Bend’s Indian eateries will take you on a culinary journey through the subcontinent, from the expansive plains of the North to the sunny tropics of South India. Without leaving Central Oregon, you can try rich curries, hearty flatbreads, fragrant rice dishes and sweet desserts. With a new Indian market in town—the first of its kind in the region—you can even experiment with the rich and varied tastes of India from the comfort of your own kitchen. And contrary to popular belief, Indian food doesn’t have to be spicy. Just ask for the level of heat that suits your palate and dig in.
Papdi Chaat, Anitas Kitchen
Anita’s Kitchen
Located in the parking lot of SE 3rd Street’s Cascade Lodge, Anita’s Kitchen is proof that great things can come in small packages. The food truck opened in July 2021 and quickly gained popularity thanks to a solid menu of rich North Indian homestyle dishes, prepared with love by owner Anita Chopra. Chopra hails from the Punjab region of India—an area known for its rich culinary traditions—and has been passionate about cooking since she was 10 years old. This passion, and her love for feeding others, led Chopra to open the food truck. “It’s the easiest way to connect with customers and give them a taste of my culture,” she said.
The menu at Anita’s features rich North Indian favorites, including dal makhani (black lentils cooked with plenty of butter), palak paneer (spinach and cheese curry) and butter chicken (chicken cooked in a buttery gravy). Chopra also offers a special dish that’s hard to come by outside of India: bhalla papdi chaat. This popular roadside treat—chaat refers to street food snacks in India—features a mélange of spongy lentil fritters and crunchy, cumin-infused crisps doused with slightly sweet plain yogurt and topped with a tangy tamarind sauce. The result is a taste-it-to-believe-it mix of textures and flavors that collectively create an adventure in every bite. See anitaskitchenbend.com.
Masala Dosa, Taj Palace
Taj Palace
If you’ve had Indian food in Bend during the past two decades, the chances are high it came from Taj Palace, the longest-running Indian restaurant in town. Originally located downtown, the local favorite beckoned hungry guests with its sumptuous buffet. In 2022, Taj Palace moved into a larger space on South Highway 97, and the food remains as flavorful as ever.
Most Indian restaurants in the United States—including Taj Palace—serve plenty of North Indian classics such as dal (lentils) and chicken curry. However, Taj Palace also offers South Indian dishes, an homage to owners Nagendramm and Pullareddy “Reddy” Lakireddy’s southern home state of Andhra Pradesh. Must-try South Indian dishes include idlis—fluffy, spongy rice-and-lentil cakes—and masala dosas‚ ultrathin crepes made of lightly fermented rice-and-flour dough and stuffed with a warming—but not too spicy—mashup of fragranced potatoes and onions.
Both idlis and masala dosas are traditionally served with coconut chutney and sambar, a light vegetable and lentil soup. If it’s your first time trying South Indian food, order the Taj Combo and get one masala dosa and two idlis. To sample a little bit of everything, make a beeline to the buffet, which features a changing selection of vegetarian and meat-based curries plus pakoras, rice, naan and sweet treats. See tajpalacebend.us.
Biriyani, Real Taste of India
Real Taste of India
Meet the city’s newest Indian restaurant: Real Taste of India. This gem is tucked into what may seem to be an unlikely location within the Shilo Inn on Bend’s north side. Owners Raja Ram Pundir and Sam Saurabh are cousins from the North Indian state of Haryana who bring years of experience with them, having operated Real Taste of India branches in Roseburg, Medford and Klamath Falls before moving to Bend. Since opening their restaurant in January 2024, they’ve gained a steady customer base, in part because of their massive menu. It features a variety of dishes ranging from shrimp vindaloo to nine types of biriyani, an aromatic rice dish cooked with meat, vegetable or both. However, the hospitality of the owners shines through.
“My father taught us that we’re running this restaurant as a family, so it’s important to treat our customers as family,” said Saurabh.
Real Taste of India isn’t just a restaurant, either. In November 2024, the pair opened Central Oregon’s first Indian market. Although it occupies one corner of the restaurant, the shop stocks a serious collection of Indian goodies, including hard-to-find spice mixes. They have plenty of Indian treats, too, including Parle-G cookies, perfect for dunking in tea, and namkeen, a collective term for savory, crunchy snacks made from dried beans, lentils or peas, and flour. Don’t see what you’re after? There’s plenty more inventory in the back, and Saurabh makes weekly trips to Seattle for stock, so just ask. See realtasteofindiabend.com.
Chaat, Anita’s Kitchen in Bend
On the Side
Add an extra zing to your meal with these tasty additions
Samosa
A quintessential on-the-go snack, and a popular appetizer at Indian restaurants around the world, samosas are triangular savory pastries that are usually stuffed with a mix of peas and potatoes and then deep fried to crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside perfection.
Pakora
If you’re a fan of French fries or onion rings, you’re sure to love pakoras, crisp deep-fried fritters breaded with chickpea flour. Spinach, cauliflower and onion pakoras are all popular options—they’re best enjoyed with a piping-hot cup of milky masala chai.
Lassi
India’s answer to the milkshake, a lassi is a rich, yogurt-based drink that makes a great accompaniment to spicy dishes—the cooling effect of the yogurt balances out fiery flavors. Try a mango lassi, flavored with India’s national fruit.
Nonprofits are the winners of Bend’s fundraising game card
Every Sunday morning, there’s a line of people at Silver Moon Brewing’s side door, waiting to indulge in a breakfast cocktail and throw money at a good cause.
This is Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo—six rounds of fun and fundraising games with host Dusty Riley and her partner, Stacia Guzzo, cofounders of YOUNI Movement, a company dedicated to promoting inclusivity and awareness at community events. The duo provides event planning, production and execution. As emcee, Riley brings high energy vibes and a pay-it-forward spirit to each gathering.
Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo started about nine years ago, when Riley was general manager of Silver Moon Brewing and planned the brewpub’s events. “It was a natural arm for Silver Moon to be a hub for the community and to support local nonprofits,” she said.
In 2016, the bingo games raised money for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue foundation each Sunday. The bingo program continued to grow from there, and in 2024, almost 30 nonprofits benefited from the events at Silver Moon Brewing. Riley estimates that more than $2 million has been raised for organizations throughout the region.
Working closely with the featured nonprofit in the weeks leading up to an event, Guzzo and Riley design a program to meet the organization’s goals, from raising money or identifying new donors and volunteers to increasing awareness of a nonprofit’s mission.
“It’s very intentional. You may show up and think, ‘This is crazy chaos!’ But it’s carefully crafted. It might seem like this spontaneously crazy event, but ultimately we’re working for that communal uplift,” Guzzo said. “People in the audience aren’t even aware that we have goals in mind.”
In Oregon, bingo games are governed by the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ). Nonprofits must apply for a bingo license, and there are restrictions and legal hoops to jump through. Each October, YOUNI Movement opens up its schedule for the coming year to connect with nonprofits. Those interested in participating must meet all Oregon DOJ requirements, and representatives are asked to attend a Q&A. Upcoming beneficiaries include Healing Reins, Saving Grace, Mount Bachelor Ski Patrol and Bend Park and Recreation District. The schedule is full throughout the spring.
Deschutes Children’s Foundation Executive Director Cassi MacQueen is a longtime partner with YOUNI Movement, and the Foundation has fundraised through Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo many times over the years.
“The participatory, high-energy bingo events they run are some of the most fun and effortless fundraising opportunities we’ve ever enjoyed,” MacQueen said. “Being able to invite our supporters for a boisterous event that celebrates community and inclusion while furthering our mission? Yes, please!”
Noting that there is a trifecta that brings these events together, Riley explained how she and Guzzo, Silver Moon Brewing and the nonprofit all share in each other’s goals. “One of them,” Guzzo added, “is that we can inform and introduce the community to even more of the amazing things that are happening in Central Oregon.”
Winter fishing in Central Oregon falls into the Big Risk, Big Reward category. The rewards, which outweigh the risks of cold temperatures and slick footing, center on a Zenlike tranquility of beautiful snow-lined rivers while testing one’s fishing skills against the genetically wired instincts of a fish in the middle of winter.
Trout, like other fish, remain active in winter; however, cold water temperatures slow their metabolism. They still prey on the larval stages of aquatic insects, scuds (small shrimplike crustaceans) and smaller fish. Understanding the river’s biology and a trout’s seasonal dietary preferences are important additions to any angler’s winter tackle box.
Salmonids 101
Not all trout are “trout,” but rather are representative of the salmon family. Rainbow, brown and redband trout, as well as steelhead, are “true trout.” Steelhead differ in that they are a “sea run” form of either rainbow or redband trout, meaning these fish migrate from freshwater to the Pacific Ocean where they live for several years before returning to their birthplace or natal stream to spawn. Kokanee, common in Central Oregon, are a non-anadromous form of sockeye salmon, meaning they do not migrate to the ocean. Brook, lake and bull trout may bear a trout name but they are char, a group of fish defined by a lack of teeth in their upper palate, and they bear various light-colored spots on their dark backs. Another salmonid, the mountain whitefish, is also found throughout Central Oregon.
Winter Fly Fishing Locales
The Metolius River is a spring-fed river with its headwaters in the shadow of Black Butte near Camp Sherman where bull, rainbow and brown trout are found. The river runs north, clear and cold, gliding past the Green Ridge escarpment before reaching Lake Billy Chinook. Spectacular scenery is a bonus to this world-class fishery. Local angler Kacey Davey, a public information officer for the Oregon Department of Transportation, became hooked on fishing for bull trout, known as the “grizzly bear of the fish world,” along the Metolius in winter. She uses big streamers—artificial flies she creates with feathers that imitate small fish.
Winter Fishing, Fall River
Both the Deschutes and Crooked are two tailwater rivers, meaning river flows are dam-controlled. The 9 miles below Bowman Dam on the Crooked has deep pools and pocket water—smooth water above and below a protruding boulder—to fish even during the low flows. Nymphing, lightly weighted artificial flies that sink and drift along the bottom of the river, is the preferred method for trout and mountain whitefish during the cold months, especially in the absence of insect hatches.
The Deschutes River is the premier rainbow trout fishery in Oregon; the Lower Deschutes Back Country Byway, from Maupin to Mack’s Canyon, is more angler friendly than the upper stretches in winter. Fall River is spring fed, resulting in clear and cold water year-round with many downed logs that provide cover for trout.
An Ice Fishing Option
“Diamond Lake is one of the coolest spots to ice fish because everything is right there at the lodge, and it’s a really fun place to take the kids,” said RA Beattie, a filmmaker with Off the Grid Studios, “You can walk right out of the lodge onto the ice.” Ice fishing requires minimal gear: a warm-water rod and reel with lightweight line, a tackle box, some bait and a chair or bucket to sit on. An ice auger bit attached to a power drill can be used for making holes in the ice. Powerbait works well for rainbows or tiger trout, a unique hybrid species named for its tigerlike stripes and aggressive behavior. These catch-and-release fish were stocked in Diamond Lake to prey on invasive bait fish.
Safety Tips
Before heading out, check myODFW’s Recreation Report and Oregon Trip Check online for seasonal closures, license requirements and road conditions. Stop by one of the many fly fishing shops in the region for information and gear. For those new to winter fishing, Beattie recommends hiring a guide to be safe and to enhance the experience.
“There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing,” added Davey. She bundles up in fleece under her chest waders, plus uses toe and hand warmers. She may slip traction cleats over her boots for better grip on slippery river banks, but boots with studs are kinder to the river bottom. Anglers fishing on ice-bound lakes should wear a life vest, too. With some planning and fortitude, there are plenty of opportunities to fish on a winter day in Central Oregon. See myodfw.com.
Mt. Bachelor rises out of the Central Oregon landscape as both a landmark and a playground. Known for its vast terrain, it’s a favorite for skiers and snowboarders in the Pacific Northwest. The mountain offers something for everyone, from beginner-friendly greens to expert runs off the summit, making it a destination worth exploring, whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth.
“Mt. Bachelor is a stunning dormant volcano with diverse natural terrain and a laid-back atmosphere,” says Gabe Stephens, Marketing Coordinator at Mt. Bachelor. “With 360-degree access to over 4,300 acres, Mt. Bachelor offers a big-mountain skiing and riding experience while maintaining the friendliness and authenticity of a small resort.”
From its breathtaking summit views to the vibrant community that thrives on its slopes, Mt. Bachelor invites adventure, connection and discovery. This guide will help you plan your trip, navigate the mountain, and make the most of your time, whether it’s your first day or your hundredth.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
Preparing for Your Day
Planning ahead is key to enjoying Mt. Bachelor. Ticket lines are long during busy weekends and holidays, so buying them online in advance will save you time and stress. Hardcore skiers and snowboarders often opt for season passes to get up to the mountain as often as possible.
For first-time visitors, Stephens recommends downloading the Mt. Bachelor app. “Through the app, you can access our mountain report, trail maps, lift status information, real-time expected wait times at each lift and the local weather forecast,” he says. “You can also share your location with friends, pinpoint your exact GPS location should you need to contact patrol, and track your stats for a chance to win prizes.”
Renting gear or booking lessons? Reserve online before you arrive to ensure you get what you need without the last-minute rush. The same goes for parking—check the resort’s website for updates on availability and shuttle options, especially on powder days when the lots fill up early. And be sure to always check the weather report – here’s our weekly report during the winter season.
Getting to the Mountain
The drive to Mt. Bachelor along Cascade Lakes Highway is as much a part of the experience as the skiing itself. Thick forests and mountain views make for a scenic journey, butwinter roadsdemand attention. Snow tires or chains are strongly recommended, and it’s always a good idea to leave early to avoid any delays.
For a hassle-free option, consider taking the Mt. Bachelor Shuttle from Bend. It’s a stress-free, environmentally friendly way to get to the mountain while skipping the parking challenge.
Navigating the Mountain
You’ve made it to the mountain. Skis or snowboard in hand, ticket in your pocket—now what? What lift do you ride? Which runs do you hit? All valid questions that have a multitude of answers.
“The variety of terrain makes Mt. Bachelor unique,” Stephens shares. “Whether you’re seeking gently sloped beginner zones, terrain parks, open glades, tree runs, or pristine corduroy, there’s something here for every kind of skier and rider.”
Mt. Bachelor’s layout makes it easy to find runs that match your skill level. Beginners often start at Sunrise Base, where the terrain is mellow and inviting. Intermediate skiers tend to favor Cloudchaser, with its mix of open cruisers and tree runs.
Advanced skiers and snowboarders head to Summit Express, where they can take in 360-degree views before dropping into steep, fast terrain. On a powder day, the Northwest Chair is the go-to spot for tree skiing and untouched snow.
Exploring Beyond the Runs
If you’re looking to mix up your day, Mt. Bachelor offers plenty of alternatives. The Nordic Center has 56 kilometers of groomed trails for classic and skate skiing. For something more adventurous, try dog sledding with Alaskan Huskies or join a ranger-led snowshoe tour to learn about the mountain’s volcanic history.
Staying Fueled
Long days on the slopes call for good food. Stephens suggests heading to Pine Marten Lodge for a meal. “If it’s a busy day, get food from Pine Marten Lodge instead of West Village or Sunrise,” he says. “The mid-mountain views are hard to beat, and crowds are generally smaller.”
But if you’re really in the know, there’s one spot that’s worth a bit of a detour: the Nordic Center serves up burritos, and according to Stephens, “They’re the best-kept secret.”
When the lifts close, the fun doesn’t stop. Just 20 miles away in Bend, the craft beer scene is worth exploring, with spots like 10 Barrel Brewing andLifty’soffering local brews and a laid-back vibe.
RendezVan 2024 | Photo by Jon Tapper
Mt. Bachelor also hosts plenty of fun events throughout the season. The RendezVan Festival celebrates van life with live music and food trucks, while the Big Wave Challenge combines snowboarding with surf-inspired competition.
“The community around Mt. Bachelor is deeply connected to a passion for outdoor recreation and a vibrant local culture,” says Stephens. “This culture of supporting outdoor activities is reflected in the resort’s operations.”
RendezVan 2024 | Photo by Jon Tapper
Final Tips
Mt. Bachelor is massive, and it’s easy to overdo it. Dress for the conditions, carry snacks for lift lines and pace yourself so you can enjoy the whole experience.
Whether you’re carving fresh tracks, exploring the Nordic trails or swapping stories over a beer, Mt. Bachelor offers a mix of adventure and community that keeps people coming back. “The resort is known for incredible spring skiing, with more than 1,500 acres of terrain open through Memorial Day Weekend,” Stephens notes. “While most resorts are winding down, Mt. Bachelor offers consistently excellent snow conditions, a packed event schedule, and a large operating footprint through the end of May.”
Your Voice Matters! This is your space to shape what you see here. We’re diving deep into the things you—and we—are curious about: local secrets, travel gems, restaurant must-tries, and beyond. Tell us what you want to know! We’re all ears. [Photo by Johnny Oliver]
Compassionate Canines has Comforted Central Oregon with Therapy Dogs for Almost 25 Years
When Heather Wingate loads up any of her five border terriers for a therapy dog visit in Central Oregon, she’s never quite sure what the experience will bring. Sometimes it’s walking into a room of children and watching her dog Lily zero in on a child who had a rough morning at home. Sometimes it’s a quiet moment with a hospital patient who has received unwelcome news. Many times it is walking through waiting rooms, classrooms or the airport to bring smiles, pets and pleasantries to all types of people. “There is nothing better than teaming up with a dog and sharing the same joy and love they give me with someone else,” said Wingate, who most often does therapy dog visits with her terriers Ozzy, Lily and Bunny, the three of her five dogs that seem to enjoy the work the most.
Wingate and her dogs are one of more than 80 human-dog therapy teams registered with Compassionate Canines, a volunteer-run organization that brings therapy dog teams into many locations across Central Oregon, including, but not limited to local hospitals and medical offices. Founded in 2001 by Mare Peters, the organization facilitates the certification of therapy dog teams, who then volunteer to make local visits where the dogs can interact with the public. This year will be the organization’s 24th serving the community.
