added Sevinç.
Indie Filmmaker of the Year: Nicole Holofcener
Nicole Holofcener, a director and screenwriter renowned for her emotionally resonant narratives, was designated BendFilm’s Indie Filmmaker of the Year. Her body of work includes ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ that earned her an Oscar nomination for screenwriting, “Enough Said,” “Friends With Money” and more. Several of her films will be screened at this year’s festival, and she’ll be part of a Q&A session following ‘Friends with Money” and “You Hurt My Feelings.”’ Holofcener’s films are celebrated for their wit, heartwarming narratives and authentic portrayal of the human experience.”Her filmmaking mirrors real life, offering humor and heart without relying on blockbuster extravagance, resonating with most people’s everyday experiences,” Sevinç explained.
Additional BendFilm Events and Programming
“We are hearing Sundance folks talk wistfully about BendFilm, that it’s what an indie film festival is supposed to be like,” according to Sevinç.
This is in part because the 2023 Bend Film Festival extends beyond the silver screens, offering a lineup of educational panels and events. Attendees are encouraged to attend the six diverse panels, spanning topics from industry strikes to groundbreaking documentary filmmaking and Indigenous representation. This behind-the-scenes programming is complemented by festive parties where attendees can mingle with industry professionals and perhaps even rub elbows with a few Oscar nominees. “Bend Film Festival’s allure lies in its unpretentious, inclusive and community-focused attitude,” Sevinç shares.
BendFilm Community Involvement
While the festival continues to grow, its roots remain grounded deep in the local community. BendFilm frequently collaborates with local businesses and establishes year-round community initiatives to ensure that the organization gives back to Bend as much as it receives. The festival has a significant economic impact on Bend, particularly in the downtown area. Thousands of attendees flock to the festival, generating more than $1.1 million in revenue through shopping, dining and lodging, providing a boost to the local economy during its traditional shoulder season.
“In terms of arts and culture, we’re one of the main nonprofits bringing this kind of cultural experience to Bend,” said Elise Furgurson, BendFilm’s marketing and social media manager.
The festival is putting the region on the map for new reasons. “The area is primarily known for its outdoor activities,” shared Furgurson, “but there’s a growing presence of people interested in the arts who want to see more of it and BendFilm is giving that to them.” BendFilm’s engagement with the community, both culturally and economically, underscores the vital role that the arts play in fostering vibrant communities.
Every Thursday evening, a race course is set on the grounds ofThe Athletic Club of Bend. Tires are squeezed by thumbs to check air pressure, riders line up and a starting whistle blows. There are battles among friends and between strangers. Crashes happen. The beer tent erupts in cheers. Somebody wins. Six-packs of IPA are handed out as prizes. High fives are slapped. Then the course markings are gone before the dust even settles. Each September, the Thrilla Cyclocross Series has been the heart of casual bike racing here in Bend for 20 years.
Deschutes Brewery fields one of the largest teams at the local events. Some of their racers are serious athletes. Some are serious beer experts. Some aren’t serious at all—and that’s the point. Their spirit is core to local ‘cross, where it’s more about community than about rankings. Sure, some come to win. But more show up for sunset beers in a makeshift beer garden, to reconnect with dusty-faced friends at the close of a too-busy summer. Here, the efforts of racing are like dues to a social club.
Cyclocross is as fun as ever, but field numbers in America aren’t what they used to be. Portland’s Cross Crusade, the largest CX series in the world in terms of participation, has seen numbers decline from the 1,400-rider start lists at their peak to about half of that during the past several years. There are half as many UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) level races in the United States today as there were five years ago.
Oscar Guevara (left) and Jeremy Gomez (right)
What happened to the juggernaut that was American Cyclocross?
In a word, gravel.Gravel is—to borrow a refrain from Zoolander’s Mugatu—”so hot right now.”
And there are plenty of reasons why: once quiet road rides feel choked with distracted drivers, and vast improvements in gravel equipment have made soft-roading easier than ever. Not to mention the collective aging-out of a generation of mountain bike riders who are losing their desire to “get gnarly” and finding a desire to just “get out there.” Of course, the global pandemic didn’t hurt the gravel movement either. With moratoriums on events and a sudden aversion to groups, we had more need than ever to escape the crowd, and gravel helped satisfy that urge for many. The wide open spaces of America—and of Central Oregon, in particular—had never been so attractive as from a bicycle during COVID.
When the worst of the pandemic was over, and bicycle racing began to reappear, racers were eager to return to competition but had only been doing long, solitary days in the saddle. Gravel races—generally long, scenic, soft-road affairs—quickly assumed the mantle of “new normal” competition for many. And the more epic (read: longer) they were, the hungrier racers were for them. A 205-mile gravel race in Kansas, Unbound Gravel, quickly rose to become the most important bicycle race in America today.
Gravel racing is awesome. (Read more about some gravel biking routes in Central Oregon.) It’s hard to deny the beauty in covering 50 to 100 miles of new terrain in a day, especially with the help of a pack of riders chasing a finish line. But does it have to be so damn long? At what point does more become less? Finishing a monument like Unbound Gravel, at 205 miles (the mid-length course, mind you) may be the ultimate challenge for some. But what happens next? Ride the 350-mile Unbound XL? When is enough, enough?
Marcel Russenburger, 1981
Marcel
Everybody knows his name.
A soft haze of late September dust lingers at a rutted corner in the farthest reaches of a cyclocross track. With half of the hour-long race over, the gaps between riders are largely established, but Marcel Russenburger stands alone here, barking encouragement to riders in his Swiss-German accent nevertheless. Pinot, his half-wild, blue-and-brown-eyed dog pulls unrelentingly at a too-long leash. Sixty-four years old, Marcel wears the clothes of a carpenter just done with a project, a few specs of sawdust in his bushy gray hair. Complementing his well-used denim work pants might be a purple fleece vest from some race he won in 1990. Because before he was a carpenter and a father and a spectator, he was a Cyclocross star. A man who finished fifth at the 1985 CX World Championships, representing Switzerland.
“Go Kalle, you can get him!” he shouts, emphatically. I doubt he is right, but I momentarily try harder. The least I can do is try a little harder. A few moments later I’ll hear a similar spur from Marcel to the rider chasing me. I might be one of his favorites, but he has a lot of favorites. His daughter, Sophie, is near the front of the women’s race tonight, but Marcel would have shown up to walk his dog and watch the races unfold regardless. Everybody knows Marcel. We are his people. And he is ours.
It’s time for a return to Cyclocross.
Where winning is winning, but losing might also be winning. Where ephemeral courses crop up in a park, or a pocket of fallow land around town. Where there are no personal bests, or course records, no awards ceremonies to wait for. Just people trying hard or not very hard at all on their bicycles for a little while. Trying in hopes of being first, or being proudly last, or just being better at something that’s difficult.
Several categories on course all at once ensure that casual spectators can’t really tell who’s winning or losing. That you’ve been lapped by the leaders (okay, twice) might hurt your ego at first, but nobody notices or cares. The crowd is enthusiastic and vocal, encouraging riders with light hearted heckling. Many of the spectators were racing an hour or two ago, and after a post-race recovery beer, they’re full of advice—good or bad. And they’re eager to share it.
A ‘cross race is the least intimidating introduction to bike racing there is. Aside from foot-tall wooden planks across the track, barriers to entry are few. Anybody over age 12 can compete at the Thrillas, and any bicycle will suffice. The races are short, and there’s no risk of getting lost or dying of exposure. You don’t have to be a nervous parent or a first-timer to appreciate these conveniences. Even as a pro, I’ve enjoyed spectating the final laps of races I’ve started—when equipment fails or the legs say, “maybe next week.” It’s a far cry from other disciplines that can leave you isolated for hours, riding for survival.
‘Cross is as shiny and relevant and authentic as ever. With the awkward return from COVID behind us, and diminishing returns from over-long gravel races looming, let’s look forward to what could be a Renaissance of cyclocross in coming years. If you like bikes or beer or people, maybe you’ll even decide to join the ranks. Your old gravel bike would work just fine.
Innovative companies help work and play hit the road with style.
Drive through Bend, into the Cascade Range or down a National Forest road these days, and it’s impossible not to spot the adventure van lifestyle. Sprinter, Transit, ProMaster—the tall, boxy delivery-type vans look similar on the outside. Yet the interiors of these tiny apartments-on-wheels are as varied and personalized as a home. Central Oregon entrepreneurs customize new and used vans like never before, and they’re establishing Bend as a hub for the new “van life.” And it’s big business.
According to a study by Research and Markets, the United States market for van and minivan conversions totaled an estimated $1.8 billion in 2022. While numbers for the Bend area don’t exist, other figures for Bend do. From two or three van conversion companies pre-COVID, Central Oregon now hosts a dozen. Some fully customize vans inside and out, others provide DIY install kits, and a few more make only the accessories necessary for an off-grid experience. Add to this list the adventure van rental market and it’s clear that Bend has a well-built, growing van conversion industry.
Cascade Van Owners Alexa and Bryan Walker with their labrador retrievers, Hagen and Harper.
Van Conversion Growth
“It’s been loose and fast, a Wild West kind of thing,” said Bryan Walker of Cascade Van, which converts stock vans into $200,000 custom overlander rigs. During the pandemic, Cascade Van saw a 98% growth rate and has already outgrown two industrial spaces. Walker and his wife, Alexa, an Oregon native, founded Cascade Van in Colorado and brought it to Bend because of the outdoorsy lifestyle and the thriving economy. “Bend is a good spot for young entrepreneurs, and it represents the same values and demographics as our target market,” Alexa Walker said.
A clutch of van conversion businesses have recently relocated to Central Oregon for the benefits the area has to offer. Besides the business-friendly economy, Central Oregon also provides the lifestyle these brands promote and sell, meaning the business owners can pursue outdoor adventure just like their clients. Community remains a sacred element of Bend life, and the informal get-together of van conversion enthusiasts, Builders and Brews, offers living proof. A different Bend-area brewery hosts the gathering each month, welcoming professionals and DIYers alike.
Van Camaraderie
Seth Caldwell, Swell Van Co. owner and designer, shows up at Builders and Brews to talk shop and enjoy the camaraderie. He said other van industry towns have a more competitive vibe, another reason for anchoring his business in Bend. Caldwell caters to the van owners who prefer to do much of the work themselves, designing and selling install-ready kits for the van’s interior: bed, cabinets, kitchen, etc. Nationwide clients account for more than half of his business.
“DIY kits are why we got into this business,” Caldwell said, noting the recent steep incline of prices in today’s van conversion industry. “Not everyone knows how to build great cabinets, so can we empower them to do that on their own. The model for us has always been Ikea for van conversions.” As Aaron Smith of Ready Vans puts it, “Cutting into a brand new Sprinter van is never as fun as it sounds.”
Not all of Central Oregon’s van conversion business deals with floor plans, storage and sleeping. A few companies, such as Redmond-based Tiny Watts, specialize in the components that make van life attractive in the first place.” The electrical system is the main ingredient to a van build,” said Wes Watts, whose company makes solar storage and power kits, including a DIY-ready electrical and plumbing system. “People understand we’re power hogs in our homes, and they realize that they need electricity to live the lifestyle they’re used to.”
Modern-day van life offers the luxuries people take for granted at home: heating and air conditioning, hot water, electrical outlets, lights, refrigerator and freezer. Whether for a weekend-warrior mission, a mobile or very remote office or an interstate retirement cruiser, these amenities all require off-grid power.
A Ready Vans interior design. | Photo Mike West
Modified for every situation
Troy Holland started Van Life Tech five years ago to provide all of the creature comforts in one smart system. Last year, he moved the business from Portland to Bend. His proprietary hydronic heating system warms the floor, air and water in a van’s cozy living space. Van Life Tech now sells its products to about 40 companies nationally and is opening production in the United Kingdom.
“Great things came from COVID,” Holland said. “People woke up to the fact that they don’t have to be glued to a desk from 9 to 5. The pinch point now is getting vans, not getting people who want to buy them.”
While Van Life Tech manufactures much of its equipment in-house, builders such as Cascade Van rely on only a few companies nationwide to source items such as windows and roof vents. The van conversion industry as a whole has stabilized since the COVID spike, but supply chain issues persist. Companies such as Tiny Watts have streamlined their process as a result, to detour around inventory dead ends.
While the price and availability of industrial space can be a challenge for these businesses, there are also challenges inherent in creating custom builds. “The biggest challenge can be to create what the client is envisioning, getting the functionality to match their expectations,” said Kevin Marquardt, who converted his first van in 2015 while living in Germany. Marquardt returned to his hometown of Sisters, founding his company, Dirtbag Conversions, to specialize in upfitting vans, truck campers and trailers. Other van life difficulties pull at Marquardt. “I’ve got a problem. I’m a dedicated rock climber, so I have to balance that with work.”
More Central Oregon Van Companies
The popularity of van life only continues to grow, with more and more companies popping up to fill the need. Some other Central Oregon van conversion companies that you can turn to to make your van life dreams a reality include…
Esplori:
Brian and Colin, bonded by their love for the outdoors, founded Esplori after envisioning ways to enhance outdoor experiences for families. Their Sprinter van interior kit prioritizes quality, safety and the environment, offering a practical and comfortable design for endless adventures with family and friends.
Sentinel Vans:
John and Kristin, a woodworker and artist duo, bring innovation and craftsmanship to Sentinel Vans, crafting one-of-a-kind, functional overland vans. With meticulous attention to detail and a passion for outdoor activities, their custom builds stand out for their quality and design aesthetic, reflecting their commitment to excellence.
Oxbow Van Conversions:
Greg and Chris, with backgrounds in building and construction trades, founded Oxbow Van Conversions to fulfill their dream of creating custom builds tailored to each customer’s needs. Offering custom layouts and expert installations, Oxbow ensures that every van is equipped for the ultimate adventure, whether it’s a DIY project or a fully customized build.
Kon Tiki Conversions:
Kon Tiki Conversions specializes in full-service vehicle conversions using the versatile Adventure Wagon RUV kit. Their modular approach allows for maximum versatility, catering to each client’s specific needs for their individual adventures. Their van can easily adapt based on the season or activity.
Life and work become travel companions in a van that offers all the comforts of home and office. Central Oregon provides the perfect base camp for high desert or Cascade Range adventures, whether it’s after work or replaces work as a way of life. The van conversion industry runs full throttle in Bend these days because van life makes sense in a Zoom town surrounded by rivers, trails and roads that lead in all directions. And what’s good for van life is good for Central Oregon’s economy and well-being.
The words of John Muir—“The mountains are calling and I must go”—echo with every footfall and inspire the goal of reaching a mountain summit. Fortunately, Central Oregon offers numerous opportunities to bag a peak. It takes some effort and energy, but training on the smaller peaks will pay dividends on the taller ones.
So, get inspired to perspire on this quartet of hikes and gear up to undertake the ultimate Central Oregon ascent—South Sister.
Photo Howard Lipin
Pilot Butte: The Warm-Up
A volcanic cone rising to 4,142 feet, Pilot Butte is a notable landmark on the Central Oregon skyline. The name’s origin comes from wagon trains using the prominent peak to guide or “pilot” emigrant’s wagons to and from the crossing on the Deschutes River. It also makes Bend one of six municipalities in the United States with a volcano in its city limits.
From the trailhead parking, a dirt trail spirals up and around this ancient cinder cone past gnarled junipers and fragrant sagebrush. The trail gains about 500 feet in elevation, but offers an excellent training trail to get legs ready for steeper climbs. The mountain finder at the summit’s Summer Plaza provides identification to a tantalizing array of surrounding peaks. This is a great warm-up hike that can be done, up and down, multiple times and can be combined with the 1.7-mile hike around the butte’s base to increase mileage.
Trail distance: 1.8 mile round trip; 3.5 miles with base trail.
Elevation gain: 500 feet.
Difficulty: Easy
Tumalo Mountain: The Training Peak
Located 21 miles west of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Highway, Tumalo Mountain is a popular hike that starts at the Dutchman Flat Sno-Park. The trail begins and passes through a forest of hemlocks, pine and fir, and does not stop climbing until reaching the summit.
Beyond the start of the trailhead, several switchbacks provide some relief from an uphill grind. Soon the trail begins to wind through mountain meadows with late vestiges of wildflowers such as lupine, Newberry knotweed and catspaw. The stunted or “krummholz” trees have been shaped by the fierce winter conditions that hammer this peak.
On the broad 7,755-foot summit that historically housed a Forest Service fire lookout, the trees thin out to reveal exceptional views of Mount Bachelor, especially the glacial cirque carved into the mountain’s northeast slope and the string of scattered cinder cones associated with its eruption. A clear day reveals Mount Thielsen, the “Lightning Rod of the Cascades,” to the south. Continue the hike to the summit’s north end for well-earned views of South Sister, Middle Sister, Broken Top and the surrounding region.
Trail length: 4.0 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,425 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Photo by Adam McKibben
Mount Bachelor: The Workout Peak
Mount Bachelor is the 15th highest peak in Oregon with a summit at 9,065 feet. Though the ski resort’s chairlift operates in summer, hikers can bag this overlooked peak via a well-marked trail that starts at the resort’s West Village Lodge (note: download the trail map from the resort’s website).
The trail skirts across the mountain’s base through a forest of old-growth mountain hemlocks, home to pine martens and the elusive Sierra Nevada red fox.
Geologically, Mount Bachelor is the youngest prominent stratovolcano in the Three Sisters area, formed between 18,000 and 8,000 years ago.
Eventually, the trail leaves the forest and begins an exposed, steady climb up the volcano, passing over and around volcanic rock and loose soil above the timberline, so remember to pause before looking up!
Once on the summit, the 360° views of lakes and peaks in the Cascade Range are incredible.
Trail length: 7.1 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 2,750 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Photo by Christian Murillo
South Sister: The Ultimate Ascent
The tallest of the Three Sisters and third highest peak in Oregon (10,358 feet), bagging this massive volcano is a real challenge but well worth the effort.
The South Sisters Climber Trail starts out at Devils Lake, a turquoise-colored shallow body of water along the Cascade Lakes Highway.
The trail starts as a steady uphill through a dense hemlock forest, giving way to a sandy, open plain composed of volcanic ash and pumice. After this section, the trail climbs in earnest and encounters sections with loose cinders and pumice, so careful footing is advised. Plus, multiple trails near the top make it challenging to navigate; pick the “trail most traveled” and aim for the top.
From the peak, hikers are rewarded with exceptional views of the other Sisters, Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood. The summit crater is filled with crystal-blue water—the highest lake in Oregon, called Teardrop Pool. High fives all around to those who reach the summit.
Just six years ago, Bend’s Steve Tague knew nothing of the world of competitive indoor rowing. While he’d tried rowing machines in gyms over the years, it wasn’t until his mid-50s that Tague became obsessed with the sport. Today, Tague has three consecutive world championships and a world record under his belt, and he is building a coaching business to train others as indoor rowers as well.
Finding His Potential
A slower pace of life for his growing family led Tague to move to Central Oregon in 1996, after years spent in New York City building a professional photography business and a stint in New Jersey as a helicopter news reporter. In Bend, Tague raised two sons, Max and Dakota, now 27 and 28, and met his wife, Mary, while continuing to pursue photography.
Tague stayed active over the years, but it wasn’t until 2017 that a random discovery pushed his athletic pursuits forward. A trip to an allergist revealed that Tague had been allergic to peanuts, wheat, soy and corn all along. When he cleaned up his diet, Tague said he suddenly felt like Superman.
While he was excited to push himself with this new-found energy, his body wasn’t ready for it. A sore back, and arthritis affecting his hip and knee, were exacerbated by workouts in a gym. To prevent further damage, Tague was advised to stick to low-impact exercises—biking, swimming or rowing. The first two options didn’t interest him, but rowing? He kind of liked that.
Indoor rowing has led me into a world of coaching and helping others, which is something I truly enjoy.”
The Competition Begins
As Tague learned more about indoor rowing, he discovered a lively community of athletes worldwide competing virtually—and in person—in simulated rowing races. “Not a lot of people in the United States are aware that competitive indoor rowing is even a thing,” Tague said. “But around the world it’s a very popular sport.” Tague bought a Concept2 Row Erg machine, a piece of equipment used by indoor rowers globally, and soon realized he may have a shot at breaking into the top 100 rankings for his weight class (lightweight) and age (then the 50 to 59 age bracket). After he broke the top 100, he eyed the top 50, top 25, then the top 10. In 2020, Tague headed to Paris for the World Indoor Rowing Championships, where he earned a silver medal in the 500 meter. “I was thrilled,” said Tague, who was able to meet his virtual competitors in person for the first time.
By the fall of 2022, Tague had his eye on the upcoming U.S. Rowing Indoor Championships and World Rowing Indoor Championships, both scheduled for the following February. He told his wife it would be the “last crazy year” of competitions and training before he allowed his body to rest. Then, in late December, Tague slipped outside one icy morning, landing on his side and tearing the tendons of his shoulder. “Not being able to move my arm, I was planning on withdrawing from both the national and world championships,” Tague said. “With the help of doctors from The Center, a local physical therapist, local acupuncturist and a local massage therapist, I was able to rehab within a month to be able to compete.”
At the national competition, Tague swept his age bracket, with gold medals in the 500-meter and 2,000-meter races. At the world championships, he hoped to do the same and wrap up his professional career. He won gold in the 500 meter, but in the 2,000-meter race, a virtual competitor from the Netherlands overcame Tague at the end of the race, beating him by four-tenths of a second. “I was extremely disappointed,” Tague said. “And I think my wife knew how disappointed I was. She looked at me and said, ‘I guess we’re going to Prague.’”
The Future of Tague
As he trains for one last world competition, being held in Prague this coming February, Tague is also training others through his business Rowed to Fitness. There, he serves as a personal trainer, certified rowing coach and sports nutrition coach, offering clients certified metabolic testing and analysis. Tague said he’ll continue indoor rowing himself as long as possible and coach forever as a way to share the sport with others. “This is something that I’m going to be doing for the rest of my life,” Tague said. “Indoor rowing has led me into a world of coaching and helping others, which is something I truly enjoy.”
Steps to Stay Safe and Healthy on Central Oregon Trails
Whether working from home or in an office, a full day may be sedentary without planning to step away from your desk. Science tells us that the simple act of walking is one of the most powerful ways to achieve a healthy body and mind—and doesn’t require any extra equipment. So, as part of your healthy workday and workplace, create time for a walking break. But even for short tours, keep safety in mind.
SAIF is Oregon’s not-for-profit worker’s compensation insurance company and they encourage workplace safety and wellbeing. To enjoy the healthy benefits of walking, Kevin Kilroy, senior safety management consultant at SAIF, provides tips to be safe while reaping the benefits of walking at some of our favorite places in Central Oregon — one step at a time.
Walking Boosts Worker Morale
First, understand how incorporating exercise into an everyday work routine can boost morale at any workplace environment. Workers in offices that support and encourage regular exercise are absent less, are less prone to common workplace injuries and are more engaged with their fellow employees and the task at hand, according to SAIF’s Kilroy.
SAIF tip for a healthier workday: Take regular walk breaks throughout the day. Support, educate and, inspire co-workers or employees to prioritize regular exercise. Schedule walking meetings in place of sitting ones. Share tips on local hikes and walks and create employee walking groups.
Local Maps and Resources for Central Oregon Walking Trails
Walking is one of the simplest forms of exercise, and is supported by systems of trails that help make it even more accessible. Navigate walking trails for every fitness level with maps from Visit Bend. For a workday break, or after-hours adventure, start in downtown Bend, where the Visitor Center provides free maps and resources to help plan your way. Follow the Deschutes River Trail from downtown, or explore trails with geologic interest beyond Bend such as Newberry National Volcanic Monument. When exploring the outdoors, keep safety considerations front of mind.
SAIF trails safety tip:Carry a flashlight during early morning and evening hours. Keep your eyes on the trail and be aware of rocks and roots in your path. For your safety and the protection of wildlife, stay on designated and marked trails. Stay alert and watch for wildlife.
Take a Walking Tour of Bend’s Old Mill
With shops, restaurants and a dedicated walking path called the Old Mill Loop, Bend’s Old Mill District provides variety for a mid-day break. Follow the Deschutes River through the District and boost metabolism, keep joints, muscles and bones strong, reduce stress and improve mood all while discovering this vibrant area. Walkers, runners, and wild geese all converge on the Old Mill’s walkways, so SAIF’s Kevin Kilroy reminds walkers to walk on the right side and be aware of your surroundings as you walk.
SAIF pathways safety tip: Expect unpredictable movement from dogs, strollers and children on the Old Mill Loop—there are lots of shops, dining options and other people as distractions. It’s a good practice to keep a slight bend in your knees if off leash dogs run near you. If you are walking a dog, make sure they are leashed. Walk with caution on footbridges due to uneven wooden boards. If you venture off the paths and onto the road, always walk facing foot- or car-traffic. Use sidewalks and crosswalks when available.
Take a Field Trip to the High Desert Museum
As a break from routine, visit Central Oregon’s High Desert Museum. It offers immersion into the history, culture and native wildlife of the region while providing indoor and outdoor pathways to take some healthy steps. The 135-acre forested campus includes 100,000 square feet of exhibit space with winding interpretive paths. Exhibits inside include educational tours of the art, Indigenous people, and natural history of the area.
SAIF exploring safety tip: Be aware of cars while walking in a parking lot. Always make eye contact with drivers when crossing in front of them. Use designated trails when exploring the museum’s outdoor spaces and watch for fallen objects in the paths. Avoid texting while walking and keep an eye out for uneven ground indoors and out.
As a short break to step away from your desk, or a new way to conduct a meeting, walking incorporates healthy movement into each workday. It boosts morale, improves mood and helps maintain a healthy immune system. Whether the goal is 10,000 steps, or a walk around the block, keeping safety in mind allows employees and employers to stay on the path to wellness.
Since 2019, Bo’s Falafel Bar has been serving up Mediterranean delights and positivity to the Bend community. Originally nestled on Galveston Street, this colorful eatery recently found a new home on Century Drive, just a stone’s throw away from the Flamingo Room. Bo’s Falafel Bar is the brainchild of Sierra Phillips, a hometown girl who pursued a career in law before discovering her true calling–bringing the flavors of falafel to Bend.
As you step into Bo’s Falafel Bar, you’re greeted by a playful diner-style ambiance that’s both inviting and nostalgic. Checkered floors and mid-century modern dining chairs set the stage, while blue walls and hand-painted signage add a touch of personality. Handcrafted clouds dangle from the ceiling, casting a dreamy atmosphere, and antique glass lampshades provide warm lighting. The garage doors that open to the outside invite a natural flow of fresh air and warm sunshine.
The menu at Bo’s Falafel Bar offers a simple selection of Mediterranean bowls, sandwiches and snacks, with flavor profiles that are anything but simple. The kitchen doesn’t stop with falafels though; mornings start with handcrafted bagels that are equally satisfying.
For fans of falafel, the Falafel Sandwich is a must-try. Bo’s house-made version, prepared daily with a medley of herbs and spices, is nestled in a warm, fluffy pita. There are three topping options, but The Spicy takes it up a notch with pickled cabbage, beets, onions, pepperoncini, toum and garden sauce.
Another standout is the Bo’s House Chicken Bowl. Sweet and smoky chicken is served on a bed of dill rice and shredded greens, with an option to enjoy it over broth. Opt for The Classic toppings to enjoy cucumber salad, heirloom tomatoes, tzatziki, pink tahini and hummus, creating a harmonious blend of flavors and textures.
Whether you’re kicking off your day with a delectable bagel sandwich or indulging in Mediterranean bowls to round out your day, a trip to Bo’s Falafel Bar is sure to nourish and satisfy. Sierra Phillips’ passion for bringing people together over a delicious meal shines through in every bite.
March 2021 – Bend native ditches law to bring Bo’s Falafel Bar to her hometown
Sierra Phillips left her small pond in Central Oregon to pursue environmental law in Washington, D.C., only a few years ago. But after returning to her hometown to work in business law, she began to question her career. “Everything started to feel stressful for the wrong reasons. I wanted to stress out on my terms,” she reflected. “I just knew that someday I would open a restaurant, and that belief coupled with my constant cravings for super herby falafel naturally grew my idea for a falafel shop.”
Falafels have always been a favorite for Phillips, but finding a restaurant that made them to her liking was a challenge—even amid Bend’s growing restaurant scene. “I don’t get emotional about too many legumes, but falafel has a special place in my heart. It played a role in my childhood, it was a comfort when I was a homesick broke college student and an even poorer law student, it was a staple when I was vegan and it connects me to who and where I come from,” she said.
It wasn’t until she drove past a small commercial space with a ‘For Lease’ sign in the window in the spring of 2019 that she decided it was time to take the leap. “It was definitely more of a journey on trusting my instincts than a detailed plan to leave the courtroom to make falafel,” she said. Still, she and her husband had the lease for the building negotiated and signed a week later to launch Bo’s Falafel Bar.
Bo’s owner Sierra Phillips
Because the 500-square-foot space lacks a commercial kitchen, all prep cooking was done at Prep, a local shared commercial kitchen. In early 2020, she seized on the opportunity to purchase a food truck. “We bought a food truck shortly before the shutdown, so we altered our plans and transformed it into a commercial kitchen to park alongside the shop,” she explained.
After taking a four-month hiatus propelled by the initial shutdown in March of last year, Bo’s Falafel Bar reopened in July 2020 with some modifications. The building, which previously hosted indoor dining and a “choose your own toppings” bar for falafel salads and pitas, now serves as a prep area for employees. Additionally, the outdoor patio—which sits adjacent to the Galveston Avenue and 14th Street roundabout—is now tented with a large, transparent covering to accommodate outside dining. Orders are now placed at a walk-up window next to the original building entrance, while food is prepared only steps away at their onsite food truck. “If we didn’t adapt, we wouldn’t be here,” Phillips said.
Bo’s, which gets its namesake from Phillips’ golden retriever, also pivoted to cater to the breakfast crowds. Bo’s Bagels made its debut in the fall, selling plain and everything bagels from their food truck on weekend mornings. “My recipe is equal parts passed down from family, trial and error at home, and from my time on the East Coast where they do bagels right,” she said. Phillips plans to serve her bagels with a house-made cream cheese recipe that she’s busy perfecting. “Our plan is to have fun with Bo’s Bagels, seeing what we can do from our humble food truck.”
Until then, Phillips continues to focus on making affordable, accessible, healthy and comforting food, along with connecting with her customers. Bo’s plans to offer outdoor dining, as long as it’s allowed by the state, where dogs are, of course, welcome. “I wanted people to know we are friendly and welcoming, and nothing says that better than a golden retriever,” she said of the restaurant’s namesake. The real Bo, by the way, does not eat the falafel—but is known to enjoy the fries.
For Riley Nonella, age 6, riding horses is as natural as breathing. She’s been riding as long as she can remember. Nonella spends days on her family’s ranch in Redmond, playing with baby goats, riding with little sister Reagan, age 4, and honing her roping skills. Best of all, she says, is time on her quarterhorse, Polly, practicing for the next rodeo.
Riley, Rodger and Reagan Nonella
Riley is already a top contender at PeeWee rodeos across Central Oregon, where contestants are ages 3 to 14. She’s among the youngest riders invited to the recent Crooked River Roundup’s Young Guns competition. On the Nonella Ranch, rodeo is a family legacy—Riley’s father, Roger, entered the professional rodeo world in 2007 and has won steer and tie-down roping championships on the Columbia River circuit and beyond. These days Nonella chooses rodeos closer to home, where he feels the heart of rodeo beats strongest. “Rodeo isn’t a hobby,” he said. ”It’s a way of life grounded in caring for livestock. Rodeo keeps the ranching community connected.”
The Rodeo Community
Ask any cowboy or cowgirl what they love most about rodeo and odds are good it won’t be the adrenaline or the prize money. It’s the people. Rodeo folks are like family; they stay connected through generations.
“The competition can be fierce, but we’re each other’s biggest fans,” said Sadie Bateman, 2023 Rodeo Queen for the Sisters Rodeo. Bateman knows rodeo spirit firsthand. A competitor since childhood, she won the 2019 state championship in breakaway roping. This year, she’s experiencing different thrills. “My favorite moment as queen is opening the rodeo. Galloping into the arena with the national anthem playing, carrying the flag—it’s such an honor,” she said.
Sadie Bateman, 2023 Rodeo Queen for the Sisters Rodeo, enters the arena.
Bateman’s primary role is to spark enthusiasm for rodeo among visitors and locals because it takes the whole village to make a rodeo happen. From livestock contractors to announcers to judges, hundreds of unsung heroes work behind the scenes.
Some of the riskiest work happens in the arena, alongside the action. When the bareback riding events begin, professional bullfighters, such as Logan Blasdell of Prineville, step in to keep the cowboys safe. Once the rider is off the horse or bull, Blasdell goes face-to-face with the animal to guide it away. Unlike rodeo clowns who entertain the crowd, bullfighters focus on protecting the cowboy.
“My job is a blast, but there’s a downside, too. I’ve had stitches, staples and broken bones, and the season is just getting started,” said Blasdell. Usually, he explained, the animals quiet down quickly after rides. “They’re not angry or mistreated,” he said. “Bucking is what they do by instinct. For me, keeping the cowboys safe is the best reward.”