Therapy Dogs 101
Different from service dogs or emotional support animals, therapy dogs are trained and certified to provide therapeutic and psychological benefits to the public by allowing people to pet, cuddle and hold them. Dogs can be any breed and need to be calm, confident and friendly in addition to having basic obedience commands down. Successful teams are made up of dogs and people who have a close relationship and good social skills, according to Jennifer Horsman, volunteer coordinator for Compassionate Canines. Horsman said service dogs should be the type who initiate socialization with other people with tails wagging, a soft face, good eye contact and calm behavior.
Compassionate Canines has therapy dogs who visit various settings throughout Central Oregon, including retirement communities, memory care facilities, a cancer center, elementary, middle and high schools, Redmond Municipal Airport and Central Oregon Community College during finals weeks.
Compassion For All
After years of therapy dog visits, many of the volunteers with Compassionate Canines have observed that the dogs often end up comforting people other than the intended recipients. Wingate has come to expect her intuitive 10-year-old border terrier Lily to sense who needs her attention the most. “Lily is pretty empathetic,” said Wingate, recalling a memorable visit to an ICU waiting room. Lily showed little interest in the waiting room occupants and kept staring at the hospital’s program coordinator across the room, who finally bent down to call over the scruffy terrier. As it turns out, that week had been difficult for the woman, who had spent the past few days cleaning out a garage full of her late husband’s things. “Lily ran right over and put her entire body against her,” Wingate said. “Lily definitely knew she needed her more than the family in the ICU did.”
Wingate said it’s experiences like those that remind her why she’s so passionate about therapy dog work and so inspired by the moments of comfort that dogs can provide to people in need. “There is no better feeling than having that kind of purpose in life—I feel it, and I know that all five of my therapy dogs do, too.”
To learn more about Compassionate Canines of Central Oregon, including information about requesting therapy dog visits for events or programs, or pursuing certification for a new therapy dog team, see compassionate-canines.org.
The term multigenerational can have multiple meanings. The McCann House, one of Bend’s most recognizable homes, underwent a Herculean renovation, resulting in a lasting legacy. The family that saved it from demise were the skilled craftspeople who helped restore it and the Historic District, one of Bend’s oldest neighborhoods.
Preserves a Gem of Bend for Future Generations
The imposing four-level house was built in 1916 for Thomas McCann, the vice president and general manager of the Shevlin-Hixon Company. He arrived in Bend from Minnesota, bringing with him a sophisticated sensibility along with his family. David C. Lewis, a renowned Portland architect, was enlisted to bring his signature Georgian Colonial design to the emerging city. After having eight private owners during the 100 years since the mill sold the house into private ownership, along with a sagging roof and decades of deferred maintenance, the house was in need of a benefactor. “It hadn’t been loved,” said Melissa Barnes Dholakia, who along with her husband Sanjay Dholakia, had previously renovated a historic home when they lived in Oakland, California. “Unfortunately, [maintenance] got away,” she said. Sanjay added, for “any rational person,”taking on the project was a bad idea. But with a penchant for historic preservation that runs in the family, and community-mindedness, the Barnes Dholakias were all in.
Photo courtesy of The Deschutes Historical Society
Generations of Family
Melissa fell in love with Bend decades ago as she headed to Whitman College, stopping along the way to backpack the Three Sisters Wilderness and climb at Smith Rock. “Bend is where I’ve come home to for a long time,” she said. She and Sanjay married at Broken Top 26 years ago. Her parents have lived in Bend for more than three decades, and her mother, writer and former journalist Christine Barnes, served on the Bend Landmarks Commission and penned the book Great Lodges of the National Parks as a nod to preservation and design.
Many of the original trees are still on the property. The view from the front of what is now Congress Street.
On the National Register of Historic Places, the McCann House was a center of attention when it went into foreclosure in 2017. Sited on four city lots, developers had their sights on razing the home and building homes or condominiums. Hearing about the intense interest from developers, Sanjay and Melissa were extra motivated to save the property. They bought the home in April of 2018.
Saving the McCann House
“I’d driven by the property hundreds of times,” said Josh Wilhite, principal of Copperline Homes, and the contractor selected to take on the renovation project. “It’s the jewel of Bend,” he said. “Taking an older house and revitalizing it has always been important for these neighborhoods to keep them fresh and vibrant,” he said.
Along with John Kvapil and Kimberly Stroup of DKA Architecture & Design, P.C.— architects who renovated the Tower Theatre—the team included Ani Cahill of Cahill Design, Chris Ferguson of Part & Process, Parker MacDonald of Landscape Elements, Lisa Rokosh of Brass Tacks Design and Doug White of White’s Fine Woodworking. More than 300 “artists, not just craftspeople” took part in restoring the house, Sanjay added.
It took close to three years to finish the project, which had to balance the standards of historic preservation and period aesthetics with contemporary code and livability.
Rebuilt Step by Step
With four levels and 6,890 square feet, the home was built for another era. Formal rooms were for entertaining, with practicalities—including servants’ quarters—hidden behind doors or on the upper levels of the home. During the renovation, the footprint of the home was preserved as were many of the rooms.
“I love different spaces that hold the different parts of your life, like a formal parlor or dining room,” Melissa said.
Architects Kvapil and Stroup helped open up areas, such as the kitchen, to be more usable for a busy family, which includes daughter Maya, 21, son, Kai, 15 and puppy, Oakley. The kitchen was originally anchored by a wood stove and a three-story chimney that extended from the basement to the third floor, previously an unheated servants’ quarters.
The renovation’s design removed the chimney, extending the kitchen through a new breezeway to the garage, added central heat to the upper floor, and finished the lower level of the home. From the top floor down, details were attended to one by one: A clawfoot tub was removed, refurbished and reinstated with period fixtures including paint color and wallpapers to match the era while reflecting the Barnes Dholakias’ more contemporary style.
Rokosh helped bridge the centuries, nodding to the past in places such as the living room where bold-patterned wallpapers evoke the Chinoiserie popular in the early 1900s. Appointments are from many local artists, such as Sheila Dunn, Lisa and Lori Lubbesmeyer, Shelli Walters and Valerie Winterholler. A centerpiece of the home is a Palladian window at the main staircase landing which is visible when first stepping into the home. A signature feature from architect Lewis, the window was important to preserve as the historic heart of the home. Its weight-and-pulley system and single-paned glass, complete with marbled imperfections, are visible reminders of its age. The motif of Palladian arches continues through interior doorways of the first floor and wallpaper selections throughout the house. Less obvious to an onlooker is the meticulous restoration and replication of pristine, first-growth woodwork throughout the house.
To remain true to historic standards, Wilhite and his team examined boards one by one to replace them with highly specialized wood products consistent with wood products of the original construction and not commonly found in wood mills today, even if the boards were to be painted over. “The level of detail in the restoration was that important,” said Melissa.
Designs from the Past and for the Future
The main footprint of the house remained, as did the geometric Chippendale pattern found on the portico, with an 18th-century design that proved to be a challenge to meet both preservation and current safety code. The Barnes Dholakias and Landmarks Commission worked through a careful process to deem the Chippendale pattern significant enough to the project that it remains and is echoed in design in other areas of the home, such as its garden fence.
Sanjay, Melissa, Kai, Maya, Oakley & the late Jesse.
A breezeway was added to seamlessly link the main house with a garage for cars and sports equipment, and also an activity bay for the 1948 Ford tractor Melissa bought at auction from her family’s legacy farm in Missouri.
For the Barnes Dholakia family, history is important but so is the ability to play sports on the front lawn, walk a few blocks to downtown Bend and to be part of a bustling family neighborhood. The renovation of the McCann House has created a legacy for the community.
“Many families have grown up here,” said Melissa. “Everyone has a story about the house. It was an opportunity to keep a piece of history for Bend and bring it back to life. We feel fortunate to be the current stewards.”
Glide down a snowy mountain glistening as brightly as the stars above. Slip into dimly lit enclaves bubbling with banter. Sip smoky-spicey cocktails and nibble eclectic tapas. Seize country-hip-hop-swing moves that connect you to everyone on the dance floor. Even when the sun goes down early, there’s plenty to satisfy everyone late into the night.
Nighttime Is the New Nosh Time
Feel the warmth of Mayan and Mediterranean flavors whisk you away on a frosty January night.
San Simón
[Pictured Above] Alleys take you off the beaten path. After dark, there’s an air of intrigue. What better way to embrace the night? In Tin Pan Alley downtown, feel like a film noir character as you slip into one of the cozy wooden booths outside San Simón, with the chiaroscuro of lights strung above and the flicker of firepit tables. Slyly sip a concoction of freshly squeezed juice, spirit-lifting spirits and liqueurs made by mixologists intent on transporting you to another country in a glass. Nibble charcuterie, cheeses and briny bites of sardine and mussel conservas from Spain.
Linger here or step inside as you let loose your inner Bohemian amid the candlelit brick walls. Should some of your wishes for the evening not yet be fulfilled, consider invoking a favor from the bar’s eponymous Mayan folk deity who smokes, drinks and answers prayers that would make saints blush.
Bar Rio Cocktail
Bar Rio
Imagine burning cacti—warm and prickly—in an image Frida Kahlo might’ve painted. Then sip one: Bar Rio’s burning cacti cocktail is golden brown reposado tequila, peppery, roasted-chile Ancho Reyes liqueur, prickly pear, dark chili-rich simple syrup, lime and a rim encrusted with Tajín (ground dried chili peppers, dehydrated lime and sea salt). Revel in the lovely heat on a winter night.
Order Cuban pork sliders with prosciutto, pickles, spicy mustard, Jack cheese and Calabrian chili oil on a local Curmuffins hoagie, or get comfy with a small plate of lamb merguez sausage and orecchiette pasta, zucchini, basil, tomato, light gorgonzola cream and hazelnut-chorizo crumb. Head to Bar Rio.
Inside Bar RBC Downtown Bend
Bar RBC
Make your way down the long, narrow bar or up the stairs to an intimate, loftlike space that’s perfect for sharing nighttime secrets. Time for a French Kiss—here, it’s a brandy-soaked prune shamelessly stuffed with foie gras—the start of a smooth, oaky-sweet, buttery party on your palate. Pair it with gintonic (as it’s known in Spain), and the housemade tonic’s serious bubbles will make you feel effervescent, too.
Then bring on the ocean. Bite into grilled octopus with the mild heat of piperade and a cilantro-jalapeño-mayonnaise-Parmesan aji verde. Dip salt cod fritters into aioli, and order that second libation.
Going out at night to dance is more than a mere pastime. “On a biological level, dance is something that connects us in a very human way,” according to Alex Reininger, a marine biologist and a dance teacher at Cross-Eyed Cricket Watering Hole where the focus is on fun and line dancing. Lessons out on the floor make line dancing easy for first-timers, whether it’s kicking it to ’90s classic country, hip-hop country or swing. All ages are welcome, no need to bring a partner, and kids’ lessons in the early evening get parents out there, too. Dancing is not only fun and noncompetitive, it’s health-boosting, said Reininger. “If we can find these fun outlets for movement, such as line dancing, you can let loose. You can be a little silly. And when we dance, we’re kind of connected in a nonverbal way. It’s very physical…similar to fish in the school. Dance is a way that we can communicate and express and tap into our creativity and connection as a species.” Dancing also taps into deep cultural roots, she added.
Line Dancing, Cross Eyed Cricket in Bend
The vibe goes south—longitudinally speaking—at a few venues in Bend. At the vaguely equatorial lands of The Flamingo Room, the dance vibes heat up on the last Sunday of every month. Escape to a tropical foliage-packed packed hideaway with creative cocktails, where you can dance an early winter’s night away from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Miraculously, you’ll be in bed before the clock strikes nueve.
Nothing lets you feel the heat of Latin culture quite like the tango. Take a lesson and practice your moves Wednesday nights at the (not-so-Latin sounding) Sons of Norway Hall. The weekly sessions called Tango in Bend have gained popularity over the past decade, with teachers Tyler Haas and Emma James. Although the couple is taking a break from the endeavor, the sessions aren’t skipping a beat in 2025 with students trained to step into their role, Haas said.
On the first Thursday of every month, venture underground to The Capitol for Latin dancing that starts at 8 p.m. and goes late. Discover DJs playing a range of Latin genres or live music by BENDiciones Salsa Orchestra. It pays to heed the Flamingo’s call on social media: “What the world needs now is dance, and love, and dance.” Whether you think of yourself as a dancer or not, they encourage people to join in creating good energy—and that’s good for you, too.
Kindled Spirits
Embers swirl, scarlet flames leap and your cheeks glow beside the iron firepits. Raising a glass of rich amber single malt, you take in the toffee-almond buttered popcorn aroma. The powerful warmth and caramel finish envelop you—body, mind and soul. You’re among like-minded members of the Whiskey Club on the spacious patio wrapping around the intimate O’Kane’s at McMenamins Old St. Francis School, the 1936 Catholic school turned brewery. Peruse the members’ Whiskeys in the Shed menu for a rare special release, hard-to-find whiskey or a limited-edition McMenamins library spirit. A quarterly release of small-batch spirits rounds out members-only shenanigans, along with Whiskey Rambles: tastings and small bites with the distillers on tours of the production spaces.
O’Kane’s Fire Pits, McMenamins Downtown Bend
The patio with strings of lights and foliaged arbors attracts dozens imbibing McMenamins creations such as Bamberg Obsession, a 2023 International Beer Awards gold-medal winner. Their Munich Helles lager’s beechwood smoked malt suits the atmosphere perfectly amid the smoldering wood, the bar’s massive, kettle-like Round Oak stove from 1896 and the aroma of cigars, also a throwback (to 2007 when O’Kane’s was grandfathered in before the state ban on smoking in bars).
Firepit studded pubs, such as Crux Fermentation Project and Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5, have popped up since O’Kanes, the OG which opened 20 years ago. Back then, old-school bartender recruits said no one would want to sit outside at night and drink when it’s cold. But they were dead wrong, and it set a trend, said O’Kanes General Manager Freestar Yost.
Hoodoo Nights: Onesies, Thriftys and Tikis
Stars up, skis out. Long known for its nighttime slope action, Hoodoo Ski Resort has more reasons to head up the mountain in Sisters after the sun has slipped below the horizon: family-and-wallet-friendly fun and a romantic option, too. This year brings the new Onesie Wednesdays—don a vintage ’80s ski suit or zip your plush unicorn, hedgehog or Minion pajama over functional gear to ski or ride 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for $30. The tradition of Thrifty Thursdays continues: wear anything for the first chair through the last at 9 p.m. for $35.
Even in the dark, you can soak up Hoodoo’s locally owned and operated, noncorporate, family-first culture. “We’re not the biggest mountain, we don’t have the most terrain, but what we do have is a ton of heart,” said Jennifer Davis, marketing director at Hoodoo. “We don’t have a lot of rules. We get to be unique individuals, and when you come to Hoodoo, you feel that and…fall in love with us.”
Night skiing Wednesday through Saturday includes Friday Night Lights with live music, bonfires and giveaways. For the first time, the annual Enchanted Nordic Trek will be held on Valentine’s Day this year, with Nordic skiing or snowshoeing on a loop lined with tiki torches. Nibble chocolate-covered strawberries and hit the downhill trails afterward.
Nestled in the bluffs at the Old Mill District is The Eight by Arrowood Development. This collection of eight distinctive townhomes invites clients to live in a design-forward home that celebrates Bend’s future as well as its heritage.
Set near the Deschutes River and the urban energy of Bend’s “second downtown,” The Eight at the Old Mill is a model for contemporary living and an innovative way of designing for urban density, connection and client lifestyle. A quiet U-shaped street creates a micro-community for owners that is both welcoming and energizing. With four 2024 Central Oregon Builder Association Tour of Home awards, including ones for Best of Show, Architecture, Design Feature and Interior Finish, The Eight delivers customizable urban spaces created to adapt to each client’s desires and lifestyle.
Q&A with Femke van Velzen
Femke van Velzen, brand and design director for Arrowood Development
How do projects such as The Eight fill a need to both fit into an environment and also stand out?
We appreciate that the Old Mill District has done such a good job of preserving its vision for this area of Bend. Our goal as developers is to fill a place within that vision while upholding its high standards, which benefits the greater community as well as end users.
Through the site design and the creation of The Eight, we are providing a luxury townhome product that fits the environment and offers clients a unique, elevated living experience. What makes this neighborhood even more special is its overnight rental zoning. Whether clients choose to rent the entire space or just the first-floor lockout ADU, it’s a very attractive investment opportunity in one of Bend’s most sought-after markets.
How did you use elevated design to set The Eight apart?
We like the challenge that pushes the boundaries of how to use materials in exciting ways, but keeps it accessible for people with different tastes and styles. The color palettes in The Eight layer neutrals and textures with a mix of hard and soft materials that create an ideal backdrop for a wide range of furnishing styles. Taupe, warm white and beige tones are combined with “colors of the moment” that deliver an imaginative, memorable visual impact.
We are mindful that, first and foremost, these are spaces where people will live. Our goal is to offer a mix of materials that is really user-friendly and easy to maintain, while creating visual landing spots that evoke an emotion when you step inside.
Tell us more about visual landing spots.
Good design should offer opportunities that spark a conversation. The Eight delivers those moments with features such as handmade Brazilian light fixtures in the main spaces as well as bursts of color and texture delivered through paint and wallpaper. We reimagined how to utilize glass panes, leveraging frosted glass to obscure laundry areas, provide privacy in exterior spaces and skirt interior staircases. We also viewed the exterior as an extension of each home’s floorplan and created four decks that offer year-round covered dining and a place to enjoy the Old Mill’s vibrant environment.
How do site design and selection of materials create a custom space within the environment?
The building envelope offered plenty of space to create eight townhomes laid out in a way that creates its own welcoming destination neighborhood with a distinct look and feel. That atmosphere is supported with ample landscaping for privacy and beauty along with natural stone, wood and iron elements that recall this area’s important place in Bend’s history.
The Eight is intentionally close to the Old Mill District, but residents can choose what they want to let in, mentally. We embraced this mindset by designing indoor-outdoor spaces to maximize their views and experiences. Incorporating multiple decks offers space to relax with the sounds of a concert right outside your door, while large-format windows let in abundant natural light and provide beautiful views indoors as well. Inside and out, our goal was to create a special place that embraces urban living, celebrates the stunning natural surroundings and answers our clients’ desire to realize the ultimate carefree lifestyle.
Arrowood Development 250 NW Franklin Ave. #403, Bend arrowooddev.com
The first homes at Black Butte Ranch have good bones — think midcentury elements such as exposed roof beams and cedar ceilings, but many need updating, and the spaces are tight by today’s standards. A desire for more space led the couple who owned a 1971 cabin, a vacation refuge for their family of four since 2015, on a significant renovation in 2021 to maintain a rustic cabin feel.
“They also wanted to bring it up to date, making it more functional and stylish, while still unique to them,” said architect Brandon Olin who took the house on the Big Meadow Golf Course down to the studs, expanding the footprint to add a primary bedroom, which allowed them to enlarge the living and kitchen areas.
One of Black Butte Ranch’s original homes gets a colorful and personality-filled renovation
The home was refinished inside and out. Olin suggested creating a detached garage and turning the existing garage into more living space. He added on to the front of the house to make the primary bedroom suite. He removed the loft in the main living area to create a great room that isn’t much bigger than the original footprint but feels larger due to a 16-foot-high vaulted ceiling and transom windows showcasing views of trees, the golf course and Black Butte beyond.
The homeowners entrusted designer Allison Clouser of Clouz Houz with interiors from concept to completion. Inspired by the color palette found in Black Butte and Sisters, from chartreuse yellows to deep greens, she worked closely with them to select everything from finishes to artwork and create interiors infused with warmth and personality.
Practical Yet Polished
It’s hard to believe the home’s kitchen was once a tiny galley kitchen with low ceilings. An extension of the main living room, the kitchen has painted cabinets and a large island clad with reclaimed planks in a dark stain and topped with durable quartz. The comfortable Denver Modern bar stools are the family’s preferred place to sit and dine when not entertaining. The green Bedrosians tile catches the light behind the range, which is surrounded by a butcher block countertop, bringing in warmth and rustic vibes. A small but mighty pantry conceals food and small appliances.
The living room furniture is comfortable and functional, a necessity with kids and family members coming in and out of the home. Clouser chose a performance-grade fabric for the sofa and covered the Kravet chairs in durable Pendleton wool. “It doesn’t feel too precious,” said Clouser.
When standing in the room, the eye can’t help but go to the blackened steel fireplace with a built-in shelf for stacking firewood and to the “candelier” above the dining table, a cascading light fixture designed by GLGR (Gallagher) out of Portland and made from beer cans the homeowners collected.
“They love pops of unexpected and whimsy, and they don’t want anything too serious, too stuffy,” said Clouser.
Grown-up Spaces
Olin kept the ceilings high even in the powder bath, which feels elevated yet cabinlike with a classic marble hex pattern floor and western-themed wallpaper by designer Max Humphrey. The primary suite has oak floors by Duchateau, a cedar ceiling to match the original ceilings in the home, black and white photography by Bend photographer Zack Fagin and a sliding glass door opening onto a hot tub and wrap-around patio.
Pops of color can be found throughout, such as the retro orange table lamps from Etsy in the guest bedroom. Beyond a sleek and stylish mud room, in what used to be the garage, lies a bunk room with an elegant built-in bunk bed.
A collaboration among the owners, Clouser and Olin ensured that adults are as comfortable sleeping in the bunkroom as children. It has four queen beds, sconces for reading and outlets for charging devices. Built-in cubbies offer a convenient place for guests to stash clothes and other items. The only room in the house that is carpeted, the bunk room can be a cozy kid area, a family suite or another guest bedroom. Comfortable cubes by BOBO Intriguing Objects add flair.
“We thought through every room. I’m proud that it lives really well,” said Clouser. It may not be the largest home in Black Butte Ranch, but every inch of the modern cabin in the woods is thought out and utilized.
Recreation in Bend might stereotypically look like snowboarders hurling through the air or mountain bikers screaming downhill, but there’s an enthusiastic subset of locals who like to crowd around tabletop board games to laugh, drink, strategize and relax.
These are the gamers. Some love Dungeons and Dragons, Sorry! or Code Names, while others are drawn to Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer or Gin Rummy. These days, gamers of any kind can meet up outside the confines of someone’s living room and stake out a table at dedicated hubs such as Modern Games, a game shop in Bend, and Pangaea Guild Hall, a bar and restaurant in Redmond.
“It seems that the event space and cafe model has been trending in game shops in the post-pandemic era,” said John Stacy, executive director of the Game Manufacturers Association, a national nonprofit trade organization dedicated to advocating for the hobby games industry. “People want to hang out together, and it’s been a useful way for owners to diversify revenue streams.”
Modern Games in Bend
The isolation and dynamics of the pandemic inspired avid gamers Peter Askew and his wife Lindsay to buy Modern Games in The Box Factory between downtown Bend and the Old Mill District in 2022. Peter wanted to realign his life around his values and passions. He quit his management position at a commercial bakery to build this gathering spot for people who wanted a “third space,” a place to relax and hang out outside of work and home.
“There’s something magical about sitting around a table with people to play a game,” said Peter. “It unlocks a special social dynamic. People come to the table without phones in hand and enjoy a connective moment.”
Peter Askew, Owner of Modern Games, Bend, Oregon
That magic could be why the gaming industry is exceeding pre-pandemic growth. “The scope of the $12.4 billion industry is forecast to grow to $20 billion in the next 10 years,” said Stacy. This is a growth industry.”
Peter saw his business grow around 25% in 2024 as he positioned his store as a modern rendition of the traditional game shop. Not only does Modern Games have snacks and beer for sale, the newly designed space has a completely different vibe.
“I’ve been going into game and card shops for 35 years,” said Peter. “Shops all look the same: dark with wobbly folding tables and chairs and stained carpet. At Modern Games, we have skylights, a bay door and custom-made tables and shelving. It’s a welcoming space for everyone. I have no qualms about bringing my 12-year-old daughter to play with whoever is there.”
Most days of the week, there are themed gatherings at Modern Games, with Sunday morning Magic: The Gathering and Wednesday night Wargaming sessions being the most popular. But people are welcome anytime during opening hours to crack open a game and settle in.
Play and Stay Awhile at Pangaea Guild Hall, Redmond
In downtown Redmond, customers are also encouraged to play and hang out at Pangaea Guild Hall, a bar and cafe dedicated to gaming which opened in May 2024. Though Pangaea doesn’t sell games, it has tables for gaming and private game rooms decorated with different themes, including Dungeons and Dragons, Tarot Fortune Telling and a Zen tea room.
“We named it Pangaea after the supercontinent,” said Christopher Trulsen, co-owner, general manager and Dungeon Master of multiple Dungeons & Dragons games. “It’s a space for everyone of all different backgrounds to come together, whether it be business folks looking to hole up with their laptops, families with kids or senior citizens meeting for happy hour.”
Trulsen and his wife Keri had noticed there was no tabletop gaming spot in Redmond. “There were dive bars that would tolerate gaming, but nothing else. The pandemic taught us that humans need face-to-face interaction. People need a place to play and geek out about games together, so we went for it.”
Trulsen left his career in food manufacturing and food science and partnered with his brother, a bartender and bar manager. Every day they offer a different cocktail special, including Cosplay Saturdays—$1 off a drink for anyone dressed up as their favorite game character. Their events aspire to bring the community together, such as a Murder Mystery dinner party series. So pull up a chair, grab an ale, and play through the winter in good company.
Roughly 71 hours and 58 minutes before most adult hockey pickup games in Bend, a ritual ensues. Phone alarms go off, cars pull to the side of the road, ski days and vacations are interrupted. Wi-Fi connections are checked and meetings are put on hold. Many take a deep breath. Some crack their knuckles as they log in to their Bend Park and Recreation District (BPRD) account. The world, for these die-hard hockey players, comes to a stop. They settle in at their computers or focus on their phone as the clock moves forward. When they’re officially 72 hours from game time, registration opens. Sixty seconds later, it’s over. The rosters are full. The unlucky ones—those unfamiliar with the process or who foolishly logged in a minute too late—rattle off a text to their buddiesthat usually begins with “Damn it!” [First image: Adam Oroslan, Bend Rapids Hockey 12U]
“I feel like I spend the whole winter living 72 hours in advance so that I can get signed up,” said Kirsten Romney, a veteran of Bend’s adult hockey D-League. “I do the sign ups for my wife too, so I have this pressure to not let her down. The exhilaration of getting a spot is unbelievable, but the crush of defeat is pretty rough if I don’t get in.”
This ritual will happen dozens of times through early April as the ice season at The Pavilion comes and goes. Because while Bend has been known as a ski town since the 1960s, it’s an ice sports town now, too.
Nixon
Bend Ice
For more than 100 hours each week, Bend’s only full-size sheet of ice is filled with open public skating sessions, adult and youth hockey leagues and lessons, figure skating programs and curling leagues. Today, there are 375 players in BPRD’s adult hockey league and another 80 were on an initial wait list, hoping to get in. A separate lunch league features 60 players and 100 more on a waitlist.
But even more telling about ice sports in Central Oregon: 350 people are registered for learn-to-play and learn-to-skate programs with 150 more on waitlists.
“More and more people are getting interested in hockey. It’s a growing sport,” said Pavilion Manager Clare Gordon. “Our learn-to-play programs are doing really well and more kids are interested. We’re really trying to guide people through that process if they’re interested in playing—to promote growth through fundamentals.”
Outside BPRD’s programs, the Bend Rapids youth hockey program has nearly 125 participants across multiple age levels, and the Bend Ice Figure Skating Club has about two dozen members.
“Every season for the past five or seven years has filled up,” said Aaron Olson, president of Bend Ice, the organization that includes the Bend Rapids, the Bend Curling Club and Bend Ice Figure Skating Club. “The popularity is definitely there…the big struggle is availability for use. We have one rink to run all this programming on.”
Rusty Merritt, an adult-league hockey player and president of Bend Ice Figure Skating Club says the camaraderie among hockey players is “phenomenal. It’s all walks of life—young and old playing together—which I think is special in its own way,” he said. “I think you have a group of people who are really committed to persevering and participating in whatever level they have here, but would enjoy more opportunities to see programs develop and participate at a higher level.”
Left to right: Connor Farron, Michael Coe and Jason Burge
If You Build It, They Will Skate
It wasn’t always like this. In the ‘50s, BPRD flooded part of Juniper Park and Troy Field downtown for public ice skating. In the ‘70s, small ice rinks were built at Seventh Mountain Resort and The Village in Sunriver. The facilities hosted skating lessons and makeshift youth hockey programs, but it was a far cry from the real thing.
Ice sports options were limited until voters narrowly passed a $29 million park district bond measure in 2012 that called for, among other projects, an NHL-sized sheet of ice at a multipurpose pavilion near the Old Mill District. Construction started two years later, and The Pavilion opened for business in 2015. It’s been a frozen frenzy ever since.
Nixon
No Skates Required
“I feel like we’ve seen the excitement over ice sports grow since The Pavilion opened,” rink Manager Gordon said. Merritt said he’s had conversations with people who have moved to Bend because of the rink. One of the biggest attractions at The Pavilion has nothing to do with skating.
Curling enthusiasts say all you need is an interest in the sport and a desire to have fun. Few people grow up with a curling background, so everyone kind of starts at the same level. “It’s a really accommodating sport and a really welcoming sport,” said Billy Duss, the social media manager for the Bend Curling Club, which has nearly 70 members.
Curling is always a hit during the Olympics, and local interest jumps a bit every four years, Duss and Gordon both said. The game is relatively simple: “Get your stone closer to the center of the target circles—called “the house”—than your opponent,” according to the Bend Curling Club’s Curling 101 Facebook page. The club’s website has a ton of useful videos and information to help people get started and learn the game. There’s beer, funny outfits and plenty of camaraderie during every curling event at The Pavilion.
Bend Curling Club
Duss has taken to the ice and curled in a variety of costumes over the years. He’s dressed as a chicken, curled in shorts and a tank top and competed dressed as one of those old-school concession-stand plastic cups. “It’s a quirky sport,” he said. “You can be as serious about it or as social about it as you want and have a great time. I’ve never met a curler who was a jerk.”
The park district runs leagues and learn-to-curl programs, and the Bend Curling Club runs several more. “That speaks to the growth of the sport and the potential of the sport,” Duss said. “There’s a huge interest in the learn-to-curl programs. It’s just hard for The Pavilion to try and balance it all. There’s so much demand—it’s wild how full it is.”
Ava Schoesler, Bend Ice Figure Skating Club
Figure Skaters Glide for Time
Figure skating in Bend is also growing in interest, and the BPRD lesson programs are as tough to get into as the ever-popular and always-full swim lessons. Most currently have a waitlist. Lily Clark started ice skating at the rink in Sunriver when she was 10 years old. Now, the 17-year-old competes regionally and helps coach younger skaters with the Bend Ice Figure Skating Club. “The club has grown so much since I first joined,” she said. “Our new development academy has really brought in so many kids, which is amazing because it’s growing our town’s next generation of skaters.”
Soleil
Ice, Ice Maybe?
About the only thing missing from Bend’s ice sports repertoire is the opportunity for more ice sports programs. Talk to anyone involved in the hockey, figure skating or curling community and the one thing they hope for is a second full-sized sheet of ice that’s open year-round. “So much of this town is seasonal,” Olson said. “To have an opportunity to have a seasonal sport year round, where kids can develop and be more competitive across the state, region and nation will only benefit the region as a whole.”
There’s long been whispers of the possibility of an indoor rink, but nobody’s holding their breath. A new Central Oregon SportsPlex Alliance (COSPA) has recently mobilized and started community discussions on a regional multisport facility with eyes on the Deschutes County Fairgrounds & Expo Center, which is looking at ideas for its next phase of expansion. It’s a massive project that even its organizers say is years, if not decades, from coming to fruition. It’s still very much in the exploratory phase. “It’s never as quick as any of us wants it to be,” said Derek Berry, a Bend resident and president of the alliance.
His 12-year-old daughter is part of the Bend Rapids hockey program and also plays for the Coeur d’Alene Girls Hockey Club. “We need more ice here in Central Oregon, not only for providing more youth opportunities and growing youth sports, but we need more space to meet the needs of all our ice sports, like learn to skate, curling, adult hockey, figure skating and adaptive ice programming,” he said, adding that his daughter practices at 5:30 a.m. due to limited ice time at the rink. Berry believes our region is “closer than we think we are” to adding at least one indoor facility. But it’s not currently in the plans for BPRD.
“The next 10 years are going to be interesting as ice sports continue to grow,” The Pavilion’s Gordon said. “For us, as a parks district, we have to be cognizant of the overall recreation needs and the overall community needs.” And the community needs change when the weather warms up. Come summer, The Pavilion’s sheet of ice transforms into a sports court for roller hockey, skating, basketball and a child care program that’s critical for parents while school’s out.
Before the Melt
As the final skates hit the ice at the Bend Ice spring figure-skating showcase in April, the community celebrates another season of growth and camaraderie. From fierce competition in pickup hockey to the quirky joy of curling and the elegance of figure skating, The Pavilion has created a thriving hub of ice sports. Although ice time remains limited, dreams of a second rink and expanded facilities are alive, fueled by rising demand and unwavering commitment. For now, Bend’s skaters, curlers and hockey players continue to carve out a unique place in this town’s recreational landscape, proving that Central Oregon’s love for ice is more than a seasonal affair—it’s a way of life.
Whether you’re recharging from a morning hike, grabbing a bite between meetings or settling in for a leisurely midday meal, here’s a list of 8 places to enjoy lunch in Bend, Oregon. From indulgent sandwiches and global bites to comforting classics, there’s no shortage of lunch options in Bend. Enjoy! [Photo above of Fix & Repeat, by Tambi Lane]
Jackson Bleu Salad, Jackson’s Corner | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Jackson’s Corner
A longtime neighborhood favorite, Jackson’s Corner excels at turning local ingredients into deliciously fresh meals. At lunch, find a menu that relies heavily on partnerships with local farms and ranches to create everything from bright, herb-laden salads and rich and creamy tomato soup, to brunch-inspired egg dishes and hearty, satisfying sandwiches. It’s casual enough for a post-mountain pit stop but atmospheric enough to want to linger a little longer. For those on the go, order ahead and enjoy a farm-to-table lunch wherever the day takes you.
Spork definitely isn’t interested in playing it safe. With a menu that pulls from Thai, Mexican, and African influences, its menu tempts you out of your comfort zone with great reward. Dishes like the coconut green curry or smokey pork belly are packed with flavor and spice that embodies the chefs’ expertise and varied cultural inspirations. Lunch at Spork brings a little adventure to your day—one that, thankfully, doesn’t involve those long dinner lines. Learn more about Spork and their incredible menu.
Don’t expect to find your typical pad-thai and potstickers at Wild Rose. This family-owned spot serves up delicious, traditional Northern Thai cuisine, offering bold, balanced flavors that have kept all of Central Oregon consistently returning again and again. Lunch here offers smaller portions perfect for sampling in its cozy downtown dining room. The khao soi curry, a rich coconut curry noodle soup is a must-try, along with the incredibly flavorful curry basil noodle dish. For something lighter, opt for the tom kha soup; its balance of citrus and spice makes for a restorative and nourishing meal. Read more about Wild Rose here.
Tucked into the Box Factory, Valentine’s Deli serves up crave-worthy sandwiches that make for the perfect mid-day meal. The menu is straightforward, dependable, and completely dialed in. Whether you’re craving a loaded Italian hoagie or a lighter veggie-forward sando, Valentine’s delivers. Each sandwich is crafted with locally crafted sourdough bread and layered with fresh ingredients, punchy dressings, and flavorful sauces. When you’re simply in the mood for a great sandwich, head here.