A bullfighter, Logan Blasdell’s job is to guide bulls out of the arena and to keep riders safe.
The Next Generation of Rodeo
Adriene Steffen, age 17, will begin her college rodeo journey this fall after a stellar run in the high school circuit. She grew up on the Steffens’ ranch in Sisters, where she and her siblings were the family’s first generation of rodeo riders. Coming up through PeeWee rodeo, she participated in every event. Eventually, Steffen narrowed her focus to breakaway roping–a longstanding women’s rodeo event finally accepted into sanctioned professional rodeos in 2019.
“Adding breakaway roping as a pro event made a huge difference. It means more scholarships, more prize money [on the professional circuit]. Now women have a chance to make a living with their roping skills, just like men,” she said. “Rodeo is hard work every single day, but it’s taught me confidence, responsibility and especially how to start fresh after things don’t go the way I planned.”
A bullfighter, Logan Blasdell’s job is to guide bulls out of the arena and to keep riders safe.
For Wyatt Wood of Prineville, the love of rodeo, “started with mutton busting when I was a kid.” From sheep, he moved up to riding calves, steer and ponies. “I loved the challenge of staying on. Couldn’t get enough of it,” he said.
Outside the arena, he excelled in many sports—and credits wrestling for teaching him to never give up—but bareback bronc riding became his passion. Now 19, he competes on both the college and professional circuits.
A bronc rider’s mission is to stay on for eight seconds. Wood’s rodeo routine starts with a check of his glove and rigging, the only point of attachment with the bronc. Then he tapes his arm to protect the muscles. “Now my motor’s running a thousand miles an hour, but time slows down during the ride. Win or lose, I always learn how to do better next time,” said Wood.
It’s an individual sport, but as part of the Cal Poly Rodeo team, Wood is building his rodeo community. Of all the achievements during his freshman year at college, it’s these relationships that mean the most.
“I’ve met lifelong friends, people I can count on, all over the circuit,” he said. “That’s how it is with rodeo.”
From the youngest PeeWee riders to the mentors raising them up, the rodeo family thrives on tradition, community and a heritage rooted in a multitude of cowboy cultures. It’s a spirit that passes down through generations, along with a love for livestock and a good dose of grit. Rodeo celebrates the American West, past and present. And, as Riley Nonella would add, it’s a whole lot of fun.
The Rich History of Rodeo
Back when life on the range was lonely and hard, cattle roundups offered a rare chance for cowboys to show off their bronc riding and roping talents. By the early 1900s, these rowdy competitions evolved into the rodeo we know today, full of pageantry, cheering crowds, thundering hooves and moments of awe. Yet cowboy culture goes beyond typical stereotypes, with a complex history shaped by influences as wide and diverse as the West itself. These traditions elevated horsemanship into artistry, and are still evident across Oregon.
At the Pendleton Round-Up, American Indian heritage has been integral to the rodeo since its start in 1910. Members of the Umatilla, Cayuse and Walla Walla tribes host a pageant and teepee village. The Indian Relay, a breathtaking event when riders leap from one galloping horse to another while racing bareback, spotlights the traditional Native mastery of bareback riding. The Warm Springs Ranch Rodeo Association established in 2022 helps recognize this heritage as well. Its Pi-Ume-Sha Treaty Days held each June in Warm Springs is a three-day rodeo event featuring a parade of traditional dress and a separate day to showcase young rodeo talent.
The 2023 debut of the 8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo in Portland lifted up another piece of cowboy history: the contribution of Black cowboys in the West. Often overlooked in the media, in reality, one-fourth of Western cowboys were Black. In recent years, the Black community has reclaimed its connection to horse culture, and Oregon’s newest rodeo is part of that renaissance.
Mexican vaqueros, the original buckaroos, added lassos, chaps and expert livestock management to the West’s roundups. Even the name for rodeo comes from the Spanish verb rodear, meaning to encircle. The vaqueros’ style and skills evolved into a type of rodeo called Charrería, now a Mexican national sport. Demonstrations by charros such as Tomas Garcilazo (shown above, right) continue to wow the crowds at rodeos throughout Oregon, including at “The Biggest Little Show on Earth”—the Sisters Rodeo.
Home to not only world-class athletes and performers but experienced coaches ready to support them in reaching their goals, it’s no wonder Bend sees so many of its own on the main stage. Mentors, armed with empathy, good listening skills, and positive attitudes, guide competitors on and off the field. Whether they’re teaching safety or excellence, life lessons or state championships, coaches sacrifice for their students. Here, we highlight a handful of local coaches who have dedicated their lives to helping kids—and kids-at-heart—reach their full potential, in sport and life.
Equestrian: Tara Brothers
Tara Brothers grew up caring for horses on her family’s Tumalo ranch and had a very successful junior and collegiate riding career. Her skills in a saddle led her across the country, to Europe and eventually to showing horses for acclaimed trainer Tom Wright at All Seasons Farm in Ohio. In 2017, Brothers opened Sage Equestrian near her childhood home where she teaches Central Oregonians how to ride in the English tradition. Brothers believes safety and enjoyment are the most important goals for coaches and students. She advises others to learn from the best, try to work jobs outside of their comfort zone, and always be capable of completing every task you ask someone else to do. “It is so fun for me to look at kids that I worked with for years accomplishing all their equestrian goals,” explained Brothers.
Martial Arts: JianFeng Chen & Ryan Clark
Shifu JianFeng Chen and Ryan Clark took two different paths to teach martial arts in Central Oregon. Clark, who instructs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai, began learning with his friends as teenagers in Salem after watching Bruce Lee movies and wanting to emulate him. He has trained throughout the United States, as well as Japan, Brazil and Thailand, opening his first studio in Eugene before moving to Bend in 2013, where he started Clark’s University of Martial Arts. “I love the training and teaching the strategy behind Jiu Jitsu,” said Clark. Chen, of Oregon Tai Chi Wushu, began coaching in 2000 as a competitor on the Fujian State Athletic Wushu Unit, where he was expected to help coach and mentor his less experienced teammates. He traveled the world competing before coming to the United States to teach, opening his Bend studio in 2012. “I recognized teaching is a skill that helps me express myself and grow, as well as connect people to this art and culture that I love,” said Chen. “I believe it has many benefits for health and life.” Both goal-oriented coaches believe in lifelong learning for the student and the master, as evidenced by Clark’s tattoo which reads, “Always be a student.” Chen explained his passion for coaching, “I want to use my experience to nurture each student and my ability to be a bridge or translator to this art and my culture with kindness and a sense of humor.”
Music: Jimena Shepherd & Meshem Jackson
Cascade School of Music (CSM) has been connecting aspiring Central Oregon musicians with quality music instructors for more than two decades. Two of their most popular teachers, Percussion Department Chair Meshem Jackson and vocal coach Jimena Shepherd, have seen just about every level of student since they began introducing melody, keys, and timing to kids. Both believe in patience, but they stress experience and understanding as crucial to student success in the lifelong learning of music. They believe each child is different and should be taught to his or her talent or skill. Shepherd tries to interact with students in an authentic way and advises aspiring teachers to trust in the process and always be open to learning from their experiences. “I love being able to see the different personalities and the types of art each child brings to class,” said Shepherd. Jackson agreed, “I simply enjoy talking with people about drums and music. Showing someone how to play is just part of the conversation.” With both coaches having more than a decade of experience, they have witnessed many proud moments with their students. Jackson enjoys seeing his kids work hard and perform in high-pressure situations, such as local public musicals, or continuing with music in college. Shepherd likes to root for the underdogs. Jackson concurs and said, “Doing something that makes you happy, content, and relaxed will make you better at it.”
Soccer and Ski: Nils Eriksson
Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) Alpine Director and Bend High boys soccer coach Nils Eriksson grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, where coaching is a volunteer activity rather than a job. Excelling at both skiing and hockey, Eriksson chose to focus on skiing in his teens and ended up getting a scholarship to race for the University of Wyoming where he also studied business. After college, Eriksson moved to Bend with his wife and took a seasonal job as an alpine ski coach with MBSEF, a role that would change his trajectory away from finance and toward working with athletes. A year later, at a friend’s request, Eriksson agreed to coach the newly-formed freshman soccer squad at Bend High School. Though he’d never coached soccer before, he had played on intramural teams in college and developed a true appreciation for the sport while attending a few World Cup games. “You don’t need to be elite in your sport [to coach], but it helps in demonstrations and the mental aspects,” said Eriksson. On the field, Eriksson believes coaches need patience and an understanding of their athletes, and they must be able to convey to the kids in a fun way that it’s a long process, so they can focus on short-term goals. He stresses that age is different from maturity, and coaches need to understand where each athlete lies in their development, in order to connect with them at their level. For Eriksson, money is not the benefit of a successful coaching career. “Feeling good is the reward,” he said, “being happy with other rewards, such as interactions with the athletes and seeing mental and tactical improvements they make.”
Skateboarding: Gabe Triplette
Gabe Triplette began his career as a skateboarding coach as a kid simply so he would have people to skate within his hometown of Boone, North Carolina. Though he competed in many sports growing up, Triplette gravitated to the camaraderie he felt with his fellow competitors skating for his Burton-sponsored East Coast Skates team. After moving to Bend and being asked to help teach a skateboarding camp at the former Local 50 Skate Shop, he became hooked on being a skateboarding coach. “It’s divine enlightenment to see my students’ smiles light up,” he said. “The energy you get from them is priceless.” Triplette has refined his unique coaching system over his 23 years of experience by figuring out what’s important for all skaters. He teaches six fundamentals (stance, vision, posture, turning, speed, and commitment) on his Central Oregon skatepark visits he has affectionately named Booger Tours. Triplette explained that the seventh fundamental is a drive to get better, and it applies to both coaches and students. “The best coaches are super passionate about learning, both for themselves and their students,” he said. He believes coaches should be empathetic, have a good attitude and communication skills, and the understanding of when to tell your students to push themselves. Though he loved seeing one of his skaters pictured in The Bulletin, these days he’s proudest watching his own daughter become a better skater and develop into a strong skateboarding coach herself.
Sport Climbing: Mike Rougeaux & Cate Beebe
In 2011, Mike Rougeaux pitched the idea of adding climbing to the Bend Endurance Academy roster of sports programs. Today, as the nonprofit’s executive director, he still works with climbers in town and at out-of-town competitions. “It’s really impactful to know the athletes in front of you are putting trust in you and that they hold you in high regard,” said Rougeaux, “so it makes me want to be at my best for them.” Bend Endurance Academy Climbing Director Cate Beebe started out rowing in middle school and high school. She explained that she was lucky enough to have welcoming role models within the coaching staff and the team. Beebe hopes for her students to have success both in the climbing world and within their community. “I started coaching because I wanted to make sports a place where kids feel powerful, heard, and accepted,” Beebe said. Both coaches take empathetic approaches to teaching, in the gym and at competitions. They focus on building relationships with the kids and on the fun side of learning. With their athletes ranging from middle schoolers to the Oregon State University climbing team, both Rougeaux and Beebe try to pinpoint the individual needs of each of their athletes. “It makes me so happy to see my team grow, whether through mental strength, climbing technique or attaining a goal,” said Beebe. “I love climbing and helping athletes to become the best people they can be. Coaching them is an absolute joy.”
Tennis: Kevin Collier & Josh Cordell
Few names are as synonymous with Bend area high school tennis over the last two decades as Josh Cordell (pictured on right) and Kevin Collier (seated), and both have the hardware to prove it. Cordell coached the Summit High School boys tennis team for 17 years, where his Storm Tennis won the Oregon State Boys Tennis Team Championships eight times in a 10-year span. Collier’s 37-year coaching career includes 24 years of leading the Bend High School girls tennis team where he coached three different champion girls doubles teams, including one with his own daughter. “I have had many proud moments, but coaching my daughter and watching her win a state championship is something I will never forget,” said Collier. Today, Collier runs the tennis program at Bend Golf and Country Club as well as the Caldera High School girls team. He believes his greatest asset as a coach lies in his passion for the sport and his ability to relate to each student’s needs. Cordell also deflects away from results, claiming his proudest moment came from a group of seniors on his team requesting one last practice, even though the state championships and the season had already ended. Cordell now runs Prep Success Coach, which specializes in life coaching, mental coaching, and athlete mentoring. For athletes and coaches alike, he recommends keeping it fun. Cordell points to all of his past tennis coaches, including Collier, as integral to his own coaching accomplishments. His goals are to see the students succeed, create opportunities, and make the most of their success. “If it stays fun, everyone keeps coming back,” Cordell said, “and if they keep coming back, you have the opportunity to be as good as you can possibly be.”
Swimming: Mary McCool
If your child took swimming lessons in the past five decades, there’s a good chance you drove them five minutes east of Bend to Mary McCool’s house. Locally born and raised, McCool grew up spending the winters skiing and the summers swimming, like most Central Oregonians. Ironically, she didn’t enjoy taking swimming lessons as a child, but as a teenager, she immediately liked teaching swimming to the kids she would babysit. After 50 years of coaching, McCool has refined her technique, grounded in safety and developing confidence in the water. “Patience is necessary,” explained McCool. “It’s good to have them learn to work hard in the pool and in life,” said McCool. “It’s not going to happen right away, but if you work at it, it’s all doable.” Her teaching style centers around not being afraid of making her athletes work hard. She doesn’t overprotect them and tries to show how the effort pays off in the end. Perhaps most importantly for children, McCool knows how to say the same thing in many different ways to adapt to her students’ varied learning styles. “I’m most proud when a kid, who was scared to death in the beginning, by the third lesson, [is] confident and believes in themself,” said McCool. “I know those lessons will translate into life as well.”
Tracey Seslen and her two children slowly walk along the weathered boardwalk outside the Sage Saloon. They study a placard affixed to the building that explains part of this city’s colorful history, yet they can’t escape the sound of the Beastie Boys booming from speakers a block away.
This is the paradox of Shaniko, Oregon. The historically recognized ghost town is anything but silent. The thumping music blasts from its very own radio station—KDFM, 99.9. With a reach of just five miles in any direction from the center of town, it plays an eclectic mix of ‘90s hip hop to contemporary country music and ‘70s greatest hits, and the sound overflows through the streets. In October, a ragtime music festival will bring in two days of live music that harkens back more than 100 years to the town’s heyday. Shaniko is a ghost town alive with music, accompanied by the revival of a long-dormant hotel in its center.
Wander downtown for history and pick up lunch, or ice cream, in the hotel’s cafe. | Photo Christian Heeb
From Wool Capital of the World to Official Ghost Town
Shaniko, 80 miles north of Bend on Highway 97, once had its claim to fame. It was considered the wool capital of the world from 1901 to 1911, when Oregon’s largest wool warehouse moved more than four million pounds a year on the Columbia Southern Railway. Business was so strong in 1901 that the railroad built and operated accommodations in what is now simply known as the Shaniko Hotel.
The demise of the railroad began in 1911 when a new line bypassed the town for Bend. Passenger service died in the early 1930s, and all operations ceased by 1966. Times were so stark that the Oregon Centennial Commission officially designated Shaniko a ghost town in 1959.
Capturing the story of Shaniko’s highs and lows falls to Debra Holbrook and the Shaniko Preservation Guild, keeper of the historical record. It dates back to 1879 and the first postmaster, August Scherneckau, whose phonetically-pronounced name became “Shaniko.” While there have been hard times, Holbrook said things are looking up. Today, she sits on a bench outside the hotel to recount the city’s story. She points to different buildings and riffs on each historical chronology. Many of the small, wood-framed units have been moved from land plot to land plot over the decades. Shaniko has survived three major fires, the collapse of its wool industry and the departure of the railroad.
But there are signs that Shaniko is less of a ghost town these days. A reliable flow of recreational vehicles detour from the highway for a slow, three-block drive on 4th and E streets, roads once part of old Highway 97 before the state realigned the roadway. Some travelers, such as the Seslen family, explore old buildings. Others stop at Seven Directions cafe for lunch or ice cream. “I’m used to seeing places that are reconstructed for tourists’ eyes.” Seslen said. “There’s much greater authenticity here.”
The Shaniko Hotel Welcomes Visitors Again
Across the street, the long-vacant Shaniko Hotel, built in 1902, has undergone renovations and now welcomes guests after sitting dormant for 15 years. South Wasco Fire & Rescue recently leased it from Portland-based R.B. Pamplin Corporation then made much-needed renovations and reopened the doors August 1. Net proceeds from the hotel go to the local fire department.
Travelers enter the front lobby of what was originally called the Columbia Southern Hotel and step up to the historic front desk. After checking in, they climb the original staircase to rooms decorated in an early 1900s motif. Once there were 44 rooms in this hotel; currently, 18 rooms have been renovated. There are no TVs but to meet guests’ expectations, there is Wi-Fi. Work on other spaces, including a dining room remodel, continues. Full completion is still years away.
An aged piano harkens to times when music played in many of the city saloons | Photo Ben Eastman
Music Festival in the Desert
It may not be Coachella, but the 21st annual Shaniko Ragtime and Vintage Music Festival, October 6-8, honors the ragtime genre that challenged the musical norms of its time, much like the Beastie Boys did in the ‘80s. The festival tradition was born in 2001 when piano tuner Keith Taylor came to work on the old Columbia Southern Hotel piano, Holbrook said. Once the keyboard sounded the right notes, Taylor gave an impromptu ragtime music performance past midnight and the idea for a music festival was born. “That honky-tonk sound used to waft in the air from every place in town, in every saloon,” Holbrook said. Today, chords from a Beastie Boys song echo down the street. While Shaniko qualifies as a ghost town, because it’s still a shadow of its former self, today the musical notes sound like the fight for the right to revive.
The Cuban Kitchen has reopened its doors and is better than ever. With a new location on N.E. Third Street, this beloved Cuban restaurant is once again delighting guests with its vibrant atmosphere, kind hospitality and authentic cuisine.
Stepping through the doors of Cuban Kitchen, you’ll feel transported to the Caribbean Island. Bright bursts of color evoke the lively streets of Havana, vintage cigar boxes hang about, and art and photographs depicting Cuban culture are pressed into the wooden tables. The joyful and laid-back ambiance complements the warm, attentive and knowledgeable service, creating the ideal atmosphere for a memorable and satisfying culinary journey. Whether you’re looking for a casual lunch or an evening of indulgence, Cuban Kitchen is the spot to relax and enjoy a delicious meal in good company.
Guided by owners Cristina and Chris Rojas, Cuban Kitchen offers a menu inspired by cherished family recipes brimming with flavor and authenticity. Each dish, from the iconic Cubano sandwich to the Tropical Bowl, is carefully prepared by the talented chef team and explores traditional Cuban flavors and ingredients.
The Cubano sandwich is a can’t-miss with succulent roasted mojo, tender garlic pork, flavorful smoked ham, melted Swiss cheese, and tangy dill pickles, all pressed between perfectly toasted Cuban bread slices. It’s hard not to scarf the whole thing down in just a few bites. For those seeking a lighter option, the Tropical Bowl offers a combo of fluffy white rice, hearty black beans, zesty pico de gallo, crisp lettuce, sautéed onions and sweet plantains. It’s a simple yet wholesome dish that allows the natural flavors of each ingredient to shine.
Complementing exceptional mains are sides such as sweet plantains and double-fried tostones, accompanied by an irresistible mayo ketchup sauce. No visit to Cuban Kitchen is complete without immersing yourself in the tropical vibes by sipping on the refreshing mojito or classic piña colada.
With the reopening of Cuban Kitchen, Bend’s culinary scene receives a vibrant infusion of Cuban culture and cuisine in the heart of Central Oregon.
Mountain biking is a popular summer activity in Bend, so much so that the trails can get a little crowded at peak season. But by the time fall rolls around, the crowds slim down, and the trails open up. Fall mountain biking in Bend also brings some of the best weather of the year to ride the trails around Central Oregon. These are the best mountain biking trails near Bend to hit once the weather and crowds cool.
Peterson Ridge Trail
A family-friendly network of loops, the Peterson Ridge Trail is one of the Cascades’ most popular mountain bike routes. It’s also known for being crowded and dusty in the summer months. Fall provides bikers with some of the best views of the Deschutes National Forest, unimpeded by the summer traffic or loose sediment. The total length of the loop is 18.4 miles, but the distance can be tailored to preference with the numerous connectors between the east and west sides of the loop. The majority of the ride is on singletrack trails and defunct Forest Service roads. The prominent signage and moderate technicality make this system of trails an excellent choice for families who want to get out for a ride in the fall or for beginners who can choose the route that works best for them.
Distance: Variable Difficulty: Easy to moderate Parking: Free. The trailhead is about a half-mile south of Sisters, just across the Whychus Creek bridge. Open: Until mud and snow make for a near-impossible ride, usually around mid-November.
Mountain Biking on the Farewell Trail near Tumalo Falls. Photo by Anthony Smith courtesy of Travel Oregon.
North Fork of Tumalo Creek
The higher elevation of the North Fork Trail provides mountain bikers with a cooler alternative on warm fall days. The trail begins at the base of Tumalo Falls and climbs steeply until it is level with the creek above the falls. The more gradual climb follows a series of waterfalls through old-growth forests to Happy Valley. This section can be ridden with mosquitos (and hikers) in the summertime, but the population(s) taper out by early fall. The loop descends via the Farewell Trail, which begins with a circuitous route back through the forest before transitioning into somewhat technical switchbacks near the bottom.
Distance: 7-mile loop Difficulty: Moderate to technical Parking: Tumalo Falls Trailhead for the 7-mile loop or Skyliner Trailhead for a 15-mile ride. Tumalo Trailhead $5 for a day pass or NW Forest Pass required. Open: Until the road closes for the fall in late October.
Lookout Mountain Loop
The panoramic views offered by Lookout Mountain come at the cost of substantial sun exposure in summer but can be comfortably enjoyed on a fall ride up the highest peak in the Ochocos. The most comfortable climb begins on Independent Mine Trail and climbs almost a mile on singletrack before opening up on the mountain’s summit. After riders take in the views of the Cascades and surrounding wilderness, those looking for a more gradual descent can descend back on Independent Mine Trail. In contrast, thrill seekers can elect the steeper, rockier Lookout Mountain trail.
Distance: 7.1-mile loop or 8.4 miles round trip Difficulty: Moderate to technical Parking: Independent mine trailhead Open: Until snowfall and mud make the trail impassible
Flagline Loop
Closed until mid-August for elk calving, this mountain bike trail experiences a deluge of riders in the weeks following its official opening, but the crowds should thin out in fall as these riders get their initial fix. The trail in the Deschutes National Forest off Cascade Lakes Highway is primarily singletrack and forested. Still, even the initial, somewhat strenuous climb provides openings for various mountain views. After the initial climb, riders are treated to an extended downhill stretch littered with technical features before ending with another climb back to Dutchman Flat.
Distance: 12.1-mile loop Difficulty: Technical Parking: Tumalo Trailhead $5 for a day pass or NW Forest Pass required. Open: Until snowfall and mud make the trail impassible
Dear Mom Cafe, Bend’s newest Thai eatery, skillfully crafts traditional dishes with contemporary twists in its trendy space. Owned and operated by the Chalernhinthong family, this vibrant restaurant and its cuisine honor Jattalee Chalernhinthong’s beloved mother and the family’s hometown.
The bright decor features eye-catching wallpaper, colorful velvet chairs and playful neon signs that infuse the space with a joyful energy. The attentive staff warmly escorted us to our table, where we perused a thoughtfully curated menu with a concise selection of dishes, highlighting quality over quantity. The libations menu offered Thai iced tea variations, mocktails, cocktails, and a beer and wine list.
Photos courtesy of Elise Furgurson
For small plates, we opted for the Midnight Chicken, crispy chicken wings with a succulent interior topped with herbs and a caramelized fish sauce, as well as the Roti and Curry, a flakey Thai-style flatbread that we dipped into a bright and flavorful curry.
For the main course, I ordered the Khao Soi Curry Noodles, a traditional northern Thai dish of egg noodles, rich coconut curry broth, topped with bean sprouts, pickled mustard, raw shallots, crispy wontons, cilantro, spicy garlic chili oil and lime slice, with the option to add tofu or fried chicken. It was filled with flavor, satisfying and spicy (there are no spice levels to choose from here, so expect a bit of an extra kick in some dishes).
My tablemate ordered and thoroughly enjoyed the Spicy Crispy Holy Basil, a delightful mix of roasted vegetables and sweet bell peppers sauteed in mom’s spicy umami sauce, topped with crispy holy basil, bird’s eye chili and a perfectly fried egg, all served over rice with the option to add spicy fried chicken or tofu. The portion sizes were generous, so we could take home some leftovers to savor the goodness of the Dear Mom Cafe experience a little longer.
It can come at any time—a call for help from someone stranded, injured, scared and in desperate need of wilderness rescue. These incoming 911 calls are transferred to Deschutes County Search & Rescue (SAR), which then issues an alert out to the network of 135 highly trained volunteers who drop what they’re doing and selflessly respond.
“Deschutes County is fortunate to have one of the most robust Search and Rescue teams,” said Sergeant Nathan Garibay, the emergency manager with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re really blessed by the dedication and quality of our volunteers.”
Of those 135 volunteers, 35 are women, all with a range of backgrounds and skill sets that make their contributions invaluable. These women don’t fit into any one type—they’re in different stages of life and their careers, with young families or retired; whether new to town or longtime residents.
Volunteering with SAR is a commitment not to be taken lightly, volunteers must complete a month-long academy with frequent training sessions; the average member logs more than 200 hours per year, with the requirement of participating in a minimum of six missions per year. The reality is that most volunteers contribute well beyond that expectation. In addition to wilderness medical training, many volunteers are trained EMTs and paramedics, and many have amplified training for specialty teams which include swift water rescue, mountain rescue, winter search, water operations and canine search, to name a few. The women of SAR are not just stepping up as volunteers, more and more often they’re the ones leading these complicated missions.
Christa Nash-Webber
Christa Nash-Webber joined SAR as a mom with two young children. Nash-Webber brings technical outdoor skills gleaned through a 20-year career in outdoor education. She volunteers on the medical team and the formerly male-dominated Mountain Rescue Team, where she serves as an assistant team coordinator. She joined in 2019 upon moving to Bend. “Joining SAR felt like a really nice next step, knowing I have a skill set that can be put to good use with people who are injured and lost, and I can make a real difference and help save lives,” she said. Nash-Webber shared that the most rewarding missions for her are the “epics,” the rescues that involve lengthy approach times and complicated transport. She recalled one such mission, a successful “epic” mission as part of a “hasty team,” which is a highly skilled group tasked with immediately deploying to jump start the search process. The mission took place in the Three Sisters Wilderness and began at midnight and didn’t end until 6:30 p.m. the following day. Nash-Webber has been part of intense backcountry missions and tragic, yet meaningful recovery missions. She explained, “Being outside fuels my soul. The ability to truly make a difference in the worst day of someone’s life, whether it’s bringing someone who’s sadly passed back to their family, or rescuing someone who’s been lost for a long time, the impact is very direct and very immediate.”
Nash-Webber is the event coordinator with SheJumps, an organization focused on increasing the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. Until recently, she also headed up SAR recruiting, a role that had her sharing the opportunity to volunteer in presentations all around town. A thread that runs through the experiences of these dedicated volunteers is the benefit of being a member of the SAR community and the opportunity to keep learning. “There are so many different ways to grow within the organization,” she said. “You can join a different team or become a field team leader, you can grow and stretch and challenge yourself in different ways throughout the years.” She gave a thoughtful look and said, “I think I’m going to be able to do SAR into my 70s.”
Roseanne Alwen
One of the women stepping into a leadership role at SAR is Roseanne Alwen. Alwen joined SAR after retirement, volunteering on five different teams, most notably the Canine Team with her six-year-old labrador retriever, Sherman. Alwen and Sherman are called in for searches on land and in water; impressively, “Sherman is capable of searching an area of up to 500 acres in a day, logging 20 to 25 miles,” Alwen said. She is in the process of training her next search and rescue protege, an eight-month-old black lab, Porter. She trains with her dogs two to three days a week to maintain certification, dedicating an incredible amount of time and money. Explaining why she enjoys working with SAR, she said, “I’m out in the wilderness, I have my dog, I get to train him, and I get to help people.” Roseanne shared that her role with the dogs is often that of recovery, but even those are fulfilling, “It may be that we are only able to bring closure one time in the whole lifetime of each dog, but that’s one time that a family gets closure.” For Alwen, that’s enough to make it all worthwhile.
Taylor Bacci
Taylor Bacci joined SAR in 2020. As a volunteer with the medical and snowmobile teams, Bacci said she values the experience of navigating in the outdoors and the constant problem-solving skills required while responding to missions ranging from injured climbers, lost hikers, heat-exhausted runners, bike crashes, stuck snowmobiles and recoveries. She shared, “Bend has been my home for over 15 years, and this town is packed with outdoorsy, active, risk-taking individuals. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. It fulfills me to provide first-responder efforts to help those who are in need.”
Patti Lynch
Patti Lynch has been a volunteer since 2015, joining SAR after retiring from a career in law enforcement. Her retirement plan was to spend her days riding her bike on Phil’s Trail, but immediately upon moving to Bend, Lynch was faced with evacuating from the 2014 Two Bulls Fire. She said, “As a police officer, I was used to knowing everything that was going on; the feeling of not knowing was anxiety producing for me.” That experience ignited her interest in becoming involved with SAR. Lynch is known as one of the more active volunteers, with a deep knowledge of the inner workings of the organization, including a near encyclopedic knowledge of the SAR inventory of rescue tools and vehicles, and a career officer’s attention to protocols.
A volunteer with the snowmobile, ATV and Incident Management Team, Lynch is not a stranger to challenging rescues, including a day participating in and overseeing incident response to three separate calls at South Sister, as well as the emotional rescue of a pair of lost snowmobilers. These experiences are the “why” of why she volunteers. “We’re all here for the same reason,” she said, “We all want to be able to bring somebody home.” But as a woman who spent her career in a male-dominated field, Lynch shared that she is also passionate about encouraging women to take on leadership roles at SAR. “We’ve got women with a lot of gifts and talents and a different approach. It’s an incredibly strong female contingency right now who are all stepping up in some really cool ways.”
A Perfect Blend of Culinary Delights and Breathtaking Views
Having resided in Bend for just over five years, my wife and I had long harbored the desire to savor the renowned Mt. Bachelor sunset dinner. Finally, the stars aligned when our friends visited the town to celebrate my buddy’s birthday, providing the perfect excuse for us to indulge in this extraordinary dining experience.
We embarked on our culinary adventure, eager to relish not just the food but also the picturesque vistas. Securing a reservation for the 5 p.m. time slot allowed our friends, who were adjusting to a three-hour time change, to enjoy their meal closer to their normal dining hours.
Wanting to make the most of our visit, we arrived thirty minutes ahead of time to take the chairlift up and bask in the breathtaking scenery before our meal. The lift ticket came included with the dinner package, and despite some smoky haze, we thoroughly enjoyed the ascent from the base to Pine Marten Lodge. To our delight, we were among the first guests to arrive, granting us a privileged window seat with an awe-inspiring view of the Three Sisters and Broken Top Mountain.
The service we received was truly top-notch, and our server, Liv, was professional with a friendly demeanor. She adeptly explained the menu offerings without rushing or pressuring us in any way, allowing us to savor the experience at our own pace.
To start, both my wife and I opted for whisky sours with wine-infused foam—a delightful and visually-stunning choice. The slightly sour foam beautifully complemented the cocktail’s sweetness. Meanwhile, my buddy chose the 10 Barrel IPA, and his wife delighted in a wine selection that left them both satisfied.
Our culinary journey took off with a fantastic array of starters. Two of us ordered the Greek Wedge Salad, boasting perfectly crisp lettuce, pine nuts, tomatoes and a flavorful feta cheese dressing, all enhanced by an olive tapenade. My wife had the tuna stack, a beautifully plated dish that was a true feast for the eyes. And let me tell you, my buddy’s order of burrata salad was so delectable that we found ourselves vying for every last bite.
For the main course, a couple of us savored the ribeye steak, while my friend opted for the beef short ribs, and my wife relished the roasted chicken accompanied by chorizo carrots and creamy polenta. Each dish was a masterpiece in itself, but the beef short ribs stood out with their exceptional flavor. The mashed potatoes, seasoned to perfection with horseradish and bacon dashi, were a divine accompaniment.
Ribeye Steak and Mashed Potatoes
As our feast neared its sweet conclusion, we were treated to an assortment of delectable desserts: German mouse cake, lemon cheesecake and panna cotta. Each dessert was a symphony of flavors, perfectly complementing the meal’s grand finale.
While we cannot deny that the experience was a splurge, it was undoubtedly worth it for such a special occasion. The food lived up to our expectations, leaving us eagerly awaiting the next birthday or anniversary to celebrate once again atop the magnificent Mt. Bachelor.
Sunset Dinners are served Thursday through Sunday nights, now through September 10. Learn more here.
About Dan Price: This article was a guest post by Dan Price, a talented photographer and Central Oregon local.
NW Raw is an organic, plant-based, gluten-free cafe that caters to the health-conscious.
With origins in Ashland, NW Raw is now serving its healthy cuisine and organic juices on Bend’s westside. The soft opening in August 2023 is slated to expand into extended hours and the arrival of its complete food offerings in September.