A downtown Bend institution, Pizza Mondo is the definition of no-fuss, quality dining. The slices are huge, the crust is crisp, and the toppings are generously applied. It’s everything you want when running around town doing errands or needing something fast on your lunch break. Also, if you’re feeling indulgent, be sure to grab a comforting garlic knot or a perfectly baked brownie. See a sample of Pizza Mondo’s menu, here.
Active Culture offers health-conscious, plant-forward meals close to downtown Bend. Grain bowls, wraps, and hearty soups dominate the menu, alongside fresh smoothies and acai bowls for the perfect midday energy boost. It’s casual and friendly and features a great outdoor playground, making it ideal for families. For an afternoon treat, grab a scoop of the variety of Bonta Gelato available and be sure to snag a refreshment from the massive refrigerator wall. See a sample of the menu found at Active Culture in Bend.
Sparrow Bakery may be known for its famous Ocean Roll, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The lunch options, like the Croque Monsieur sandwich or rotating seasonal soups, are equally as excellent. The bakery’s emphasis on quality ingredients and artisanal preparation make for a simple but elevated lunch. Whether you’re grabbing something sweet or savory, Sparrow has something delicious to satisfy your craving.
For a lunch that won’t leave you feeling sluggish, head to Fix & Repeat for a menu chock-full of vegan options. The colorful and nutrient-packed dishes are healthy and definitely don’t skimp on taste. Find a variety of smoothie bowls, sandwiches, grain bowls, and juices that will leave you feeling nourished and ready for the rest of your day. It’s a go-to spot for health-conscious diners looking for a fresh, flavorful meal.
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who celebrated with us at Bend Magazine‘s 10th Anniversary Party. Sharing this incredible milestone with you, our amazing community, made the night truly unforgettable. Your support and enthusiasm over the past decade mean the world to us and fuel our passion for telling Bend’s stories. Here’s to many more years of celebrating Bend together!
Click through the slideshow below to see who attended or find your photo from the event:
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We had the most incredible time at our anniversary party, and we’re still buzzing from the magic of the evening! With more than 200 guests joining us throughout the night, the energy was absolutely electric. Donner Flowers outdid themselves with stunning floral arrangements that transformed the space, while Bowtie Catering delighted everyone with their exquisite bites. Our friends at Crafted Life kept the good times flowing with a fantastic bar (including a craft-beer canoe) and Rose City Distillery provided its specialty spirits. Also, guests enjoyed the musical talent of guitarist Conner Bennett. It was a truly unforgettable celebration.
We were incredibly honored to present Trish Smith with our Soul of Central Oregon Award this year. No one is more deserving than Trish, whose remarkable community leadership has profoundly enhanced the quality of life for all Central Oregonians. Along with her late husband, Bill Smith, she has left an indelible mark by expanding opportunities for cultural enrichment and education, and serving as a steward of the community and the Old Mill District. The Soul of Central Oregon Award not only highlights the powerful effect one individual can have on nurturing a community, but also inspires each of us to make our own unique contributions to this special place we call home. Learn more about Trish Smith and the Soul of Central Oregon Award.
The mountains aren’t just a playground; they’re launchpads for world-class athletes. For Bendites, much of that credit goes to our local resort, Mt. Bachelor. It boasts an insanely long season, 360 degrees of challenging terrain, fun transitions that demand (and develop) expert edge control and, of course, the stellar parks and pipes. But the accessible backcountry must not be overlooked, including nearby Tumalo Mountain and deeper into the Deschutes National Forest. Here, eager skiers and snowboarders find steep slopes and narrow couloirs, plus perfect transitions for catching air. [Photo above credit: Asa Silver | Snowboarder: Kai Huggin
Central Oregon’s Hot Shots and the Next Gen of Rippers
What stands out in Central Oregon is how seamlessly the culture of skiing and snowboarding is enmeshed in young athletes’ lives. Lifelong friendships are forged while sliding on snow. The uppermost possibility of a professional career is right in front of them in the professional snowboarders and skiers on the slopes daily—from Olympians, including Alpine racer Tommy Ford and halfpipe snowboarder Ben Ferguson, to big-mountain icon Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and Youth Olympic Nordic standout Neve Gerard—to name only a few.
This season, the next generation of rippers are making a name for themselves, including skier-turned-adventure-videographer Morgan Tien and budding extreme skier Tyndall Wells. The duo are evolving their racing and jibbing skills honed at Mt. Bachelor into bold feats documenting their alpinism adventures. This is exemplified in their successful two-week tour across the mountains of Kazakhstan resulting in the film, “Tien Shan Dream.” Bode Barrett and brothers Sebastian and Dominic Bowler are freeskiers also pushing boundaries, with the Bowler brothers eyeing the 2025 Winter Olympics representing Brazil. Freeskiers Kainoa Pyle and Tatym Smith and snowboarder Marlo MacMillan are local high schoolers who are already making waves on the USASA Futures Tour circuit. Bend’s next generation isn’t just looking to take its turn, it’s here to set a new standard.
Oh, to be a kid growing up on the slopes of Mt. Bachelor, where young skiers and snowboarders evolve into fearless phenoms. While much credit goes to an abundance of gentle, fall-line groomers, these little rippers also benefit from expert instruction. Kids as young as 3 can learn how to make their first turns with Mt. Bachelor Ski & Ride school. Before long, Dilly Dally Alley and its entry-level natural transition and jumps have them hooked, with longer, faster runs waiting just around the corner. The elite training starts as young as 8 years old in Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation’s (MBSEF) racing, Nordic and freeride programs; It’s a launching pad for taking their skiing and snowboarding to new heights and learning the ropes of competitive racing and freestyle comps. Soon enough, these former groms are catching big air, ripping through halfpipe transitions and carving high-speed turns around the gates.
There’s no shortage of talent in Bend’s youth athlete pool. Among the youngest standouts are snowboarders Milo West, Jack Clark, and brothers Hampton and Cannon Coon, along with freeskiers Rowan Smith and Finley Flanagan. They have all competed at the premiere competition event of the season, the USASA Nationals. Keep an eye on these young rippers–they’re only getting started.
Sip Different: Raising a Glass To Zero-Proof Drinks
Central Oregon loves a good shake-up, and what’s in the cocktail glass is no exception. Zero-proof drinks are no longer the wallflowers of the menu. They’re unapologetically bold, with flavor that doesn’t just show up—it owns the room. These drinks aren’t about what’s missing, they’re about what’s possible. Crafted to celebrate connection and creativity, they ensure no one misses out on life’s moments or wakes up Googling “how to cure a hangover in five minutes.”
High Desert Hideaway: The Dez
By day, Palate coffee fuels Bend’s caffeine faithful. But when the clock strikes five, the space transforms into The Dez, a low-lit, zero-proof cocktail lounge that’s part eclectic hangout, part global escape, part your best friend’s living room. Think candles, world beats and cozy corners. The “Dez Den,” a velvet-draped nook, is perfect for intimate gatherings, while Foxtail Bakery desserts and local charcuterie add a bit of indulgence to the experience.
Mocktails at The Dez, Dessert by Foxtail Bakeshop
Owner Corrine Coxey’s vision started years ago as she filled notebooks with recipes, ideas and dreams that reimagined what “going out for a drink” could mean. At The Dez, there’s no FOMO. Every drink and detail is designed for connection, reminding folks that what matters most isn’t what’s missing — it’s what’s shared. The crowd-favorite Blue Guava Kava Colada is a burst of tropical joy. This mocktail is complete with coconut cream and vibrant blue spirulina, while the Lively Lavender serves sophistication in a coupe with Pentire Coastal Spritz, delicate herbs and a citrus twist. Served hot, the Elderberry Elixir is made from wild-foraged elderberries, ginger and other herbs and spices, and a dusting of cinnamon on the rim.
“We aren’t a sober bar,” Coxey said. “We’ve created a space where meaningful connections thrive — that just happens to not serve alcohol.”
Cool Grandma Energy: Gigi’s
Walking into Gigi’s feels like stepping into a grandma’s house — if she were impossibly cool and swapped the candy dish for Ayurvedic elixirs.
“We wanted to design a space where people feel cared for, where every drink has a story and a purpose,” said owner Emma Thompson, an Ayurvedic practitioner and the creative mind behind Gigi’s.
Tucked inside the Pantry in Bend, this weekend bar is cozy and warm, much like its muse, Thompson’s mother-in-law “Gigi,” whose joyful wisdom inspired the space’s name and energy.
At its heart, Gigi’s is a love letter to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical system that balances the body through a deeper understanding of the five elements—earth, fire, water, air and space. Each drink is crafted with these elements in mind, landing somewhere on a spectrum of cooling to heating, grounding to uplifting. The Blushing Babushka, a rosy twist on a White Russian, calms the nerves with vitality-boosting collagen, cardamom, and activated charcoal. With saffron honey, citrus bitters and a subtle hint of Palo Santo, the Oh Beehave delivers all the flavor of a bourbon sour—minus the booze. For something more cozy, the Gam Gam reimagines the Painkiller with housemade chai syrup, coconut milk, pineapple and Anima Mundi Cerebrum, a memory-enhancing herbal tonic. “Our drinks are meant to be a meaningful experience in themselves and are served with a poem to share their origin story,” Thompson reflected.
“Chill” as a Secret Ingredient: Hosmer Bar
Hosmer Bar, located in Bend’s Waypoint Hotel, brings zero-proof drinks to the forefront in a reimagined, inclusive hotel bar experience. Owner Mike Aldridge saw a glaring lack of effort and creativity in alcohol-free options and decided to change the narrative: Every drink at Hosmer Bar begins as zero-proof, with the option to add booze. A subtle flip of the script places nondrinkers at the center, offering cocktails crafted with the same care as their boozy counterparts. “It’s not about what’s left out,” said Aldridge. “A great zero-proof cocktail is all about what you put in.”
Fresh-squeezed juices, housemade syrups and a rotating menu of specials highlight Hosmer Bar’s creativity and bold experimentation. The Cultus Lake Caipirinha is a bright, refreshing mix of strawberry, balsamic reduction, basil and sparkling water, and the Green Lakes Jalapeño Margarita cranks up the heat with muddled jalapeños and zero-proof tequila. For something different (that also feels familiar), the Smoky Old Fashioned features woodchip-smoked zero-proof whiskey with a depth that rivals the real thing.
Hosmer’s centerpiece — a stunning 16-foot epoxy and maple wood bar shaped like its namesake lake — is designed for gathering and connection. The vibe is no fuss, all chill — think lingering with friends, not rushing for last call. Pair a spicy margarita with a Deluxe Boi burger from the MidCity SmashedBurger truck parked outside, and the night feels complete.
More Sip-Worthy Spots
Restaurants and bars across Central Oregon are reimagining what a drink can be. At Lady Bird Cultural Society, prohibition-era cocktails get a zero-proof glow-up with creations like the Never Been to Spain. This mocktail is crafted with alcohol-free gin, cucumber, citrus and DRAM adaptogenic soda, and the Milan Darling, a sparkling blend of Wilderton aperitivo, roasted pineapple, lime and a splash of NA prosecco. Redmond’s Terra Kitchen brings the flair with drinks like the Neruda. It’s a tangy-sweet mix of fresh lime, house grenadine, cinnamon syrup and bubbles. For beer lovers, Crux Fermentation Project’s hop-forward NØ MØ beer lineup includes the River Refresher IPA and Sunset Summit Hazy IPA. Spork spins global inspiration into sippable art with original cocktails like the Thai Kondo. This is a zesty mix of cucumber, lemongrass and mint, and the Spice Queen, made with strong black tea, lemon, Morita chili and other tongue-tingling spices—a punchy reminder that zero-proof is anything but zero flavor.
Never Been to Spain Mocktail at Lady Bird Cultural Society in the Old Mill District
With a knack for rejuvenating interior spaces, Instagram digital creator Mackenzie Craven of Craven Haven and her husband, Kenny, remodeled the primary bedroom of their 1990-built southeast Bend home with a thoughtful, unhurried approach. They purchased the property in 2022, complete with the original carpet still in place—even in the bathroom. “The carpet really grossed us out, so we didn’t actually use the bathroom at first,” she said, laughing. For a year and a half, they focused on updating other rooms in their home until they were ready to tackle the bathroom.
For her 103,000 Instagram followers, Craven shares her renovation journeys—including the primary bath, engaging them with wit and practical advice. She describes herself as a “fast-paced mom chasing slow living plus curated charm that’s part bougie, part budget and 100% real on a 5-acre ‘90s fixer.” She blogs about everything from design trends and shopping finds to cost-saving tips and mood boards.
A Thoughtful Remodel of a 1990s Primary Bath
In the bathroom, the couple focused first on layout and plumbing. “We looked at leveraging the existing footprint while still making it a nice, modern space,” she said. “If you can find a layout that works without moving plumbing, you avoid the expense of paying electricians, plumbers and HVAC specialists to relocate ducts, pipes and other elements.” They removed the old fixtures but kept the existing drainage systems for a new water closet, vanity sink and expanded shower.
They also took a DIY approach throughout the remodel. “I did a ton of the work myself to bring costs down,” she said. “People can always choose to paint or lay tile themselves, which limits how many experts they need to bring in and lets them reserve the budget for hiring specialists where they’re really needed.”
One specialist Craven needed was her friend and interior designer, Kate Hector of Kate Hector Interior Design in Seattle, who helped her rework the layout and maximize the footprint, along with architectural renderings. “Collaborating with Kate on this bathroom really helped me elevate it to something outside our norms,” Craven said. Craven offers what she calls “interior design light” consultations to take some of the stress out of picking elements, “without it being a sign-your-life-away sort of experience hiring a designer.”
The layout involved removing a bulky tub, window and door along one wall—essential to creating a major focal point. Now, a gleaming white freestanding tub draws a person into the space and guides the eye toward the picture window which frames serene views of the family’s pastoral backyard.
In keeping with the home’s mountain modern farmhouse style, Craven strove for consistency with the rest of the home’s aesthetic. For example, a signature of Craven-owned homes is black and white—a design motif found in the children’s bathrooms and other home parts. In the bathroom, it appears on the striped tile floor, a pattern she created. A waterproof plaster known as Concretta lines the shower and walls, echoing the finish of the living room fireplace.
The Cravens also wanted to incorporate natural elements, choosing a wood-clad ceiling for the bathroom to complement the black-and-white tilework. “It’s our way of introducing a natural material we can use in other parts of the house,” she said of their ongoing renovations in other rooms.
Craven wanted the primary bathroom to feel a bit more luxe than the rest of the house, so she mixed materials and finishes, such as aged brass and polished nickel. “I love mixing metals,” she noted. She also upgraded the water closet with moody, floral wallpaper and a sleek black toilet. “These tones appear throughout my home, but this floral pattern feels more grown-up.”
The primary bath continues a process that started with the home’s purchase, merging Craven’s practical, cost-saving approach with a design that creates a harmonious retreat for the couple to enjoy for years to come. See more over at cravenhaven.com or @craven_haven.
On what would have been Bill Healy’s 100th birthday, Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) and Mt. Bachelor celebrate his life and legacy on January 16at the Tower Theatre. The founder of Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, Healy will be honored with a screening of the film, “Bill Healy: A Man Who Loved a Mountain,” a tribute to his pioneering vision and how it transformed Central Oregon’s identity.
At this moment, the future of Mt. Bachelor is in transition while the resort is currently for sale. A new owner will inherit strong local sentiment, grounded in Healy’s commitment to community, but in a changing ski industry. With the proliferation of multi-mountain passes such as Epic and Ikon, there have been economic shifts for the parent companies, Vail Resort and Alterra, among others. Plus, Oregon has a complicated legislation background as one of the few states that nullified the validity of liability releases for resorts in 2014. New Mt. Bachelor owners will have to navigate more than mountain operations.
Stuart Winchester, founder and editor of the Storm Skiing Journal, (found on Spotify) explained at a December City Club forum that it’s not inevitable a large company will purchase the ski area. He added that 75% of United States ski areas remain independently owned, a message that may resonate with a potential local coalition of buyers.
Working to create an entity using a community-based investment model, Ryan Andrews, CFO of Hiatus Homes and member of Mount Bachelor Community Inc., is formulating an effort where profits and decision making remain in the region, ensuring the mountain’s development aligns with community values.
The future owner of Mt. Bachelor will play a role in shaping Central Oregon’s identity, one launched by Bill Healy’s vision and legacy of a world-class ski mountain in Bend’s backyard.
This season marks sixty years since Mt. Bachelor’s visionary founder, Bill Healy, brought a ski dream to life.
On a clear, sunny April day in 1957, Bend furniture store owner Bill Healy and small group of friends skied to the base of what then was Bachelor Butte, gazed up at the snow-covered flanks of the mountain, and said, “This is it!”
A former member of the 10th Mountain Division, one of the only pieces of the U.S. Armed Forces that donned skis and rifles during World War II, Healy was not one to shy away from a challenge.
Healy admitted to local historian Peggy Chessman Lucas that he needed no lengthy research, no snow data reports, no feasibility studies. “I just said to myself, ‘Let’s go for it,’” Healy told Lucas in her book, Mt. Bachelor: Bill Healy’s Dream.
A little over a year after that backcountry foray, Healy’s vision was realized as a Bachelor Butte, renamed Mt. Bachelor, opened December 19, 1958, with one Poma lift and two rope tows for weekends and holidays only. An all-day adult lift ticket cost $3.
Bill Healy
Mt. Bachelor Today
Today, the mountain is the 7th largest ski resort in North America, and offers 12 high-speed lifts serving more than 4,300 acres spread across more than 100 runs for all experience levels. Mt. Bachelor also offers a Nordic center with miles of groomed cross country and snowshoe trails and a variety of year-around activities. This year, Mt. Bachelor Resort will celebrate its sixtieth season, having cemented itself as both an economic and a cultural institution in Central Oregon.
“Bill Healy and his original group of enthusiasts picked a great mountain to start with. Our abundant snow, long season, surfy terrain and world-class tree skiing provide plenty of reasons for attracting visitors from all corners of the map,” said John McLeod, Mt. Bachelor’s president and general manager through February 2023.
A second dynamic that McLeod believes has significantly contributed to Mt. Bachelor’s success is the resort’s partnership with Central Oregon and its passion for winter sports. Especially noteworthy, McLeod said, has been the U.S. Forest Service’s steady support of Healy’s vision by incorporating essentially the whole mountain in Mt. Bachelor’s permit area. The Forest Service leases the land to Mt. Bachelor LLC, a fully owned subsidiary of POWDR Adventure Lifestyle Co., a Utah-based firm that purchased Mt. Bachelor in 2001.
Mt. Bachelor has been a part of Central Oregon’s culture since its inception, playing a huge part in the region’s winter recreation and social fabric. It’s been a gathering place for friends and families and a proving ground for Olympians like downhillers Kiki Cutter, Laurenne Ross, Tommy Ford, and, more recently, snowboarders like Ben Ferguson.
Mt. Bachelor has contributed more than just chairlift rides to powder hounds. It’s also helped cement the region’s reputation as a four-season recreation mecca and a great place to live.
“We recognize our place as a seasonal winter employer, creating jobs at a time when other businesses are cutting back or closing for the winter,” McLeod said.
Healy knew how important the ski resort was to the region’s economy and identity, but he liked to downplay his own role.
Chairlift access began in 1961 with the debut of the “Black Chair” which was later replaced by the Pine Marten Express Lift.
Jim Crowell, long-time Bend historian, author and close friend, said it was Healy’s nature to make light of his motives for developing the resort.
“He used to laughingly tell me that one of the main reasons he pushed for Mt. Bachelor was because the locals who bought furniture on the installment plan couldn’t make payments in the winter,” Crowell recalled. “He said after Mt. Bachelor got going and skiers began coming to Bend, the local economy surged, and with the boom, his accounts receivable started to look a helluva lot better. I think some of this was semi tongue-in-cheek, because he wanted to ski closer to home.”
Not surprisingly, Mt. Bachelor’s sixty-year run has not been without its challenges, including several years of drought, leadership and ownership issues, increased competition and the changing economics of skiing that made it harder to compete with some of the new resorts. 1977, for example, was a particularly bad year when drought essentially closed the mountain from January through March. Healy showed his well-known sense of humor when he told historian Lucas, “After the potato famine and the depression, last winter wasn’t really that bad.”
Healy stepped down in 1988 and passed away in 1993 at the relatively young age of 68 after suffering a number of years with rheumatoid arthritis, and from a neuromuscular ailment not unlike Lou Gehrig’s disease. The legacy Bill Healy left behind endures, read more here at mtbachelor.com.
In a cozy neighborhood above Bend’s First Street Rapids Park, a 3,300-square-foot family home is tucked in, oriented to take advantage of river views and Central Oregon sunshine. Dubbed the River House by its designers, this family home overlooks the Deschutes River, which can be seen and heard from the living room when the sliding floor-to-ceiling glass walls are opened.
Inside a Peaceful, Functional Family Home on the Deschutes River
The design process kicked off in 2020 for the homeowners, who first selected Rea Company Homes as builders, and then began interviewing architects for the project. Central Oregon architect Jim Rozewski was a perfect fit, having already designed a previous home for the exact lot about 20 years prior, when the parents of one of the current owners had considered building on the parcel. The parents planned a cottagelike home but ended up not building it.
“The vision of the current owners was to do something far more contemporary. With changes in building codes, a different design style and different room needs than the original plans, Rozewski started fresh. The plan would maximize space and the indoor-outdoor connection on this rare riverfront lot. “The thing about river home sites is that they aren’t making any more of them,” Rozewski said, “So having the opportunity to work on a project on the river is a real honor.”
Crafting a Home with Heart and Harmony
Rea Company Homes began to bring Rozewski’s plans to life, working closely with Iron Roots Design, which was hired for interior architecture and design. Principal Designer Celeste McGowan began to focus on the home’s interior, space planning for each room and choosing hard and soft finishes—everything from lighting, flooring, tile and cabinetry to furniture, textiles and paint colors. “We consider how each room is going to function,” McGowan said. “The architectural plan set us off on a great track, and then we were able to thoughtfully select materials and furniture pieces and design each unique detail throughout the home.”
Visitors enter the home from a side entrance and head down three stairs to the living room, which is anchored by a floor-to-ceiling fireplace. Its wall is finished with a custom plaster using an ombre effect by Juanita Perdomo of WallsArt, Inc., whose work is featured throughout the home. Bend’s Cement Elegance crafted a floating hearth for fireside seating. The tile behind the built-in shelving carries over into the kitchen, matching the island seating, island countertop, sink and areas surrounding the upper cabinets. McGowan used the repetition of materials to create a cohesive, grounded feeling throughout the space.
The eight-seat family dining table is a custom live-edge solid wood piece designed by McGowan’s husband, Tim McGowan, her counterpart at Iron Roots Design, who offers both design and building services. Nearly two years after the project was completed and the family moved in, the dining room feels cozy and settled, ready for holiday celebrations.
Upstairs, the Pacific Northwest modern design continues, with light and airy spaces and organic, nature-inspired accents. The primary bedroom opens up into a spacious primary bath, with Art Deco-inspired flooring along with sconces and green watercolor tile in the oversized walk-in shower. Off the primary bedroom is a home office and a small deck area, the perfect spaces from which to watch the river flow year-round.
The harmony felt in the design throughout the home is the result of a cohesive interior design plan, something McGowan said comes from hiring an interior designer specifically, which isn’t something all homeowners do when embarking on a new build project. “Your home is one of your largest investments, which makes hiring an interior designer a smart move. It eliminates a lot of the confusion and stress you might otherwise feel during construction. We take care of countless back-end tasks for our clients so that they can actually enjoy the process.”
Back in the home more than 18 months after construction and design wrapped up, McGowan was able to reflect on the project and experience, and reconnect with the homeowners, who she’d worked closely with during the two-year project. “I spent many hours with this family to determine their lifestyle needs and plan their home accordingly,” McGowan said.
“It’s amazing to stay connected with the families we work with because you really get to be a part of their lives.”
Having completed an extensive remodel of one of their homes before (a 1910-built Craftsman), Tyson Gillard and his family set out to find “a light fixer” when they relocated to Bend in 2022. They discovered a 1977 ranch-style home in southeast Bend, full of potential for reshaping into a multigenerational compound. As an architect, general contractor and founder of Life Design Build, Gillard was ideally suited to remodeling the home, which, among other improvements on the property, included gutting the old primary bathroom and modernizing it.
Before
The original bathroom, with its cream-colored walls and bland countertops, lacked character. The remodel was more a transformation to create a spalike ambiance featuring warm, textured, nature-inspired materials that added richness, depth and more natural light. Gillard shared insights into the process and the thoughtful choices he and his family made throughout the remodel.
After
Q&A with Tyson Gillard of Life Design Build
Many ranch-style homes from the ’70s and ’80s have seen minimal updates. What factors make remodeling a home practical, both structurally and financially?
Tyson Gillard
Start by asking if you genuinely love your home and if it has the “good bones” needed for remodeling. We liked our neighborhood, and while our home was dated, it was still fully functional. We tackled the remodel by gutting the old bathroom but kept costs down by building the new shower and sinks in the same place as before and doing some of the work and all the management ourselves. Removing the tub also allowed us to add an enclosed water closet, maximizing space and utility.
Conceptually, what were the driving elements of the remodel?
We designed the space as a spa-like retreat, using nature-inspired materials like a dynamic wood ceiling made of exotic Okoume board and rough-sawn cedar. This ceiling also brings a modern interpretation of a cozy log cabin interior. An extra-large shower with dual heads allows for two-person use. Dark wood accents and the absence of white on any surfaces create a darker, moody and colorfully vibrant space, while natural light floods in through a new skylight and an expanded existing one. Green tiles with salmon-colored variations wrap the room, paired with radiant heated floors for added warmth. A floating concrete vanity by Cement Elegance introduces a sleek, contemporary touch, while new thermal and acoustic insulation prioritizes energy performance and privacy.
Your business, Life Design Build, has offered a full range of services since 2022, from design conceptualization to general contracting. How does this integrated model benefit clients?
Clients’ budgets and desires are rarely aligned, particularly with the recent rise in construction costs post-pandemic. Our model addresses both design and construction costs early in planning, aligning them through our robust design process. This spares clients the hassle of sourcing multiple contractor bids that will likely exceed their budget and the associated extreme disappointment of getting excited about and paying for a design they can’t afford. We aim to establish and manage a realistic budget early and throughout the project’s lifespan, leading to fewer surprises and a smoother overall experience.
With a dedicated team of 16—including three project managers, three designers (myself included), and eight in-house carpenters—Life Design Build also takes on construction-only and design-only projects. However, I tell clients that we provide the most value when we do both, providing continuity of care and communication from start to finish.
Beyond the design-build delivery model, what other aspects might interest clients?
While we have a disposition toward biophilic (nature-inspired) modern design and a passion for sustainable building solutions, a few other aspects of our business are important for clients to know. First and foremost, timely and transparent updates on design, schedule and cost are key to smart decision-making and helping clients have agency in their projects. After all, in the end, it’s their house and money.Second, we pride ourselves on not being a “one-trick pony” and are excited to work with clients with an array or stylistic interests and with any budget level. The variety actually makes our jobs more interesting. Whatever the style or budget, we want to execute it exceptionally well. Like most architects and carpenters, our team takes pride in craftsmanship and elegant detailing.
For those craving a grab-and-go sandwich of a different ilk, James Gage, owner of Kita Café, creates authentic Japanese sandwiches that are a welcome surprise in a lineup of takeaway fare. These sandwiches are built around shokupan — Japanese milk bread. Shokupan isn’t your typical sandwich bread. Each loaf has a golden crust with a snow-white interior, yielding a pillowy yet sturdy texture and hint of sweetness.
It’s this special bread that forms the foundation of Kita Café’s wholesale business, where Gage has mastered the notoriously demanding dough through countless iterations.
“That’s one of our biggest selling points, the fact that we make our own bread,” Gage said, noting how he now mixes the dough by feel rather than using precise measurements.
The visual appeal of Kita Café’s fruit sandwiches is bold and immediate—the precisely cut sandwiches reveal cross-sections of fresh fruit, such as strawberries or mandarin oranges, nestled in a sweet cream and arranged as edible art between slices of the cloudlike shokupan. The bread’s tender composition and sweetness create the perfect canvas for both sweet and savory fillings.
Each sandwich requires complete attention, from hand-selecting and washing individual strawberries to cutting slices of bread by hand. This careful preparation shows in the final sandwiches, whether it’s different varieties of fruit sandwiches, egg salad or chicken katsu resting between two slices of shokupan. Beyond sandwiches, Kita Café’s pick up and go offerings include other Japanese classics such as onigiri (rice balls), chilled somen noodles and castella cake, all made fresh by Gage. These and other seasonal offerings are available at six specialty markets around Bend.
While Gage looks forward to introducing a brick-and-mortar cafe in the future, his current wholesale model has found success in bringing these Japanese tastes to customers on the go, offering a taste of Japan and creating meals that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
With layers of paint, Jake Kenobi creates tableaux that mimic layers of the human psyche—bright glimpses of colorful palm trees and flamingos are juxtaposed with macabre symbols of death.
At his studio in northwest Bend, the artist, who goes by the moniker Spring Break Jake, presents contradictions. Dressed in black from head to toe, his wide grin offers a welcome to his world, one he shares with his young son, Casper, age 2 ½, and his wife, Kait, owner and graphic designer at Midnight Grim. Surrounded by paints and works in progress, Kenobi uses art as a tool for connection with others and the world around him.
Jake Kenobi
Creative from a young age in Minnesota, where he was born and raised, he had an intense bout of depression in high school that led him to express himself through the arts—first music, then graphic design, and ultimately, fine art.
“The depression taught me empathy,” he said. “I realized, ‘What if everyone was going through something?’ I found compassion through art, and it gave me an outlet to share a message.”
In Bend, Kenobi credits a 2019 mural project and his 2021 residency at Scalehouse Collective for the Arts as cornerstones for his work as a full-time artist. Spending eight months painting in the Patricia Clark Studio reinforced the wiring of his brain, he said. Painting full time allowed him to communicate his past experiences.
Scalehouse was an incubator, and his show at the Scalehouse Annex was an emergence from the dark into a new phase. “He has chosen to work with symbolic motifs which not only define an aesthetic, but help him to express himself as an artist,” said Marley Weedman Lorish, operations and programming manager and incoming executive director of Scalehouse.
Now You Must Keep Living
His paintings begin with handmade wood panels prepared with gesso. He adds layers of acrylic paint, incorporating found materials to create spots with a sculptural quality. He equates building depth and three-dimensionality with exploring the layers of his life experiences. A painting may have five to 15 layers of paint, with final top coats of black. The visible colors or white are negative space, and Kenobi creates the outlines of those shapes first, so that they remain portals to the base, much as a glimpse into the psyche.
His work can appear simple, with few elements on each canvas, but each painting has a deeper meaning. The overt subject matter of skulls and tones of darkness belie Kenobi’s deeper thinking of subjects such as neuroscience and philosophy. For Kenobi, the irony of the playful name Spring Break Jake provokes thoughts of how we should celebrate life. The philosophical concept of momento mori, Latin for remembering death, is a theme in his work, he said. Momento mori is a motivation to live, with the understanding that time, and life, are finite. There’s a playfulness to the graphic design work Kenobi has done for companies such as Avid Cider, 10 Barrel and Somewhere That’s Green. Skeletons dance in a series he created for Visit Bend’s Bend Ale Trail as a reminder to live fully while we are still alive.
Last Night Before the Dawn
His new collection, “Night Life,” diverges in its palette from pinks to swaths of yellow, green and grey, and focuses on themes of insomnia and the vulnerability of a human mind that goes without regenerative hours of sleep. The body of work will debut at a solo show, opening June 1 at the Purple Door gallery in Portland.
“I hope to create vulnerability in my paintings by looking inward,” Kenobi said. “Ultimately, I want to create solidarity and compassion around a shared experience,” he added. “Once a piece is done, it’s not about me anymore.”
A slight turn of the throttle thrusts the snowmobile forward. My muscles tense up in an effort to hold on tightly as I race across a snow field with childlike enthusiasm. Below me, a new 2024 Polaris XC 650 matches my adrenaline while the Cascade Range frames an adventure. The wind practically rips through me as I glide atop the snow trying to reach maximum speed before I slow down, shift my weight, and lean into the curve to execute a 180-degree turn and accelerate once again. The conditions place me in a state of Zen as one thought floats in and out of my brain: This is not my grandfather’s snow machine.
In 1959, Canadian entrepreneur Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the iconic Ski-Doo, complete with wooden skis and a strut-type suspension. Over the next few decades, increased horsepower and improved suspension brought snowmobiles to a wider audience. By the late 1990s, four-stroke engines forged reliability and environmentally conscious practices through fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. But it was 21st-century technology that gave the sport the biggest bump in popularity. Advanced suspension systems improved ride comfort, stability and handling to expand the terrain and conditions that snow machines could safely travel. In addition, GPS navigation systems, Bluetooth connectivity and smart displays enhanced the experience and bring snowmobiles, or sleds, into the modern recreation vernacular.
The day touring the Newberry National Volcanic Monument began early with quick introductions and an important safety check. My tour group and I met at the winter headquarters of Octane Adventures, located at the 10-Mile Sno-Park parking area. The staff fitted us for helmets and checked for correct clothing inside its warm Mongolian Ger (aka yurt) before we headed out to the lined up snowmobiles. Our gang of seven listened intently to the enthusiastic guide, as he methodically spoke about the snowmobile’s workings, how to operate it safely and abide by the rules of the trail, and what we could expect on our four-hour tour.
Our guides began their day several hours earlier as they lit a fire in the yurt, checked the day’s weather report and discussed trail conditions. Next, they pulled out the snow machines, performed safety checks and linked the GPS units for their groups. Last season, Octane Adventures guided roughly 400 tours on trails in the around Paulina Peak.
“In our opinion, the Newberry National Volcanic Monument is one of the most scenic locations you can snowmobile in Central Oregon, or Oregon for that matter,” said Octane Adventures Owner Matt Miller.
Central Oregon’s Snowmobile Playground
Enthusiasts travel from across the world to hop on a snowmobile and experience Central Oregon snowfall on thousands of acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land. Some seek the unimproved backcountry while others hit the hundreds of miles of smooth corduroy on groomed trails, including the 150 miles circling Paulina Peak where we would ride that day.
Another popular venue for a winter’s outing is up Century Drive, which inevitably involves trailers and trucks filled with sleds on their way to adventure. For those with their own equipment, Kapka and Edison Butte sno-parks offer great trails on both sides of the highway. Easily accessible Wanoga Sno-Park includes a warming hut in the parking area for riders to discuss their plan for the day or boast about their day’s accomplishments on the more than 180 miles of groomed trails. Central Oregon Adventures leads tours out of Wanoga for those interested. The even more popular Dutchman Flat Sno-Park offers some of the best views in the state as snow riders weave in between the Three Sisters mountains. If you’re looking for an overnight lodge stay, ride the 11 miles down the Cascade Lakes Highway to Elk Lake Resort for accommodations ranging from rustic cabins to luxury mountain vacation home rentals.
The best day with incredible views thanks to our tour with Octane Adventures
Outside of the Bend area, the Three Creeks Sno-Park provides access to the backside of the Three Sisters Wilderness and Tam McArthur Rim.
“Whether you want to visit the frozen waterfalls or obsidian flows, play around in the pumice flats or take a ride to the top of Paulina Peak at nearly 8,000 feet, it offers something for everyone,” explained Miller.
Our crew followed our guide as we weaved in and out of his tracks and peppered snow behind us from bursts of acceleration. Though traveling together, each rider controlled their own destiny of speed and path taken.
Those enjoying the groomed trails can thank local snowmobile clubs that pay for most of the grooming through dues and fundraising events. Statewide, 30 clubs, including locally-based Moon Country Snowbusters and Lodgepole Dodgers Club, promote the sport of snowmobiling, the benefits of environmentalism, and staying safe in the backcountry.