The menu is packed with 100% organic ingredients, essential nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. From fresh juices to thick smoothies, towering toasts to hearty bowls, salads, and soups, there is a healthy option for every palate. Various plant-based cleanses are also on the menu for those who want to extend the NW Raw experience.
The NW Raw Ambiance
A recent lunchtime visit on a bustling Wednesday made for a nourishing midday break, both in the food eaten and the atmosphere enjoyed. The restaurant’s interior is a modern and spacious setting with a variety of seating options; cozy up in a booth or get work done at one of its long communal tables.
Counter service streamlined orders while an assortment of grab-and-go juices and salads were available for those seeking a swift bite or some adventure fuel to take on the go. The service was prompt and attentive, with staff regularly checking in to ensure that every diner’s needs were met efficiently and thoughtfully.
On the Menu at NW Raw
An excellent lunch option is the Yellowstone bowl, a flavorful cashew coconut curry sauce spread over a bed of rainbow quinoa, topped with carrot, purple cabbage, cilantro and green onion. It was simple, warm and nourishing, the perfect option for a midday meal.
Another light and tasty item is the East salad, massaged kale tossed in a sweet ginger tahini dressing and topped with shredded carrots, beets, cabbage, currents, sprouted almonds, orange slices and black sesame seeds—an unexpected fusion of flavors with just the right balance.
For dessert, chocolate lovers will want to check out the Pilot Rock, a dark chocolate tart, while those looking for a fruity finish will want to order the Pikes Peak, a lemon raspberry cheesecake. Grab the Vertical cold-pressed juice on your way out for a refreshing blend of celery, cucumber, kale, cilantro and lemon for a cool and rejuvenating close to the meal.
NW Raw’s organic ingredients, nutrient-packed menu and plentiful grab-and-go options cater to those with action-packed days, be it work or adventure, who are looking for a nourishing meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
The transformation of the long-beloved Barrio into its stylish successor, Bar Rio, is complete and its doors in downtown Bend are now open. Owners Steven and Amy Draheim have curated a menu that celebrates the colorful and diverse flavors of Spain, Israel and Mexico.
Fresh Design
The cultural tapestry also influences the restaurant’s updated interior design. Thanks to the creative teams at LRS Architects and interior designer Trisha Plass, the fresh, soothing blues, Alhambra-inspired tiles and chic light fixtures brilliantly combine Mediterranean aesthetics with contemporary details.
Novel Menu Keeps Beloved Classics
Beyond the visual updates, Bar Rio’s chefs have also switched up their menu offerings, transitioning away from the original full menu towards a curated selection of tapas and cocktails. But die-hard Barrio fans will be happy to know that many of the original favorites are still available.
The jibaritos are one such nostalgic tribute, succulent pork carnitas or grilled yam piled on top of sweet fried plantains, which are then topped with Tajin and served with creamy guacamole. The patatas bravas are also still on the menu, crisp potatoes drizzled with tomato and verde sauces, Calabrian aioli and fresh herbs.
A highlight of the meal was the grilled green beans, tastefully charred with a Reserva Jerez vinaigrette and accompanied by almond slivers and crispy jamón. For a more hearty dish, try the shareable paella with saffron-infused rice, chorizo and a choice of chicken or shrimp. Use warm bread or tortillas to scoop flavorful bites.
Tasty Treats and Colorful Cocktails
The classic Spanish favorite of churros and chocolate makes for a sweet finish. Be sure to imbibe in one of the menu’s refreshing cocktails alongside your tapas. The Chavurah, a blend of jalapeño tequila, pomegranate lime and cardamom syrup, is a nod to both Mexican and Israeli flavors. Meanwhile, the Sunny Day on The Rim is a refreshing blend of vodka, pressed cucumber, lime and grapefruit bitters.
Bar Rio’s fusion of global fare, tasty libations and colorful design is the perfectly fun evolution for one of Bend’s most popular restaurants. Whether you sip margaritas on the beautiful back patio, slide up to the bar or cozy into one of its booths, Bar Rio is a festive option for drinks and nibbles in downtown Bend.
Nestled in downtown Bend’s Brooks Alley, the long-awaited Dear Irene has finally opened its doors, and in every last detail, it lives up to the anticipation. With elevated cuisine, stylish design and artisan cocktails, the restaurant offers an innovative dining experience.
Meet Chef Jonny Becklund
Chef Jonny Becklund, backed by two decades of experience, and his wife, Irene, are the creative forces behind the restaurant’s chic ambiance and ever-changing menu. The space is full of edgy accents, playful wallpapers and captivating textures, beautifully complemented by clean lines, fine art and gracious service. The result is an atmosphere that effortlessly balances fun and sophistication. Even the bathrooms showcase artistic flair, highlighting the extreme care and attention to detail that went into the creation of the space. Sip cocktails on velvet couches in the back lounge, sit at the bar or explore the full menu cozied up in an upholstered velvet booth.
Creative Cuisine in an Elevated Atmosphere
Then, there’s the food. The King Salmon Crudo is a colorful composition of tomatillo leche di tigre, yuzu kosho, shaved radish, jalapeño, chili oil and crispy garlic, skillfully combining textures and flavors for a refreshing start to your meal. Next, the honey roasted heirloom carrots are roasted to perfection and served with lemon labneh, hazelnut and pistachio dukkah, pomegranate molasses, lemon oil and mint, creating a beautifully balanced, sweet, and nutty vegetarian delightful that melts in your mouth.
The Spanish prawns are accompanied by Iberico chorizo, fire-roasted tomato and charred lemon, transporting your taste buds to distant shores. The Little Gems salad is a light and vibrant addition to the meal, with puffed wild rice, toasted seeds, egg yolk, parmesan and tarragon lemon dressing.
For the main course, the polenta and soft cooked egg offers comfort with asparagus, mushrooms, summer vegetables, aged parmesan and salsa verde atop stone-ground white polenta. The soft-cooked egg adds a creamy richness to the polenta, making the experience satisfying to the palate.
The Drink Menu
The drink menu offers its own elegant surprises. With carefully crafted cocktails and hand-selected wines, the choices are diverse and well-curated. The Dear Irene cocktail, featuring Belvedere Lake Bartezek vodka, Lustau blanc, house-made olive brine, and celery bitters, offers an enchanting mix of flavors. The Spritz-Carlton, made with Wild Roots grapefruit and cucumber gin, cappelletti, creme de peche and cava, is a refreshing and enjoyable option.
For a final course, the matcha tres leches dessert was the perfect finale, boasting a spongy cake topped with whipped coconut cream and strawberry.
Dear Irene’s meticulous curation of food, design and ambiance makes it an exceptional addition to Central Oregon’s dining scene. Whether you’re looking for a post-shopping cocktail, an intimate date night or simply a delicious meal, Dear Irene is the perfect spot for a memorable evening.
Building a custom home isn’t for everyone. Prospective homeowners need the right location, a team of professionals who can deliver the vision and a budget to match the dream. After building and living in their first custom home, Bend residents Rachel and Scott McGuire knew they wanted something different for their second custom home and hired a team of design and construction professionals who could work through challenges and deliver their forever home on a budget they could afford.
The result is a distinctive dwelling carved from ancestral influences of Rachel’s Swedish heritage and ideas built around their lifestyle and features in the Central Oregon landscape.
The initial challenge for architect Eric Meglasson, who typically designs only modern homes, was to work with the McGuires on a contemporary version of a traditional-style home.
“Their Scandinavian roots reflected more of a European chateau,” he said. “I adjusted it to fit the Central Oregon climate and specifically to fit narrow design guidelines for the neighborhood.”
The home’s footprint was laid out on the lot to capture views of the Cascade Mountains from front to back through the large space at the center of the house. Compared with their first custom home, the couple sought to make this home lighter and brighter.
They used a Belgian window system not often seen in American homes. Four large windows tilt inward from the top for fresh air circulation and pivot open as doors in the great room. The five-foot-wide front door also pivots on a spindle rather than on a common hinge system. “They were able to create realistic simulated divided light windows approved for historic preservation in Europe,” Meglasson said. In the front brick-courtyard, the divided light windows emulate historic buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s in both Europe and America, he said. “It’s a good look and super-high performance.”
The 4,100-square-foot home contains three bedrooms (one doubles as an office for Rachel), three and a half baths, an office for Scott and a media room. The central room with 14-foot ceilings flows from kitchen to dining and living rooms where entry is off the front courtyard. The opposite side of the large room offers access to an outdoor kitchen, seating for entertaining, a sunken gas firepit and mountain views.
The home has several special-use areas, such as a kitchen nook where Rachel and Scott enjoy their morning coffee. They incorporated a wet bar in a corner of the main room near the outdoor kitchen. It has a walnut bar and stools for seating while the McGuires make drinks, pull beer or sparkling water from a small fridge and put glassware in a mini dishwasher for cleanup.
There’s a secret door fully integrated into the wood paneling along the hallway from the great room. The door leads into a pantry tucked behind the kitchen and is completely concealed until someone pushes a spring in the cabinetry to pop it open. The other end of the pantry has a glassed-in wine closet.
Interior designer Kerri Rossi said the cabinetry throughout the house is one of her favorite parts of the McGuire home. She worked with Anderson Clark Interiors, a local residential cabinetry company, refining and planning every detail of every drawer down to the hardware. “Those beautiful cabinets look simple,” she said, “and sometimes simple makes it more complicated–all the attention to detail like getting the right stain and bead channels that line up perfectly.” To create visually uninterrupted surfaces, all appliances throughout the house have cabinet panels on their fronts to blend in.
The primary bedroom is on the ground floor and has mountain views and a door leading to a partially enclosed in-ground hot tub for soaking after a day of skiing, playing 18-holes on the nearby course or cycling and hiking. Rachel is an avid golfer and skier, and Scott is skier, marathon runner and triathlete. The main bathroom is built around a “beautiful back-lit quartzite slab by Imagine Stoneworks behind a free-standing tub,” said Rossi.
In addition to bringing Swedish influences to the home, Rachel worked closely with Rossi in several places, including a showcase powder room. “I started with the glass vessel sink and then picked out a Swedish mirror and wallpaper,” Rachel said. A tulip light pendant and the floating cabinet finish the room with pizzazz.
A staircase with vertical steel railings by Ponderosa Forge in Sisters and seven-inch blocks of oak stacked on the outside of the treads create a “beautiful and graceful staircase,” Meglasson said. “I liked how we created a bridge heading into the bedrooms and overlooking the great room.” Another hidden space runs the length of the upper hallway and is perfect for additional storage or an inner fort and sanctuary for kids who want to escape their parents.
Visitors to the home are greeted with the sound of a water feature running from the outside through a brick wall to welcome people into the courtyard. The water falls out of a weir into a 20-foot, horizontal trough that might tempt Bernese Mountain dog Nils to take a dip in on a hot summer day.
The courtyard itself is on a smaller scale than the home, with short brick walls and metal fencing around landscaping sections that create an eastside place to escape Central Oregon’s afternoon heat and sit quietly to read or have a glass of wine. Even the McGuire’s beloved housemates, Nils and Mainecoon cat Sven, have designated space inside the home for eating and sleeping, and Nils has his own wood-covered enclosed retreat with a doggie door to the outside. The McGuires had the right team to help them draw on ancestral roots and lifestyle preferences for a home that stands out in the high desert.
Seeking a change of pace, a deeper connection to nature and a sense of slowing down, Mandy Davis and her husband Josh made the decision to leave the bustling Bay Area behind and relocate their family to Central Oregon. Settling on 10 acres of picturesque countryside near Powell Butte, the Davis family embraced a modern homesteading lifestyle, which includes homeschooling their three young children. With the desire to create a dedicated space for education, the couple worked to transform their garage into a bright homeschool classroom.
Mandy, a former school principal, envisioned an environment that would nurture growth, creativity and a love for learning—a space that would reflect a home’s warmth rather than a conventional schoolhouse. With their children’s ages spanning 10 years, Mandy wanted a multifunctional room that could cater to individual workspaces, a communal table for shared activities, sensory areas to stimulate engagement and space to move around. The project was a collaborative labor of love for both parents, who share a passion for do-it-yourself projects. “My husband and I were both born with the ‘How hard can it be?’ gene. We love to DIY and take on large projects together,” said Mandy.
“Every step of the way was a check-in with my children. ‘What are you loving?’ ‘What do you need in the space?’”
Mandy’s background in education played a vital role in shaping the design choices for the couple’s remodeling project. It was crucial to Mandy that her children had input regarding the project. “Every step of the way was a check-in with my children. ‘What are you loving?’ ‘What do you need in the space?’” she asked, keeping their needs and preferences at the top of her mind.
Josh, a skilled builder, took charge of the construction and turned Mandy’s design ideas into reality. “Our ongoing joke is that there isn’t anything he can’t build,” said Mandy. “But really, it is so true. I would share my stick-figure drawings, and he would scale it up and build it.” The transformation only took about three weeks to complete. The work began by bidding farewell to the garage door and elevating the flooring. Next came the drywall installation to improve insulation, along with French doors and large windows to provide natural light and a seamless connection to the outdoors. The project also included selecting new flooring, applying fresh coats of white paint, crafting custom cabinets and creating a fully enclosed patio to expand the learning possibilities.
Stepping inside the homeschool classroom, one will find an array of cherished features that both the children and Mandy adore. Butcher-block desks create sturdy workspaces; custom cabinets offer storage for curriculum materials and books; and a large rug encourages movement and play. These elements enhance the room’s functionality and contribute to its inviting atmosphere—a true embodiment of Mandy’s vision, who describes the space as warm, functional, bright and, most importantly, theirs.
While the homeschooling experience extends beyond the classroom into the family’s entire home and homestead, the dedicated space serves as the heart of the children’s educational endeavors. For Mandy, the homeschool room provides structure and organization, smoothing the flow of their daily routines and acting as a central hub for learning.
Mandy’s vision for a home learning space was realized but believes that having a designated homeschool room is not a prerequisite for successful homeschooling. She feels the essence of homeschooling lies in the freedom to personalize the educational approach, creating learning experiences in a variety of environments and embracing the world as the classroom.
Soaking in afternoon backyard bliss is a favorite pastime for Central Oregonians. Outfitting an outdoor space conducive to both solo R & R and family time often makes the top of a wishlist for a high desert homeowner. Luckily, carving out such a space in one’s backyard is perhaps the most accessible and approachable do-it-yourself home-build project of remodeling dreams.
Just take Allison and Derrick Clouser’s recent deck make-over for example. As owners of a home design company called Clouz-Houz, the couple had a leg up on their own DIY project. Allison has been guiding clients on interior design journeys for almost two decades. Derrick is a licensed general contractor and real estate agent. To glow-up a deck, follow the Clousers’ inspiring how-to tips below.
Upcycle and Reuse
It’s less expensive and good practice to reduce the ever-growing carbon footprint and reuse materials. The couple used this approach in their DIY deck project by reusing existing deck boards. “We flipped them over and planed the side that hadn’t been exposed to the elements,” Derrick said. “Once planed, we stained the boards with a dark espresso water-based stain to give the deck a more updated and fresh look. The railing style existed with the original deck. We sanded and restained it black to tie into the new stain on the deck boards.”
Reflecting the inhabitants
Because Allison wanted to stick with the coziness of the existing deck footprint, she made a point to enlist every inch of it. “The BBQ is used every week all summer long, so we needed that to be accessible. We chose a large sectional, perfect for our family to hang out on. Two of our three children are in college but come home in the summers,” she said. “I wanted the ambiance to feel like a quaint patio with bold prints and comfy furniture, thus creating a little outdoor oasis that coordinates with the interior of the home as well.”
The before photo
Maximizing with Minimal
Needing to maximize on seating, storage and space in general, Allison chose a modular sectional, then strung cafe lights way up high and hung hooks to house necessary items accessed from the deck frequently. “The modular sectional is an awesome way to build seating which can literally fit into any space,” she said. “The sectional is the perfect spot for enjoying cocktails while Derrick barbecues. Many nights we turn on the white lights and just sit outside under the stars. The hooks outside the back door are spot on for holding warm throw blankets to curl up with as it gets late and leashes for our two other family members, golden retrievers Max and Lucy.”
A collection of baskets, an end table and a coffee table that doubles as an ottoman also help store and organize keys, drinks, games, homework and other odds and ends.
Tips for Selecting Economical Goods
Allison found her sectional pillows on Etsy and says there are numerous vendors and operations for customizing with outdoor fabrics. The indoor-outdoor area rug came from the Studio McGee Collection at Target. “This is a nice way to keep the deck soft underfoot, preserve the boards from the wear-and-tear of weather and make for a comfy nap spot for our golden retrievers,” she said. For the finishing touches, Allison added small terracotta pots for fresh herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary and lavender for use in the indoor kitchen or outdoors on the barbeque and pizza oven, creating a welcoming space for warm summer days.
Utilizing thick oil paint and textured impasto-style brushstrokes, Raina Verhey unearths and explores meaningful and complex emotions in her art. “My work is a place for me to question and process the world, a way to hold space for the grief and love of my heart.” She classifies her creative style as emotional impressionism, crafting abstract landscapes that vividly portray the metaphysical terrain of the soul.
She grew up outside of Atlanta, Georgia, with parents who worked in the arts, her father as an architect and writer, and her mother as an indie songwriter and artist. “My parents cultivated an incredible atmosphere to learn the hardships and rewards of pursuing the arts,” said Verhey. “Being the oldest of five during the crash of ’07 in an artisan’s home, I learned real quick that life is pain, but I also learned by watching my parents that honest expression of that pain is a salve to the sting.”
Though surrounded by the arts as a child, it wasn’t until she was living on her own in California at the age of 17, facing a barrage of personal hardships, that she turned to art as her safe space. “It was my way of self-healing,” she said. “I had all of this pain, and I would sit there, and I would fill my notebooks with these abstract scribbles, and they just took over all of my pages, and it slowly grew from there.” Her style, skill and perspective as an artist expanded alongside her journey of personal growth.
Four years ago, she moved to the woods outside of Sisters, and it wasn’t long after her arrival that she bought her first set of cheap oil paints, an on-the-whim decision that would propel her toward her current medium of creative expression. Further reflecting on her transition from mere notebook scribbles to becoming a dedicated full-time artist, Verhey shared, “Even though I was bad at the beginning, I took myself seriously. The work had a meaning beyond just being good, so I knew it was something important and worth taking seriously.”
Many long days and nights spent painting were also involved in developing her craft. “I just kept going, and when you put the hours in, you finally hit a cusp where you get into the flow and find your style.” Verhey’s style is greatly inspired aesthetically by the work of Vincent Van Gogh and continues to be a way for her to map her emotional life. “I feel the emotion in my chest, and it kind of has a movement to it, and I apply that movement to the canvas,” she said. “Which is why a lot of my brush strokes are really fluid, a lot of tumultuous curves in and out, and twirls and swirls.”
She hopes her work prompts others to reflect inwards. “It is my intention to inspire beauty and hope, and the courage to carry on in the face of great tribulation and weariness,” said Verhey. “I want my work to be an invitation to step into the honesty of your soul and a support to you becoming friends with that honesty.”
Her art has been inspiring the community as it hangs on the wall of Central Oregon businesses and homes, a community she is continually impressed by and grateful for, “Folks here take the arts so seriously and so value artists,” she said. “I’m always honored by the time folks take to engage with my work and by how interdependent the life of an artist is; I can’t express how grateful I am to those who love and share my work.”
Find work by Verhey at the Campbell Gallery from June 8 to August 1, or in the halls of The Grove during the month of July. See artbyraina.com.
It’s late morning as Alan Watts pulls up at Smith Rock State Park. We first climbed here almost 40 years ago, when Watts was establishing a new style of rock climbing and putting Smith Rock on the map. We’re older now and not climbing as hard as we used to, but that’s OK. Today we’re going to climb a few forgotten classics, hoping we’ll have them to ourselves. We put on our packs and start hiking down the Chute Trail. That’s when it starts.
“Are you Alan Watts?” someone asks. “Will you autograph my guidebook?”
I like climbing with Alan, but we never do a lot of actual climbing. It’s like hanging out with a rock star. Everyone stops him to chat, pose for a selfie or autograph his climbing guide (he gets so many requests he carries a Sharpie in his pack). He’s been climbing here since the mid-1970s; when it comes to Smith Rock climbing, he wrote the book. His popular climbing guide, first published in 1992, is in its third edition.
I first climbed at Smith in the early ‘80s and was not impressed. Sure, the park inspired a sense of awe (it still does), but the rock seemed loose and the climbing so-so. I didn’t know that Alan—then a self-described “scrawny kid from Madras” in his early 20s—had already put up the first of dozens of steep, bolt-protected routes on the park’s blank-looking walls that would transform it into a world-class climbing destination. After a picture of Watts appeared on the cover of Mountain magazine in 1986, climbers from around the world began to arrive. Nearly 40 years later, they haven’t stopped coming.
Allan Watts helped put Smith Rock on the sport-climbing map. | Photo by Tyler Roemer
“Watts’ legacy is pushing climbing forward early on with a new style of route development that created the hardest routes of their time.”
“It was my dream to someday turn Smith Rock into an international climbing destination,” Watts says, but admits he didn’t anticipate the sheer numbers of climbers who would come or the impact they would have. “There are times when I’ve felt overwhelmed by the popularity, wishing I could step back in time to the old days.”
In the old days, Watts was often the only climber in the park. Those days are long gone. “I’m never lonely out there anymore,” he says.
We finally get past the conga line of adoring fans and find a shady wall that isn’t too crowded. Alan goes first. You wouldn’t know this compact, unassuming 63-year-old was one of the best rock climbers of his generation—until he starts climbing. He leads methodically upward, casually clinging to the pebble-size nubbins and finger pockets, toeing in on rounded edges worn down by decades of ascents. He makes quick work of the pitch.
Some people assume Alan is the famous Zen philosopher and writer of the same name. “There are serious climbers who think we are one and the same,” he says. “I used to remind people that the other Alan Watts died in 1973, but now…” Now he just suppresses that wry smile of his and says, “Ah, yes, in each of my books lies the seeds of my next book.”
Passing climbers ask Alan when the new edition of his guidebook will be done. “Soon,” he assures them, but admits it’s a bigger task than he imagined. “People keep putting up new routes,” he explains. “I have to get them all in.”
Alan Watts (left) and Alan Collins (right) | Photo by Tyler Roemer
New Guide, New Routes
Rock Climbing Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park: A Comprehensive Guide to More Than 2,200 Routes, which comes out in August, has more than 800 new routes; it took three years of hard work—frustrating at times Watts admits, but fulfilling. “I had doubts along the way whether I had another guidebook left in me,” he confides, “but I somehow reached the finish line.” He credits the book with giving him purpose and preserving his sanity during the COVID pandemic. He’s clearly relieved to be finally done.
We only get in a couple of routes before Alan goes off to lead a history tour of the park, narrating as he goes, pointing out the hard climbs he and his contemporaries—local climbers and foreign hotshots—did in the ‘80s and ‘90s, which still rank among the hardest climbs anywhere. Despite the heat, the group—mostly younger climbers—eagerly follows, soaking it all in. Alan is clearly enjoying himself, proud that he’s able to share the place he loves most.
“I never could have imagined decades ago that climbers who weren’t even born at the time would be just as enthused about Smith climbing as I was when I was young,” Watts tells the group. “What happened at Smith Rock in the 1980s still matters.”
Watts wasn’t thinking of future generations of climbers back then; he was focused on climbing challenging new routes. But his single-minded obsession created a legacy, a torch that he’s passed on to a new generation, including Alan Collins, who, like Watts, is a passionate route developer who’s committed to preserving the character of the landscape.
“Alan [Collins]’s been a tremendous steward of the area,” Watts says. “In terms of new route development, he’s holding the torch right now.”
“I’m really proud to hear that he thinks I’ve got the torch,” Alan Collins says. “I’m just doing my thing out there.”
Photo by Richard Bacon
Collins, a 31-year-old Bend native, is one of the current driving forces of Smith Rock climbing. Since he started climbing seriously at age 19, he’s spent countless days establishing routes and building trails just outside the park boundary, developing new areas to help alleviate overcrowding in the park. Although some remain critical of the development process—removing loose rock and drilling protection bolts—it’s work he’s proud of. “I like things to look good, especially if it’s one of my routes.”
He’s quick to acknowledge Watts’ influence on the new generation of Smith Rock climbers. “Watts’ legacy is pushing climbing forward early on with a new style of route development that created the hardest routes of their time,” Collins says. “It’s always inspiring to think about everything Watts did back in the day. As a route developer, I have the utmost respect for Alan staying true to his vision regardless of the criticism.”
Is the future of Smith Rock climbing in good hands? Watts thinks so, but insists preserving the legacy of climbing here isn’t about one or two people. He credits organizations such as the Smith Rock Group and the High Desert Climbers Alliance for their access and conservation efforts, and Park Manager Matt Davey for doing a good job balancing access and overcrowding. He worries that increased bureaucracy may negatively impact the future of climbing in the park.
“It has taken the collective efforts of many people to keep this place from getting trampled to death,” Davey acknowledges. “For the first time, climbing is no longer purely in the hands of climbers.” He points to the draft master plan for Smith Rock issued in April 2023, which proposes the hiring of a climbing ranger to enforce climbing standards in the park and an online reservation and permitting system to alleviate overcrowding.
“I hope I never see the day when it’s necessary to make a reservation to climb at Smith,” Watts says, knowing it’s already happening at other climbing areas.
Regardless of new regulations, Watts believes older climbers—such as his role models from back in the day who helped shape his approach to climbing—play a vital role in preserving the legacy of climbing at Smith Rock. He says that the best way to assure access is for climbers to take it upon themselves to be good stewards and set a good example for newcomers to the sport.
“The older climbers not only inspired me but helped me define the boundary between what was and wasn’t acceptable,” Watts says. “Now I’m one of the older climbers who plays that vital role.”
Belay On
At any level, climbing requires diligent attention and support. Start with local companies and guides, such as:
Just about every 1970s American household had at least one Frisbee sitting on a garage shelf, buried in a toy bin, or resting in the backyard where it was last thrown. Learning to toss it was a right of passage and a ticket to hours of fun with longtime neighborhood friends. Watching the Frisbee fly parallel to the lawn and into an awaiting hand was matched only by competitions focused on the challenge of trying to hit stationary targets.
“Steady” Ed Headrick, widely considered the Father of Disc Golf, first invented the Frisbee in 1966 and then transformed the game into a sport by patenting what was called the Disc Golf Pole Hole and starting a movement now played on countless courses worldwide. The Professional Disc Golf Association currently boasts more than 130,000 members across 70 countries with an average of five new courses opening each day. Parallel to golf, disc golf is played on nine- or 18-hole courses, with each hole consisting of a tee pad, fairway and hole. Both sports also share scoring terminology, such as “birdie,” “par” and “bogey,”but for disc golf players, the target “hole” is most commonly an elevated metal basket.
When throwing the disc well, spirited competition is likely to arise. Even when playing poorly, disc golfers still enjoy nature courses set in beautiful Central Oregon landscapes. Because Bend is filled with amateur and professional athletes with a desire to spend time outdoors, it’s no wonder disc golf has been on the rise in the area.
Pine Nursery’s disc golf course
Let’s Play Disc Golf
According to the disc golf phone app Udisc, Central Oregon is home to more than 30 officially established park and resort courses, as well as non-sanctioned courses usually found on Bureau of Land Management property. Diverse Central Oregon settings pair perfectly with disc golf—as does the post-round craft beer.
In Bend, the Pine Nursery Disc Golf Course offers a quality mix of long and short holes, as well as open and tight fairways. Because none of the holes is too advanced, both beginners and experts can enjoy a day spent at the east side park. The surroundings of junipers, sage and lava outcroppings line the course and separate it from the rest of the park’s features. For a quicker outing, the Skyline Sports Complex in northwest Bend is home to a fun nine-hole course, while Rockridge Park Disc-Golf in northeast Bend was built intentionally short to allow for beginners and putting practice.
Mt. Bachelor got into the disc golf game several years ago by adding a course to its summer offerings. The Professional Disc Golf-listed course begins just to the west of the Bill Healy statue at the top of the Pine Marten Lodge. Players may want to save their legs for the course and ride the chairlift up. The first three holes wind down the Outback ski area, holes four through 15 are located along the Coffee and Canyon runs, and the course wraps up just above West Village Lodge.
Other Central Oregon communities have joined the disc golf revolution as well. Just west of Sisters, Black Butte Ranch built a nine-hole course that winds through the resort property. Redmond constructed a very popular 18-pin course in Dry Canyon Park. Downtown Prineville’s Rimrock Disc Golf Course offers a mostly flat but challenging game.
Even More Play: Non-Sanctioned Courses
In addition to the officially recognized disc golf courses, players have built non-sanctioned or “renegade” courses on private and government properties throughout Central Oregon. Armed with a knowledge of the game and a little ingenuity, they scope out areas perfect for a course. Tee pads and holes are marked with natural material. The course is plotted out on GPS to either be kept secret or shared through the Udisc app.
Bendite Jeremiah Fender had only been playing for a year before he got the idea to build the non-sanctioned course Base Camp at Horse Butte. “I used to walk out there all the time and hated seeing all of the trash,” explained Fender. “I figured that I would try and bring some different active users to the area.” Local and visiting disc golfers like to play the course due to its long and technical nature, as well as its desert location allowing it to be played all year long.
Josh Steele, a local professional disc golfer, began playing after finding a disc in Willamette State Park and then being gifted another one by disc golf legend Nate Sexton. After moving to Bend in 2016, Steele built the non-sanctioned Face Rock Course along Century Drive, a perfect course to practice on with the long, technical holes and beautiful views.
Pairing Favorites: Discs and Beer
Valarie Jenkins and her husband Nathan Doss ended their highly successful professional disc golf careers and opened Bend’s Bevel Craft Brewery in 2018. Their career accolades include a combined seven professional world championship titles and Valarie’s induction into the Disc Golf Hall of Fame.
Pairing their two loves, Valarie and Nate incorporate disc golf into their brewery as evidenced by the naming of beers such as Par Save Pale Ale, the disc golf tournaments that play on the brewery’s televisions and an 18-hole putting course out back. The Bevel Putting Course, located just south of the 9th Street Village food carts, lays out as a fun, yet challenging par-two putting course, complete with tee pads and natural obstacles. In the summer, Bevel hosts a weekly competition to be played at a disc golfer’s leisure. Valarie has also found a role in inspiring young people to discover the love of a new sport. While there are legions of current fans, the nonprofit Universal Play Disc Golf aims to spread the word about the many benefits of disc golf to kids worldwide.
“While disc golfers can be from all walks of life, there is a common thread that these people enjoy the outdoors, traveling and doing things off the beaten path,” explained Valarie. “There are lots of amazing benefits to the sport, but it’s the people and the connections that we’ve made along the way that we will always be thankful for.”
To learn more about our disc golf community, see CODGC.org.
Each July, watch for a hodgepodge of unlikely cars zipping across the high desert, with their drivers cleaning up trash along the way: this is how the Gambler 500 rolls. A nontraditional off-road rally, Gambler 500 began in 2014 with a defining aspect that participants drove any car valued at $500, or less. The nonprofit removed 426,000 pounds of trash last year alone. “It’s not a scenario where whoever spends the most money wins. It’s quite the opposite,” founder Tate Morgan said. “Our tagline is ‘Fun is greater than the rules.’”
Collecting debris from illegal dumps | Photo Christian Murillo
After living in Bend during the mid-2000s, Morgan and his family moved to Portland where he and a few friends took some cheap cars into the Oregon desert to create their own version of a rally. “Our intent was never to make it bigger than it was,” Morgan said. However, a video in 2016 made by national clothing brand Chubbies Shorts featured footage of the adventure, and it went viral.
Initially, Morgan shut everything down because he said they weren’t set up for that kind of response, but he brought it back to life after discovering their social media pages were being copied. He copyrighted the name Gambler 500, inspired by an old car spoiler found in his father’s trash with the word “Gambler” written on it. In 2016, with a logo drawn on the back of a Coors Light box, the Gambler 500 was back, this time as a registered nonprofit with a mission.
On a Mission
The clean up component was introduced when the Forest Service contacted Morgan regarding the Gambler 500’s use of public lands, which inspired the new organization to use its nonprofit status and perform a public land clean up across many miles. In 2016, event participants cleaned up 40,000 pounds of trash from Portland through Prineville in a single weekend. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2016, Morgan said he focused all his energy toward growing the rally. The event was originally held in the Gilchrist area where it remained for four years before moving to its current launchpad at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds & Expo Center.
Gambler 500 utilizes the Sons of Smokey mobile app developed by Morgan, where participants mark the location of trash or illegal dump sites during their off-roading adventures and upload a photo. Then, a team returns to clean up the area in partnership with the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. The Gambler 500 traverse encompasses the Crooked River Grasslands and La Pine, with a portion trickling into Prineville. Morgan said the event also works closely with the Public Land Stewards of Bend to pick up trash.
Tate Morgan, founder of Gambler 500 | Photo Lance Reis
As part of the Gambler weekend, a festival at the fairgrounds features live music, food, go-karts, minibikes and a race option. For the fifth year, an OG (Original Gambler) event known as the HooptieX race will be held alongside the Gambler 500, offering what they call a fun and “impractical” event for “daily drivers, junkyard beaters…or your mom’s minivan.” The HooptieX is led by Race Director Chuck Brazer, who was one of the original Gambler 500 participants in 2014. The HooptieX holds a similar ethos to the Gambler 500—off-roading with any old drivable machine available—in an affordable and accessible race format. Now a nationwide racing series, the HooptieX race at the Deschutes County Fairground and Expo Center is a complement to the Oregon-only, one-of-a kind, Gambler 500. “[HooptieX] is essentially the [series’] biggest event,” Brazer said. “We’ll have 5,000 to 8,000 people there.” At different scales, the two events both offer the goal of off-road rally fun.
So this summer, thousands will drive to Redmond ready for exploration of Oregon’s roadways driving the most unlikely of vehicles. For the Gambler 500, though, there’s more to it. “It’s always the first thing our people want to do, to get out and help people,” Morgan said. The affordable playfulness of the rally is present, but the bigger picture of stewardship in public lands is overarching, and the Gambler 500 is shifting that idea into a new gear. See Gambler500.com.
Gambler 500 | June 21-23, 2024 | Deschutes County Fairgrounds & Expo Center
A cup of fro-yo after a day at the lake, a cone at the ice cream shop down the street from your childhood home, or a scoop of gelato after dinner at your favorite restaurant. Whatever flavor—and wherever you find it—these frozen desserts have a nostalgic place in everyone’s hearts. To recreate the sentiment and beat the heat on a hot summer day, try cooling down with one of these Central Oregon frozen treats this summer.
The Three Sisters Sundae has a double meaning to Elly Sisney, who started Elly’s Ice Cream with her husband, Tim. Of course, there’s the triad of mountains just outside of Bend which the name is attributed to, but this sundae is also special to Sisney because there are three sisters in her family. Starting with a delicious base of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with salted caramel, the Three Sisters Sundae is topped with house-spiced cashews and dried pineapple and finally, whipped cream and a local cherry. “We serve small-batch, super-premium ice cream with high-end, locally sourced ingredients—whenever possible—with endless flavor inventions,” Elly said. After walking through Northwest Crossing one day, the Sisneys were inspired to create an ice cream shop in Bend. With more than sixty rotating flavors, and eccentric ice cream desserts, Elly’s Ice Cream is becoming a Bend staple nearly one year after opening its doors.
Visit Elly’s Ice Cream at The Grove in Bend’s NorthWest Crossing.
A once lone frozen yogurt shop on Bend’s west side, Cuppa Yo now has multiple locations and franchise opportunities, so that every family can experience the fun environment wherever they are. No matter what, the Original Tart flavor will always be a perpetual flavor among those that rotate every two to three weeks. According to Keith Clayton and Crystal Lomeli—owners of Cuppa Yo Frozen Yogurt—there are many customers who return specifically for the Original Tart. Although Cuppa Yo is all about topping the frozen yogurt yourself for a recipe that’s made for you, Clayton and Lomeli recommend topping the Original Tart with fruity pebbles, granola, nuts and fresh fruit that mesh well with the sweet, tangy pure-yogurt taste of the flavor.
Visit Cuppa Yo at its original location on Newport Avenue in Bend, or on the east side of Bend on Northeast Cushing Drive.
In the heart of downtown Bend, Bontà is thriving in its mission to stay small, local and make artisan gelato. A favorite that has been tweaked over the years, but remains true to itself, is the Roasted Strawberry. A concoction of roasted strawberries and Oregon honey, resulting in a desert bursting with flavor in every bite. Jeff Labhart, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Juli, shares that, “Juli is responsible for the bulk of the flavor creation. Making good, artisan gelato actually has a lot of math and science involved in it, with balancing sugars, fats, solids and liquids. Juli has a degree in math and a natural culinary knack for coming up with fun, but still appealing flavor creations.”
Visit Bontà in downtown Bend, or find pints of their gelato in grocery stores around Central Oregon.
It’s said a heart makes a home. For Josh and Stephanie Wilhite, they took their time to bring personal touches to a remodel of a West Hills family home when it changed hands for the first time in decades.
Built in 1979, the mid-century rambler on Trenton Street in Bend began as the home of Linda Mork where she raised her son David on the sprawling triple lot replete with stands of cottonwoods, maples and a centennial ponderosas. Having lived around the corner in a Craftsman-style home since 2007, the Wilhites appreciated the neighborhood with its mix of original homeowners and younger families. Every third or fourth house had an original owner, such as the 95-year-old man who lived down the street. “It’s been a fairy tale,” said Stephanie, to live with close proximity to downtown Bend, Josh’s office on Drake Road and the kids’ elementary school down the street. Ready for a change, the timing was excellent when Linda was ready to sell. “You have the energy and know how to take care of it,” Stephanie recalled Linda telling her.
The sunken living room hosts his and her artwork selected by the owners: an abstract painting from Jesús Perea and a landscape by Nelly Van Nieuwenhuijzen.
That may be because Josh is no stranger to building custom homes. As current principal of Copperline Homes, Josh has been in the construction industry since he and Stephanie (a speech pathologist) moved to Bend. His recently-retired father, Mark Wilhite, was the founder of Copperline. However, for Josh to build a home for his family that includes sons Fischer, 11, and Reid, 8, the criteria and goals were different. They sought to create a home unique to their family’s artistic style. Analogous to the family’s love for music, he and Stephanie wanted to wait for the right harmony of elements to come together when they were looking for a house to make their home, then the property on Trenton struck a chord. “I knew immediately,” Stephanie said. The home had both beautiful bones and a history of family, so they knew they could make it their own. “The energy was so good, the light was so good no matter what the time of day; it just felt right to me,” Stephanie said.
The Wilhites bought the home in 2019 and undertook six months of remodeling with an overarching goal to make the home warm, colorful and eclectic to represent the multi-faceted aspects of the family’s personality. They began by reviewing the layout of the house to make changes that updated infrastructure and adapted to contemporary living. Many of the changes were necessary: a new roof, HVAC and floors. The remodeled home creates a visual and livable flow for the active family, as well as for the entertaining they enjoy—their annual Super Bowl party absorbs upwards of sixty people who may mingle through the rambling ranch layout.
Natural wood welcomes
Walking in through the bright front door, visitors are greeted by warm, layered textile art on the wall and a wooden aperture crafted by Ryan DeKay of White’s Fine Woodworking that yawns to give both a screened glimpse of the living areas plus sets the tone for the home’s organic style. The entryway introduces texture, warmth and natural tones with the use of sawn cedar paneling on the walls. Through the wooden portal is a view of the welcoming open-living space. “What sold me on the house was the sunken living room,” Stephanie said. “I walked in, and right away could imagine our family gathering in the space.” It was the first room the Wilhites tackled by removing its yellow carpet and a behemoth wood stove.
The media room evokes a period style with its color palette and wallpaper choice.
Retro-Scandinavian style
The house and many of its original features helped inform the updated ’70s vibe, and for the Wilhites, there was no need to rush to a finish line. Instead, they worked slowly. “We are very intentional about the things that go in our house. I’d rather it be empty than fill it with stuff that doesn’t matter to me.” Stephanie said. To guide the experience, interior designer Traci French helped hone and curate pieces that were gathered over time for a look that she describes as “mid-century Scandinavian.” Exemplifying the collaborative design experience was the inspiration from a vintage table called “Les Yeux,” by a European designer and with a collector’s price tag. Combining Josh’s design capabilities with the woodworking craftsmanship of DeKay, a unique version of the table inspired by the eye-shaped pattern now anchors the sunken living room as a true focal point.
Within the same gathering space, Josh and Stephanie independently selected his and hers art to pair above a circa 1970 sling-back chair. Similar to other elements in the home, the art is highly personal. Josh’s abstract selection from Madrid artist Jesús Perea is linear and represents the way he sees the world, Stephanie said. Stephanie selected a landscape painting by Nelly Van Nieuwenhuijzen depicting a horizon that for Stephanie evokes places and a vantage point she loves. “We go to the Steens and can see 10 miles all around,” she said. While the artwork is different, the pieces work together in a marriage and complement of color and contrast.
The additional of contemporary grasscloth wallpaper in the main bedroom is a nod to the original wallpaper found throughout the house.
Flowing floorplan
Stepping up from the living room, the dining room space is anchored by a teak sideboard from Stephanie’s grandfather where atop it sits the family’s beloved record player—a way to listen to music beyond the Sonos sound system that permeates the entire home. “Music was always important to us,” Stephanie said. She and Josh met in high school and went to college together in Northern California. “Music is how we fell in love and got married,” she said. They use the turntable to punctuate times of day with genres of music ranging from the country music and classic rock they grew up with, to Grateful Dead or singer-songwriter vibes as they sit around the teak dining table purchased ten years ago in Santa Barbara.
Adjacent to the dining space, the kitchen opened up after Josh removed banks of upper cabinets to create a centerpiece of the island with its unique shape that facilitates movement around its sides. Durable quartz countertops were added along with finishes that the Wilhites selected with the assistance of Lucy Roland of Harper House Design. The kitchen flows to what Stephanie describes as the coziest room in the house: a sunny reading nook. Illuminated by natural light from an open courtyard and a Naguchi light fixture, it’s a go-to place for respite all four seasons of the year.
Sunny style continues in a powder room that harnesses natural light from a skylight to give the space a “bright and happy feel.” Traci French brought in bright flowered wallpaper by Swedish company Svendskt Tenn and leather accents to provide a Scandinavian design nod to natural elements.
The original floorplan had no primary bedroom, so that project became a priority for the Wilhites. As an homage to the original wallcoverings found throughout the house, contemporary grasscloth was brought in as a base for personal art. Here, an image of the I-5 Grapevine at dusk provides not only tones of purples and blues, but serves as a reminder of family trips to Yosemite over the years. “Each element of our home has to speak to us,” Stephanie says. In another example of patience, the media room project took time. After an extensive search, a wallpaper from contemporary Transylvanian company Mind the Gap finally hit the right notes with its colors, geometric shapes and “Don Draper-y” feel, said Stephanie.
Finally, the creation of a music room provided a space where each Thursday, the family takes music lessons. “Steph and I are putting together a family band,” Josh said. “We just need to get the boys on board!”
The Wilhite family, from left: Josh, Reid on drums, Stephanie and Fischer.
Heart as home
There was no rush to complete the home. “Over the years we have been able to figure out what the house needs to be and what it wants to be,” Stephanie said. Upon completion of the remodel, the previous owner visited and was, “over the moon that there’s a young family that has breathed new life into the house and preserved some of her touches,” according to Stephanie. In fact, the first picture the Wilhites put up in the house was one gifted to them by the original owner. The figure, drawn in 1978, watches over the family to bridge past and present through art. “The previous owner dreamed of selling the home to a family that had the same ideals and I think she succeeded,” said Josh. “This is the home that our two boys will grow up in.” Stephanie added, “Once you infuse a house with heart, it becomes a home; this house already had a heart, we just brought it to our family.”
A short walk from the forested parking lot to the put-in above Benham Falls on the upper Deschutes River. The kayakers, including Axel Hovorka, Orion Junkins, Ciaran Brown and Noah Metzler, hoist their kayaks on their shoulders, paddles in hand and walk cautiously along the icy path. They’re geared up in helmets, dry suits and minimalist PFDs that allow for the full range of motion required to paddle. They check their throw bags—a small bag filled with a nylon cord to be tossed to a boater in case of emergency—and clip on their whistles. The whistles are to be used to communicate on the river where the thundering sound of rushing water makes verbal communication impossible. The mission is serious, but the atmosphere among this group is anything but—the vibe is downright giddy. There’s a levity you might not expect when undertaking a serious section of Class V rapids, but this crew is confident, experienced and it’s clear that this sport is a lifestyle—one focused on fun and community.
As they make their way towards the put-in the boaters peer down over the cliffside at the quarter of a mile stretch of rapids looking for hazards such as fallen trees and share bits of beta as they go. They’ve all paddled this stretch innumerable times, but the river changes with the season as the amount of water flowing through it fluctuates. The flow of the Deschutes River isn’t a natural release tied to snowmelt and rainfall, instead it’s a manufactured season at the directive of Wickiup Reservoir. This time of year, the river is flowing at just under 500 CFS (cubic feet per second). The flows in this upper section of rapids, which also includes Dillon Falls and Lava Island Falls below, begin to increase as the dam opens in mid-April for irrigation. The flows ramp up gradually through the spring, peaking in the summer when they’re the rowdiest and most consequential, before settling back down in the fall and winter. The flow can range from 500 to 1,500 CFS, a metric that’s tracked and shared on websites bookmarked and monitored by these boaters, not just for the Deschutes, but for all of Oregon’s rivers and creeks.
A waterfall drop on the White River. | Photo by Tyler Roemer
The kayak season is year-round here in Oregon. There are innumerable whitewater rivers within striking distance of Bend including the spring-fed Metolius River in Camp Sherman, the McKenzie, North Santiam and the Umpqua over the pass. Then there’s the Columbia River Gorge near Hood River, which has been referred to as the “Hollywood of whitewater boating,” thanks to the bounty of rapids, boulders and yes, massive waterfall drops most prolific on the Little White Salmon and numerous other creeks and offshoots draining into the Columbia River.
While this group of boaters is casual about running these rapids, this expert section of the Deschutes is definitely not where you want to get acquainted with the basics of whitewater kayaking. Running big water has a steep learning curve, boaters need to master the roll—a key move that allows a flipped boater to upright their boat with a hip jerk and a firm paddle stroke. This move is first achieved in calm water and then relearned in the rapids. A failure to upright the boat usually leads to a dangerous wet exit—basically the equivalent of a yard sale in skiing, except in kayaking the rushing water adds an element of swimming through an avalanche, and you must rely on your fellow boaters to retrieve your equipment downstream. A high-level of fitness is also needed to paddle hard to avoid being dragged back into a churning hole or up against a ledge. Finally, and an almost intimate understanding of river hydraulics gained through years of experience is crucial.
The world of kayaking consists of access for multiple levels of expertise. | Photo by Regina Nicolardi
The experienced crew arrive at the put-in, a calm and unexpectedly quiet pool. They tuck into their boats, feet firmly pressed against the pegs for stability, with spray skirts sealing them into their creek boats. These boats, built specifically for navigating whitewater, are longer and more voluminous than the squat playboats you might see at the Whitewater Park in downtown Bend. Creek boats are built to be responsive, allowing the paddler to precisely navigate through the whitewater and stay on their line.
A few strong paddle strokes and a gentle hip tilt brings the boaters out of the eddy and into the main current of the river and they’re off. The first boater takes a line river right paddling into the green tongue and easily flowing through the upper section of the falls, he pulls over into a calm eddy, sounding his whistle to signal that it’s a go. The next boater finds a similar line, but he keeps his speed up as he passes by, dropping into a churning constriction and navigating expertly to exit into another quiet pool. Another sharp whistle blow signals for the rest of the crew to join him. The river below from here gets even more consequential, taking a sharp left turn narrowing between a ledge and an exposed boulder. This is clearly the crux of Benham Falls, the water is crashing into the exposed wall, churning over unseen rocks and boiling up from below. The boaters take turns positioning their boats through a rapid succession of paddle strokes, each finding their own paths through this section showcasing a thrilling display of the creativity inherent in the sport.
They regroup in a pool below the rapids and decide to lap it again, and then again. Each lap reveals new routes: Hovorka boofs off a boulder, up-top landing in the aerated water below, Ciaran flips over in the crux and then expertly uprights. They all play on a standing wave in the river, casually surfing back and forth. Back at the cars they strip off the layers of gear and talk about future plans—there’s a waterfall that Hovorka is eyeing on the Umpqua, a possible weekend pilgrimage to White Salmon—the options are endless for these Central Oregon paddlers.
Eli Zatz navigates churning water. | Photo by Orion Junkins
Getting Started
Tumalo Creek
Tumalo Creek offers a two-and-a-half-day Full Immersion Whitewater Kayaking Weekend. The course begins Friday evening on the shop’s back lawn and along a flatwater stretch of the Deschutes River, where you’ll learn essential safety techniques and boat fitting. The course then heads to Deschutes’ milder rapids and ends running a stretch of the McKenzie or other nearby Class II-III river. Participants can then layer on skills through the shop’s weekly Whitewater Skill Builder workshops throughout the summer. See tumalocreek.com.
Find a Crew
OSU Paddle Club
Whitewater kayaking is not a solo endeavor—you’ll need a crew. Central Oregon boaters can connect at the Whitewater Park, in the popular 3,000-member strong Bend Whitewater Facebook group, or through the OSU Paddle Club. See osucascades.edu.
A Fusion of Culinary Expertise and Personal Service
In the world of event curation, Sanda Costello and Gene Soto’s Bowtie Catering Company brings a “mom and pop” energy to the Central Oregon catering scene. Theirs is a tried and true partnership grounded in a shared passion for the food service industry. Costello and Soto have custom designed beautiful spreads at high desert events for eight years, earning community recognition and receiving awards for quality and service. From intimate private chef dinners in a client’s home to 800-guest galas, Bowtie Catering delivers culinary inspiration and elevated service to any style of event.
Culinary Business Inspired by Heritage and Community
The unlikely story of Bowtie’s inception stems from the co-owners’ diverse origins and talents. One half of the story can be traced back to Romania, co-owner and business manager Costello’s country of origin. Raised in Eastern Europe where farm to fork was the way of life, Costello describes, “Every single item from produce to meat was worked by us, so farm to fork is something that is very much close to my heart.” Arriving in Bend as a 21-year-old exchange student of environmental engineering, Costello worked as a server in a restaurant and soon became the manager. The restaurant and food service industry had her hooked. Driven by an unyielding work ethic and a vibrant enthusiastic spirit, Costello brings a strength and perspective rooted in her Romanian heritage to Bowtie. “People are my passion,” Costello said, adding how working with clients and engaging with her staff fuels her business sensibility.
Co-owner and head chef Gene Soto knew what he wanted to do for a career from the moment he graduated from high school. In a twist of fate, the former executive chef of New York City’s famed Waldorf Astoria hotel moved to Soto’s hometown of Sunnyside, Washington at that time and gave him the encouragement to pursue a culinary path. Soto recalled, “He told me, ‘You should really take this further, get into an accredited school and get serious about this profession.’” Soto listened. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland, Oregon, he landed a job with the Gray Company–parent organization of Skamania Lodge, Salishan Lodge, Sunriver Resort, the Salish Lodge and The Governor Hotel. Soto worked as a chef for the company for ten years before accepting a job as head chef of Deschutes Brewery, the job that brought him to Bend.
Costello and Soto met while working at Brother Jon’s Alehouse, where they acted as the front-of-house and back-of-house managers, respectively. At the request of a friend, they fused their business and culinary expertise to create an event, and a wave of calls followed. By popular demand, Bowtie Catering Company was formed.
Boutique Caterer Rooted in Personal Service
Proud of the fact that Bowtie started small, with nothing but their own personal investment, Costello and Soto reflect on how much it has grown, driven by recommendations and trust from their clients. “We are always growing and learning,” Costello said. “We are also very rooted in the food service community of Central Oregon. We refer people and receive referrals from others–it’s a very connected community.” Bowtie books hundreds of events in Central Oregon each year and they are content with its current size, wanting to ensure they continue to be as involved, and remain present and flexible for their clients and staff. “We are both very hands-on,” Soto explained, “One or both of us is present at every event.”
Bowtie Offers full-service, fully-staffed catering. “We like to say we are big but small,” Costello said. “We are a boutique caterer that can do large events of any size. Our core group of 5 people makes the magic happen, then we have a roster of loyal and highly qualified employees that are called in for the events. We wouldn’t be able to do it without our staff–we are really blessed by the number of good people we are able to pull every year,” she said. Occasionally, Costello and Soto’s respective families jump in to serve as well.
Pacific Northwest Fusion Cuisine
Bowtie specializes in elevated Pacific Northwest cuisine, drawing on Soto’s extensive training in the region. Fresh salmon, tri-tip and local mushrooms fill their menus, but they define their cuisine as “fusion” since Soto’s breadth of knowledge allows him to be able to craft food for any theme. If a taco or pasta bar is desired, no problem. He perfected the art of Ethiopian cuisine by request for a Doctors Without Borders event, “A Night for Ethiopia,” honoring the organization’s service in Eastern Africa. “A guest at the event came up and asked us where in Bend our Ethiopian restaurant was located so she could come enjoy the cuisine more,” Costello shared, giving a nod to her business partner’s expertise. Sourcing their food locally when available and when the event’s budget allows, Bowtie has worked with Pioneer Ranch, Vaquero Valley Ranch, Boundless Farms, Rainshadow Organics and others in the region. They love to do farm-to-fork dinners and have used clients’ personally caught fish and meats to create intimate and connected dining experiences. Well-versed in curating menus conscious of modern dietary restrictions, from gluten and dairy-free to paleo and keto, Costello explained how they guide their clients to select all-inclusive menus that allow all guests to indulge, regardless of dietary needs.
Dishes Prepared with Attention to Detail
A primary goal for Bowtie Catering is to create and present food that is special–elevated, beautiful cuisine that would not be easily made in the home. Costello said, “I feel like food is just as good as you see it. We always add special touches, charred lemons, microgreens or fresh herbs, such as rosemary sprigs and fresh basil, and special sauces like handmade chimichurri. We play around with what’s in season, involving ourselves in the environment as we curate the menus.” Costello and Soto are experts at knowing what food will stay fresh in high desert settings. “We adjust for the conditions,” Costello shared, “and sometimes change menus, even the morning of an event– we’re always thinking– we pride ourselves on being flexible, which is necessary for the diverse conditions of Central Oregon.”
With artistic and European presentation, dishes made by Bowtie Catering align with the spirit of each event to make an impact. For larger parties, Costello and Soto encourage their clients to choose family style platters over the more traditional buffet, which allows guests to eat at the same time and have space to interact and connect while enjoying the meal together. Costello has a strong sense for the rhythm of events, especially the complexity of weddings, and how the role of the food service plays into the overall flow and structure. Presentation and service are paramount to the owners of Bowtie Catering. For almost a decade, they have created beautiful dishes, presenting and serving them with care to enrich celebrations across Central Oregon.
Revel throughout the streets of downtown Bend during a First Friday Art Walk and listen as each bar, restaurant and art gallery beckons for attention with the siren sounds of local music. A blues band wails at Bend Brewing Company, a jam band gets funky at Silver Moon Brewing, a metal band screams from The Capitol. Meanwhile, a solo artist stands on the street corner in front of Red Chair Gallery, a bluegrass band busks on Wall Street, and hopefuls test their courage at an open mic hosted by Astro Lounge. “When I’m on stage and see that many people engaging in community, it reminds me that music has [the] power to make life more interesting and to bring people together,” said local country artist Kurt Silva. Music connects community.
A Look Back
Musical diversity in Central Oregon didn’t happen overnight nor come without venue turnovers and economic downturns. Bend in the 1990s was virtually a music desert with high schoolers having to see random shows at the VFW Hall. By the early 2000s, population growth fueled the number of local bands playing in Central Oregon. But, of the artists pursuing their musical dreams, only a few, such as MoWo, Empty Space Orchestra, and Larry and His Flask performed outside the area. Downtown Bend events such as the Bend Summer Festival emerged, complete with a main stage for national artists and a side stage designated for local bands. A consistent audience made those gigs popular amongst longtime and up-and-coming musicians alike.
Then, a decade ago, Bend’s musical landscape began to shift along with a turnover in local businesses. Cafe Paradiso’s folk acts, The Grove’s funk bands, and Horned Hand’s rock bands were all left searching for new places to perform when those performance spaces were vacated. Then, as Bend’s population grew, it fueled a new wave of venue options propelled by the explosion of breweries and food cart lots that set a new stage for musicians. “[Live music has] basically become a background soundtrack to drinking beer,” said Sam McQuate of Bend rock band Leftslide. “There’s a heavy reliance on the folky acoustic music here,” he adds. Bend’s number of Americana bands was bound to grow.
TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: Andrew D. Lyons, Matti Joy, Ian Egan, Pete Kartsounes, Jason Schweitzer, Mosely Wotta | David Miller, Matt Fletcher & Scott Baber | Ella & Gregg Morris and Grace Cooper.
A Changed World
Just as the scene was growing, in 2020, the world shut down and stages went silent. Musicians retreated to their homes to find audiences online through streaming performances. In Bend, some venues got creative. Worthy Brewing partnered with Bend Roots Revival and started the Worthy Relief Fund by offering up a space to film streamed performances and providing a virtual tip jar for the performers. Four Peaks Presents put on a virtual festival by streaming highlights from past events. Some artists used the forced layoff as time to write and record new music. “Creative people will create,” said Patrick Pearsall, a Bend bassist who played 250 gigs in 2019, before the shutdowns. “My pandemic project was to learn home recording. But the joke is no one could possibly go through all the music made during the pandemic.” Two years later, venues began to open up again and Bend was back in the swing of things. Musicians took to the outdoor and indoor stages in search of the much needed connection to the audience. Fans were ready to reciprocate. Sadly, some traditions, such the popular Free Summer Sundays shows at the Les Schwab Amphitheater and Night Under the Covers in downtown Bend, didn’t survive.
Collaboration and Traditions Anchor the Music Community
What remained consistent was the foundation of Bend’s music scene centered around a collaborative festival of local artists. For the past sixteen years, Bend Roots Revival has showcased local bands each September with an event featuring more than one hundred regional acts and educational workshops. While it has grown from its humble beginnings at the corner of Galveston Avenue and 14th Street, the free, family-friendly festival’s mission of celebrating local artists has remained the same. “I feel embraced by my music community and try to bring that feeling to Roots,” explained local musician and Bend Roots Revival founder Mark Ransom. “This was the best way I could think to honor my community.”
The music community is connected by many shared experiences. Ask a Central Oregon musician or fan about their fondest music memories and you are bound to hear about an assortment of legendary performances. Pearsall talked about fans packing into the random locations announced the morning of the Church of Neil show in its early days. Four Peaks Music Festival Director Stacy Koff points to the Moon Mountain Ramblers sold-out show at the Tower Theatre. Bend photographer Gary Calicott tells the story of Sir Mix-a-Lot pretending to take a photo of him as he squatted side stage to get a shot of the rapper at Bend’s Summer Festival in 2015. Musicians that were in attendance, talk of the 2013 Bend Roots Revival, hosted at Pakit, a former building-supplies resale business. Nicknamed “Typhoon Roots” by Ransom, the festival caught the tail end of a Pacific Northwest storm and saw wind gusts nearly rip tents apart that were held down by musicians. Rain poured down and temperatures dropped as organizers juggled performance schedules. But, the weekend’s craziness birthed special sets such as when Broken Down Guitars sat in the building’s center and performed an unrehearsed all-acoustic set.
Aside from helping to create sound memories, local radio stations and dedicated local music spotlights hope to bridge the connection between artist and audience as well. Backyard Bend’s weekly Hwy 97 “Local Music Show” plays cuts from studio albums while KPOV’s Center Stage invites local musicians to its studio for live performances each Saturday. “KPOV gives local bands a voice and a way to get their music to the masses,” Koff said. “I’d love to see more of them gain traction through an increased following so they can play out of town.”
Creating Connection
No matter if it’s played from a storefront window or at a festival main stage, music has helped build the Central Oregon community. The unspoken agreement between an audience seeing the value in art and artists pouring their souls out on the stage brings people together whether at free shows in Drake Park or ticketed events at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater. “Educating folks in the arts makes them more relatable to and tolerant of the world,” explained Ransom. “It’s a model for psychological well-being in a community.” Sometimes, all you need to feel good mentally is to listen to music and dance with your friends. Sam McQuate said, “People need to connect.”
You’ve heard the joke, right? Central Oregon has two seasons: winter and August. Well, it’s the hotter season of the two once more, and you’d better enjoy it while it lasts! Here’s a run-down of ten ways to cool off in the high desert and dip in a watery oasis this summer.
“Sup” a Lake
Photo by Pete Alport
Scattered about the Cascade Lakes Highway are a smattering of inland waterways of many shapes and sizes, all perfect for a stand-up paddle session. Elk Lake offers a resort with backcountry fine dining, live music and water sport rentals. Devil’s Lake is a short and sweet traverse with the most gorgeous aquamarine water you’ve ever seen. Sparks Lake is fed by a sneaky secret creek you can paddle up and its banks have hidden campsites.
Wave Park Surfing
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
Centrally located in the Old Mill District, the Bend Whitewater Park offers traditional river surfing and kayak playboating opportunities. Bring your own gear or rent from a handful of vendors in town. To have the best experience, check the Bend Parks and Recreation web and Facebook pages for updates on water flow, safety and line-up etiquette. Act like a local by remembering, these amenities are for everyone to share!
Kayak a Resevoir
Spread out across Central Oregon are Lake Billy Chinook (north of Bend), Crane Prairie Reservoir (south of Bend) and Prineville and Ochoco Reservoirs (east of Bend)—each excellent for kayaking. For views of towering walls of John Day-formation geology and on-site rentals, check out Billy Chinook. For epic lounging, camping and shoreline exploration, see Crane. For superb bass fishing right from your cockpit, dive into Prineville and Ochoco.
River Clean-Ups
Although the opportunity to clean up whatever section of river you find yourself on is always an option, there are also organized all-day events for river clean-up volunteering. The longest standing such event, organized by The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, is in its 25th year. Scheduled for Saturday, July 31 this year, the clean-up will scour Meadow Camp, Riverbend Park, McKay Park, First Street Rapids Park and Sawyer Park for litter and trash. Wherever you go, pack it out!
Take a Dip
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
For a mellow after work river outing, how about a dip in the townie section of the Deschutes River corridor? This is a great family friendly activity that won’t break the bank. Check out Farewell Bend Park near Bill Healy Bridge for late day warm weather swimming. For a big grassy knoll and tons of put-in space on a cobble beach, see Riverbend Park. To settle into the juniper and desert landscape while dipping, try First Street Rapids—a long time locals hot-day haunt.
Scuba Club
For everything scuba, stop by Central Oregon Diving. They provide gear (rentals and retail), classes and certifications. Once you get your kit and cert, join them for one of their international hosted trips. Locally, Waldo and Clear Lake are named as diving hot spots. Clear Lake boasts a sunken forest and uncommon clarity.
Riparian Bird Identification
For those who don’t love getting wet but enjoy the water, try a self-guided river’s edge birding tour. Get your avian checklist from the visitor’s shop in the Old Mill and start marking off birds as you walk the paved footpath. On either side, the path stretches three miles upriver and becomes increasingly forested. Scout red winged black birds, mergansers, baby geese and more. Bonus points if you happen to see an osprey dive and catch his next meal!
Waterfall Kisses
Photo by Adam McKibben
What is a waterfall kiss, you ask? It’s when the mist from falling water lightly lands on your epidermis, such that it feels like a thousand cool tiny fairy kisses. Some favorite local waterfall baptisms are to be found at Paulina Falls in Newberry Caldera, Tumalo Falls at the end of Skyliner Road and Sahalie Falls on the McKenzie Pass.
Raft Big Eddy
Photo by Buddy Mays
A popular bachelor(ette), family reunion and honeymoon outing, Sun Country Tours and Seventh Mountain Resort offer white water rafting trips on the Big Eddy thriller stretch of the Upper Deschutes River, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Century Drive in Bend. Think of it as a local river roller coaster ride. The outfitter provides personal floatation devices, paddles, a raft and a guide. Although some locals navigate this stretch in their personal time, going with professionals is highly recommended!
Waterboard or Waterski
Photo by Steve Heinrichs
Motorboat, motorboat, go so fast, motorboat, motorboat, step on the gas! Take your waterskis and wakeboards out of storage and head for one of Central Oregon’s motorboat-friendly lakes including Lake Billy Chinook, Cultus Lake, Twin Lakes and Prineville Reservoir. New on the scene is Tanager, the
region’s first private ski lake—all you need to do is to buy a home in the development to access the lake.
Sail Away
Photo by Pete Alport
That sailboat in your garage itching for some action? There isn’t a lot of sailing to be had in Central Oregon, but a small contingent of enthusiasts gather at Elk Lake in the summertime. Get out the polo shirt, put on the yacht rock and cruise with those sails unfurled.
Nestled along the scenic shores of Suttle Lake, the Boathouse at Suttle Lake Lodge is the perfect destination for a relaxing late lunch, capping off a day of lake activities and shoreline lounging. Situated in the Deschutes National Forest, just a forty-minute drive from Bend, this seasonal gem is a quintessential summertime retreat.
Initially built in 1925, the lodge property underwent a remarkable transformation when it was acquired by the team behind Portland’s Ace Hotel in 2016. While retaining its nostalgic charm, the Boathouse now boasts contemporary flair and the ambiance of an elevated summer camp. The culinary offerings and cocktail menus have also evolved, rivaling those of trendy Portland bars and surpassing expectations for a typical lakeside lodge.
Overlooking the lake, the Boathouse’s waterside deck provides a delightful setting. Here, children jump from the docks, kayakers embark on leisurely lake tours and dogs splash in the water. Inside, the Boathouse exudes a bright and airy atmosphere. Guests can easily stock up on grab-and-go provisions to enjoy the lakeside. Or, for a full meal, head to the convenient walk-up counter, manned by a welcoming and attentive staff. The efficiency of the service ensures that diners can savor their meals without unnecessary delays, enhancing the overall dining experience.