Clubs promote camaraderie between snowmobilers and fellow recreationalists. I have been towed by into the backcountry by enthusiastic snowmobilers to ski both Tam McCarthur Rim and Broken Top Mountain. These local nonprofits also help the Deschutes County Search and Rescue Team find lost snow revelers.
Find cold beer, and fresh fish brought in from the Oregon Coast at Paulina Lake Lodge.
But this excursion was a revved-up opportunity to have fun on sleds. The day includes a dose of adrenaline along with nature’s spectacular beauty and sweeping views from 7,303 feet at the Cinder Hill Viewpoint.
Toward the end of our tour, our guides led us to Paulina Lake Lodge to take advantage of the diverse menu, including fish brought in almost daily from the Oregon Coast. We had a respite in the cozy wood-framed cafe, and took stock of our shared experience. That day proved snowmobiling is more than just 650cc of power on snow; it’s a connection to the wilderness and those who spend the day enjoying it with you.
A Celebration of Culinary Artistry in Central Oregon
Yellowfin Tuna au Poivre
A palate of hues, yellowfin tuna and its crushed fennel seed and peppercorn crust find elegance alongside potato pavé, local huckleberries and brandy-peppercorn sauce.
Chef John Gurnee | Lady Bird Cultural Society Lady Bird Cultural Society is a stylish Prohibition-era dining room serving wood-fired fare and stunning libations.
Oli
Cooked to perfection, seared duck breast finds its complement in colorful mung bean puree, beet puree, quince and sunchoke.
Smoked trout roe-vermouth cream creates a bed for regional rainbow trout topped with gold potato salad and fresh herbs.
Chefs Andres and Ariana Fernandez | Ariana Restaurant Ariana is an intimate fine dining restaurant serving seasonal chef’s tasting menus, featuring locally sourced ingredients in a sophisticated atmosphere.
Citrus, Burrata & Prosciutto Salad
Blood and Cara Cara oranges inspire with layers of burrata, prosciutto, fennel, mint, pomegranate vinaigrette and toasted pistachios.
Tucked into the unassuming Brooks Alley of downtown Bend, Dear Irene elevates a dining experience, quite literally. Three steps up off the alley, an unexpected surprise awaits those who enter its front door. Inside, an expansive bar hums, guests sip on inventive cocktails and savor beautifully plated dishes, surrounded by daring design and statement artwork. The space feels intimate yet alive, a testament to Jonny and Irene Becklund’s vision. “We didn’t move to Bend to blend in,” Jonny said. With Dear Irene, they’ve delivered a sophisticated culinary addition to Bend’s dining scene.
For all its polish, Dear Irene is anything but pretentious. There are no white tablecloths, dress code, or stiff formalities. You could just as easily stroll in after a day on the river, and no one would blink an eye. The Becklunds aren’t interested in the rigidity of fine dining. Instead, they’ve coined their approach as “New American modern dining”—a philosophy that lets Jonny and his team play with global flavors, fueling a fiery, unpredictable menu.
When the couple moved to Bend four years ago, they took their time. Instead of rushing to open, they spent two years getting to know the town and its hospitality scene, figuring out what was missing. “We wanted to share with the Bend community an elevated hospitality experience that’s memorable for all aspects,” shared Jonny. For the Becklunds, that experience begins the moment you walk through the door. The scene is designed to make you feel intrigued right from the start.
The space—formerly the Wall Street Bar—was completely redesigned by the Becklunds who worked with Inspired Spaces and Celeste McGowen with Iron Roots Design. “We intentionally built out the space to feel intimate, vibrant and timelessly elegant,” Jonny said. The result is a rich, indulgent dining room with bold, eye-catching art, leather chairs you can sink into and chandeliers casting a moody light that makes everyone look just a little more interesting. The 14-seat bar is the place to be, whether you’re grabbing an after-work cocktail or settling in for an evening to soak up the scene.
The space comes alive when the restaurant is full, buzzing with what the Becklunds call “the magic moment.” “There’s a mix of guest laughter and lively conversation, upbeat music, the sound of cocktails being shaken at the bar and the clatter of beautiful plates being delivered,” Jonny described. At that moment, Dear Irene feels less like a restaurant and more like a living, breathing entity—pulsing with the joyful energy of people savoring their evening.
And what they’re savoring is anything but ordinary. While Bend’s dining scene is evolving, it still leans on comfort food framed in familiar ways.Dear Irene offers something novel. Jonny’s culinary roots are grounded in his Sicilian grandmother’s kitchen, but his global travels are what have informed his approach. “As I got older, I was lucky enough to travel a lot and meet different chefs who grew up cooking with different flavor profiles than mine,” Jonny said. His style is a fusion of these international techniques and flavors adapted to the seasonal, local ingredients available to him.
Take the whole Greek tai snapper: Vietnamese glaze, crispy shallots, Thai basil, Fresno chili, lemongrass and ginger combine for a dish that feels fresh, bold and international. The Oregon Dungeness crab arancini, is on the other hand. It strikes the perfect balance of familiar comfort with an unexpected twist—delicate crab blended with Arborio rice, Calabrian chili lemon aioli and Parmesan. It’s comfort food at its finest. These creative, boundary-pushing menu items offer something unexpected without going too far. Guests craving simple, local ingredients will also leave satisfied.
And then there’s the bar. In some restaurants, the bar is where you wait until your table is ready. Not here. At Dear Irene, the bar is the centerpiece. “We want to be known not only for our delicious food but also for our carefully curated drinks list.” Jonny shared. And it shows. The house martini, with botanicals and brine, is reason enough to visit, while the smoky, sweet Al Pastor Mezcalita makes you want the night to linger just a little longer.
Along with the beautiful bar comes the bold 21-and-over policy. In a town full of family-friendly eateries, Dear Irene made a deliberate choice to create a refined, adult-centric atmosphere. This is a place designed for conversation, slow meals and cocktails that invite you to stay.
That same intentionality extends to the entire team the Becklunds have assembled. Warm, professional and attentive without being overbearing, the staff embodies the restaurant’s balance of refined yet welcoming service. “We’re not formal or stuffy, but upscale and personable,” Jonny explained. This isn’t a place where you feel rushed or overlooked—regulars return because they know the service will always be just right, the atmosphere always lively and there’s always a new, mouthwatering menu item to try.
As Bend grows and evolves, Dear Irene feels like a reflection of the town’s future. It expands on Bend’s laid-back, casual vibe by offering something more polished. You can dress up, try something new, and still feel at home if you walk in covered in trail dust. So while Dear Irene might carry a hint of cosmopolitan flair, its adventurous spirit is perfectly in step with Bend.
Few foods inspire devotion quite like cheese. We coax people to smile at the mere mention of it. Our refrigerators have a drawer dedicated to it. There’s even scientific proof that eating it lights up the brain’s dopamine centers. So really, when that third helping of mac and cheese is calling, it’s not lack of willpower—it’s basic biology. The line between ‘too much cheese’ and ‘not enough’ is blurry at best. But really, who’s trying to find it? In Central Oregon, our love for cheese is here to stay.
Wild Petals Provisions | Photo by Tina Paymaster
Cheese Heaven, Right This Way
Cheese cases should come with a warning: “Highly addictive.” At Wild Petals Provisions on Brooks Alley in downtown Bend, owner Nancy Chapluk Zadoff has curated a treasure trove of cheeses so tempting that “just one wedge” quickly turns into a full-blown cheese haul. Urdina Blue from the Basque Country, Bio Truffle Gouda from the Netherlands and rosemary-matured Pasamonte Romero from Spain are just a few crowd favorites. But really, the magic lies in that moment when a customer stumbles upon a rare cheese and realizes, “I need this in my life.” A few blocks away, San Simón offers a different kind of cheese experience. Guests build their own charcuterie boards, mixing and matching cheeses, meats and pickled delights. One might find Mitica Manchego from Spain paired with a soppressata from Wisconsin’s Underground Meats or Novak 7 Year Sharp Cheddar cozied up next to San Simón’s famous Castelvetrano olives. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure board for those who believe cheese is the answer, regardless of the question.
Grilled Cheese, But Make It Fancy
Grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food—warm, gooey and capable of turning any bad day around. This legendary sandwich reaches its full, melty potential at Farmer’s Deli. Chef Justin Halvorsen uses thick-cut Pullman sourdough from Sparrow Bakery and grills it in butter to crispy, golden perfection. Tillamook medium and extra-sharp white cheddar melt into a molten mess, what Halvorson describes as the ultimate “CHZY experience.” The Washington, a crowd favorite stacked with cheddar, smoked bacon, caramelized Walla Walla onions and crisp Washington apples, is like a cozy blanket in sandwich form. “Cooking for others is all about love. You know what else is love? Cheese,” said Halvorsen.
For those seeking Pacific Northwest flair, The Lake House at Caldera Springs in Sunriver offers a wild mushroom and fontina grilled cheese with truffled peppercorn aioli. Big Ed’s sourdough lays the foundation for this savory masterpiece. Throw in a view of Mount Bachelor, and it’s grilled cheese living its best life.
Wild mushroom and fontina grilled cheese | Lake House
Bar RBC takes grilled cheese international at its downtown Bend locale with Chef John Gorham’s Basque-inspired talo—grilled corn flatbread topped with smoky Idiazabal cheese and spicy Chistorra sausage. It’s a simple yet bold almost-a-sandwich Gorham fell in love with at a harvest festival in Rioja. Melted cheese oozes into the sausage, packing every bite with savory depth and a kick that keeps things interesting.
Grilled corn flatbread topped with smoky Idiazabal cheese and spicy Chistorra sausage, RBC downtown Bend | Photo by Tambi Lane
At The Row at Tetherow, grilled cheese takes on a sultry vibe with the aptly named Fromage à Trois. Asiago-crusted sourdough hugs layers of Tillamook cheddar and honey-glazed ham. Butter, the unsung hero of any good grilled cheese, is applied generously for the ultimate crunch factor. And, of course, the Fromage à Trois is served with fire-roasted tomato soup. Because grilled cheese is made for dunking.
When in Doubt, Add More Cheese
There’s no resisting the gravitational pull of a good mac and cheese. At Junior’s Grill on Bend’s southside, the magic is in the mix-and-match madness. Its build-your-own bowl starts with macaroni drenched in creamy cheddar and Monterey Jack sauce, setting the stage for endless flavor experimentation. Customers can go wild with add-ons, such as crispy fried onions, house-smoked pulled pork and cowboy candy (for those who like a little snap with their mac).
Just off SE 9th Street in Bend, Little Red Kitchen takes comfort food to new heights with its cavatappi mac and cheese, available as a side or a full-blown cheesy feast. The rich, creamy sauce clings to the corkscrew-shaped pasta like it’s got nowhere else to be. Add in tender pulled pork and collard greens, and suddenly this dish feels like a warm hug with a dash of Southern charm.
At Brother Jon’s Alehouse in the heart of downtown Bend, mac and cheese comes in three equally irresistible forms. The classic creamy mac is a purist’s dream, while the spicy chicken mac—loaded with grilled chicken, bacon, blue cheese and Frank’s Spicy Buffalo sauce—brings the heat. For those craving something garden-fresh, the pesto mac with grilled chicken, bacon, tomato and Parmesan, adds an herby twist. There’s something for everyone—or, let’s be honest, the perfect excuse to order a mac and cheese flight for one.
Brother Jon’s Alehouse | Photo by Arian Stevens
Because You Didn’t Come This Far to Skip Dessert
No cheese journey is truly complete without a sugary sendoff, and Little Slice of Hell dishes out cheesecake that’s equal parts creamy and unforgettable. Its food trucks have become delicious detours at the Podski lot and Century Commons Taps & Trucks in Sunriver. Originally known as Little Slice of Heaven, the brand got a cheeky makeover after owner Julie Higgins emerged from a battle that reshaped her world. And the cheesecake is still every bit as divine. Crowd favorites such as Marbled Marionberry and Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter vanish fast. Even the vegan slices have a loyal following, proving that cheesecake can do whatever it wants. As Higgins likes to say, “It’s heavenly—or hellishly—delicious, depending on your perspective.”
Little Slice of Hell Cheesecake | Photo by Tambi Lane
With a 30-year career constructing homes for others—and recently one for his own family—Dave Hall brings fresh insight from experiencing both sides of the business. This dual perspective has added to his knowledge, ultimately benefiting his clients.
He founded DH Builders in 2014. Shortly after, he brought on master carpenter Sean McKinney, who became a key part of the company as part-owner and chief operating officer. Their teamwork is showcased in Central Oregon luxury housing communities, including Broken Top, The Highlands and Crosswater. In 2022, Hall had time to focus on building a home for his family.
An important lesson he learned from building his own home was that it doesn’t have to take 18 months to two years—or longer—to complete if the builder and client have mutual trust. He finished his personal residence in just 11 months.
An interview with Dave Hall of DH Builders
What are the first steps you should take when considering building a home?
Start by doing your homework on what you want in your house, then focus on assembling a team of professionals. Sometimes clients come to us after hiring an architect, and other times it’s the reverse. What matters most is that the builder and architect work well together and that the builder is involved in the design process from the beginning. Interior designers usually join the project later, but bringing one in early can be beneficial—they can help set realistic allowances based on the overall budget.
What features are your clients asking for today?
The trends haven’t shifted much—clients still want wood floors, fireplaces, and modern styles with Northwest Lodge elements. They want durable, industrial finishes like steel and concrete softened by warm wood accents. Granite and quartz remain popular for kitchen islands and engineered quartz slabs for kitchen perimeters. Powder baths are a place where clients often choose something bold or funky. People want to open up to the outside using sliding, stacking or accordion-style doors.
For your own home, what did you choose?
We picked a sunny lot in Bend’s Westgate neighborhood to take advantage of passive solar energy—maximizing warmth in winter and shade in summer. The house features advanced insulation systems, radiant heat over concrete floors and ductless mini-splits for cooling. The house is so efficient, it’s silly. For fire resistance, we opted for stucco and durable fiber cement boards. The entry has a salvaged barnwood cladding that was treated with a fire-resistant clear coat.
Our 2,700-square-foot modern home with shed and flat roofs includes three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and a mud room for all the Central Oregon gear. The primary suite includes a “wet” cedar sauna, hot tub, cold plunge and a “beachy” patio area with real sand.
Tell us about trust issues.
Between 2020 and 2023, during and after COVID-19, the construction frenzy drew an influx of marginal or inexperienced builders, which led to consumer horror stories. These experiences left homeowners hesitant to trust builders, which often slows projects down significantly. I’ve seen builds drag on for two years or more. My wife was so happy that we got exactly what we wanted on a good budget in just 11 months, from the start to move-in date.
DH Builders has refined a system that allows us to build efficiently and handle high-level, complex remodels without delays. Sean’s technical wizardry and problem-solving skills help us move more quickly. Every Monday, he and our project managers outline the week’s plan, followed by a Friday update with what’s coming the next week. After each on-site meeting, we provide detailed follow-up documentation to ensure we’re on the same page as our clients. This communication protocol goes far beyond what most builders do, making the client experience much more enjoyable and relaxing. When clients know how much we care about their project, they often return because we’ve established an element of trust.
These Bendites get your sticks in top shape for a slippery season on snow.
You know the feeling. There you are, cross-country skiing along the first leg of the Tangent Loop at Meissner, when everything goes south. For me, it often happens after that left at the five-point intersection and the long climb toward Swampy begins. Sure, it’s uphill but it’s not that uphill. Suddenly I’m working 20 times harder. My form crumbles and lungs burst. Snowshoers are faster. What a drag.
Dan Simoneau, Powder House | Photo by Ely Roberts
My waning fitness notwithstanding, the culprit is almost always the base of my skis, and my alpine skis aren’t immune. If the bases are damaged or slathered in the wrong wax—or no wax at all—chances of suffering are high.
That’s where the Ski Tune Masters of Bend can help. These folks don’t just drizzle on a layer of all-temperature hot sauce with an old iron in the garage and call it good. Each has taken the craft of unlocking your equipment’s top-notch gliding performance in innovative ways that keep in mind Central Oregon conditions. Their work can improve anyone’s skiing, no matter the level.
Masters of the Glide
Dan Simoneau has been thinking about cross-country skis and how to maximize their glide for pretty much his entire adult life. A three-time Olympic athlete, Simoneau made the U.S. Men’s Ski Team in 1976 before “skate skiing” was even a sport. That discipline didn’t appear at a World Cup until 1985, and Simoneau, who became the second American cross-country skier ever to podium in a World Cup, was there racing at that inaugural event, too. The twist?
“We all skated on classic skis,” he said with a laugh. “Classic poles. Classic boots. There was even a classic track in the way.”
Eric Holmer, The Race Place | Photo by Ely Roberts
Today, Nordic skiing has become much more sophisticated. To get the best glide, Simoneau says what matters most is the ski base and the tiny, strategic cuts that give it “structure.” Skis glide best on a thin layer of water that forms between the base and the surface of the snow, and managing that water for optimum glide is a delicate function influenced by temperatures, water content, the shape of the snow crystals and more. Too much water under the ski will make it sticky; too little water means too much friction. Tweaking the density, length and depth of those cuts can produce a Goldilocks glide.
To do that, Simoneau and his co-workers at the Powder House use a stone grinder, Central Oregon’s only such dedicated machine, to create structure in cross-country bases. Figuring out the ideal structure is where Simoneau really shines. Every winter you can find him out at Meissner testing at least nine pairs of skis, each with a different structure. The result means he can tune your bases to your own skiing habits, including whether you go in the morning or evening, on cold winter days or warm spring ones, or all of the above. (In that case, ask for the universal “S22” grind.) And if you’ve never had your bases ground at all, even one tune up will make a huge difference.
“We’re not testing anywhere else in the world,” Simoneau said. “We know what works here.”
Eric Holmer, The Race Place | Photo by Ely Roberts
The Racer’s Edge
Eric Holmer moved with his parents as a kid to Bend in 1988, when he joined Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and saw his ski racing career take off. By his late teens and early 20s, Holmer had become one of the top male downhill racers in the country, and his father, Scott, had developed a serious interest in how best to tune skis.