Under the guidance of Joshua McFadden, a renowned Portland chef, the Boathouse offers a simple and curated menu with inventive twists. We decided to indulge in the delicious Fish and Chip Sandwich and Cold Sesame Noodles during our visit. To complement our meal, we opted for two of the menu’s specialty cocktails: the refreshing Lawn Margarita and the invigorating Frozen Pump, a tasty concoction of vodka, grapefruit, cappelletti and lemon.
Choosing to sit at the inviting picnic tables on the lush lawn above the Boathouse, we were greeted by the gentle sway of towering pine trees and a cool summer breeze that offered respite from the heat. From this elevated vantage point, we enjoyed a view of the shimmering lake and the swimmers in the distance.
A standout dish at the Boathouse is undoubtedly the Fish and Chip Sandwich. The perfectly fried, chip-crusted trout filet nestled between a soft potato bun, accompanied by tangy tartar sauce, pickles and crisp iceberg lettuce, created just the right balance of textures and flavors.
The Cold Sesame Noodles were equally impressive, bursting with flavor. A harmonious blend of delicate sesame-infused noodles, fresh vegetables, and a generous drizzle of crispy chili oil resulted in a bright and refreshing dish with just the right amount of spicy kick.
The Boathouse at Suttle Lake Lodge, with its stunning lakeside location, exceptional dishes and welcoming atmosphere, is a secluded treasure and a must-visit for those seeking an idyllic summertime retreat.
For Heylen Thienes, principal designer at Tricorn Black in Bend, designing a space is much more than a marriage of function and form. It’s about getting to know her clients, building a foundation of trust and working to create a feeling that reflects their unique energy. For the utility room and half bathroom remodel of an Awbrey Butte 2001 Craftsman, Thienes seamlessly wove in meaningful and functional elements to create an accessible, refreshing and appealing space that makes even the most tedious daily chores feel inspired.
To begin the design process, Thienes took the time to learn about her clients’ lifestyle, experiences and personal tastes. She inquired about a favorite vacation, a collection or hobby and a beloved movie, asking whether the set design or the costuming spoke to them. “These bits of seemingly mundane information tell me so much about my clients’ energy and about what makes them tick. These answers are the core of their design language, and I use it all as inspiration as I am envisioning their space,” Thienes shared.
What began as a tight, dark mudroom, laundry room and half bath, an area that lacked adequate storage and functional accessibility, was transformed into a visually- cohesive space, addressing her clients’ interests, lifestyle and goals while staying true to the integrity of the home’s architectural details. Inspired by her clients’ love of the colors, shapes and patterns of the Mediterranean, Thienes wove in elements and hues that evoke the vibrance and warmth of the Andalusian region. A collection of art hanging in the home formed the inspiration for the patterns and tonal range in the selected finishes, further grounding the space in her clients’ specific taste and interests.
Heylen Thienes, principal designer at Tricorn Black in Bend
The challenge of making a small, darker area feel lighter and more spacious requires creative design expertise and carefully selected materials. Thienes chose recessed lighting to illuminate the utility room and half bath and a door with a glass panel to allow extra light to flood in. Using a variety of reflective and matte materials in different hues, Thienes arranged them in a visual hierarchy, starting with lighter and brighter ones at the top to attract the eye upward, adding wallpaper and bright paint above the chair rail to capitalize on their high reflective value. Taking advantage of the light coming in through the new door, Thienes selected polished countertops and balanced them with wallpaper in a matte finish. The millwork was painted the deep blue of Still Water by Sherwin Williams in a semi-gloss sheen to bounce light and further enlarge the feeling of the space.
While these design features add sophistication and depth, the first element to grab the eye is the patterned tile on the floor. Thienes selected the polished finish and motif of the tile, “not just to reflect light, but to create visual interest so you focus on its beauty rather than the size of the space it is covering.” The tile choice has layers of functional dimension beyond its aesthetic appeal. As a laundry room and mudroom, the reality of the day-to-day life of the mudroom was carefully considered. This is a lively space where laundry is done, dogs come and go from their time outside, kids drop their backpacks and sports gear, and the hustle and bustle of life doesn’t stop for constant cleaning and organizing. A continuous four-inch-by-four-inch patterned tile throughout the entire floor not only eliminates the need for transitions and chances of tripping, but the small-scale tiles also provide grip for an activity-filled room and serve to hide life’s daily dirt by distracting the eye with visual appeal.
For the plumbing fixtures, Thienes chose contemporary brass to balance the millwork details and the adjacent patterns and colors. Considering all the different ages and stages of life represented in her clients’ families, Thienes selected a floating vanity and lever-style handles for operational ease, creating a functional and elegant design. When choosing finish details, Thienes explained, “We used finishes that either add to the character of the home, such as the crystal handle for the closet, or blend in seamlessly, such as the new pocket door added between the mudroom and laundry room.”
This small project reflects a larger design sensibility. As a child growing up admiring the intricate architectural details and artistry of the buildings and museums of London, Thienes brings a historical depth of knowledge and appreciation that informs her designs every day. “I believe that our experiences, and nostalgia, shape our design language,” she said. “This information serves my design process as I work on each client’s unique needs and style.”
She shared how thinking about the way people want to feel and what they may want to achieve in a particular room became the impetus behind her career path. “This is what drew me to interior design in the first place, the opportunity to create spaces that meet both our physical and emotional needs, affecting our mood and even attitude toward mundane chores like laundry.”
Thienes believes in respecting the architectural bones of a home and making design choices to create longevity, save costs in the long run and build attainable sustainability into the project goals. The remodel achieved its vision on every level, resulting in a re-imagined space that makes a utility room an inviting and vibrant place to be, bringing beauty to life’s everyday functional details. See tricornblack.com.
Though Bend may often feel like big city living amid the hustle and bustle of the busy summer season, the reality is that when the days get longer and the sun is beaming down late into the evening, you are bound to occasionally lose track of time and the dreadful 9 p.m. hour might unsuspectingly creep up on you. If this happens, you might soon come to realize that Bend’s vast pool of notable cuisine has suddenly and drastically diminished.
We have all been there, planning for hours the exact order we will place at our favorite food cart only to catch a glimpse of a clock and realize that our hours of fantasizing were all in vain. It is 9:30, the pots and pans are sunk in degreaser, the window where you once dreamed you would be ordering your personal repas du jour is latched shut. Fear not, we are here to guide you toward Bend’s best options for late-night eats. Though your favorite restaurant might hold early bird hours, you might be surprised at which Central Oregon classics made the list. This is the complete guide for grabbing some grub long after the sun has set.
The Early-to-Bed-Early-to-Rise Options
For the gal or guy whose Friday night post-ride libations created an untenable time vortex, these spots will get you out of a pickle and into bed before midnight.
Brother Jons Public House offers its full menu right up until closing—11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Try out the Grilled Wild Salmon Cobb; it’ll help you hit your macros and won’t send you to bed feeling like you’ve got a bowling ball in your belly.
Brown Owl is one of Bend’s most famous food trucks for a reason. Forget about the fact that this place has an excellent menu and a full bar with two stories of seating—it’s open until 11 p.m. every night of the week. This makes it a regular on the late-night circuit. Try the Wilted Kale Bacon Salad—it’s a salad with fries and goat cheese and comes with a bacon vinaigrette. It’s delicious all day but if you order it after 10 p.m., you can even tell yourself it’s healthy.
McMenamins‘ cajun tots work great as a side, app or shared plate, but after midnight they have the ability to change your life. The cigar bar at O’kanes is a fun spot and has the fire pits rip-roaring until 12 a.m. on the weekends. For a later indulgence, the Fireside Bar is serving up steak bites and shuffleboard until 1:30 a.m. every night of the week.
River Pig Saloon is proof that not all Portland transplants have cuffed pants and full sleeves—some of them have scrumptious salads and street tacos. Open until 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, the new Bend location for this iconic bar has got you covered on all fronts and you may even catch some live music with your mac and cheese.
Brother Jon’s Public House Spicy Buffalo Mac and Cheese. Photo by Alex Jordan
Late Night Fiesta Fix
Taco Salsa is often the first place that comes to mind for getting food after the bars close. If you haven’t graced the salsa bar with your presence after two in the morning, then you haven’t been trying hard enough. Open until 3 a.m. on weeknights and 4 a.m. on weekends, you can’t go wrong with tacos and if you’re feeling adventurous, the burrito also packs a punch and will keep you satiated until tomorrow’s late brunch.
Rigoberto’sTaco Shop is the east-side solution for twelve-in-the-morning tacos. Open until 3 a.m. on the weekends and midnight the rest of the week it might be the only place in town to get super nachos in the early morning hours. There is also one in Redmond which is a good option when coming in from a late inbound flight.
Chomp Chomp is the newest addition to the local late-night scene. This Japanese restaurant, nestled in downtown Bend, is where late-night ramen cravings are satisfied. Chomp Chomp entices hungry souls with its late-night ramen special on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. (or until they sell out). Swing by their convenient to-go ramen window to pick up your bowl of Veggie Miso, Spicy Veggie Miso or classic Pork Ramen. We can’t think of a better way to end a night out.
Games and Grub
Duda’s Billiards Bar in Downtown Bend has more pool tables than it does seating but that’s as good a reason as any to go here. Just pack up your custom-made cue and cruise on in for a late-night bite. Open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 12 a.m. every other night of the week, try the Classic with Cheese—one of six Aussie Meat Pies that are a specialty here and have a burgeoning cult following in Bend.
The Hideaway, as the name implies, is an off-the-beaten-track gem. Created by the people who brought you The Victorian Café, this sports bar specializes in making food you actually want to eat while watching the big game. With foosball, Golden Tee and a slew of other arcade classics it’s a good thing the kitchen is open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday—you can let the kids go double or nothing all night while still catching the ninth inning on one of ten big screens.
Cascade West, even if you have never been before, is probably close to what you would envision when you hear “bar with pool.” Don’t be fooled; behind its backwoodsy exterior lies a treasure trove of late-night delights. Open and cooking until 1 a.m. every night of the week, you can’t claim local status until you’ve had the 4-piece fried chicken just before last call.
JC’s Bar + Grill serves up some of the best bar bites in town. Open until 1:30 a.m. on the weekends means you can throw darts, shoot pool, and risk life and limb playing giant Jenga late into the evening. Once you’ve worked up an appetite you can’t go wrong with the Fish N’ Chips—they’re a local favorite.
First image: Tangy and sweet Limoncello Profiteroles complete a meal.
“A space unlike anything else in town.” That’s how Executive Chef and Proprietor John Gurnee described Lady Bird Cultural Society, the new restaurant founded and created by Gurnee and his wife and business partner Amanda. John has an extensive, impressive culinary background including a stint as chef de cuisine at the acclaimed Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco. He moved to Central Oregon in 2014 and was executive chef at Drake for more than eight years and led the opening at Washington Dining & Cocktails in NorthWest Crossing. Lady Bird is the couple’s first venture together.
Small plates include a Tuna Crudo over an herbaceous chimichurri sauce.
“Going back since we first met, over twenty years ago, we’ve been dreaming up restaurant concepts, and they’ve all had a bird theme or name. I grew up an avid bird hunter. I refer to my lovely ladies, my wife and two daughters, as my flock,” explained Chef Gurnee. “Part of what sucked me into the restaurant business in the first place was the familial aspect and now Lady Bird is something that can grow a new work family and add to our flock.”
About the Restaurant
Recently opened in The Old Mill District in Bend, the Gurnee’s Lady Bird is beautiful and extraordinary, simultaneously elegant and flamboyant—think 1920s vintage art and throwback pieces with modern twists. Imagine black and white tile with splashes of hot pink as well as a private VIP dining room wallpapered with dancing cranes. Feel the welcoming ambience aglow in golden light cast from chandeliers as you walk through the doors. Hear music of a bygone era. Then get ready to eat and drink.
Amanda and Chef John Gurnee, founders of Lady Bird Cultural Society.
Perhaps you’ll want to first get comfy in the posh lounge and enjoy a prohibition-era style cocktail or a distinctive wine. There are classic martinis and negronis, house-made cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages that are all very ingredient driven. “We built a bar that I would be proud to work at myself,” Gurnee said. This entire venture is like a Broadway show he explained, “I feel a bit like an entertainer. We’ve designed the set, created the score, set the scene and built the cast of characters to execute our vision.” Gurnee likes to see people have a good time but his favorite part is challenging himself to create new things, prepare food he hasn’t prepared before and see guests delight in that food.
Words from Chef Gurnee
Here’s how Chef Gurnee described the menu at Lady Bird: “Simple, approachable dishes that let the ingredients shine.” He recalled the first time he walked into the building down in The Old Mill, “There was the wood-fired oven. It took me back to working with a wood-fired grill and oven years ago. I’ve always wanted to get back to a place where I was cooking with live fire.” He’s cooking a myriad of things in that oven now, “kissed by the flames to impart the flavors.” Wood-fired oysters, wood oven-roasted mussels and artisan pizzas are examples.
Seasonal and local ingredients abound in house-made pastas such as Rigatoni à la Vodka and Duck Egg Mafaldine with mushrooms and mascarpone. The visually impressive Balsamic Beef Short Rib over soft polenta is sure to become a favorite. Other standouts include house-aged meats and game, caviar and classic French-based desserts. The Limoncello Profiteroles featuring choux au craquelin, limoncello curd and white chocolate anglaise, pair perfectly with after dinner drinks and coffees.
Music is another reason the Gurnees are excited about Lady Bird’s location. They’re both avid music fans, and they’re excited to be able to open their doors in the summertime and hear the sounds emanating from the nearby venue. Amanda smiled as she described her husband as someone who “puts his heart and soul into whatever he does.” Twenty years in the making, Lady Bird is a place the Gurnees have built, and it’s something special: a place with beautiful food and a magical ambience located on the river where the birds abound and the music dances across the water.
Photo courtesy of Deschutes County Fair & Expo, by Mike West.
This summer, Bend is bursting with a wide array of vibrant festivals that aim to unite the community in celebration of music, art, food and culture. With a festival for every interest from country music to yoga, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Mark your calendar and seize the opportunity to indulge in the very best of Central Oregon’s summer celebrations.
Bend Yoga Festival
June 6-9, 2024
Revitalize your yoga practice, embrace holistic living through workshops, and delight in outdoor adventures at the second annual Bend Yoga Festival. Set in scenic Riverbend Park, with riverfront access and stunning mountain views, this festival offers the perfect setting to connect with yourself, forge new connections and appreciate nature’s beauty. Be inspired by esteemed teachers and presenters who will elevate and deepen your practice, leaving a lasting impact beyond the festival. Bendyogafestival.com
Big Ponderoo Music & Art Festival
June 29-30, 2024
Experience the vibrant music and arts community of Sisters at the highly anticipated Big Ponderoo Festival, presented by Sisters Folk Festival. This new event showcases soulful Americana and bluegrass on two stages over three days. Start your journey with a week-long lead-up, featuring jam camps, workshops, and pop-up concerts, culminating in three unforgettable days of live music starting June 29. Enjoy groovy melodies, delicious local food, and a variety of beer, wine and cider while immersing yourself in captivating art displays and interactive events that are sure to leave a lasting impression. Click here for more information.
Bend Summer Festival
July 12-14, 2024
Soak in the sunshine and community spirit at the annual Bend Summer Festival, a dynamic t celebration of arts and culture in downtown Bend. Discover the work of over 100 talented artists and craftspeople showcasing their exquisite designs and artistic prowess. Wander the festival and jam to an exciting lineup of live musical performances taking the stage throughout the weekend. Skateboarding enthusiasts can check out custom features by Tactics, while fans of local artisan works can explore the Oregon Lifestyle area with its array of handmade goods, specialty food products and award-winning wine. Families can look forward to bounce houses, family activities, games and treats. Click here for more information.
Fairwell Festival
July 19-21, 2024
Photo courtesy of the Fairwell Festival
Experience the vibrant sounds of folk, blues, rock, country and soul at the Fairwell Festival, one of Central Oregon’s newest music festivals. With over 36 performances across three stages, this three-day festival showcases a diverse lineup of talented artists, including headliners Billy & The Strings, Caamp and Kacey Musgraves. Treat yourself to carefully curated culinary experiences with delicious local food, wine and craft beers. Click here for more information.
Balloons Over Bend
Photo courtesy of Balloons Over Bend.
July 26-28, 2024
Delight in the enchantment of Balloons Over Bend, a family-friendly festival showcasing mesmerizing hot air balloons. Witness the breathtaking sight of balloons ascending against a stunning sunrise on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. In the evenings, head to Bend’s Riverbend Park on Friday and Redmond’s Sam Johnson Park on Saturday for captivating Night Glow events, where glowing balloons illuminate the night sky. Children can also participate in the fun-filled Balloon Blast race as part of the Kid’s Rock the Races series. live music, delicious food and an artisan marketplace will add to the wonder. Click here for more information.
Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo
July 31 – August 4, 2024
Get ready for fun and games at the iconic Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo. This five-day event offers a championship rodeo, family-friendly concerts, an array of animals, thrilling carnival rides, and classic old-fashioned treats like cotton candy and corn dogs. The fairgrounds will also be brimming with shopping opportunities, art exhibits and a wide selection of food options. The Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo is nationally renowned, bringing rodeo fans from far and wide to engage in the colorful spectacle. Click here for more information.
Sunriver Music Festival
Photo courtesy of Sunriver Music Festival
August 10-23, 2024
Celebrate the timeless beauty of classical music at the Sunriver Music Festival’s Summer Festival. Listen to world-class performances by professional orchestra musicians and acclaimed soloists from around the country. The Great Hall at Sunriver Resort and the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend serve as premier venues for these performances. Click here for more information.
Art in the High Desert
August 23-25, 2024
Prepare for an even bigger and better edition of Art in the High Desert, one of the country’s premier art events. This year, the event is back in Bend, taking over the green at Riverbend Park. Immerse yourself in the impeccable craftsmanship of approximately 150 nationally acclaimed artists whose work will be on display. Indulge in the wide range of artistic creations and enjoy the opportunity to connect with the passionate artists behind the works. Click here for more information.
Cascade Equinox Festival
September 20-22, 2023
Photo courtesy of Cascade Equinox Festival
Celebrate the second annual Cascade Equinox Festival, a three-day music festival presented by Gem & Jam and 4 Peaks. Expand your musical horizon with a diverse lineup of artists who embody artistic exploration and creativity, from local talents to established icons. Discover a foodies’ oasis at the Culinary Commons, explore local handmade clothing and jewelry at The Grove marketplace, engage with interactive art installations at The Cosmic Drip and relax at the Cascade Healing Garden with a variety of healing modalities. For premium accommodations, the Alpenglow Campground provides a comfortable base camp near the festival’s epicenter. Click here for more information.
Sisters Folk Festival
September 27 – 29, 2024
Since 1995, the Sisters Folk Festival has embraced the essence of Americana, bringing heartfelt performances to downtown Sisters. Spanning seven stages, this festival showcases performances by globally renowned artists alongside the most promising emerging talent in the realms of folk, blues, bluegrass and everything in between. Set in a distinctively intimate environment, it offers a truly exceptional setting to revel in the magic of extraordinary music. Click here for more information.
Kayla McKenzie’s work as an architectural photographer and Matt Reilly’s background in construction made them a well-qualified team for remodeling their kitchen. When they first toured their eastside Bend home in 2017, McKenzie admits to feeling apprehensive, unable to make out its potential. But after a little creative thinking and hard work, the home’s potential is now on full display. The kitchen’s once dark, uninviting ambiance has successfully transformed into one of warmth and light.
The kitchen before and after the remodel.
The Before
The kitchen is the first thing a person sees when walking through the front door, making it a focal point of the home and a high-priority project for the couple. The original kitchen was cloaked in dark hues. “Dark browns and navy blues, low ceilings and big cabinets that took up a lot of space. It just felt really claustrophobic,” said McKenzie.
The home, built in 1997, was a rental for most of its life, with each new landlord giving it a surface-level makeover but never a full update. When the couple moved in, they could touch the kitchen ceiling due to the three layers of floor that each new owner had installed over the previous one. The tiles were cracked, the appliances were outdated, and the doors were drafty. There was a lot to be done, but McKenzie and Reilly got to work giving the kitchen all the care and aesthetic updates it needed.
The Vision
McKenzie pulled a lot of inspiration from her extensive experience photographing beautiful Bend homes, collecting different elements from each and collaging them together to create her vision. The couple’s main intention was to create a luminous and open space, a kitchen people want to spend time in.
The Process
They tackled the remodel one project at a time, spreading them out across a couple of years. For those who want to take on their own remodel, McKenzie points to teamwork as the foundation of the project’s success. “Just tag team everything as much as you can,” she said. “We had our designated roles. I’d paint during the day, and then he’d do installs at night.”
The first and most urgent task for them was replacing the doors to the backyard that weren’t adequately sealed. From there, they refreshed the cabinetry, covering its wood with 10 coats of thick white paint and updating the hardware.
To create more space, they replaced one wall of cumbersome cabinets with beautiful floating shelves, now their favorite part of the kitchen. They found the natural wood planks on Craigslist, finished them and installed them. Reilly says it was both the most challenging and rewarding part of the remodel because of the creativity and craftsmanship needed to create a clean, sturdy and functional look.
Next on the to-do list was updating the floor, which was a more significant undertaking than they initially thought. What was supposed to be a two-week-long project turned into a couple of months due to the multiple layers of floor and sneaky black mold found growing in the baseboards. Today, where there once was dark marble-patterned tile, is light Lanier Hickory luxury vinyl plank flooring from SmartCore.
The final large-scale project to complete the kitchen was to replace the navy marble laminate countertops with sleek Mystic White quartz slabs from EleMar, the only project that necessitated bringing in external contractors. JMC Stoneworks in Redmond cut and installed the countertops. The couple finished the kitchen with a white tile backsplash and a spacious Kraus sink.
Walking into the kitchen now feels like walking into a patch of sunlight, and their goal of making it a central gathering space has since come to fruition. “It’s now the place we hang out whenever we have our friends over,” McKenzie said. “I honestly don’t think a single person has ever sat on our couch,” she joked.
The only female member of Bend’s Discovery West Builders Guild, Lynnanne Likens of Visionary Homes, likes a plan. Be it a house plan, a plan for the order of construction or the finished plan after a project has all come together. She is also good at looking after people whether it be in her first career as a registered nurse or in her current career putting a roof over a family’s head.
How it all Began
Likens did not take the usual route to becoming a builder. She was working as an R.N. in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit when she and her husband at the time built a home for their family in the late 1990s. Following that project, they started building custom and speculative homes throughout Central Oregon as Visionary Homes. When the two parted, she took over the company.
These days, she prefers to build speculative rather than custom homes. “I put so much thought into it,” she said. “I have a whole vision, and I know where to spend money and where it should be saved.”
The Process
While Likens works with an architect to choose a project, she looks for homes that have good flow and are classic in design. Once a lot is purchased and plans are in hand, though not necessarily in that order, Likens divides the work into three phases: the first phase includes ground breaking, foundation construction and framing; the second phase encompasses rough-ins for electrical plumbing and drywall; and the third consists of all the finishes. She relies on a set group of subcontractors whom she trusts and respects. That feeling is mutual according to Bibo Fowler, an electrician who has worked with Likens on numerous projects. “Her personality and expectations of quality meet mine,” he said. “She always has the customer in mind.”
While her builds are often geared toward family living, she has noticed several highly requested features. “In Bend, people want room for their toys and belongings so garages and closets are important. They want to have open areas but also opportunities for privacy, which have become particularly important since the start of the pandemic. And everyone wants a little bit of yard.”
A Timeless Design
As the interior designer on her projects, Likens’ goal is to pull in trends but maintain a timeless design. To achieve this feat, she concentrates the use of currently fashionable decor in such areas as light fixtures or wallpaper that could be easily replaced in the future.
Pete and Allison Stein bought one of Visionary Homes’ Tetherow properties in 2021. The Steins saw the house before it was completely finished and were immediately taken by the flow of the rooms, the smart use of space and the quality of construction.
“It has a custom feel even though it was a spec,” said Allison Stein. “Everyone who comes in here notices the doors and the textures, like around the fireplace and the wood floor. My daughter visits and wants our fixtures. There are different colors and textures, but they all go together. It takes a certain eye, which I never could have done. How could anybody not like it?”
Likens prefers to have no more than three projects going at once, but all in different stages. One could be in planning, another could be in stage two of construction, while the third could have just been listed. Visionary Homes stays involved with the home even after it has been sold. Either Likens or her superintendent, Hugh Clevenger, are available for several months following the sale. “We’re not done just because the homeowners have the keys,” she said.
Discovery West Neighborhood
Likens is now concentrating her vision on Bend’s Discovery West neighborhood located west of Northwest Crossing. She has already built several homes there. “I want to stay in one neighborhood,” she said. “I can get to know it and know what the people who live there want and value.” While Discovery West is currently developing phases three and four, there are at least 10 more phases to go before the neighborhood is completed. That schedule leaves time for Likens to further get to know the area and bring her Visionary eye to the homes in Discovery West.
Too Sweet Cakes is a bright bakery in Bend that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. Inspired by a childhood passion for baking, owner Shelbi Blok attended culinary school before launching Too Sweet Cakes from her kitchen in 2016 followed by her first brick-and-mortar two years later. Over the years, the bakery’s delectable pastries, cupcakes and cakes have become beloved in Central Oregon and beyond.
Photo courtesy of Too Sweet Cakes
Located on the east side of Bend, the bakery is full of light, with white walls and colorful accents that combine to create its welcoming ambiance. I browsed the vibrant array of pastries that sat behind the glass casing, my eyes darting from one mouthwatering treat to another. After consulting with the cheery staff behind the counter, I learned that the bakery’s specialty is its selection of croissant doughnuts or “cronuts” — a pastry that combines the flaky, buttery goodness of a croissant with the deep-fried, crispy texture of a doughnut.
Photo by Tambi Lane
I opted for the Berry with Lemon croissant doughnut, the Spinach Everything croissant and a cup of glazed donut holes. The buttery layers of the cronut were drizzled with a tangy and sweet frosting, the doughnut holes were moist, sweetly melting in my mouth, and the savory croissant’s flakey texture was warm with just the right balance of flavors. The overall experience was quick, easy and satisfying. Although there is cozy bakery seating available, I took my sweet treats to go in simple takeaway bags and savored each sugary bite with my morning coffee.
In addition to its pastries, Too Sweet Cakes provides a tempting assortment of cupcakes and cakes for special occasions. They have expanded their reach beyond Bend and supply pastries to over 60 bakeries all around Oregon. Furthermore, Too Sweet Cakes has opened two additional locations in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Scottsdale, Arizona, satisfying a wider audience with its carefully crafted sweets.
1012 SE Cleveland Ave., Bend | Open daily 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Winter is a long season in Bend but that’s also why many of us live here. For Bend-based, professional triathletes Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom, winter is their “off-season,” a transition from their intensive training and competition schedules to spending more time with friends and family, but they also make time for getting in their workouts. During their competition season which may run from spring to the end of the year, they spend about twenty-five hours a week training. In winter, they scale back those hours but “hold their base” by running through Shevlin Park, biking Skyliners, or skiing uphill at Mt. Bachelor with backcountry skiing buddies.
In 2021, an opportunity to move to Bend presented itself and they eagerly took the plunge. “One reason we moved here is that we can either train right from our front door or drive five minutes to Juniper,” added Findlay.Numerous outdoor “soft trails” provide multiple running and biking opportunities, depending upon the snow, and the Deschutes River is a seasonal open-water swim spot when the weather warms.
“Triathlon is an individual sport but you really need a good community and structure to train in,” said Findlay. “We’ve met so many supportive people and have been able to create these really fun communities of people and networks to train with.” It also helps when your training and life partner is the first one out of bed to start the coffee in the morning.
So how did they get to this point?
“I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and started competing in triathlons when I was 16,” said Findlay. Eric, who was born in Salt Lake City but moved to Portland as a baby, grew up swimming and participated in his first triathlon at age 12.
With competition in their blood, both Findlay and Lagerstrom pursued separate Olympic dreams. Paula competed in the 2012 London Olympics for the Canadian National Triathlon Team and Eric was an alternate on the U.S. National Triathlon Team for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Eric, Paula and their dog Flynn run on trails above Shevlin Park.
“We were both on this Olympic pathway and knew of each other but had never really spoken or hung out together,” said Findlay, “It was several years later when we were more focused on long course triathlons that we met and started dating.”
Their success, and some downtime during the COVID pandemic, allowed them time to pursue another dream: creating and developing content for their project called That Triathlon Life. Through TTL, they feature videos and podcasts with Paula, Eric, and their amateur triathlete buddy, Nick Goldston, discussing everything from triathlon life to good coffee. That Triathlon Life is a way to give back to their sport. “TTL stands for triathlon as a lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you compete, do all three sports each week, ride a $100 bike or a $10,000 bike. What matters is enjoying being outside, being friendly, and being a little better you each day,” said Eric.
The trio often gets asked the “How do I start?” question. “The various types of triathlons make the sport very accessible to a lot of athletes,” said Findlay. There are short and long course triathlons, but they all include an open swim, road bike, and running component. Eric and Paula have found recent success at the Half Ironman or 70.3 Ironman (total miles of the race). In 2022, Paula won the Indian Wells 70.3 Ironman and was second at the World Championship 70.3 in St. George, Utah. Eric won both the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco and the Ironman 70.3 in Santa Cruz.
Though the winter gives Paula and Eric somewhat of a break, they appreciate each season. “We’re lucky to be able to make triathlon our jobs and thankful we’ve had success to make a decent income, but it’s pretty inspiring to us knowing that people get to the pool at 4:00 a.m. to get in their workouts, when we roll up at 8:30 a.m.,” said Paula. Year-round, and in all four seasons, it is truly a triathlon life.See thattriathlonlife.com.
Central Oregon is not only growing, it is also becoming more diverse, and local entrepreneurs believe the same is true of the community’s demand for international foods. That’s stirring up the launch and expansion of markets aimed at satisfying this yen for global ingredients. Business owners are relying on hard facts, market data, anecdotal evidence and years of local experience to support their hunches—and business plans. For example, U.S. Census data for Deschutes County shows that between 2010 and 2020, the total population went up almost 26%, to nearly 200,000 residents. During that time, the Hispanic or Latino population increased nearly 50 percent, the two censuses show the county’s number of Asian residents increased nearly 72 percent. Alongside this data are local trends that entrepreneurs said prompted them to open new markets. The nearest Asian grocery store is 139 miles away in Salem, social media sparks young consumers to want trendy, exotic treats that pop up in their feeds, and since the pandemic, more people are cooking an expanded range of cuisines at home, they said. Here’s how they are seizing a market opportunity.
Colima Market
Colima Market, which offers authentic Mexican products, has experienced significant growth in the past three years and plans to open its third location in Redmond by fall. Sales have been increasing since 2020, when revenue went up about 40%. “I think it was because everyone stayed home for coronavirus—everyone cooked at home,” said CEO Yamely Chávez Kennedy.
Her family opened its first local market in Madras in 2009 and a second in Bend in 2016, and is bootstrapping the expansion, relying on hard work that is finally paying off, she said.
Over the years, family members put revenue back into the business, upgrading equipment, adding a bakery, expanding their meat department, and offering a wire service which residents use to send and receive money from Mexico. Top-selling items include meats such as longaniza sausage and al pastor pork prepared in-house by her father, Guillermo Chávez, fresh and dried chilies that customers say they cannot find elsewhere, vegetables and fruits from Mexico, and Mexican sour cream and queso fresco, staples of the Mexican kitchen, she said.
The growth since 2020 also allowed them to hire four employees. Before that, Chávez Kennedy, 35, relied on two employees and herself. For seven years, she worked from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week, including when her son was born, and she had little time to spend with him and her husband. Since her sister moved from Portland to manage the Bend location last year, Chávez Kennedy said she can leave at 5 p.m. to make dinner and have weekends off.
She emulates her father, whose unrelenting work ethic and versatility, from forging strong relationships with customers and vendors to making Mexican specialties, laid the foundation for success. “My only mentor is my father,” she said.
Bendite Market
At the new Bendite Market at The Hixon Westside Yard Apartments off Century Drive, owners are counting on the flavors of the Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America—not just convenience-store sundries—to draw customers from the complex’s more than 200 apartments and beyond.
Snacks, candies, beverages, spices and packaged goods, from Turkish iced coffee, Thai milk tea and Japanese matcha Kit Kats to Tunisian harissa spice paste and Moroccan sardines line the aisles. Co-owner David Sayidi springs from behind the register to guide visitors, explaining the healthful properties and soothing effects of saffron tea. The 29-year-old moved to Redmond from Afghanistan a decade ago to join a cousin here after serving as a translator for U.S. forces in his homeland.
A friend introduced him to Haseeb Shojai of Redmond, who came to Central Oregon from Afghanistan in 2004 and built his business MHTS, which owns and operates gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and bars throughout Central Oregon, from the Parkway Chevron in Bend, to Saffron Grill, a Persian restaurant in Redmond.
“With the college [OSU Cascades] being right around the corner, and with the diversity that’s happening with a lot of people moving in from California and Washington and from other states, we thought we should give it a try,” said Shojai. “You can find unique snacks in Bend instead of having to order them online or having to go to a bigger city to try an international market.”