“I remember one time my father started questioning a World Cup technician about the accuracy of his method,” recalled Eric, who runs The Race Place after his father’s retirement. The Race Place was one of the first—if not the first—ski shops in the country dedicated to ski racing. The elder Holmer and the technician started disagreeing and things soured fast. “My father was genuinely curious and wanted to learn,” Eric said.
Between Evergreens | Photo by Ely Roberts
That disagreement led to great things, however, when Scott Holmer invented one of the most celebrated edge-tuning devices shortly after that time. Soon, racers from across the country clamored to get their edges tuned by Scott. Called the Base BEAST, for Best Edge Accuracy Ski Tool, it’s still one of the easiest and most intuitive ways for alpine racers to get the edges they need to win.
The BEAST edge boils down to the angle of the metal edge as it relates to the base of the ski. Racers typically want a 1-degree bevel, which helps the ski onto its edge before grabbing the snow. It’s a minute but critical angle.
“One-degree on an edge that’s at most 2 millimeters thick can ruin your day if it’s not proper,” Eric said.
To get that angle, skiers used to wrap tape around the handle of a file to thicken it up and increase the cutting angle when the handle was placed on the base. It was all very subjective. The BEAST took the guesswork out by using a jig for the file that would produce consistent results every time. Since it was cheap and easily shipped, The BEAST also democratized the ski-tuning process.
“People no longer had to send in their skis, because the shop was the only place that could do it,” Eric said.
Tune-Up on Wheels
For most skiers and snowboarders, the best wax is any wax, but taking your boards to a shop isn’t always convenient—especially if you’re a visitor who’s come to town for a getaway. That’s where Ben Beyer can help. He’s the owner of Between Evergreens, a mobile ski shop that fits inside a Sprinter van that can roll right up to your doorstep.
“I got the idea while living up in Portland where it can take a week to get your skis tuned,” he said. “I was thinking of starting a brick and mortar shop but then thought, what if we did it out of a van?”
Ben Beyer, Between Evergreens | Photo by Ely Roberts
Beyer, now in his 40s, learned the craft working in shops throughout Park City, Utah, before moving to the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife Sarah now own the shop Between Evergreens in NorthWest Crossing which also services bikes, but the van is dedicated to skis and boards. Inside you’ll find a powerful electric generator that can handle the energy waxing irons demand as well as all the tools needed to do other tasks, such as mount new bindings and sharpen edges.
He does more than house calls, too. Look for the van parked at events at Mt. Bachelor or outside of Boneyard Pub from time to time. “You can have dinner and drinks and your skis will be done by the time you leave,” he said.
Shot on location at theHistoric Great Hall at Sunriver Resort
When it comes to the holiday season in songs, a range of artists have lent their talents to covers—from Lady Gaga and Coldplay to Justin Bieber, Diplo and Tyler, the Creator. (For a real treat, listen to Twisted Sister’s rendition of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.”) But certain chords and refrains from original classics dance in our heads like sugarplum fairies and sound like home. Find gift ideas, songs and the spirit of the season from Bend Magazine to help make your holidays merry
and bright.
Chestnuts Roasting onAn Open Fire
Nat King Cole’s 1946 recording of “The Christmas Song” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Gene Autry’s recording of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1949, but the Rankin/Bass stop-motion animation television special from 1964 brought the song (and the Abominable Snow Monster) to life.
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin both recorded versions of “Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let It Snow!” ironically written during a 1945 heatwave in Hollywood, California.
It’s no secret that Bend’s summer and winter tourist seasons are big economic drivers; however, the holiday season (from Thanksgiving through the New Year) is a key period for the local economy. According to Visit Bend, Mastercard charges in Bend during the highest lodging occupancy months–July and August– total $37 million each; whereas December, when lodging occupancy rates are near their lowest, charges surpass the peak tourism season at $38 million.
Photo by Ely Roberts
”There’s evidence that local business sustains the economy during the holidays,” said Nicole Ramos, an economist at the Oregon Employment Department focused on regions east of the Cascades.
Ramos noted that employment numbers are highest in the third quarter (July through September), but that the numbers of business entities increase in the fourth quarter (October through December), as does the number of employees being paid; indicating that local businesses pop up around the holidays to meet demand, and wages are higher to compete for a reduced employee pool.
“We’re not just a tourist economy,” said Don Myll, the Bend area director for the nonprofit Economic Development of Central Oregon, known as EDCO. “The holiday season is a ‘tweener’ season (between the big summer and winter tourist seasons), and it’s central for our retailers.”
Over the past 10 years, Bend’s economy has diversified. Tourism numbers have remained relatively stable while the local population has increased, and other industries have taken root and grown. The bioscience, aviation and outdoor products industries, and small tech startups, are having significant economic impact. All the while, small businesses continue to be a Bend hallmark.
“The average number of employees for a Bend company is nine,” said Myll. “Bend has comparatively more small businesses because of its remoteness, but also because of the entrepreneurial spirit. The culture in Bend has lots of energy around encouraging local markets and local businesses.”
Schilling’s Makers Market
Shopping Local
The guiding principle of shopping local is never on display more than during the holiday season. Peruse local art, handmade crafts and artisan products during the magnificent flurry of holiday markets and fairs such as the Bend Moonlight Market, First Friday Market, Holiday Makers Market, Magical Markets of Merriment, Craft-O! Holiday Bazaar and Holiday Spirit Market. See our complete guide to the best holiday markets for 2024, here.
Joe and Melinda Nichols own Schilling’s Garden Market, a plant nursery located on 8.5 acres east of Tumalo. They have tapped into the holiday vibe, selling live holiday trees and locally foraged wreaths. Additionally, on the first weekend in December, they host the Schillling’s Makers Market, which is more of a destination market than an in-and-out affair.
“Families come out to spend the day on our land playing cornhole, listening to live music, compiling gift baskets from local artisans and drinking cider or spiked hot chocolates and boozy holiday cocktails,” said Melinda. “It’s a whole experience.”
The past couple of years, tickets for the market have sold out; they sell a limited amount of parking tickets, per car not per person. So carloads of people, whether it be families or friends looking to shop, fill up the outdoor patio decked with holiday lights, greenery and vendor stalls. “As we close the year and go into winter, our nursery business crawls to a halt,” said Joe Nichols. “The Makers Market is a good financial capstone that provides one last weekend of sales and gives us a way to offer our seasonal employees more work.”
Though pop-up markets abound, steady brick-and-mortar businesses also look to the holiday season to make their target earnings. It’s hard to get more local than Donner Flower Shop on NW Newport Avenue, which has been around since 1911 and is the third-oldest business operating in Bend. Owner Tanja Rodgers left her corporate job five years ago to take over the business from her mother, who ran it for 30 years.
“The holiday season is very important to us. It’s a key part of our annual income,” said Rodgers, who paused the conversation to momentarily help a customer who had shopped at Donner for three decades.
On the day after Halloween, the Donner staff transforms the shop into a whimsical winter wonderland. Over the season, people rely on them for a significant number of custom fresh floral arrangements, and they have a robust selection of high-end artificial trees, fresh wreaths and garlands, gifts and other holiday decor.
“None of us would exist without the locals,” said Joanne Sunnarborg, Downtown Bend Business Association board member and owner of Desperado, a downtown clothing boutique which has operated in Bend for 17 years. “Locals know how important they are to our economy; there is a strong culture of locals supporting locals. December is my best month and that has little to do with tourists. We love them, but they are just the icing on top.”
No passport is required to discover the sweet, rich world of Mexican desserts
Everyone knows Mexico’s savory dishes. Tacos, guacamole, burritos, enchiladas and others are firmly entrenched in the American culinary lexicon. Mexican cakes and pastries, however, remain lesser known, left to discover. Fortunately, Central Oregon’s Mexican bakeries are full of crunchy, flaky, creamy and sweet postres — desserts that transport your palate to a delicious place south of the border. At each of these bakeries, display cases teem with treats — rich, caramel custard and chocolate flan; elaborately decorated cakes, rows of cookies covered in sprinkles or colored pink-and-green to resemble watermelon slices and more. Embark on a sweet journey in Bend’s backyard. No suitcase or plane ticket needed.
Milhojas Thousand-Layer Cake
Colima Market, Bend & Chavez Market, Redmond
Defined by its countless paper-thin layers of flaky pastry with a creamy filling, at Colima Market, milhojas is made with a lemon cream-cheese filling, topped with whipped cream and adorned with intricate flower-shaped mosaics of sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and other fruit. The pastry, with its satisfying crunch and rich cream, is an irresistible combination of flavor and texture, said Yamely Chávez Kennedy, CEO of the family-run market and bakery.
Popular for birthdays and other celebrations in Hispanic communities, the delectable pastry—not unlike a mille-feuille or Napoleon—is one that many Americans likely haven’t tasted, Chavez Kennedy said. It’s sold by the slice, which makes it easy to try, or order a full, rectangular sheet cake, decorated for birthdays or other celebrations.
During the Christmas holiday, tradition reigns with treats such as Rosca de Reyes, or three king’s bread, which celebrates the biblical story of the three kings who followed a star to find the newborn Jesus and bring him gifts. Baked within the sweet, wreath-shaped bread is a little plastic baby figurine symbolizing the Messiah. The desserts are made in the Colima Market bakery and are sold there and at their second location, Chavez Market, Redmond.
Colima Market
228 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend
Chavez Market
2498 S Hwy 97, Redmond
Tres Leches Cake
Panadería y Pastelería El Moy, Bend
This light and airy sponge cake is moist and delicious because it’s soaked overnight in a combination of three milks, or tres leches: evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk. It’s topped with piped rows of sweet whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce and crowned with a cherry. Baking it, allowing it to cool, adding the combined milks and decorating it is a 12-hour process, said Alejandra Reyes, co-owner of Panadería y Pastelería El Moy. The result is dessert that will captivate even those who don’t typically indulge in sweets.
As if this tempting confection couldn’t get any better, they make a mocha version too.
Tres leches cake helped Reyes and co-owner Moyses Maldonado start the Bend business, which had its grand opening in August. Reyes had been going door-to-door, selling the cakes and brought a tray of them to the restaurant Hola! The meeting led to inclusion in the first Central Oregon Taco Fest in May, which drew attention to the new endeavor, Reyes said. Stop in for an individual portion or order a full cake to be enjoyed tres times more than expected.
Panadería y Pastelería El Moy
1375 NE 2nd St., Bend
Conchas
La Frontera Bakery, Redmond
This colorful, soft and brioche-like sweet bread is made by scoring the top of the dough so that when baked, it opens into a seashell-shaped creation, hence the name. Concha means shell. At La Frontera Bakery, owner Andoreni Luna Hernandez offers pink, yellow, white and brown versions, perfect with coffee for breakfast or alongside hot chocolate after a day outside in the snow.
At the family-run La Frontera, as well as at each of these bakeries, conchas are sold alongside Mexican cookies and pastries adorned with colorful sprinkles, or puffy, softball-size pillows of brioche rolled in sugar and filled with luscious, fluffy whipped Bavarian cream.
When the snow begins to blanket Central Oregon, there’s no better way to embrace the chill than with a cocktail designed for the season. Whether you’re cozying up indoors or gathered around an outdoor firepit, these winter drinks blend local flavors, bold spirits and a touch of creativity to keep you warm. From spiked hot chocolates to inventive takes on the classic hot toddy, here are the best places to sip your way through the season.
Photo by Arian Stevens
Bar Rio – Naughty & Nice Holiday Cocktails Series
“We’re having some fun with the holiday spirit,” says Amy Draheim of Bar Rio’s holiday menu. The team is rolling out a “Naughty & Nice” cocktail series all December long. On the Nice List, expect comforting flavors and local ingredients, like Thump Coffee, Holm Made Toffee and Glacier Gourmet, perfect for pairing with some falling snow.
Photo by Arian Stevens
The Naughty List, on the other hand, pushes the holiday boundaries with creative mocktails and richer cocktails. Imagine hot cocoa topped with an entire dessert garnish or a bold espresso Negroni designed to power you through the season’s long nights. Pop in all Demember long to see what the team at Bar Rio is mixing up behind the bar.
McMenamins Old St. Francis School – Hot Chocolate Orange
“This drink combines the best of winter’s classic flavors—rich chocolate, bright citrus and a warming spirit,”* says McMenamins’ Justine Goodiel. The Hot Chocolate Orange takes the traditional hot cocoa and gives it a luxurious twist with Cheshire orange liqueur, your choice of High Council Brandy or Hogshead Whiskey and a dollop of whipped cream. “The inspiration came from those oranges we used to find in our Christmas stockings,” Goodiele shares.
The result? A drink that feels nostalgic and indulgent in all the right ways. Whether you’re sharing stories around McMenamins’ fireplaces or relaxing after a holiday shopping spree, this is the kind of drink that makes winter feel magical.
San Simón – Hot Toddy
“Since we opened five years ago, I’ve been proud to say we have the best hot toddy I’ve ever had anywhere,” says Brian Trottier, the owner of San Simón. It’s not just talk—this hot toddy has a cult following, thanks to its fresh, thoughtful ingredients. The base is a ginger-rosemary simple syrup, made in-house by juicing fresh ginger and steeping rosemary in hot water.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, hot water and your choice of spirit (rum is the house favorite), and you’ve got a drink that’s both invigorating and soothing. “For mezcal lovers, we add a dash of hibiscus simple syrup, which gives it this subtle floral note that’s really special,”* Trottier explains. And yes, the toddy is reason enough to visit, but the real magic is sipping it outside in one of San Simón’s heated cabins, watching snowflakes fall around you.
Photo by Arian Stevens
Jackalope Grill – Bourbon Fireside
At Jackalope Grill, the Bourbon Fireside cocktail is as comforting as its name suggests. Made with fresh hot apple cider, Basil Hayden Bourbon, a spritz of orange zest and a cinnamon stick, it invites you to slow down and savor the season. “There’s something magical about wrapping your hands around a warm glass and letting the steam rise on a chilly day,” says Laura Bliss of Jackalope Grill.
The bourbon adds depth and warmth, while the orange zest and cinnamon stick give it just enough brightness to feel festive. It’s the kind of drink that doesn’t need any bells and whistles—it’s simple, perfectly executed and best enjoyed with friends after a day in the snow.
Currents at the Riverhouse Lodge – Avalanche
Currents at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, Oregon, is offering a signature cocktail called the Avalanche, which combines the boldness of an espresso martini with the creaminess of a White Russian, and adds a local twist with Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka. The cocktail is ideal for festive gatherings or a quiet evening by the fire, and can be paired with chair massages to melt away any slope-induced tension. The Avalanche is available starting in January. Read our full feature on this cocktail, here.
Hungry for More? Check out more of what Central Oregon’s dining scene has to offer all year long with our dining guide.
Mention Bend and folks say “beautiful” and “beer.” But there’s another descriptor taking the stage. “Central Oregon is an incubator of instrument building,” said Brad Tisdel, creative director of the Sisters Folk Festival. “People here have an expansive view of music and art as an expression of culture and economic vitality. We have created a very healthy ecosystem.”
For more than three decades, Central Oregon companies and luthiers have created fretted, stringed instruments—works of art played around the world. Some conjecture that Central Oregon has become an incubator for instrument building because of its manageable humidity and temperature, or perhaps it’s proximity to the robust builder scene in Portland and the availability of ideal wood in the Pacific Northwest. Then, there’s Bend’s laid-back, music-centric culture set in nature’s playground.
“Every builder I know appreciates just being around wood,” said Andrew Mowry, a Bend mandolin and archtop guitar builder who spends free time outdoors. “When I see a giant spruce tree, it’s hard not to think of how many instruments could be made out of it.”
While living in Montana, Mowry harvested an Engelmann spruce—a favorite for instrument tops. With undergrad and graduate science degrees, he uses a computer-controlled device to rough-carve his tops. But he’s a scientist who also likes to draw. “The convergence of art and science is one of the draws to lutherie.”
His work is in high demand, as attested by a waiting list of more than three years and clients in Canada and the United Kingdom. That’s without a single dollar spent on marketing. “Hand-made instruments are sold mostly by word of mouth,” he said.
Jayson Bowerman and Susie Zeither’s glass guitar
A Reverence for Wood
It all begins with the wood. Instrument builders hoard it, hunt it and honor it. In essence, it’s the soul of a hand-made instrument.
Bend luthier Butch Boswell thinks about wood incessantly, spending most of the year locked in his Franklin Avenue shop bending, carving and gluing pieces of wood together. At least once a year, he heads off to the Siskiyou Mountains where he harvests old-growth redwood from an abandoned railroad tunnel. “Tunnel 13” is the title of a Mark Knopfler song and the wood used in one of the several Bowell guitars Knopfler owns. The former lead of Dire Straits has collaborated with Boswell on a signature model. The 20 slots sold almost immediately when the model was announced.
Boswell studied engineering in college while learning guitar repair at a music shop. Although he played in several bands, he was more drawn to instruments than performing. He spent 15 years repairing guitars but eventually began building them. About 12 years ago, he relocated from California to Bend, and his reputation soared. Boswells are described by Fretboard Journal as Martin-flavored, “inspired by the classics, but also sporting forward-thinking features.”
What makes a good instrument builder? “Drive and tenacity,” said Boswell. “You must give 150 percent to the work.” Being a luthier is hard on the body, with hours spent hunched over a bench. All the carving, binding, inlaying and finishing require nuclear-level focus. Many materials, tools and operations performed by 21st-century luthiers would be entirely familiar to Stradivari, the 17th-century Italian string-instrument master craftsman. Unusual materials exist: Jayson Bowerman, a former Breedlove luthier, recently made one of the world’s first lap steel-glass guitars with Sister’s fused-glass artist Susie Zeitner.