Shojai said he tapped savings generated by MHTS to launch the independent retail space of about 1,800 square feet. He relied on his business sense and his own information gathering rather than market analysis. He talks with vendors and customers daily about product requests, and when he cooks for guests at home—Persian dishes such as marinated lamb kebabs and rice with raisins and almonds—they always ask how to make it, but can’t find the spices.
Shojai aims to fix that. “We are proud to call Central Oregon home and to be able to be part of a change that will diversify Central Oregon in a good way,” he said.
Tomi Mart
Growing up in Bend, Jesi Scott, 36, and Natasha Dempsey, 35, had mutual friends, but just last fall discovered their shared passion for Asian culture and cuisine. In October, Scott launched her plan to open Tomi Mart, hosting a table of Asian dry goods at Bend Moonlight Market at Open Space event center. The pair realized they shared the same vision and values—a desire to create a community hub celebrating Asian culture and food products.
They knew Central Oregon had a pent-up demand for Asian grocery goods. Dempsey grew up with her Korean-born mother’s cooking, and knew that locals needed to travel to Portland, Eugene or Medford to get ingredients. Scott taught English in China, lived in Japan and her partner, Adam Shick, is half Japanese and loves to cook. The market is named for their 18-month-old daughter, Tomiko Eddy, and Shick’s great-grandmother, Tomi Hashizume.
Scott and Dempsey hope to open a 2,000- to 3,000-square-foot store this fall, and plan to offer dry goods and snacks, phasing in produce and a grab-and-go section of prepared dishes from local Asian restaurants.
In drafting a business plan, they leveraged local resources including the Small Business Development Center at Central Oregon Community College, SCORE, Central Oregon’s free one-on-one business counseling service and Deschutes Public Library’s Ask a Librarian service, through which they accessed Deschutes County consumer food purchasing reports. Dempsey gleaned data to find the percentage of locals eating out and cooking at home, plus population growth numbers. National food industry reports cited the rising popularity of Asian foods. For financing, they’re exploring loans from the Small Business Administration and the nonprofit lender Craft3 in Bend, which considers community impacts alongside economic ones to lessen the racial wealth gap.
After selling out inventory at two Moonlight Markets, they gained newsletter subscribers and followers on Instagram. Keeping up the momentum, a Tomi Mart Takeover on May 19 at Open Space is a fundraiser for startup costs with music, food, drinks and a ramen-eating contest coinciding with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month “The amount of times I’ve heard people who’ve moved here from Seattle, San Francisco or California asking, ‘Where’s the Asian grocery store?’ ” said Dempsey. “I’m expecting to come to a town this large and have two or three Asian grocery stores, and there’s not one.” Yet.
Single-use plastic is so last century, right? Director of Sustainability at Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Cassidy Cushing, thinks so too. Last year alone, Cushing oversaw efforts which eliminated the use of 281,000 plastic water bottles. This number was calculated through measuring water usage at amphitheater water bottle refill stations.
In fact, single-use plastic bottles are not available anywhere in the venue. “We do not sell or allow our vendors to sell plastic bottles or utensils. All cups and service ware are required to be compostable or reusable items, and no straws are allowed. We also refrain from using toothpicks or fruit skewers in our cocktails as they make scooping food out of the trash a bit more difficult and painful!” explained Cushing. Why would Cushing and staff be scooping food out of the trash? Because that is how committed they are to recycling.
After concerts, Cushing and her team “dumpster dive” or look over the contents of each and every garbage bag with a fine tooth comb to be sure waste products are sent to proper recycle streams. Plastic bags are cleaned, dried and then taken to a facility to be reused. Beverage distributors are given back six-pack rings to reuse during packaging. Some trash is even made into art.
Cushing and Hayden Homes Amphitheater aren’t the only organizations in Bend catching the recycling craze. Cushing names The Environmental Center as a longtime Bend-centered organization that continually creates impacting programming around local recycling and sustainability efforts.
Udara Abeysekera Bickett, program manager for the Rethink Waste Project at The Environmental Center, mentions one major challenge to recycling efforts is that infrastructure is different across the state (and county) lines—meaning that what is collected for recycling in Bend is different from what is collected in Madras, Prineville, Portland or Newport. “It’s important to learn to recycle correctly across communities, especially when traveling,” she said. Fortunately, the Rethink Waste Project has published a do’s and don’ts guide to recycling available at RethinkWasteProject.org.
Recent efforts by Rethink Waste Project to address recycling gaps include partnering with Visit Central Oregon and lodging sites, including resorts, hotels and Airbnb, to implement recycling infrastructure and education that supports tourists to rethink waste; collaborating with Housing Works properties to implement recycling infrastructure and education that supports multi-family housing communities, developing and implementing large event sorting station plans; and partnering with Deschutes Brewery, Crater Lake Spirits and several other local beverage manufacturers to collect plastic film for recycling.
Another local and innovative recycling initiative is Local Plastic, which launched in 2019, and is a spin off of The Broomsmen—an event recycling-solutions team for weddings and gatherings of all kinds. “We always asked ourselves, ‘Where is all this waste going? Is it actually going to get recycled into a new product or just shuffled around in a charade of globalized supply chains?’ We realized we needed to utilize the plastic we collected to create a product in-house locally here in Bend,” explained Founder Philip Torchio.
Isolated in Central Oregon from major municipalities where recycled plastic markets exist, Local Plastic emerged from a desire to close the loop on the waste collected through The Broomsmen. Local Plastic was born to collect and manufacture locally discarded plastics into beautiful four-by-eight-foot sheet products.
In years to come, Torchio hopes Bend residents will think twice before throwing their plastic away. “We are placing a high value on your waste and view it as a manufacturing resource of the future. This discarded waste will create jobs and prosperity for our local community,” he said.
Cushing thinks support for recycling initiatives from residents, to travelers, to decision makers and corporate higher-ups is ever present in Bend in part because, “Bend is such a beautiful place. The city makes it easy to recycle or use the proper waste stream by providing receptacles, signage and ample reusable products to mitigate the production of unnecessary resources.”
During her 12 plus years of dumpster diving on behalf of Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Cushing noted, “We have a responsibility to preserve the live music experience for generations to come, and an opportunity to use our platform to inspire global environmental action.” This is what it means to be a Bendite.
Cate Havstad-Casad hopes to start a revolution. While managing 360-acres from the Madras farm she runs with her husband Chris, Havstad founded Range Revolution. She refers to it as the “world’s first regenerative leather luggage and handbag company,” using traceable and regenerative hides to create its designs. Recipient of the Early Stage Award at the 2022 Bend Venture Conference, Havstad spends roughly 70% of her time running Range Revolution while also helping manage Casad Family Farms and creating custom designs for Havstad Hat Company, plus being mother to 19-month-old son Hesston. Here, she tells Bend Magazine more about how design and responsibility don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
What is a range revolution?
The wordplay is for me to conjure a thought process about how we consider rangelands and the people who steward them. Rangelands sometimes get forgotten or left out of the picture when we talk about different ecosystems,but they hold a large percentage of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and they hold the potential to sequester more carbon than even rainforests. Rangelands make up more than 54% of earth’s land mass, these are important ecosystems that are in trouble right now. It’s an important and critical time to shine a lens on them and build supply chains that support their regeneration.
So how did your company Range Revolution begin?
Originally I sought to create a luggage piece for Havstad Hat Company, and I wanted to find leathers that aligned with how I live the rest of my life. I wanted them to be local, to be sustainably raised and from this ecoregion. As soon as I started looking, I realized that a supply chain didn’t exist. All of the hides from mid-sized processors in Oregon are thrown in the trash. Taking it a step further, from my research, I learned more than 5 million hides are thrown in the trash just in the United States. Most leathers that are part of our fashion supply chain can be traced to Brazil and to the deforestation of the rainforests. That’s where things started in 2020, and it has been a journey to rebuild this regenerative, regional leather supply chain for Range Revolution.
People have become more aware of supply chains. Can you explain that part of your business?
What’s unique about our supply chain is that all our leathers have a provenance journey. It means we can trace them back to the ranch that they came from. The ranchers we work with go through Ecological Outcome Monitoring which shows with data that these ranchers are improving the ecosystems they manage. People are just starting to understand what regenerative agriculture means and how cattle play into that system. Range Revolution is uplifting those stories and working to create a value-added marketplace for the raw goods coming from those ranches.
So what does regenerative agriculture mean?
Regenerative agriculture refers to any sort of management practice that improves the ecological outcomes on the land. That usually means you’ve increased soil organic matter, increased diversity in the landscape and now those soils are healthy and more functional, allowing more water to be infiltrated and held. These lands regenerate, sequester more carbon, hold more water and preserve biodiversity.
Especially in the area of luxury goods, do you sense that understanding where goods originate matters more these days?
The luxury world has always revered beautiful high-quality leathers but the ecological impact of those materials has not been in focus until very recently. Now, the fashion world is waking up to a level of accountability. The demand for regenerative hides is outpacing the supply. It’s a good place to be if you are ahead of it, so the work I started three years ago to secure relationships to procure leather was important. The hoarding worked out!
What is your long-term vision for Range Revolution to invoke change in the fashion industry?
I want to focus my energy on showing people what transparency, traceability and regenerative sourcing look like, because it’s doable. We have just gotten used to a different and extractive way. My vision is that in the next five years, 100% of our supply chain will be sourced from our ecoregion. We’re building the relationships, aggregation and an economic model to do that. It’s important to buildthe blueprints and create relationships to find partners who are able to think at a larger scale, both from a business standpoint and from a humanity standpoint.
Let’s not forget how beautiful Range Revolution designs are.
All of our bags have a heritage look and a timelessness to their design. Some styles are unisex, some more feminine and some more masculine. They’re about letting the natural fiber shine. We’re not hiding the marks that show this is leather.Great design communicates ethos in the most subtle ways. How a certain item makes you feel when you wear it, if you understand the story of the fibers and have a connection to this item, it can make you think about everything around you and about how something is intentionally created. That’s my goal in design. I think revolutions can be beautiful and design can be a force for good.
Remember this name: Diggory Dillingham. The swimming sensation has his sights on the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024.
Dillingham, 18, a senior at Mountain View High School, secured a swimming scholarship from University of Southern California, but instead of going straight to college this autumn, he’s taking a gap year to train even more intensely for the Olympic trials.
As the holder of the fastest American 50-meter freestyle time for his age group (18 years or under), and the fifth fastest 50-meter freestyle time in the world for 18U, his chances appear good, but Dillingham remains humble.
“My time for the 50-meter free is now 22.48, but really to make the Olympic team, I’d need to bring that down by another full second, but I don’t feel too much pressure, if I make it, I make it, but if I don’t, I can try for another Olympics,” said Dillingham from his home. Already, he had finished his early morning swim workout, attended his high school classes and was getting ready to go to his afternoon swim workout.
When he’s not in the pool or at school, Dillingham is at the gym lifting weights. He says he’s been serious about his swimming since he was about 12 years old, although he’s been swimming since before he could walk.
Dillingham’s Bend Swim Club coach is his mother, Megan Oesting, who was an accomplished swimmer and water polo player for University of California Los Angeles, and a national swim team member. Despite her career, she’s never forced her two children to swim.
“Childcare is expensive,” joked Oesting. “The kids had to come with me. I’ve been a single parent since Diggory was two, and his sister, Mia, is a few years older than him, so they’ve always been around the pools.”
Oesting says swimming is an intense sport. It uses more muscles than football, and a workout typically consists of swimming at least 4 miles. Dillingham swims up to 8 miles per day doing “doubles” in the morning and afternoon, often six times a week.
If you’re weak in your mind, then you’re never going to be fast in swimming.
Training 24 hours a week, with several more hours of weight training in the gym, requires dedication. Dillingham admits the long intensive workouts led him to quit swimming when he was younger. He attempted other sports: “I’ve tried a lot of things, like football, fencing, wrestling, but I’m not really good at anything on land,” said Dillingham, who has the distinction of being the reigning Oregon 6-A state champion in both the 50 and 100 freestyle.
Dillingham said swimming thousands of miles in training requires the right mental state. “If you’re weak in your mind, then you’re never going to be fast in swimming,” said Dillingham. “If you get behind the starting block and you’re scared, then you’re getting beat. I really don’t like getting beat.”
To make the National Junior Team last year, Dillingham had the swim of his life so far.
“He had to swim against Olympic gold medalist veteran Caeleb Dressel [current world-record holder in the 50 free], Diggory had to go faster than he’s ever gone, he had to thrive in that one race, and he did,” said Oesting. Still, the road to the Paris Olympics is long. Dillingham must earn a qualifying time for the Olympic Trials swim meet, and once there, must finish in the top two in one of 13 individual events. “I’m going to try my best,” said Dillingham. “The best piece of swimming advice I’ve gotten from my coach, my mom, is to just win your heat; don’t complicate things.”
Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object in motion, the energy that exists within the flow of a dance or the beat of a drum. While artist Miguel Edwards’ pieces don’t often involve physical movement, his sculpture work with steel and glass embodies implied kinetic energy. Large steel beams are welded into fluid, arching shapes that convey movement and emotion. His work is evidence of a fine-tuned creative mind and decades-long dedication to craftsmanship.
Edwards grew up the son of artists in Santa Fe. He recounted a childhood spent in his father’s woodshop and watching his mother weave. “I’ve never not considered myself an artist,” he said. From that upbringing, Edwards pursued an education in the arts at the University of New Mexico and at Southern Oregon University. Young and lovestruck, he followed a girlfriend north to Seattle, where he made a name for himself as a photojournalist, documenting the city’s 90s grunge scene for Billboard Magazine and TheSeattle Times.
His creative identity expanded and morphed throughout the years. He dabbled in jewelry and oil painting. His first foray into metalwork came out of necessity; he wanted to avoid paying the steep price of framing for his pieces, so he taught himself how to weld metal frames. Throughout the late nineties and early 2000s, Edwards worked on a few larger-scale metal pieces here and there, including hammered-copper draping for a collaborative sculpture in Portland’s Pioneer Square and a commission to craft a steel orb for Burning Man in 2004.
In 2009 he created “El Sol,” a sphere crafted from pieces of overlapping curved metal, for the “Heaven and Earth” exhibit at the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle’s Carkeek Park. It was after finishing this piece that Edwards shook his fist toward the sky and declared himself a sculptor. “It was so beyond anything I had ever made, and I was kind of in shock, like, where did that come from?” he said.
The piece that prompted the public to declare him a sculptor and helped launch his professional life to new levels was “Perseus II” in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, a 35-foot tall kinetic sculpture crafted out of stainless steel. Ever since this career-altering project, Edwards has been passionately dedicated to this craft and sought out for his work. Presently, he is represented by nine galleries across the nation and has collaborated with various organizations to create impressive public works. One of his most renowned pieces, “Hope Rising,” commissioned by the Special Olympics for its 50th anniversary, is an imposing steel cauldron that ascends 20 feet into the sky and was set ablaze at the opening ceremony in 2019.
After years of living and creating in Seattle, Edwards decided to move away from the city in search of some new inspiration and a better quality of life. In 2018 he and his wife, Corrina Jill, who owns Corrina Jill Skincare, moved to Bend and purchased a home in the Deschutes River Woods neighborhood, a property with space for him to work and weld. He continues to grow his collection of sculpture and photography work in Bend with several large-scale projects back in Washington in process. He is excited to create more art and inspiration for the Central Oregon community.
Photo Orion Tupper/Miguel Edwards
The portfolio that Miguel has created over the past 10-plus years is diverse, with each gravity-defying piece demanding viewers’ complete attention, a result that doesn’t happen by mistake. “Everyone is absorbed in their own life; their tangly head and their phone. So many people are feeling so isolated.” Edwards said. “I strive to make something so striking, dynamic, weird and beautiful that people pause and live in the present for hopefully a couple of moments, maybe even longer.”
The name for the new wine merchant and tasting salon in The Hixon at Westside Yard says it all. “Viaggio” is an Italian word for journey—a voyage, travel or trip. That is exactly what the Viaggio wine experience is: a (fun) wine journey.
Viaggio has an extensive retail bottle list, by-the-glass choices that change daily, beer from coveted producers throughout the United States and abroad, and European snacks matching the quality of the wine producers that owner, Benjamin Richardson, has selected. An Advanced Sommelier, Richardson is behind the bar to share the stories of the places and people behind every bottle.
Most of the by-the-glass selections are priced at, or below, the average cost of a cocktail in Central Oregon, and three wines by-the-glass are offered on tap from a keg, providing fun and fresh options. Fill a growler bag with wine at Viaggio for an affordable takeaway wine option.
Ask about the “Coravin pour” tasting options that allow customers to taste specialty wines that retail at high price points. Richardson can use Coravin technology, a wine preservation system designed to pour wine without pulling out the cork, to keep a $750 bottle of coveted Super Tuscan red from Italy available for 2-ounce pours for up to a month.
Viaggio recently had the Aubry Brut Premier Cru Champagne on the by-the-glass menu. The Aubry family has winegrowing roots in Champagne, France, going back to 1790. Lightly honeyed floral notes complemented the gentle minerality of the Aubry Champagne. It is easy to imagine the Aubry as a great accompaniment to a day of skiing at Mt. Bachelor.
Richardson’s self-described “love of Champagne’’ is also reflected in the “Bubble Bar” pop-up tasting events, featuring a handful of Champagne and sparkling wines that happen twice a month at Viaggio. Buon viaggio on your next trip to Bend’s newest wine bar.
VIAGGIO WINE MERCHANT | 210 SW Century Drive, Suite 160, Bend | (541) 299-5060 | viaggiowine.com
1. Visit our Instagram page and in the post comments, tag a friend you want to take a trip from Eugene to the Oregon Coast with + tag @eugenecascadescoast so they see your entry too! Each comment = 1 entry so be sure to tag all your travel people!
3. Make sure to fill out this form so we can contact you if you win:
DEADLINE
Enter to win before the end of the day on May 16, 2023. The contest begins on May 8, 2023, and ends on May 16, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. For the complete list of rules, visit our contest policy page.
THE PRIZE PACKAGE:
EUGENE
2-night lodging in Eugene at Hyatt Place ($500)
Gift certificate for any vendor in 5th Street Public Market & Market Alley (except Nike) ($30)
2 passes to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Family passes to the Museum of Natural & Cultural History
FLORENCE
1-night at Three Rivers Casino & Hotel ($199)
Dinner at Three Rivers Casino & Hotel ($50)
Family pass to Sea Lion Caves ($50)
Family pass (for 4) for a dune buggy ride at Sand Dunes Frontier ($80)
About Eugene and Florence, Oregon
Learn more about this incredible Trip from Eugene to the Oregon Coast getaway as well as a few must-sees, must-try and must-stays along the way. Visit Eugene Cascades and Coast to learn more about this region stretching from the central Oregon Coast to the towering Cascade Mountains, anchored by Eugene and Springfield in the South Willamette Valley.
Riders on Good Bike Co.’s Ochoco Overlander Bikepacking tour | photo Good Bike Co. LLC
The first rule of gravel riding: Always carry a first-aid kit. And salami. Oh, and a fly rod if possible.
The glory of riding Oregon’s forgotten gravel and forest roads is their remote beauty. But they are indeed remote. Yes, bring that extra PayDay and backup gauze, because anything is possible.
Last June, looking for a buddy trip that wasn’t too far from our homefront in Bend, my oldest friend and I plotted a bike-camping trip in the Ochocos out of Walton Lake.
A brief interruption in our story to define bike-camping: It’s not bike-packing, as we set up camp at the lake and did a pair of gravel rides that each day brought us back to our basecamp. And our burgers. And beer. Bike-camping is a fantastic way to get in some gorgeous backcountry miles and still eat and drink well after a full day in the saddle.
Fishing the Little Crooked River | Photo by Beau Eastes
Back to the story: the riding—and more importantly the adventure—in Crook County did not disappoint. On day one, after driving the sixty-six miles northeast from Bend to Walton Lake in the early morning and luckily grabbing a lakeside campsite when some campers left early, we tackled a nearly sixty-mile loop put together by the gravel gurus at Dirty Freehub, affectionately titled Mitch & Walt. What a spectacular way to start the weekend. We eased downhill out of Walton for about two miles before making our first climb, giving our instant coffee plenty of time to kick in. Riding gravel on what was essentially the Old Ochoco Highway between Prineville and Mitchell, we jumped on an early climb of about 600 feet over five miles, taking us as high as 5,300 feet elevation. We had spectacular views looking north and east of the Ochocos, through the carnage of the Bailey Butte Fire from 2014. From that high point, it was a ten-mile, 2,300-foot descent that might be one of the most enjoyable stretches of gravel anywhere in the state. Even the eleven miles of pavement, the majority of which are on Highway 26, is bearable because you know there’s a Doc Hawk Northwest IPA waiting for you at Tiger Town Brewing in Mitchell.
Rested and refueled on Tiger Town’s beer and muffaletta sandwiches, the Mitch & Walt route took us up approximately 2,500 feet over fourteen miles before things started to level off, showcasing high alpine views more commonly associated with Colorado than Crook County, Oregon. An abundance of streams and mountain meadows practically begged us to stop and take a post-salami and marinated olive salad nap midway through the clockwise loop back to Walton Lake. The whole loop totaled fifty-seven miles with a little more than 4,800 feet of elevation gain, two beers drank from a hidden gem of a brewery, and zero—I’m not making this up—cars on the route in the last 30 miles from Mitchell back to Walton Lake.
Lucas Alberg, Beau Eastes’ oldest friend, traveling companion for the Ochoco weekend jaunt, and fellow Bend Magazine writer, heads uphill on the Summit Road/NF 2630. | Photo by Beau Eastes
And again, here’s the beauty of bike-camping. By the time we finished our loop, we still had plenty of time to cool off in the lake, grill bacon cheeseburgers—calories are goals, not concerns on a bike trip—and plot the next day’s adventure before nightfall.
Where day one was flowy and meandering early on, all along a definite trail, we mixed things up a bit on day two. Again basing our loop off a Dirty Freehub suggestion, the Big Summit Prairie route, we quickly made a detour to avoid doing part of the same trail as before. It might have been our best decision of the trip.
Photo Courtesy of Good Bike Co. LLC
Riding east out from Walton, we jumped off the Big Summit Prairie loop less than two miles into the route and headed north towards the Bridge Creek Wilderness, which eventually took us to the ridge of the Ochoco Divide. From this point, water flowing north of the divide drains into the John Day River, while water going south makes its way into the Crooked River. The top of the divide featured sweeping views to both the north and south, before we headed south to circumnavigate the 55,000-acre Big Summit Prairie the route is named after. This fifty-mile ride had it all—a surprise fire lookout, an unexpected wreck where that first-aid kit came in handy, random historical markers, and a mid-day fishing break. We just missed peak wildflower season, for which Big Summit Prairie is best known, but turning our lunch break on the Little Crooked River into a fishing opportunity with our uber-portable Tenkara fly rods (they break down small enough to put into bike jerseys) quickly became one of the highlights of the trip. We recorded afew bites, multiple poor casts, and made way too many The Great Outdoors movie references.
The loop ended with a northern climb on the east side of Big Summit Prairie, where our pace was slow enough to enjoy the views of the wildflowers that were on their last legs, similar to us after two days of more than 100 miles in the saddle.
Interior designers help their clients create spaces that look as wonderful as they feel. Kymberlea Earnshaw of the eponymous firm Kymberlea Earnshaw Design focuses on “wellness-driven interior design” not only as the company’s motto but stemming from her point of view as an advocate for a healthy and holistic lifestyle.
Earnshaw offers design services for homes and businesses that can incorporate feng shui, sustainable materials, clean materials and green design. In their work sourcing finishes and furnishings, Earnshaw and her team consider what is good for the client and the planet and envision spaces they will love to look at and live in.
When working with a client, she asks questions beyond a client’s personal style, such as “What type of environment would support your health?” and “What kind of design would bring harmony to your life?” In fact, she is also studying to become an integrative health practitioner. “We’re going to ask a lot more questions in regard to health and your lifestyle,” Earnshaw said. “We’re going to dig into, first of all, what is the soul of your project? What vibe do you want to feel when you’re walking in here? How do you want it to support you?” Her services include architectural review, interior design, space planning, builder collaboration for remodels and new construction and overseeing the process from finishes to furniture.
Earnshaw started her business around 2007, took a break while raising her two daughters, then dug back into it in 2013. She and her family moved to Bend from San Diego two years ago. From the time she was young, she had a creative side. Once in college, she considered studying interior design, but practicality stood in the way. The interior design studio time conflicted with the many hours Earnshaw spent in the pool training for swimming competitions as part of her scholarship.
After studying communications instead, Earnshaw knew she hadn’t yet found her career path. “I had this dilemma. Would I go into health, like a naturopath, or would I go into design?” Earnshaw said. “At that point, the creative side really called to me, but in my spare time I was always reading health and fitness stuff.”
Earnshaw felt even more drawn to researching what’s in our environments and the effects of off-gassing as she became a mother.According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, off-gassing is the release of chemicals into the air from any material, including furniture, flooring, paint and more.
“I think that was a really pivotal moment,” Earnshaw said. “You’re pregnant, [asking] what can I put on or in my body? So then this whole new awareness just erupted for me. I started looking at things with new eyes and realizing just how much stuff there is out there that’s really not beneficial for us,” she said.
Early on, not everyone understood Earnshaw’s intention with wellness-inspired interior design. Now, more people are considering what fills their homes and how that affects their mood and health. For example, she tries to maximize natural light, bring in plants when possible, select organic bedding, clean and natural materials and choose Forest Stewardship Council-certified woods—all with sustainability and the carbon footprint in mind.
“We typically do new construction or full remodels, so we’ll start from the beginning. We work really closely with the architect and the builder,” Earnshaw said. “We are the ones who do all the specifications of the tile, the hardwood, the paint, so we try to keep the VOCs or anything that can off-gas as clean as possible.”
VOCs are volatile organic compounds, many of which are human-made chemicals used in the manufacture of paints and more, according to the EPA. Breathing in VOCs for long periods of time may increase some people’s risk of health problems, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. VOCs refer to a group of chemicals, but each individual chemical has its own potential effects.
Whatever the project, Earnshaw’s goal is to pick furniture with cleaner materials, whether it’s recycled or certified by the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
“Even though we are navigating this, there are a lot of things that aren’t 100 percent clean. We do the best that we can with what we have, but just the knowledge is the power to make better decisions in this industry,” Earnshaw said.
Earnshaw has seen wellness-focused interior design begin to trend in hospitality, and she expects the practice will eventually trickle down to more private homes, just as her business has spread by word of mouth. Learn more at kymberleaearnshaw.com.
There is an immediate vibe of tranquility when walking into the home of Beth Davies, managing principal broker for LivOregon Real Estate. The renovation project began after her youngest daughter went to college. “It was ‘kid-zone’ before,” Davies said. “I wanted to take it to a more sophisticated adult-haven.” The entire downstairs portion of the 2009-era home located in the historic Old Bend neighborhood near the Deschutes River was torn down to the studs, Davies said. Her longtime friend Anne Mastalir, owner and principal designer of Design Bar in Bend, and a team of experts brought Davies’ vision to life, creating a space that felt like her own and welcoming to guests.
Photo by Zee Wendell
The Build
Davies didn’t start out with a specific goal and said she knew what she liked, but didn’t know how to achieve it. She enlisted Mastalir, who began the Design Bar three and a half years ago. The company has worked on a wide range of projects in Central Oregon where Mastalir has found that the Design Bar’s signature ‘organically modern’ style is gaining traction in the community. “Authenticity in design is a core value at Design Bar,” Mastalir said. “Beth is the most authentic person I’ve ever met, so [this project] was easy in her case.”
Davies said there was a synergy between herself, Mastalir and the builder, Bobby Stenrose at Bend Home Company.
The project began with planning in 2020, building and renovating started in 2021, and the renovation was finished in August 2022. Among the major renovations, including new drywall, floors, cabinets, and nearly everything in between, Davies said that she was encouraged to have larger doors and eight-foot windows to make the space feel bigger. The end result is a sleek and seamless-feeling home, where one bright, fresh room flows into the other. There’s a mix of fresh white paint, glass, metal, tile and herringbone-style flooring. Davies said that she wanted dark floors, and Malastir suggested a herringbone style as a nod to the historic neighborhood.
Photo by Zee Wendell
The Result
“When I was [renovating], I wasn’t thinking about how anyone else was going to perceive it; I was just doing what I wanted to do,” Davies said. “But many, many people who come in here are like, ‘It’s so beautiful. It looks just like you’.”
Davies’ art collection, which she has personally curated from friends and many local artists, adds pops of color to the home, which is adorned in mostly neutrals, and the details and personalization don’t end with the art. Many cabinets contain space to mask appliances, including one that hides the coffee maker behind the kitchen island. Tucked off the kitchen, floor tile chosen at Design Bar smoothly transitions from the dark kitchen floor into the laundry room. There, custom cabinets by Andrea’s Cabinetry discretely conceal the pantry and washer-dryer units. Even the television which is mounted on the painted white brick fireplace (another ode to the historical neighborhood) is cleverly covered by a large painting that Davies can easily remove and hang back up when she is finished using the television.
Intentional and inventive subtleties of the design are often unseen, but give way to the personality and uniqueness of the home. For example, before the flooring was set during the renovation, Davies buried cleansing crystals in the ground below. She said the purpose of the crystals beneath the floorboards is their “clearing” and “grounding” properties, which allows negative energy to be moved away from the space. Above ground, there are still crystals placed strategically around the living room and dining area, adding to the character of Davies’ style. Beyond the living room, an accordion-style glass door by Art Glass Millwork opens to the front porch, reflecting the sense of serenity from the home’s interior.
The project is still fresh, and Davies said she’s still soaking it all in. She said that not a week has gone by where she hasn’t hosted people at her home. “I want people to feel welcomed,” Davies said. “We’re going to create our own joy in this space.”
The façade of the modern home facing a busy Bend street may garner an appreciative glance at its angled roofs, wide walkways, attractive plantings, an overarching Russian olive tree and a Zen-like enclosure near the front door. Yet a second glance could make a curious person wonder what’s on the side that overlooks the Deschutes River because that’s where the home unfurls its remarkable layout. Let’s go there for a moment.
It’s a warm summer evening with the low hum of voices rising off the river. Inside, a person tending bar passes drinks through a large kitchen window hinged at the top. The window opens out over a covered bar where guests converse with those inside. Around the corner is a covered patio where someone asks about a South African-inspired wood-burning oven known as a braai which can roast chickens or even a whole pig on a spit.
The kids are hanging out in the family room. The home’s only TV is silent. Who wants to watch TV when friends are over to play shuffleboard, listen to tunes and lounge on the daybed? Outside below the family room window is a large warm-water spa where parents enjoy a soak after kayaking the river or hiking in the Cascade high lakes. A cedar-enclosed outdoor shower is a few steps away for a quick rinse off before dinner.
After the meal, people gather around a firepit to relax and recount the day’s adventures. A couple takes the stairs to the river for a last look before sunset and to be sure the kayaks are secured on the river’s edge.
Old makes way for the new
Until 2019, a 1920s-era cottage stood on the site. A family moving to Bend from overseas fell in love with the home’s riverside location, proximity to downtown and safe river access for their children. They bought the property and hired Bend architect Karen Smuland to determine whether it was possible to remodel and expand the existing structure.
A feasibility study revealed that only a fraction of the home was supported by a foundation, and retrofitting a second story would be prohibitively expensive. The owners made the tough decision to dismantle the cottage and build a two-story home with modern energy efficiencies.
Trevin Duey of Trevin Duey Construction, who was brought in as the builder, said “A conscious effort was made to recycle and repurpose rather than throw everything in the landfill.” Doors, windows, cabinets, appliances, plumbing and lighting fixtures went to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore and others who would repurpose them. “It took a little extra time to do the right thing,” he said. In the end, they were able to recycle about half the original structure.
Two other professionals were hired, Mike Szabo of SZABO Landscape Architecture and interior designer Lucy Roland of Harper House Design. The group, which formed a tight design and building pod, felt it was important to preserve some elements of the former home, such as mature trees, including the Russian olive and heritage crabapple trees. Incorporating native features such as rock outcroppings, juniper trees and riparian vegetation was also important.
The site presented challenges—proximity to the Deschutes River required extensive storm-water management to prevent river contamination; a popular park and playground next door called for privacy screens; and a 20-foot right of way in the front couldn’t be encroached. To avoid having handrails throughout the property’s sloping grade, Szabo said the strategy was to create a series of terraces starting at the house all the way to the river. Each level would create a different zone for different use. The upper terrace was for cooking, dining and entertaining, the middle terrace for playing lawn games and the lower terrace with a firepit cupped by a huge boulder was for enjoying a nightcap or a morning coffee break. He noted the use of board-formed concrete imprinted with a natural cedar pattern adds organic texture to landscape walls and harmonizes with the cedar-siding-clad house.
Designing indoor-outdoor living
The design group’s overarching goals included using sustainable building practices to create a home that flowed seamlessly from inside to outside, and that would accommodate the family’s active sports and outdoor pursuits, their love of music and entertaining family and friends from around the world.
Smuland designed a 3,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home with two stories and river views from most rooms. The structure is covered by a series of shed roofs, including one that supports solar photovoltaic panels for renewable energy. The couple’s preference for Scandinavian design lends a sense of minimalism with sleek, unfussy lines throughout the home’s interior.
“Karen created a house that isn’t enormous, but every square foot of the house has a function so it works well for a family of four,” said interior designer Roland. “There’s a place for everything and everything is in its place.”
The initial inspiration was a casual and family-friendly home that was chic, timeless and sophisticated, Roland said. “Placement of the home within its environment was important so we were careful not to compete with the gorgeous views around the house,” she said. “We didn’t lean heavily on pops of color but rather chose layers of textures, neutrals, earth tones, crisp white walls and cement accents.
“The kitchen is the showstopper for most people who see the home,” she said. “It comes down to a mix of materials—Cement Elegance-crafted countertops, white oak and white cabinetry and handmade Heath Ceramics tile backsplash. The open-plan kitchen, dining room and great room spill onto the multilevel patios through a large folding glass door.
The built-in bar at the awning window marries the interior kitchen to the patio while celebrating the spirit of hospitality and whimsy true to the home’s vacation cottage legacy, Smuland said. The outdoor kitchen with the braai oven also includes a gas grill, sink, refrigerator and cabinets. “The built-in cabinetry is topped with concrete counters which play with the concrete board-formed patio walls to create a soft-organic feel consistent with the interior’s concrete theme,” Smuland said.
The inside contains a myriad of spaces designed to hide and tuck away appliances, sporting equipment, laundry and other clutter that would compete with the Scandinavian aesthetic. A large butler’s pantry stores kids’ snacks, canned and dry foods, toasters and other appliances, under-counter beverage coolers and anything that the owners want to keep out of sight. The mudroom, accessible from the garage and side of the home, allows individuals to wash off muddy feet and hang wetsuits to dry.
Upstairs is where the family sleeps. The primary suite’s unusual configuration includes a galley hallway that connects a built-in daybed as a reading nook, a shared office with built-in bookshelves, a small bedroom, a large walk-in closet and bathroom with a stand-alone bathtub and skylight. The other upstairs wing contains two kids’ rooms, each with its own bathroom.
“It was enjoyable to create something so unique in a high visibility area to be enjoyed for generations,” builder Duey said.
“It’s mind-blowing when you stand back and see how well the home was designed and built. It looks like it’s always been there. It blends into the environment,” Roland said.
With so much to experience in the Rogue Valley, don’t forget that this area is home to 1,000 acres of vineyards that offer diverse wines and almost 100 wineries with picturesque tasting rooms. The area isn’t just abundant in wine but has a vibrant culinary, arts and culture scene, as well as offers easy access to outdoor recreation and natural scenery. In fact, Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named the Rogue Valley one of the top five wine destinations in the world. Whether you’re a seasoned wine connoisseur or simply want to explore a new region while enjoying excellent add-on activities for the entire family, here are ten reasons why the Rogue Valley should be on your must-visit list.
Diversity of Grape Varieties
The Rogue Valley’s wide range of landscapes allows winemakers to produce a spectrum of varietals, making it one of the region’s biggest draws. Sitting around 1,000 feet above sea level and framed in by the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges, the valley boasts four full seasons and ample microclimates within a one-hour radius that is the Rogue Valley. Thanks to the region’s diversity of soil, altitude and temperature, winemakers in the Rogue Valley can grow over 70 different varieties of grapes successfully. Whether you prefer warm-climate wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec, or cooler-climate wines like Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Viognier, there will always be something new to try every time you visit the Rogue Valley.
Scenic Tasting Rooms in the Rogue Valley
The region’s natural beauty adds to the wine-tasting experience with scenic tasting-room views, historic buildings and rolling vineyards. Book a tasting at Kriselle Cellars, DANCIN Vineyards or Irvine & Roberts Vineyards for panoramic scenes of the surrounding countryside. Relax and savor a glass of wine while taking in the limitless vistas. Indulge in a one-of-a-kind luxury experience with Rogue Picnics, which curates private pop-up picnics that you enjoy at your favorite vineyards.
Rogue Valley Wine History
The wine history of Rogue Valley dates back to the mid-19th century when European immigrants started planting grapevines and producing wine. Peter Britt, an early settler, joined the venture in 1852 and opened Oregon’s first official winery, Valley View Winery, in 1873. Despite closing in 1907, the legacy of Valley View Winery lives on today, thanks to the Wisnovsky family, who resurrected the winery in 1972 and can still be visited on a trip to the Rogue Valley.
Sustainable Practices
Many of the Rogue Valley wineries prioritize sustainability practices and keep land stewardship at the forefront of their farming priorities. Enjoy a tasting at Troon Vineyards, Oregon’s only biodynamic certified and certified regenerative-organic winery. Biodynamic farming practices take a holistic approach to winemaking, resulting in healthier soil, stronger vines and exceptional wines that express the vineyard’s terroir. This environmentally-friendly approach to winemaking benefits the ecosystem in which it is produced, promoting long-term sustainability of both the physical land where vineyards grow and the wines they produce.
Wine Events in the Rogue Valley
The Rogue Valley features several wine festivals and special tastings throughout the year. These events are an excellent opportunity for wine enthusiasts to taste new wines and learn from experts. In May, Roam the Rogue puts together guided tours of the region’s wineries to celebrate Oregon Wine Month. Another popular event is the Oregon Wine Experience in August, a week-long celebration of the state’s wine industry. This event brings together more than 100 wineries for tastings and competitions, with all proceeds going to the Children’s Miracle Network. You can also immerse yourself in the Heart of the Rogue Festival’s Wine Country Lane in October.
Wine Trails
If you’re eager to explore the wine country but are feeling unsure about where to begin, don’t worry. Within the region, four wine trails—the Upper Rogue, Applegate, Bear Creek and Jacksonville wine trails—lead visitors through breathtaking landscapes with stops at the finest vineyards. Whether you choose to embark on a self-guided tour or book a trip with a tour company such as Wine Hopper, Bravo Outings or Main Street Adventure Tours, you’re guaranteed to have an unforgettable wine-tasting experience.
Farm-to-Table Dining
The Rogue Valley is also known for its growing culinary scene, pun intended. The region is dotted with farms and ranches across the valley which result in plenty of farm-to-table dining experiences to enjoy, local farmers markets to peruse, and excellent fresh food, including high-quality locally sourced cheese, to pair with your wine. In the last few years, the area has seen an influx of high-quality restaurants and renowned chefs, along with the opening of new distilleries and breweries.
Access to Outdoor Recreation
The Rogue Valley is also a top destination for those seeking world-class wine as well as exciting outdoor adventure. The valley is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, with numerous iconic landmarks you cannot miss like the Table Rock Plateaus, Roxyann Peak and more. The wild and scenic Rogue River, which flows through the region, is ideal for white-water expeditions, and with the world-famous Crater Lake National Park just a short drive away, you could be hiking around a national landmark in the morning and tasting local wines in the afternoon.
Vibrant Arts Scene
In addition to outdoor recreation, the Rogue Valley is also known for its thriving arts and culture scene. Enjoy the vineyards and views during the day and catch a live-show at the Craterian Theatre in downtown Medford after dinner. Other cultural attractions include live music, with the Britt Music and Arts Festival happening annually in the region, and enjoy makers’ markets and local galleries throughout the year.
Accommodation Options
The Rogue Valley offers accommodation options that suit a wide range of budgets and aesthetic preferences. Indulge in the charm of the region by booking a cozy bed and breakfast or historic hotel located in one of the quaint downtown areas. Compass Hotel by Margaritaville is the PNW’s first Margaritaville property and located in Medford. Rogue Regency Inn is Medford’s largest, full-service hotel boasting on-site sports bar, comedy club and indoor year around pool. Plan your visit at travelmedford.org.
Bend has seen a surge in custom home builds in recent years, bringing a new level of design sophistication to Central Oregon. One way to personalize and upgrade a high-end build or remodel is to incorporate custom wall finishes in the home, including lime and Venetian plasters and a wide array of decorative finishes. Juanita Perdomo, owner of WallsArt, Inc., has mastered the craft of turning walls into works of art. She launched her company in 2000 after working for years as both an interior designer and in industrial design.
“I walked into a building where Juanita hand-applied plaster on a two-story wall and my jaw dropped,” said Bend interior designer PJ Hurst. “It looked like brick and had so much depth and movement. It was the most beautiful thing. I feel that whatever Juanita touches turns into gold.”
A native of Colombia, Perdomo has worked across the United States and in Central and South America. While most of her work is residential, she still does some commercial design, including several luxury brand cosmetic shops on the Eastern Seaboard. She relocated to Oregon from Florida and settled in Bend during the pandemic after spending a few years in Hood River. “My market is custom homes, so the growth of that market in Bend is a good fit for my services,” she said. “Plus, it’s obviously an amazing place to live.”
Perdomo uses a variety of techniques and materials including Italian plasters and an array of specialized materials to create trendsetting decorative finishes.
Perdomo’s work can be nuanced for subtle, elevated sophistication or bold for impactful designs. Finishes range from fun to formal, or from modern to traditional. As an inhabitant of the high desert, she finds ample inspiration from Central Oregon’s natural environment for bringing the outside themes into each home.
Decorative plaster is a favorite material of Perdomo’s for making an upscale, sophisticated statement. Walls and fireplace features can be made to look like concrete, stone and even wallpaper. She can also create accent work in places such as a primary bedroom or fireplace surround.
Her work is best showcased when a homeowner incorporates custom walls throughout. “It takes the home to a whole new level,” she said, adding that it allows both her and her clients to get more playful with smaller spaces, such as a powder room or an accent wall. Unconventional designs are some of her favorites because they allow her to showcase her artistic skills and create visual impact for her clients.
More typical projects take anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks, or up to a month for a whole-house custom plaster finish.
Beyond custom decorative plaster work with an infinite number of finishes, she can create any design with paint, including murals. She mocks up samples to guarantee she has captured the client’s vision. Once she and her client finalize design and finishes, it’s a matter of getting to work and making magic happen.
Perdomo made magic happen in the Bend westside home of Ann Peck who hired her to finish two fireplace surrounds, two bathrooms, a laundry room and a stairwell feature. “She’s a plaster worker who can do anything with color and texture,” Peck said. “The wallpaper design she put in the bathroom was so intricate and detailed that everyone assumes it’s wallpaper. You’d never guess someone could do that by hand.”
For Perdomo, walls are like a blank canvas, and the possibilities are endless. Learn more here.
As flowers are beginning to bloom and the sun is peeking through the winter clouds, the itch to get out on the road and discover is more persistent than ever. When we think of Oregon, many think of thickets of trees, mountains and a wild ocean crashing against a sandy, rocky shore. What if there was a getaway that encapsulated those breathtaking sights, offered superb shopping options and top-notch dining spots to top it all off? A trip from Eugene to the Central Oregon Coast does just that, and here are a few must-sees, must-try and must-stays along the way.
South Jetty Dunes Florence / Eugene, Cascades and Coast
Eugene
Start your road trip in Eugene, known to many Oregonians as “TrackTown USA.” Whether you’re a sports fan or not, you’ll leave Eugene as an Oregon Duck fan because of the energy and sportsmanship found in Eugene. Maybe you’re visiting for the Prefontaine Classic held every year at the University of Oregon. No matter whether you’re hoping to check off a glance at the historic Hayward Field, or are touring the University of Oregon with a prospective college-graduate, Eugene is more than a runner’s town. Stick around to explore the city this spring, before jetting out to the coast.
Grab lunch at the popular 5th Street Public Market shopping district. Choose from a number of restaurants including Carlita’s Rooftop on the seventh floor of The Gordon Hotel for a 21+ option with happy hour, or for a family-friendly establishment with a kid’s menu, try Sushi Station. After lunch, shop until your heart’s content at the 5th Street Public Market, and find boutiques and gift shops within the district. Explore Marley’s Monsters, featuring zero-waste products, or the Made in Oregon Store, selling products only made in—you guessed it—Oregon. When you’ve made your way through the hidden gems of the shopping center, it’s time for one more stop. Back on the university campus, check out the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, with both beautiful and thought-provoking exhibits, visitors will want to explore the museum up until close. After finding dinner, perhaps at one of the many duck-themed restaurants near campus such as Track Town Pizza, take a drive across the river and check in to your hotel for the night.
Fifth Street Public Market in Eugene, Lane County /Joni Kabana / EugeneCascadesCoast.org
Hyatt Place is centrally located in Eugene, offering a variety of views from almost every room. Once you drop your bags in one of the luxe rooms, head to the Sky Bar, and discover panoramic scenes of Eugene surrounding the hotel. Order a nightcap to toast to new adventures.
Florence
Hop on Highway 126 and don’t stop until you see the Pacific. The drive from Eugene to Florence is approximately an hour, but there are plenty of sightseeing options to turn the quick jaunt into a journey. Look for waterfall viewing areas, and once you reach Mapleton, the Siuslaw River which spills into the Pacific Ocean—a sign you’re not too far from the destination. In Mapleton, choose to keep driving to the coast, or break off for a pit stop hike at Sweet Creek Falls, where multiple trail heads let you customize your adventure. Stretch your legs and enjoy picturesque views of the cascading waterfalls before getting back on the road to your next destination.
Sweet Creek Falls / Thomas Moser / EugeneCascadesCoast.org
Once you’ve arrived in Florence, head straight for the beach. Spring at the Oregon Coast can be magical, and there are plenty of convenient options for beaches nearby, including both North and South Jetty beaches. If historic landmarks are up your alley, check out Heceta Head Lightstation—a lighthouse that has been sitting on the Oregon Coast since 1894. The lighthouse is now a place for tourists and locals to learn the expansive history, and even stay overnight at a unique lodging option.
Heceta Head Lighthouse from trail / Natalie Inouye / EugeneCascadesCoast.org
After spending time in the sun and dipping your toes in the Pacific, it’s time for a rare experience that only Florence can offer. Head north on historic Highway 101, and 15 minutes later, find yourself in the parking lot of the Sea Lion Caves. Take the walk down to the elevator which lowers into the caves. There, watch as sea lions dip in and out of the caves and into crashing waves. Following this rare and exciting excursion, check into the Three Rivers Casino Resort, not only offers comfortable lodging, but plenty of dining options and a golf course. If you’re hoping to venture out for dinner, try The Waterfront Depot Restaurant and enjoy quality seafood while gazing upon the beautiful Siuslaw River as it flows towards the Pacific.
On the last day of the Oregon Coast Range Getaway, make sure to block out some time for an adrenaline rush. Book an adventure for larger parties with Sand Dunes Frontier and tour the epic dunes in a Big Buggy driven by a skilled driver. Looking for something smaller and still exhilarating? Hop on a buggy with an experienced driver, and take a ride on the Sand Rails Tour, 12- to 14 miles of rolling dunes.
Sand Dunes Frontier dune buggy / Meg Trendler / EugeneCascadesCoast.org
The drive between Eugene and Florence may not be far, but these towns are jam packed with enough activity to explore the hidden gems of Oregon for an entire weekend. Make time this spring to explore the city lights and team spirit of Eugene and the Oregon Ducks, the refreshing scenery of the Pacific Ocean and the limitless excitement of activity in the oceanside town of Florence. See eugenecascadescoast.org for more information on planning your weekend getaway.
Kristian Thordarson spent eight years as a general contractor in Portland before moving to Bend with his family in 2020. Thordarson took the move as an opportunity to zoom in on a construction niche and purchased The Hardwood Floor Company, which has been installing high-quality floors in Bend homes since its founding in 2012 and continues striving to provide the Central Oregon community with excellent service under its new ownership. Thordarson chatted with Bend Home + Design about his latest venture, and flooring trends.
We’re a small, family-owned flooring company specializing in mid- to high-end solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, luxury vinyl plank and carpet. We also sand and finish solid flooring. We pride ourselves in offering customers a range of services from material-only sales to a complete, turn-key installation.
The Hardwood Floor Company switched ownership recently; how has that transition been?
The transition has been great. My background in the contracting world has helped me relate to the needs of general contractors and also really helped in the transition to working with homeowners. I find myself assisting customers with questions outside of flooring because of my background, which helps us offer a more well-rounded and customer-focused solution.
What are the elements of high-quality wood that you look for, and where do you source your materials?
When looking to source high-quality materials, we look for something that isn’t mass-produced. The smaller mills tend to pay more attention to the milling quality and take better care of their customers if there are issues. We source all of our solid hardwoods from North America, either the United States or Canada. Our engineered floors come from multiple countries, including the United States, Canada and Italy, and our luxury vinyl plank is generally sourced from Asia.
Can you walk us through the process when a client comes to you for flooring?
Most of our clients set up a site walk to evaluate the existing flooring and discuss options. We measure the home and then produce a quote for the customer to review. We encourage customers to visit our showroom to see the many options available or to take sample boards home to ensure they fit their aesthetic. Once the customer approves the estimate, we get them on the schedule for installation.
Are there any trends in flooring that you’ve noticed are popular now?
A lot of customers are leaning toward engineered-wood flooring so they can get that wider plank and not be as worried about the gapping that sometimes occurs with solid wood. Our customers are currently selecting colors in natural tones, either light brown or warm gray. A few years back, the hand-scraped look was popular, but that seems to have pretty much gone away, and we’re tearing more out than installing.
Can you expand on the three pillars of quality that include honesty, service and expertise in your work?
We ensure that our employees provide the most accurate information to our customers from the sales process through to completion. Even if it’s not good news, we know that being honest about the situation and working with the customer is the best solution.
Our staff members live and breathe service. We aren’t here to sell floors; we are here to educate our customers on the many options they have and allow them to make a selection that best fits them. Our field staff continues that level of service from start to finish. We want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible because we know it’s a huge investment.
Both our sales and field staff take training courses through the National Wood Flooring Association to ensure they are as up to date as possible with the current installation standards. We also have sales representatives from the companies we work with come by our showroom for product knowledge meetings to discuss product construction, finishes and installation techniques.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
We want to make sure that our potential customers know how much effort we put in from start to finish to provide the best experience possible. We consider our employees part of the family, and it’s part of what makes us successful. We love working in Central Oregon and look forward to many more years serving such a wonderful community.
Unassuming at its face, Dundee offers something that is quintessentially Oregon. It gives the first impression that, when visitors dig a little deeper, delivers a richness warranting the area as its own destination for world-class wine and excellent food. Rolling out from the modest 3,000-person town, acres of vineyards unfold to reveal Willamette Valley views as if from an oil painting.
American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs, is a term you’ll commonly hear when wine tasting. These geographic areas vary enough in climate to affect how the grapes are grown, and therefore, the flavor. Willamette Valley now has eleven AVAs, including the Dundee Hills AVA.
Tips About Dundee’s Vineyards
Miles of rows of grape vines and evergreen trees dappled in among the landscape serve up a comforting beauty. Riding out among Dundee’s vineyards, you’ll spot a red barn and aging farmhouses mixed among the smooth lines of glassed-in newer builds designed for wine tasters to take in vineyard views. In the small downtown, there are multiple wineries and food spots within walking distance of each other. Wineries here offer a modern wine-tasting experience—the opportunity for a non-fussy feel if you prefer more laidback atmospheres or you’re new to tasting and want a fun, no-pressure first encounter.
Three tastings in a day is a good rule of thumb to savor each winery, allow travel between stops and fit in lunch. If you start around 11 a.m., you’ll likely finish up your tastings in the late afternoon, leaving enough time to head back to your home base and freshen up for dinner. Dundee makes three tastings in a day easy because there are many wineries within close distance of each other.
Plentiful outdoor spaces are an invitation to linger at Day Wines.
About Day Wines
When Brianne Day, winemaker and owner of Day Wines, talks about how she fell in love with winemaking, it may be a feeling familiar to Bendites.“I felt a sense of personal fulfillment and cultural connection to a place,” Day said. At Day Wines in downtown Dundee, Day has visitors come from the Portland area, Central Oregon, out of state and even from around the world. She wants people new to wine to enjoy their time just as much as experienced tasters.“If you’ve never been wine tasting, just remember that it’s fun,” Day said. “The whole reason to make wine is to enjoy it.” Day’s goal is to make wines that are exciting and unexpected. She does this by blending grape varieties and approaching winemaking from what she says is a more non-traditional perspective.
Dobbes Family Estate
Dobbes Family Estate nearby also wants the wine-tasting experience to be an enjoyable one. “The point of Dobbes is to be as approachable as possible,” said April Yap-Hennig, director of marketing. Guests there are greeted with a welcome wine, usually a bubbly, meant to be a palate cleanser. Dogs are welcome at Dobbes, with the ask that owners keep a close eye on them. Following the welcome wine, Dobbes serves a series of five wines, generally finishing with one of their sweet wines. Through the “very relaxed tasting,” Dobbes’ staff is there to help educate you and talk through the wines at your pace. The more interested you are in learning, the more they’ll share.
Winderlea Vineyard and Winery
At Winderlea Vineyard and Winery, you can view some of the first vines planted in the area, with pinot noir grapes that are still growing today. “Our flagship is a cross-section, from old vines on the top of the vineyard, to original vines that were planted in the 1970s,” said Donna Morris, who co-owns the winery with her husband, Bill Sweat. “The wine we make is called Legacy. It’s a beautiful reflection of what old wines can produce.” Winderlea, like Day Wines and Dobbes Family Estate, buys some of its fruit from other vineyards in other AVAs, creating more opportunities to blend varieties. At Winderlea, where vineyards are just outside the winery, guests can take a wine-tasting hiking tour to get up close to the land that yields a way of life for winemakers—and wine lovers.
The Deschutes Railroad War is A Race for Oregon’s Natural Resources
The Deschutes River Railroad War in the early 1900s shaped the future of Central Oregon. Without railroad tycoons James J. Hill’s and Edward Harriman’s animosity towards each other, the area would look different than today. The battle royale played out along the steep river banks of the Deschutes and in the courtrooms of Portland.
On paper, Central Oregon was considered a high desert. However,the landscape held an important commodity—water was a necessity to irrigate the parched land. It also held another important commodity. In 1905, Israel C. Russell with the U.S. Geological Survey issued a report, Geology and Water Resources of Central Oregon, extolling the natural resources in the area: “The yellow pine forests [in the] central part of Oregon are not only extensive, but contain magnificent, well-grown trees, which will be of great commercial value when railroads shall have been built.”
The possibilities of getting a railroad into Central Oregon seemed bleak in the early 1900s. In his book, In the Oregon Country, George Palmer Putnam described the area as a “railless land, the largest territory in the United States without transportation.” At the time, Putnam had yet to purchase The Bend Bulletin or become Bend’s mayor. Nonetheless, he was a booster who believed that the area’s farm and timber products were worthless without a way to market. As he put it bluntly, “In Central Oregon the railroad question was one of life and death.”
That changed in 1909 when Hill and Harriman decided to build two separate tracks up the Deschutes River.
A first shipment of lumber in Bend, November 1911. Photo courtesy Deschutes Historical Society
Two Men and Two Railroads
Although Hill and Harriman interacted professionally during their business dealings, privately, they despised each other. In 1901, Harriman tried to corner the market of Northern Pacific to gain voting power in the company controlled by Hill. The take-over failed and ended in a near stock market crash. “Hill and Harriman were interested in connecting with the Central Pacific route which had reached Klamath Falls by that point,” said Paul Claeyssens, owner of Heritage Stewardship Group in Bend. “They wanted to open the markets from the east side of the Cascades to California.”
Russell’s report about Central Oregon must have whetted Hill’s and Harriman’s appetites. Whoever won the “war” would see a hefty return on investment. Hill got standing ovations when he visited Portland’s Lewis & Clark Exposition in October 1905. He had just announced plans for the construction of the North Bank railroad along the Columbia River. He would finish the line in February 1908 as a stepping-off point towards Central Oregon.
Harriman incorporated the Des Chutes Railroad in 1906 with the expressed purpose of building a line into Central Oregon. Two years later, Harriman was far from ready to start construction. For many Central Oregonians, the issue could be summoned up as; “Harriman promises. Hill builds.” Finally, by mid-1909, Hill and Harriman, egged on by each other, started construction.
The Race Was On
The most efficient way into Oregon’s interior went up the Deschutes River from The Dalles, where both Hill and Harriman had existing tracks. Hill’s engineer and president of the Oregon Trunk Railway, John F. Stevens contracted the Porter Brothers to build on the west side of the Deschutes River while J.P. O’Brien contracted the Twohy Brothers to lay Harriman’s tracks on the east side. Perhaps influenced by Hill and Harriman’s feuding, the work conditions almost immediately became hostile. “The blame for the infighting lays mostly with the supervisors who created an atmosphere of conflict,” said Leon Speroff, the author of The Deschutes River Railroad War.
Reaching Bend, James J. Hill decrees October 5, 1911 “Railroad Day.” Photo courtesy Deschutes Historical Society
Delay Tactics
The construction camps were small, semi-permanent tent cities along the riverbanks. The work was backbreaking. Evening entertainment, fueled by plenty of moonshine, included taking potshots at the opposing crews or performing brazen raids across the river to steal black powder or simply blow it up to delay construction. Revenge operations saw crews stampeding each other’s beef cattle. “There’s no evidence that the competition accelerated to the point where they were actually killing each other,” said Speroff. “They were just trying to scare people.”
One of the more ambitious schemes was an attempt by Steven’s crews to block access to the Twohy brothers’ water supply. The wagon road went through a nearby 320-acre property. Stevens allegedly bought the property, put up “No Trespassing” signs, and posted armed guards.
In September 1909, when the local sheriff arrived to solve the dispute, fighting broke out between Porter’s and Twohy’s work crews. During the melee, the sheriff and his deputies were ejected, and their horses were sent running into the high desert. The dispute had to be resolved in court.
Reaching the End
Throughout the project, Hill and Harriman’s representatives fought ongoing battles in Portland’s courtrooms. “You get the impression that much of the ‘war’ played out in the courtrooms. Ultimately, Stevens and his group had better lawyers,” said Speroff. After the death of Harriman on September 9, 1909, Hill and Robert Lovett, Harriman’s successor, decided to play nice.
The Harris track-laying machine reached Bend on September 30, 1911. The finished line included 151.5 miles of tracks, seven tunnels, and ten steel bridges—including the Crooked River High Bridge and Hill’s Columbia River Bridge. In the end, Bend was the real winner of the railroad war.
Artist Clara Smith Adds Fresh Style to Western and Equine Themes
Clara Smith is an artist of many talents, including: graphic design, drawing, painting and digital art. Though, the variety of mediums do not take away from Smith’s intention to portray the western and cowboy lifestyle in a new way.
Equine Influence
Raised in Portland, Smith visited Bend during summers growing up and observed the artistic endeavors of her late aunt, Western artist Joelle Smith. Young Clara learned the anatomy of horses while sitting with her aunt in the art studio after returning from a ride. The studio where Joelle Smith worked had large windows purposefully overlooking the pasture outside. “The love for the horses came first,” Smith said. “And the art kind of stemmed from there.”
In high school, Smith used that knowledge and was encouraged to pursue art by a teacher. “I always drew as a kid, and I was the kid that doodled on her homework all the time,” she said. Her decision to pursue the craft led to her first sale: a print of an original scratchboard piece of her horse.
Today, Smith works out of Joelle Smith’s former studio which Clara Smith said has pretty much remained the same way it was when it was used by her aunt. “There’s a lot of her presence in it, which is comforting and inspiring,” she said. Beyond the large windows are her three horses, Teddi, Kedda and Carradine—her favorite subjects.
Clara Smith and her horse, Teddi. Photo by Melissa Atillo.
Accuracy Across All Mediums
Accuracy is a priority to Smith when it comes to depicting the cowboy lifestyle across all mediums of her work including drawing, painting and digital art. Because of this, much of her art illustrates people Smith knows and who currently live the Western lifestyle. “The point is to portray a moment in time,” she said. When it comes to authenticity in her art, Smith also noted the importance of getting the gear and clothing correct.
Smith’s range of creativity is highlighted in her portfolio, revealing a mix of the modern and traditional with realistic depictions of the Western style. She started with a love for classic fine art painting and drawing, then shifted gears slightly after studying graphic design at Oregon State University, where she began leaning into modern artistic ideas. She then progressed to marrying fine art and graphic styles, which became popular. “It’s like bringing new light to an old idea,” she said. “Classic, fine Western art isn’t for everybody. Doing the graphics kind of reawakened [the] vintage style—Old West style.”
She said when she was younger, she had a hard time parting with art pieces because she spent so much time devoted to them. Though that feeling has shifted as she’s advanced in her field, one piece she will never let go of is that original scratchboard of her horse that jump started her career.
As a budding artist designing clothing and handmade leather goods, Alicia Renner (image shown above) found a sense of community at a shared artist workspace, Poet House, which once existed in downtown Bend. “The energy of being in a space like that is so motivating,” said Renner, who a few years later found the same sense of place at The Workhouse, a collective of artist studios that popped up in the early 2010s in Bend’s Old Ironworks Arts District. There, Renner rented a studio space which included use of The Workhouse’s retail area. It allowed her to test out new products and interact with customers to gather feedback on designs for her new business, Howl Goods, said Renner, who continued to live in Bend and operate her small business.
Alicia Renner of Howl Goods
Renner is one of a growing number of creatives who are using collective workspaces for artists, maker spaces and shared workshops. These spaces are like incubators for their businesses, where they tinker on new projects, swap ideas with fellow creators, and, in many cases, use the spaces to meet their first customers. In addition, spaces including The Workhouse and DIYcave in Bend are also businesses themselves, renting studio spaces or offering classes or memberships to operate, while also generating a small income for owners.
Eric Padilla making cutting boards from reclaimed-maple cabinet doors at the DIYcave.
Building the Dream at The Workhouse
For Cari Brown, the idea for The Workhouse came about unconventionally after the historic building on southeast Scott Street opened up for lease in 2011. Brown was working next door at a since-closed art shop, and was hopeful the vacant space would attract an artsy neighbor.
“The space became available abruptly, and we [with co-owner and husband Christian] really hoped it would be something interesting and bring more foot traffic to the area,” Brown said. “Then we thought, ‘Hey, we could do something cool.’”
Marianne Prodehl of Junk to Jems, Prodehl works on her jewelry line at The Workhouse
The first iteration of The Workhouse was sixteen studio spaces for working artists to rent out, with opportunities to mingle with other artists. Before long, the space was reconfigured to have fewer studios, but to include a large communal table to work at or host classes, and space to sell goods created by the resident artists and others in Oregon. Creatives pay a fee for their studio space, and together the rent money covers the cost of operating The Workhouse.
On the retail side, artists pay a small commission for work sold at The Workhouse, allowing the Browns and her co-owner and husband, Christian Brown, to earn a small profit. Just as The Workhouse was finding its groove, another creative workspace was being conceived just a mile down the road. The DIYcave is the brainchild of a group of Bendites who came together with the idea of creating the city’s first maker space in late 2014.
Building the Dream at the DIYcave
Aaron Leis and his wife Charah Leis had leased a space on southwest Ninth Street with plans to open a workshop called Maker Station. Through word-of-mouth, they connected with Tim Willis and Dave Danek, who were brewing up a similar business idea, and had another name in mind—DIYcave—and the group joined forces as business partners. The first building of the DIYcave opened to curious passersby later that year, and officially opened to the public in early 2015, with the group slowly adding new buildings and expanding the creative offerings of the space over the next eight years.
Today, the DIYcave is operated by Aaron Leis and Willis, and is home to spaces equipped with tools for woodworking, welding, blacksmithing, laser cutting, 3D printing, glass projects, jewelry making and other creative explorations.
Even on a weeknight, the DIYcave campus will be abuzz. You might see a couple of female woodworkers operating saws and a family working together on a live-edge table with an epoxy river down the middle. You might also see an open session for jewelry makers and a builder working on the finishes for a tiny home, parked outside the woodshop. At the same time.
“It’s very inspirational to walk through here,” said Leis. The goal of the DIYcave was to create a space that felt accessible and welcoming to anyone, from a college student to a single parent. “We wanted there to be no barrier to entry.” Interested do-it-yourselfers can join the DIYcave community by signing up for a class or paying an hourly rate for shop time to work on a project independently. Frequent users pay for memberships and some artists and builders rent out studio spaces, where they can store supplies and projects.
Shawna Ziegenbein of Sansarc Culture
While the DIYcave owners themselves are operating the business, Leis also acknowledges the role the space plays in launching the businesses of others. This is true for a glassworker who rents out studio space to an artist who went from experimenting on the laser cutter one day to launching a company to sell topographic trail maps the next. Leis estimated about seventy percent of DIYcave users are creating items for themselves. Thirty percent are working on projects with monetary motivations.
Work Space for All
Bend’s artistic workspaces are tied together by what they offer the public—a place to connect with other creatives, room to experiment and the opportunity to pursue a new hobby or career. For jewelry artist Marianne Prodehl, joining The Workhouse gave her the opportunity to pursue jewelry-making more seriously and consistently, without the overhead cost of operating her own shop.
“From a business aspect, joining The Workhouse made my business grow like crazy,” said Prodehl, who staffs The Workhouse retail shop at least twice per month—a requirement for studio members. While her company, Junk to Jems has never been Prodehl’s full-time vocation, she said The Workhouse has played an important role in her company’s success. “It really helped me develop my following,” she said.