Andrew Mowry mandolin and archtop guitar builder in Bend, Oregon
Tradition Meets Innovation
In 1990, two Taylor Guitar alumni, Larry Breedlove and Steve Henderson, founded Breedlove in a Tumalo studio. Breedlove’s brother and banjo builder Kim joined them. The three builders carved a niche in an industry dominated by Gibson, Martin and Taylor by combining a distinctive modern design with Pacific Northwest woods, such as myrtlewood, redwood and Port Orford cedar. The operation moved to a new Bend facility in 2008 and encountered financial headwinds, leading to the sale of Breedlove to Tom Bedell, a guitar entrepreneur. Today, Bedell and Breedlove’s two guitar brands are crafted by an almost 40-person team under the corporate entity “Two Old Hippies,” Bedell’s company. More than 1,500 Breedlove and 200 Bedell guitars are made in Bend annually. A luthier working alone would be hard-pressed to make more than a dozen instruments a year.
The two brands are strikingly different: Bedells harken back to another era of guitar building and are, in essence, an “old classic car,” according to Robert (RA) Beattie, marketing and artist relations director. Breedlove, on the other hand, stakes its claim on innovation and sustainability, a kind of “Tesla of the guitar world.” Breedlove pioneered the use of Oregon myrtlewood, which is wavy-patterned and more sustainable than most instrument wood. Company outreach includes donating materials to Sisters High School’s luthier program and annually donating a guitar for the Sisters Folk Festival.
Also in Bend is Weber Mandolins, once part of the Two Old Hippies cohort. Since 2022, former Breedlove luthier Ryan Fish has run the company independently, with a reputation for making top-flight mandolins. If listening to Counting Crows, Trampled by Turtles or blues musician Keb’ Mo’, the bell-like mandolin pickings come from a Weber.
Tom Nechville, Banjos West, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Joins the Band
The small town of Sisters is another hotbed of instrument building. Thompson Guitars, founded in 2013, is a boutique shop, building about 100 instruments a year. The company was founded by Preston Thompson, a guitar maker who fashioned instruments in the 1930s, the golden era of Martin Guitars. Master luthier Thompson passed away in 2019, but his approach to building continues at his Sisters shop. Thompson devotees include Grammy-award winner Peter Rowan, who bought his first guitar from Thompson in the 1980s, and Billy Strings, a wildly popular contemporary guitarist whose band played the Redmond “Farewell Festival” in July. Molly Tuttle, who won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2024, has several Thompson guitars in her collection, including a Thompson Signature model.
Down the street from Thompson Guitars is the retail location of Banjos West owned by Tom Nechville and his partner Linda Leavitt. Nechville, an inventive banjo maker formerly based in Minnesota, recognized kindred musical spirits in Sisters. “Our alternative designs take the best ideas from the past and improve them, for an interesting balance of tradition and innovation,” Nechville said. He found the designs were more readily acceptable in the northwest, making Sisters a natural location for Nechville’s new production facility, Banjo Revolution, which allows him to spend more time on every banjo he creates.
The Billy Strings band embodies the instrument building scene in Sisters: Not only does Billy Strings play a Thompson guitar, but his banjo player Billy Failing picks a Nechville Vintage Eclipse.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tom Nechville , Butch Boswell, Jayson Bowerman, Andrew Mowry & Rebecca Urlacher
The Artistry of Lutherie
Rebecca Urlacher is a rarity in the lutherie world. In the early 2000s, she Googled “female luthiers” and found only three women in the field. Urlacher, who moved to Bend in high school and earned a BFA at the University of Oregon, is also rare as a luthier who doesn’t play music. “She’s one of the top 10 builders I’ve encountered,” said Boswell. “She can voice a top like no one else.” Voicing a top involves tapping the wood, carefully listening to the tone and then adjusting its thickness and shape. When Urlacher taps a guitar top, she’s imagining “how that guitar will sing.” she said. Her finger-style guitars are known for their playability, amazing sustain and wide dynamic range.
Urlacher was a decade into a successful career as a porcelain ceramicist when she took a right turn toward guitars. “I saw a picture of a luthier’s shop—all those tools and wood—and said, ‘That’s it.’” Urlacher learned instrument building by reading books, watching videos and interacting with other builders. “You can approach building very scientifically, but I approach it more instinctually.” Her instincts—honed by years of hand-building classy, simple vessels of clay—help her shape magnificent instruments of wood, and she builds only five or six guitars a year, which allows her meticulous focus.
She said she builds guitars for the music. “There’s no greater thing than creating something people play.”
Local Guitar maker, Rebecca Urlacher of Bend Oregon
Anton Yakushev fits in well at Dry Canyon Forge in Bend. His bear-like frame equals the size of hulking machines around him. Five-pound hammers sit at ease in his calloused hands, as do the tongs holding a glowing bar of steel just removed from a 2,300-degree forge. Yakushev does not hesitate as he pounds a shape on the anvil, yet his focused eyes make sure all is right before each strike. In steel sculpture, Yakushev’s braun and artistic grace alloy into finely balanced creative expression.
Neither the acquisition of blacksmithing skills nor his relocation to Bend were quick nor easy. Like one of his sculptures—entirely hand-forged, never cast—Yakushev’s success has relied on perseverance, dedication and long-term vision.
Forging Ahead
Originally from Kolomna, a historic city on the outskirts of Moscow, Yakushev pursued a fine arts degree in the early 2000s. In school, he excelled at drawing and knew he wanted to sculpt, but he hadn’t yet discovered the right medium. A visit to a friend’s forge ended the search. Seeing what could be done with steel, the equilibrium between weight and elegance, Yakushev decided to invest a decade of time learning the craft of blacksmithing so that one day he could make art.
Following a few years spent observing blacksmith artists, and eight more as an apprentice, Yakushev opened his own blacksmith studio in Kolomna. He built handrails and other architectural pieces as he honed his ability further. He started making sculptures, which led to shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and to teaching workshops across Europe.
“Star Horse”
In 2018, Yakushev and his wife, Kat, first visited Bend, invited by the Central Oregon Metal Arts Guild (COMAG) to give demonstrations and teach workshops. Yakushev felt appreciated here, not a common feeling he had in Russia, where he said art had to be made according to rules.
“When I was doing demonstrations in America, people who were watching kind of absorbed everything—they wanted to learn, and they were so grateful,” Yakushev said through Kat as interpreter. “And you sense that it’s a very important mission. It’s so wonderful that people are interested. I feel so welcome here.”
In February 2022, the Yakushevs arrived for another trip to the United States. Two days later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Anton, whose mother is Ukrainian, applied for political asylum here and the Yakushevs have been living in Bend ever since.
“The Owl”
Forging Ahead in Central Oregon
Central Oregon has given Yakushev a fresh perspective on life and art. “There’s just a different mood here—I feel safe, and that influences my art,” he said. “I would never make a lamp with a bird in Russia, but now I have several projects about nature. Here, I started to feel more life, and that’s why I’m able to enjoy nature around me, and to show it through my art.”
The Central Oregon and North American metal arts community also benefits from Yakushev’s presence. He’s a member of COMAG, and he continues to teach and share his knowledge. Friend and fellow blacksmith, Joe Elliott, remains impressed by the skills and techniques Yakushev has brought to Bend.
“It’s a new skill set of how to make proportionally correct sculptures out of multiple pieces using traditional joinery,” Elliott said. “That wasn’t here beforehand.”
Elliott owns Dry Canyon Forge and rents space to Yakushev. The two have collaborated with others on projects including a life-size bald eagle, covered with 400 hand-forged feathers, that Yakushev designed for the High Desert Museum. Elliott marvels at Yakushev’s innate ability to capture movement, something often missing in sculptural work.
“1.5” from The Leaves Cover the War Project
“Anton’s work is unique, not only in terms of design but in terms of how he puts things together,” Elliott said. “He uses traditional joinery with contemporary design. It’s a very unusual technique using rivets and collars, as opposed to just welding or casting, and I don’t know of anybody else really doing that.”
Currently, Yakushev is working on a life-size horse that, like his eagle, will require the help of other blacksmiths. He has also taken to jewelry, a testing field for the sculptor. As Yakushev learns to work with silver and gold, and to set stones, he expands his own experience as a metal artist.
“I believe if you like what you’re doing, challenges can help you develop and grow,” Yakushev said. I like [the part] during the process when I say, ‘Okay, this is a challenge, so how can I do it?’ Then, I just keep working.”
Bachelor is open. The road is slick. Don’t be that driver.
When Mt. Bachelor opened on November 15, it was the earliest the lifts had spun since 1998. That means I got a jump start on being cranky.
That has nothing to do with the mountain or Powdr Corp. or the way the Skyliner lot fills up hours before it used to back in the Old Timey times when two hand pulled pints at Deschutes with a burger and a side Caesar cost you $12. No, no. Bachelor is one of my favorite places to ski and I’ve skied in about 20 countries. It’s that damn drive up. And it’s not even the drive, really. It’s the people who can’t just chill out that make me a frosty Ebenezer. You know who they are.
They’re the yahoos who loathe the conga line and inexplicably try to frogger their way up a 20-mile line of cars. They drive too fast for conditions, jamming out to music I hate, and spin off the road in disbelief. (“I wasn’t going fast!”). Most of the time, nothing happens, until it does, and then the rest of us who were at least tolerating doing 45 have to either abort, wait or turn around and go through Sunriver. I hope no one gets hurt but the impatience is enough to make me pop.
The worst of the bunch, in my grumble opinion, are the drivers who are either too inexperienced, too ignorant or too lazy to be prepared. I sorta get it, though, having been “that guy” myself when I first experienced a proper winter, in Montana, when Bush 1 was president. It didn’t take long for me to learn that a two-wheel drive pickup with bald tires isn’t a great way to get to Bridger. So I made other arrangements. That was the first winter I’d ever heard of AWD.
Accidents are accidents and not “on purpose-ents.” We live in a place that attracts a lot of people who may arrive in rental cars or in their little two-wheel drive Westsidemobiles. A lot of locals work their asses off just to afford a pass, let alone a $30,000 Suby. And so they set out on Century Drive with an “it’ll be fine” attitude. Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. But you have a choice. So, for the love of Ullr, here’s what I’m begging you to do:
Get proper snow tires.
All-season tires are not proper snow tires. Those “mud and snow” tires, the ones that say M+S on them, are not proper snow tires. Get something like what I’m running this year, Nokian Hakkapeliittas, the “granddaddy of all winter tires,” as the guy at Discount Tire said.
At the very least, look for the three peak mountain snowflake on your tires. That means they have been verified by a third party to perform in extreme winter conditions. The tread is good, yes, but the rubber compound remains flexible and grippy in cold temperatures. Nokian Tyres even makes an “ice grip” tire that goes a step further, which is what you’d expect from a Finnish company that invented the snow tire. Don’t think you need them? Your AWD or 4WD does nothing to help you stop or turn. That’s up to your tires.
Studs vs no-studs.
This is like asking, Deschutes or BBC? Everyone will have an opinion and swear theirs is right. The simple answer: Studs are superior when the road is slick as snot or packed in rock hard snow. But that’s it. Most of the time, like 95 percent of Central Oregon winter driving, proper non-studded snow tires are the way to go. They handle better on dry pavement than most studs do, too.
Slow down.(That means you.)
“Most people try to go too fast,” says Michael Johnson, a retired sheriff’s deputy who taught cops how to drive for years. Brake before you enter a curve, he says. Accelerate after you’ve come out of the curve. When coming downhill, downshift. “If you get the tire sliding and you try to turn, the car is going to just go straight,” he says. “Start managing this weight and energy when you can drive in a straight line, before a corner.”
Take a course.
Johnson offers a “Skid Car” training class with hands-on instruction on how to handle skids and slides using a car set atop a special rig that mimics losing traction. Have a young driver who loves to ski in your family? (I do). Best $100 ever spent.
Leave lots of room.
The person in front of you driving way too slow? Maybe it’s a young driver who’s playing it cautious because they worked all summer to save up for their first car and don’t want to smash it. Maybe it’s a visitor. Maybe that person just doesn’t want to risk making everyone else go around through Sunriver. So chill out. Back off. Enjoy the drive. Breathe. (Bend has classes on that.) You’ll get there a whole two minutes later. Who cares?
Take the bus.
I’ve lobbied for years that we need aski train but while we’re waiting for that $10 billion idea we have the $7 Mt. Bachelor bus. Don’t have those snow tires? Take the bus. Don’t feel comfortable driving in the snow? Bus! Want to be a lay-arounder and not a zoom-arounder? Stay home and watch ski movies. I mean, take the bus!
Opening day, I let my daughter skip school. We were giddy as could be until the guy in front me was doing 44 on dry pavement. Still, ever the role model, I backed off. Good thing. My brand new snow tires got a workout near Virginia Meissner, where winter really began.
You know who didn’t have brand new snow tires? The guy in the white SUV who spun out near Swampy and got stuck in a snowbank.
Artist Maija Kellner-Rode Paints Natural Flora Guided by Intuition
In her Gathered Wares studio of Bend’s historic Old Iron Works Art District, artist Maija Kellner-Rode engages in somatic and instinctive artmaking. She channels her reverence for the natural world through colorful and textured paintings, offering captivating imagery that is also a testament to the healing process of life as an artist.
“I live in a world where I’m always surrounding myself with art and art inspiration,” Kellner-Rode said, her world extending beyond studio walls and into the landscapes of Central Oregon. Kellner-Rode is a fine art painter who works with acrylics, oil pastels and graphite to achieve layered, colorful compositions. Her artworks depict rich, leafy botanicals, color-blocked landscapes and abstract interpretations inspired by the outdoors. Based in Bend, Kellner-Rode is the owner and designer of Maija Rebecca Hand Drawn, a local paper goods and design company. In 2023, Scalehouse Gallery’s Patricia Clark Studio residency program provided her with a six-month creative sanctuary where she had the opportunity to play and explore her art.
“The Warmth That Carries Me”
Kellner-Rode’s creativity is in her blood. “I come from a deep line of artists,” she said. Her aunts, Rachel Binah and Bonnie Ora Sherk, have been influential role models to her throughout her life, blending art with activism and environmental stewardship. Kellner-Rode’s family has been immersed in the Bend community for 17 years and has continued their legacy of creativity and civic engagement. Her brother, David, operates Boundless Farmstead, one of the largest vegetable producers in Central Oregon. Three years ago, she relocated from Portland to Bend to be near her family and continue the legacy of art and community contribution.
The nuanced world of shadows is a well of inspiration for Kellner-Rode’s work. A lot of her current pieces can be interpreted as shadows of nature’s flora. “When you look at a plant, there’s this very specific dimensionality, but once it becomes a shadow, it flattens and the shape can become something different entirely… I find shadows to be really mysterious and beautiful,” she said.
“Self Energy”
Intuition guides Kellner-Rode’s process. Sometimes, she inscribes words directly onto the canvas, akin to a journal entry, allowing them to peek through or disappear behind veiling layers of paint. “I don’t plan anything out beforehand. It’s all very of the moment,” Kellner-Rode said. Unwilling to let wet paint interrupt her momentum, she may even employ a hairdryer to prepare a piece for its next layer. Her approach oscillates between diluted pigment for watercolor-like washes and bold, opaque applications to form color blocks, investigating the possibilities of texture and hue in her medium. “It’s like being a kid, going back and allowing myself to play, not having rules and seeing what happens,” she said.
A photo of Kellner-Rode as a toddler hangs in her studio. For her, childhood healing is an undertaking she can permeate with her art–an introspective approach that allows her to explore her personal evolution. When Kellner-Rode channels various stages of her adolescence while creating, as she often does, she becomes her own muse.
Pulling on 13 years of experience mentoring youth—from Portland’s p:ear center for houseless youth to Central Oregon’s Caldera Arts program—she’s now devoting her passion for art to a new venture: the Open Arts Center. This nonprofit, co-founded with Claire Brislin, aims to provide a safe space for middle- and high-school aged youth to explore creativity. “The creative arts are a really powerful tool to engage awareness and understanding,” Kellner-Rode said. The center will offer after-school programming, self-directed learning and community-sourced mentorship opportunities, embodying Kellner-Rode’s vision of art as a catalyst for personal and community wellbeing.
Kellner-Rode’s studio in the Old Iron Works Art District is an intimate, public-facing workspace that she is grateful to call home for her artwork. Synthesizing personal development, social connection and nature’s wisdom, Kellner-Rode is both a student and teacher of art’s capacity for healing. See maijakellnerrode.com, @maijakellnerrode.
There’s a distinguished group of people who don’t need the word “super” in front of “hero,” because their feats of heroism are real. Their origin stories are also more humbling. This heroic group is honored each Veterans Day, a federal holiday on November 11 recognizing United States Armed Forces military veterans.
While all veterans deserve recognition, there are organizations, volunteers, and veterans across the country and in Central Oregon working to honor more military women who have historically received less acknowledgment.
In March 2024, Central Oregon Community College (COCC)hosted“I Am Not Invisible,” a campaign started in 2017 by the U.S. Center for Women Veterans (CWV) to recognize some of the more than two million female veterans who make up 10% of the military population. To date, the CWV project has crossed 50 states to capture more than 3,200 portraits of female veterans, including women of Oregon who shared their stories — especially about lack of recognition and barriers they face to access health care and additional resources.
Meet Local Female Veterans
Inspired by the exhibit, local veterans Debbie Restivo, Kristi Russ and Anita Sergeant audio-recorded their military stories with the Library of Congress Veteran History Project, a program of COCC. The project uses trained volunteers to interview veterans, thereby preserving their stories for an online public audio library.
In their words, Restivo, Russ and Sergeant share their stories.
Debbie Restivo
U.S. Marine, Communication Operator (1990-1994)
“Cherry Point, North Carolina, was my first duty station. Barely a year in, I was sexually assaulted by members of my unit. I felt ruined; there was no command support, not even therapy. I loved serving; I felt a part of something special as a com-operator. The assault and lack of support led to my military departure. Now, I’m a veteran peer support specialist in Bend; I influence all veterans to speak out about sexual assaults and how to find health resources. Providing the support I didn’t have to every veteran brings me solace.”
Kristi Russ
U.S. Coast Guard (2002-2006)
“I was stationed in Alameda, California, and assigned to a drug interdiction ship crew. My unit seized tons of cocaine and detained smugglers attempting U.S. entry, towing or destroying their boats. We had 110 crew members, 10 of whom