Mud Lake Studios has work space for ceramic artists
For clothing and leather-goods artisan Renner, who operates Howl Goods, the impact collective workspaces had on her professional trajectory can’t be understated. After being a studio member at The Workhouse, Renner has gone on to operate her own artist workspace and retail shop next door, called Mud Lake Studios. Here, she runs a shop selling her own products, as well as goods from dozens of ceramists who rent out artist workspaces. Renner said the goal of Mud Lake Studios is to show aspiring artists what’s possible if they decide to dive into a creative hobby or business.
“We provide all the equipment and tools you need, and you can choose to do what you want with that,” Renner said. “Artists can really see what is a viable future business option for them. Or they can experiment—try new designs and see if anyone likes them. Sometimes people are surprised to find out what sells.”
The entryway of a home is a space to welcome visitors, and to feel comfortable each day while arriving home. There are tricks to making elevated entryways that work for the everyday.
If the idea of redesigning the entryway feels overwhelming, go for a “less is more” approach, said Karrie Bomstad, owner and designer of Staging Spaces & Design in Bend, which specializes in home staging, style and design. “Your guests are going to walk in, and it’s really their first impression, so it’s either warm and welcoming, or not,” Bomstad said.
One approach is to focus on five foundational elements of the entryway, according to Traci Porterfield, designer and co-owner of Circa Interiors, an interior design firm that has operated in Bend since 1991. “I think the entry especially can be so beautiful and also functional as long as you have a few key pieces,” Porterfield said. Start with a grounding piece of furniture, whether it’s a console table or sideboard that offers some storage. Above this table or sideboard, choose something that makes a statement, Porterfield said. “My preference is to do a dramatic piece of artwork, but an interesting mirror works as well,” she said. As a third element, Porterfield recommends having something fresh like a plant, flowers or branches. Fourth, it’s important to engage more senses than the eyes. “There always needs to be a scented candle, and in my world, it’s always burning,” Porterfield said. Finally—a must in the high desert—a durable, beautiful rug. Porterfield personally opts for hand-knotted styles. “I recommend choosing something that hides dirt but it doesn’t have to be an entry mat,” she said. “It can be something that offers a lot of style.”
One bonus design choice will make an impact before any visitors even pass through the threshold: the front door and its hardware. Even if choosing more affordable hardware in the rest of the home, front door hardware is worth the investment, Porterfield said.
A beautiful entryway also doesn’t have to be a big entryway. For homes that are short on space, Bomstad said to swap in a nightstand for a console table or add floating shelves for extra storage.
Photo by Andrea Rugg Photography
Bomstad often helps design mudrooms, with smart pieces such as benches and cubbies for baskets. One new feature that’s rising in popularity is especially appropriate for Bend: a metal tub dog wash, allowing clients to bathe their dogs as easily as a groomer, sometimes just off the mudroom in the laundry room. She also typically adds a counter space meant for charging and storing devices; it’s the kind of feature you might not think of without expert help.
Like any room in the home, it may take time to curate an entryway to get it just right. “You make smarter choices when you’ve lived in a house for a little bit,” said Allison Clouser, co-owner of Clouz Houz, and formerly of Design Bar Bend. Clouser and her husband recently launched their new venture in Clouz Houz, offering design services and flipping fixer uppers. “Especially in this house, we use our front door all the time,” Clouser said of her family’s home. “We don’t have a mudroom like a lot of new houses do these days.”
She manages with a console table, benches and baskets for people to kick off and stash their shoes. In the console table, Clouser has a place to store mail, keys and leashes for their golden retrievers. Light-colored rugs help hide the dog fur that inevitably escapes a daily vacuum run. “This space has to work in multiple ways,” she said, explaining finding the balance of beauty with a spot her teenagers and their friends pass through daily.
A final curated detail that sets the tone of the entryway is lighting. “The lighting is really key in an entryway,” Clouser said. Changing the overhead lighting, or simply adding a lamp, can transform the whole setting of an entryway, she said. Porterfield agreed, explaining soft or adjustable lighting is essential.“That way if it’s dark out, you’re not coming into this blast of light,” Porterfield said. “That might be done with a lamp, or the light is on a dimmer.”
In a well-done entryway, there is a special feeling when you walk in. “The goal is that it feels warm and welcoming,” Porterfield said. “And there’s a hint of what’s about to come.”
See that distinctive silhouette outlining the edges of Three Fingered Jack along the Cascade Range? Well, deeper in the archives of history is the tale of a three-fingered pioneer trapper named Jack who lived in the shadow of the shield volcano. There’s more to a name than meets the eye. We may pass roads, landmarks and natural features every day and not give their names a second thought. Yet, the history of an area is often revealed in its landscape’s lexicon, while also providing layers of intriguing narrative. Here’s a glimpse of times gone by and a bit of Central Oregon unveiled, one name at a time.
Three Fingered Jack
This easily identified Cascade peak was called Mount Marion in the 1870s—and was given that name after a road-building party from Marion County that was in the area at the time. The volcano has three main rock spires that lend it a descriptive meaning, and many a traveler along the Santiam Pass has tried to make out the pattern of three fingers. However, Lewis “Tam” McArthur (1883-1951)—secretary for the Oregon Geographic Board for many years—wrote that it actually got its name from a three-fingered trapper named Jack who had a cabin nearby. The first ascent of the tallest spire of the peak was on September 3, 1923, when six men from Bend climbed to the summit of the highest “finger.”
Marshall “Marsh” Awbrey, 1910
Awbrey Butte
Was the prominent butte located in northwest Bend named after a prominent citizen? Not quite, although Marshall “Marsh” Awbrey was an early settler who attempted, like many a Central Oregon resident, to grow his fields in an often disagreeable Central Oregon climate. Born in 1829, the Missouri native served in Mexican and Rogue wars, and drove freight wagons from Jacksonville, Oregon, to the gold mines of Yreka, California. He came to Central Oregon in the early 1870s, moving near the Deschutes River and settling near what is now the site of Harmon Park in Bend. There, he planted some rye in the meadow along the river. A severe winter, followed by devastating spring frosts, destroyed his crop so he moved farther downstream on the Deschutes River and settled near the present site of Tumalo. While his crops didn’t stick, his name did.
Market Roads
When settling in Deschutes County in the decade from 1920-1930, just owning land created decent odds that a market road would be created in your name. According to the Deschutes Historical Society, the Oregon Market Road Act of 1919 provided funding for the construction of roads to facilitate access to agricultural resources and give from farmers to fishermen the ability to “get their goods to market.” There were some fifty market roads constructed during this era, and they were given names for the property owners whose land the road traversed.
Dutchman Flat, 1950
Dutchman Flat
Dutchman Flat is found two miles north of Mount Bachelor and was named for a homesteader nicknamed “Dutch John” Feldewerd. He was one of a multitude of Dutch settlers in the area in the 1880s who came for the promises provided by open space and land ownership. Dutch ranched near the present site of Bend in the 1880s and ranged his sheep and cattle as far west as Sparks Lake. He had a property near Vandevert Ranch where it is written that he and his neighbor “Scoggin” (William G. Scoggin) had an argument over a spring near the boundary of their adjoining property—both believed they had rights to its water. Their method of conflict resolution was a duel. Scoggin shot first and wounded Dutch John. Scoggin then rode his horse to Prineville, bringing a doctor back to treat Dutch John who later recovered. Afterward, both men decided to sell or abandon their claims.
Brothers
Even during bygone days of wagon travel, there have been rest stops for weary travelers. On the early road from Bend to Burns, Brothers was one such resting point for wagoneers. The community had a store, saloon, school and later a service station. In 1913, Patrick H. Coffey, its first postmaster, suggested the name to be Brothers to commemorate the several sets of brothers from different families who had homesteaded nearby: the King, Stenkamp, Varco, Kruse and Hogue families. Several years of drought and difficult economic times shattered the dreams of many of the early settlers. However, construction of Highway 20 through eastern Oregon led to new opportunities for Brothers to provide rest and service for travelers through the high desert, where the rest stop exists today.
Ashton Eaton Boulevard
Referred to as “World’s Greatest Athlete,” decathlete Ashton Eaton earned not only a gold medal in 2012, but that year he earned the La Pine City Council’s unanimous vote to rename a portion of U.S. Highway 97 within the city limits as Ashton Eaton Boulevard. Ashton Eaton was born in Portland, Oregon, and he and his mother moved to La Pine when he was a young boy. Later they moved to Bend where Ashton attended middle school and Mountain View High School. A track athlete at University of Oregon, he competed in the heptathlon and decathlon where he won five collegiate national championships—he holds the 2010-2012 world record in the heptathlon, and in 2012 he set the world record for the decathlon. His 2012 Olympic victory sealed the deal for La Pine’s hometown hero, and secured his path along the boulevard that bears his name today and secures his place in Central Oregon history.
Jefferson Greene remembers his grandmother, Verbena “Sasawaipum” Greene, telling stories about the first people and the trees, mountains and animals that spoke with the breeze. Most of all he remembers her words about the water and tributaries of the Deschutes River.
His grandmother’s is just one voice among the many elders who have lived on the land of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. As both water and Native languages recede under modern pressures, contemporary voices seek to connect newer generations with traditional practices from the past, bring them into the present and carry them into the future. Through the revitalization and reverence of language, craft and tradition, Native people such as Greene and Brigette McConville, a fisherwoman, artist and cultural historian, connect to the river and teach others about its past and the need to protect its future.
Jefferson Greene seeks to revitalize the Native Ichishkiin language and pass along traditions. Photo courtesy of Wahoo Films
ESSENTIAL HISTORY
Much knowledge about the river was passed down through oral history by the generations of elders who have lived on the 1,019-square-mile Warm Springs Reservation. The tribes include a confederacy of three original bands of Wasco, two bands from Warm Springs, and members of the huge Paiute population spread across five states.
The Deschutes River starts from snow-fed headwaters near Little Lava Lake in the Cascade Mountains. It then flows through rugged and arid country, ribboning through deep, rim-rocked canyons along the way that form fertile valleys on its 252-mile northward stretch to the Columbia River. The Warm Springs River is the largest watershed within the reservation and the largest tributary to the Lower Deschutes. The river and creeks that cross the Warm Springs Reservation provide essential habitat for wild populations of spring and fall Chinook, mid-Columbia River summer steelhead, bull trout, redband trout, Pacific lamprey and a variety of non-salmonid species.
Tribal members still fish for salmon with dip nets and collect lamprey at Sherars Falls, which was the site of a crossing point for local tribes as well as a sacred fishing ground. Today, fish are caught from an elaborate scaffolding and are used for ceremonial purposes and for subsistence distribution to tribal members.
TEACHING TRADITION
It’s from the banks of the Deschutes that Jefferson Greene collects tule reeds to create traditional items, including a recently completed 16-foot-long canoe that he paddled on the river with his young son aboard. A member of the Warm Springs Tribe, Greene wants to revitalize and protect the Tribe’s cultural and ceremonial practices. He has learned songs, stories, drumming and basketry from elders that he hopes to pass on. As an Ichishkiin language instructor, he seeks to preserve the language, while maintaining ancient traditions by building canoes and sharing river adventures with young people from across the Northwest. Greene has been a main force in revitalizing the canoe tradition at Warm Springs. A long canoe can accommodate as many as thirty people at a time as they traverse lakes, reservoirs and the ocean. He persuaded the Tribal government to purchase an ocean-going canoe so that groups, with an emphasis on teenagers, could participate in the Northwest Tribal Canoe Journeys, a coastal event drawing together tribes from across the region. Greene brought together Native youth from the Warm Springs, Yakama and Umatilla reservations for the experience, reinforcing Indigenous history and encouraging important cultural and traditional values.
Greene, an executive at the Columbia River Institute for Indigenous Development Foundation, is passionate about the value he places on language, culture and water. “Our relationships have been tied through water,” he said. “It’s important that it run free, for that freedom to flow…and to give life. In ceremonies we start and finish with water.”
To help expand the cultural dialogue, Greene was commissioned to create the tule reed canoe he paddled on the river with his son as part of the current “Creations of Spirit” exhibition at the High Desert Museum, which has the goal of immersing visitors in the Indigenous Plateau worldview.
FISHING THE WATERS
Brigette McConville has spent her life on the river and is an important steward of varying cultural traditions, including fishing and beading arts—two of the historically most-traded items on the Columbia River. As a child, she caught salmon and lamprey, and she has owned and operated Salmon King Fisheries with her husband Sean McConville on the Warm Springs Reservation for more than a decade. The shop processes and provides Columbia River-caught salmon, a primary food source for local tribes for thousands of years. McConville and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs define themselves as Salmon People, and her life has been dedicated to the water, and particularly to the fish: she served as the Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commissioner on the Fish and Wildlife Committee of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and as a Warm Springs Tribal Council member. Fishing is an important part of tribal history and McConville’s goal is to protect water throughout the Columbia Basin for generations to come. “But it is going to be a tough task,” she said. “Mother Nature is very tired and is about ready to give up on human nature.”
For McConville, a producer of an upcoming documentary that amplifies Indigenous voices on the subject of water, the idea for the film, A Reflection of Life, came about during a discussion of its importance and what it means to her. “I have respect for water and cherish it greatly,” she said. The intention of the project was to capture elders’ and others’ traditional and cultural viewpoints on water and its importance to them,” she said.
DREAMS OF WATER
Greene explained that in times of water deprivation, he and others “go into the places of dreams.” Through their work and their connections to others—as part of tribal traditions or through art in the larger community—Greene and McConville’s voices, and others’, are amplified. “We dream of these things: What we hear beneath the vibration of our feet, the heartbeat from the earth…and water.”
Visit the exhibition “Creations of Spirit” at the High Desert Museum through October 1. See highdesertmuseum.org.
Bend filmmaker Jesse Locke said his new documentary, A Reflection of Life, is the best work he has helped produce. While Oscar recognition would be welcome, he hopes it will help people fully realize just how important our water sources are to life. The full-length documentary is part of a series of social justice films made in partnership with World Muse and will premiere in Central Oregon this spring after being in production since summer of 2022.
“Each year we look around and see what the community conversations are; what keeps coming up over and over?” said World Muse Founder and Director, Amanda Stuermer. “There were so many water issues popping up, from the Warm Springs reservation’s resort development to the boil water notices, and broader conversations about water throughout the Northwest.” A Reflection of Life focuses on water issues, specifically in Oregon, and amplifies Indigenous experiences and stories. Voices in the film are from members of Warm Springs, Umatilla, Nez Perce, Klamath, Yakima, Hopi, Standing Rock and Valdez tribes.
The series came about when World Muse and Unlocked Films partnered for the first time in 2019 to create the short youth documentary, A Reflection of Hope, about the Generation Z population in Central Oregon, which originally demonstrated how impactful films could be for a larger audience.
Making these social justice films is a passion for Unlocked Films founder, Locke, who said each of the Reflection series films have important issues that may make some people uncomfortable, but he says that’s okay because that’s how we start a conversation. “We are all in this together, and the more you know about other cultures and other people, the less frightened you become,” said Locke. “At the end of the day, we are all humans trying to provide for the people we love.”
In 2020, the next film in the series, A Reflection of Change, was produced during the height of the COVID pandemic. “We took a deep look into the BIPOC community and researched their traumas, especially with the pandemic and lockdown,” said Stuermer. Next, they produced A Reflection of Self in 2021 about the LGBTQIA+ community. It was with A Reflection of Self that MUSE fully realized the impact of films going out to a broader global audience, as this film won a best documentary award at an international film festival in Barcelona, Spain.
“Our films live beyond the event; our films can travel to different schools and communities,” said Stuermer, who estimates World Muse has impacted thousands of people since its founding in 2009, and its beginnings as a catalyst for change and empowerment for women and girls.
“With the pandemic we found it was a turning point; people’s attention spans changed, and through film we had more access to provide more information to more people. Films allow us to create empathy as we look at various issues, it’s a different experience, films land in a different way,” Stuermer said.
While Locke said he has loved every film in the Reflection series, he said A Reflection of Life moved him to tears while he edited down about sixty hours of raw footage to an hour and a half. He believes it’s the best work to date. Native elders gave the crew unprecedented access so now through the film, their voices talking about land and water may be shared with a broader audience.
World Premiere
A Reflection of Life debuts April 20 at the Tower Theatre and at the Madras Performing Arts Center. The film will also be available virtually that night. The Conversation Series with various Native American producers will be held the following day on April 21 at The High Desert Music Hall in Redmond.
Compiled by Bronte Dod, Annie Fast and Bend Magazine Staff
Photo by Pete Alport | Skier Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
The spring skiing season in Central Oregon is one of the most anticipated times of the year for avid skiers and snowboarders. With the official season often lasting well into May and backcountry opportunities continuing through June, it’s no wonder why. In this complete guide to spring skiing in Central Oregon, explore the unique qualities of spring snow along with the best places in Oregon to experience those sunny ski days. So, grab your gear and explore the beauty of late-season skiing here.
Photo by Jill Rosell
SPRING SNOW
Wondering how spring skiing differs from winter? In short, it’s the snow. Unlike the deep winter, when storms beckon skiers with fresh powder and first tracks, spring skiing is about a variety of snows. Local writer Annie Fast spoke with Kevin Grove, a local mountain athlete and alpinist who also happens to be a professor of physics and engineering at Central Oregon Community College with expertise in snow science, who was excited to share his views on spring skiing. Grove quipped, “I always have this dilemma of, ‘What do I like more corn or powder?’ When it’s powder season, it’s powder. But when it’s corn season, it’s definitely corn—it’s such a fun time of the year.” He explained that corn snow is actually old snow that has gone through a melt-freeze cycle during the warm days and cold nights of spring. “Over a period of time, those beautiful six-sided snowflakes become spheres and they connect to become larger spheres, which become corn.” The key to scoring perfect corn, he explained, is a combination of warm sunny days combined with freezing temps at night to “lock up” the snowpack.
CRUST
On an ideal spring day, skiers are likely to encounter early-morning firm and icy conditions, “There’s definitely a sweet spot,” shared Grove, the key is to catch it when it’s not too firm and not too soft for ideal skiing conditions. The rule of thumb is to ski between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Cascades. Grove refers to the firm morning conditions as “crust,” a hard surface that makes for easy travel in the backcountry a.k.a. “crust cruising.” Compared to the winter when backcountry skiers and splitboarders exhaust themselves by breaking trail through deep snow, spring travel is a breeze, which allows deeper and further access to popular destinations such as the Three Sisters and Broken Top. Recreational backcountry skiers find fun lines and wind lips to make turns, while alpinists, equipped with crampons, ice axes and ropes, eye big chutes and couloirs to descend. Meanwhile, inbounds at Mt. Bachelor, the early-morning crust beckons athletes looking for the thrill of carving high-speed groomers.
Photo by Alyssa Henry
CORN
As the morning progresses, the frozen snow turns to corn, and the freestylers awaken to take advantage of the forgiving conditions in the Woodward Mountain Parks and halfpipe at the resort. This is an opportunity to practice tricks and spins or to carve the soft conditions across the mountain. Mt. Bachelor’s terrain park manager Alex Storjohan said, “We get a lot of snow throughout the winter making it more challenging to keep parks prime, so the springtime is when we really get to focus on all of our parks and make them great for the extended spring season. We also have one of the longest halfpipe seasons in North America. We expect the halfpipe to be open through the end of the season or as long as the snow conditions allow for it.” Whether on the hunt for airtime, rails or transitions, spring is “go” time.
SLUSH
On sunny afternoons it’s likely the solar effect on the snow will gradually advance it into deep slush, or if there’s any hint of new snow, which does happen—because it is spring in Central Oregon after all—it will become a sticky surface known as mashed potatoes, true to the food theme—not the creamy kind, but the over-whipped sticky version that makes it difficult to glide down the mountain. These unique snow conditions are reflected in Mt. Bachelor’s earlier operating hours in the spring, when lifts open at 8:30 a.m. and close earlier at 1:30 p.m.
APRÈS SKI
On sunny afternoons, spring skiers transition to après ski. At the resort, it’s time to hit the main lodge sundeck or seek out the weekly 10 Barrel Snow Beach parties. In the backcountry, après celebrations go down back at a Sno-Park gathered around the tailgate luxuriating in the late-day sunshine. Mt. Bachelor celebrates the season with their finale held on Memorial Day weekend, which features the addition of lift-served downhill bike park laps off Little Pine, live music, pond-skimming and costumes—basically the best of spring. Perhaps the early ski or snowboard session is the end or just the start of a classic Bend multisport day. There’s still plenty of time for a round of golf, a couple laps at Phil’s, or a paddle at the whitewater park. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
Photo by Adam McKibben
WHERE TO SPRING SKI
Want to explore beyond tried and true Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort? Luckily, Oregon is home to some of the best spring skiing conditions in the Pacific Northwest. From Hoodoo Ski Resort’s charm to Timberline’s elevation or Anthony Lakes’ powder, there is no shortage of options. Bronte Dod shares some of the best places to lose a few layers and ski all kinds of spring snow.
The base of Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort sits at 7,100 feet—and the conditions just get better from there. It’s the highest base in Oregon, and the resort has some of the lightest powder you’ll find in the state. A five-hour drive from Bend, Anthony Lakes is worth turning into a multi-day ski trip to make the most of the weather, terrain and great prices. Don’t let the one-chair stat fool you—Anthony Lakes may be a hometown ski hill, but there are a handful of black diamond trails that can challenge seasoned riders.
Carved into a hillside outside of Sisters, Hoodoo Ski Area is much more than a local’s ski hill. With five lifts and dozens of trails to explore, the ski area boasts some top-notch skiing. Head to Hoodoo this spring if you’re looking for a skiing experience for your whole family. Plus, Hoodoo offers the only night skiing option in Central Oregon. For those that don’t want to ski but still want to enjoy the snow and good weather in the spring, Hoodoo also offers tubing.
MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS/TIMBERLINE
As the highest peak in Oregon, Mount Hood has some of the best skiing in the state. There are five ski areas to choose from, depending on your abilities and with the best spring conditions at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area and Timberline Lodge & Ski Area. Both offer night skiing into March. At the end of the day, find a spot in the lodge and enjoy the après-ski menus and stunning views.
Enter to WIN this $5,000 prize package before March 17, 2023.
Sign up to win this fun-packed weekend getaway on May 4-7, 2023 with Mt. Bachelor, The Old Mill District, Campfire Hotel and The High Desert Museum – prize valued at over $5000! Here’s what you could win:
PRIZE PACKAGE:
Campfire Hotel: 3 night stay in their Happy Camper Suite on May 4-7, 2023 + Entrance into their Cinco De Mayo event – Fuego – with 2 drink tickets + Campfire Hotel backpack + 1 Campfire Hotel flask + 2 Campfire Hotel beanies
Mt. Bachelor: 3 day lift tickets AND rentals for up to 4 people
Old Mill District: $1000 gift cards to shop OMD
High Desert Museum: Tickets + $150 café gift card + Wildlife encounter
Bend Magazine: Welcome gift basket full of gifts from all contributors including a subscription to Bend Magazine
Tell us who you want to ski, shop, and stay with by tagging all your people in the post comments! Each comment + tag = 1 entry. **And we love it when you post a story and tag all of us because #thisisbend.
Fill out this short form to officially enter so we know how to contact you with all the prize details if you win!
DEADLINE TO ENTER: Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 11:59pm PST.
WINNER SELECTION:
You must be 21 years of age to win this prize package. 1 winner will be chosen in total at random. Winner will be selected on FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2023 (the luckiest of days!) and be notified via email and Instagram DM (if possible). This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram or Facebook.
The contest begins on March 6, 2023 and ends on March 16, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. For the complete list of rules, visit our contest policy page.
It’s a peaceful evening at Suttle Lake Lodge with its breathtaking natural views and rustic atmosphere. The lake is glassy, the surrounding forest is vibrant and the aroma of delicious food drifts down to the boathouse. The Royal Coachmen, a pop-up culinary and fly-fishing experience was setting up for an evening of community, nature and nourishment.
Founded in 2022 by Doug Adams and James Park, The Royal Coachmen is a dining series that celebrates good food, community and nature by bringing premier culinary artistry to the banks of beautiful streams, rivers and lakes. Park said, “At its essence, The Royal Coachmen is about bringing people together—chefs, brewers, guides, local fishing experts, winemakers and guests, and creating a one-of-a-kind experience.” There is no better duo to lead these evenings than Adams and Park.
Eric Bartle, of The Wilderness Hunters. Photo by Kevin Prieto
Adams, a renowned Portland-based chef with decades of experience in the restaurant industry, is the brain behind The Royal Coachman’s mouthwatering menus. His resume includes stints at some of Portland’s most loved eateries, Pok Pok, Ox, and Paley’s Place, to name a few. Many may also recognize him from his 2015 appearance as a Bravo network’s“Top Chef” finalist. In 2016 he opened his first restaurant, Bullard, which specialized in Tex-Mex-inspired cuisine. His Texan roots shine through in many of his culinary works, with his beloved fried chicken earning him a nomination for a 2016 James Beard Award Rising Star. He has achieved many of the goals most chefs set out to accomplish, but along the way, he found that balance can be hard to obtain. He says that his years spent in high-profile, fast-paced kitchens were some of the best of his life but that it also meant he was working fifteen-hour days six to seven days a week. The Royal Coachmen was a chance to slow down and reconnect with his love for the outdoors.
Park, an expert fly fisherman and owner of the Red Truck Fly Fishing Company in Sacramento, was a crucial inspiration for Adams to spend more time in nature. The pair first crossed paths several years ago at a street fair in Portland. They connected instantly over a love of fishing, and Park promised to take an overworked Adams, who hadn’t been able to get out on the water in years, on a fishing trip. From there, the friendship only grew, and soon the idea of combining their two great passions came to fruition.
It was early 2022 when the pair first discussed The Royal Coachmen, and within just a few months, they had hosted events in Seattle and Portland. Adams prepares the food while Park gives fly-fishing demos, offering insight into casting technique and tying skills. Each dinner has its unique and memorable flair. “We’ve served sandwiches in fly shop parking lots, we’ve done seven-course dinners on a dock right on the water and popped up at some of Portland’s best restaurants,” Adams said. Their only rule is that the food must be meaningful and delicious.
Attendees learn to fish with James Park at The Royal Coachmen events. Photo by Kevin Prieto
They achieve this through the food’s expert preparation and deep connection with Oregon’s landscape. Guests will enjoy wines and produce sourced from the Willamette Valley and seafood fresh from the Oregon Coast. Adams said, “When I cook and enjoy these things, it brings me a deep sense of connection to where I live and the people that bring it to life.”
In preparing the Suttle Lake Lodge pop-up menu, Adams sourced inspiration from childhood memories of stopping at roadside steakhouses with his dad post-fishing. He brought along guest chef Peter Cho, owner of the award-winning Han Oak restaurant, and together they delivered a delicious Old West Steakhouse meal.
The evening began with refreshing and light starters. The Bay Shrimp Cocktail, complete with freshly made cocktail sauce, iceberg lettuce, and lemon, was served alongside a flavorful and bright Heirloom Tomato and Blue Cheese salad dressed in a zesty lemon herb vinaigrette. The creamy, pungent blue cheese paired with the sweetness of the heirloom tomatoes made for a balanced and delicious flavor profile, topped with summer beans, basil and hazelnuts for a little crunchy texture.
A diverse relish tray provided various fermented vegetables, and an array of tastes from plum vinegar pickles to smoked Jimmy Nardello peppers, and sweet baby corn to daikon kimchi, a traditional Korean condiment made from fermented radish. No relish tray is complete without the sauces, and Adams didn’t disappoint. There was a sweet, spicy, candied jalapeño caper relish and a thick and delicious horsey cream sauce. Warm dinner rolls provided a soft buttery vehicle for all.
The chefs prepared most main courses with the signature Royal Coachman style of open-flame cooking. The smoked prime rib acted as the hearty anchor of the meal, which paired well with the rich and slightly tangy creamed braising greens. Finally, the charred scallion mashed potatoes were soft and buttery while maintaining great flavor.
Grilled salmon, with candied jalapeño and caper relish, served with homemade salt and vinegar chips.
For dessert was Adam’s take on a sweet and refreshing strawberry shortcake. The tart balsamic strawberries, velvety EVOO whip cream, and flavorful basil made for a mouthwatering end to the evening.
For a taste of The Royal Coachmen, you’re in luck, as the duo plans to continue hosting beautiful dinners in memorable places with a clear mission: “Connection is what we are after.” Adams said. “That’s the heart of Royal Coachmen. Connecting people to people, people to nature, connecting me with fish.”
We do it 20,000 times a day. Breathe in, breathe out. But what if the goal is to run faster, sing better, lower stress, overcome addiction, or manage pain and anxiety? Success might come from two locals, one a physical therapist and the other a breathwork coach, who believe magic happens when we marshal the power of breath for wellbeing.
From James Nestor’s best-selling book, Breath: the New Science of a Lost Art, to pop-up reminders on personal fitness trackers, breathwork is part of mindfulness practices such as yoga and meditation that are now accepted into mainstream health and wellness programs. Conscious breathing got a big bump in popularity during the pandemic for managing stress, but it is rooted in thousands of years of practice that survived from early religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism along with Indigenous cultures worldwide, including Native American tribes who believed that certain breathing techniques would promote vitality and longevity.
Breathing 101
“Breathing is part of the solution to everything,” said Andy Sabatier who opened Bend’s Academy West: Breathing & Performance in 2019. After earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at New York University, he spent years caring for patients in intensive care units, first at Stanford Hospital and more recently at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. He saw the debilitating effects of dysfunctional breathing using the mouth, neck and shoulders and fast shallow breathing. “If you can’t breathe functionally, you can’t thrive,” he said. “My mission is to educate anyone who is curious, motivated or suffering.” In his practice, that means surgical patients, people with injuries, athletes of all ages, musicians, parents and other health care professionals will learn about the science of breathing; how even small adjustments in the way we inhale and exhale can produce positive changes in our biological, psychological, social and spiritual realms.
He offers a class he calls “Breathing 101” to take individuals deep into the mechanics of breathing and break down the differences between functional (helpful) breathing and dysfunctional (harmful) breathing patterns. “We show folks how to use their breathing system more effectively by tweaking what they’re already doing—breathing,” he said.
“Andy was a godsend,” said Mike Wilkins, a Bend building contractor who fell off his dirt bike last March and landed in a boulder field, breaking ribs, perforating a lung, lacerating kidneys and rupturing his spleen.
After eight days in the hospital, his surgeon, Jennifer Watters, M.D., referred him to Sabatier who introduced him to breathing techniques and ways of incorporating those into exercise. “I made a fairly remarkable recovery,” he said, noting that he was able to ride his mountain bike three months after the crash. “I am doing remarkably well and have no lingering issues.” Sabatier presented Wilkins’ case at the American College of Surgeons Oregon chapter meeting last June in Sunriver. Academy West offers weekly classes as well as individual evaluations and physical therapy at a new studio on Bend’s west side.
Breathwork Experience
Jon Paul Crimi offers Central Oregonians an entirely different experience, one born from his own struggles with addiction and alopecia. At age 23, Crimi was working as a personal trainer and trying to make it as a method actor in Los Angeles when his hair—from eyebrows to toes—abandoned him. Nothing took away his anxiety and depression until a twelve-step program helped him conquer addiction, and he discovered breathwork—an umbrella term encompassing a range of breathing techniques for physical, mental and spiritual health.
Now twenty-two years sober and a coach to the stars (Owen Wilson and Matthew Perry among them), he holds live “Breathwork with Gong Sound Healing” classes at the Riverhouse Convention Center, which often max out at 250-to-300 participants.
At a recent class, people carried yoga mats and blankets into the convention hall and spread them on the floor. Franchot Tone sang and played guitar until the lights went out and Crimi began. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” he said, as he explained what participants could expect over the next hour. He exhorted them to have an open mind. “It’s an experience that will change your life.”
He instructed people to lie on their backs, eyes closed, hands over belly and chest, and to begin breathing through the mouth in a technique he calls circular breathing—two big breaths in and one quick exhale—for twenty-seven minutes. He motivated participants to stay the course, let the emotions flow, and gave them permission to cry if they needed to. The class climaxed with a wavelike rumbling of gongs and ended with a primal, purging yell from participants. “I want to give people a huge emotional release,” he said. “I want people to walk out in gratitude after anchoring moments in their hearts,” he said of the technique he uses to finish the class. “I don’t just want to do a class, but I want to be moved myself.”
When asked about his open-mouth breathing technique that breaks with current thinking about functional breath, Crimi acknowledged that ninety-nine percent of breath should be through the nose but added that “a little bit of mouth breathing to shift an entire life is worth it.”
When he began breathwork, he offered individual coaching but now says his mission is to spread the technique to as many people on the planet as possible by teaching others to facilitate breathwork classes. He’s been featured in the HuffPost, has been a guest on national talk shows and podcasts, and has coached Olympic athletes, plus Emmy and Grammy winners.
Sabatier and Crimi are both disciples of the power of breath to transform the course of one’s life—as it has for both of them, in different ways. Of the thousands of breaths we take each day, deliberate, controlled inhales and exhales may help a person succeed at a goal most haven’t given much breath to.
PRIZE PACKAGE:
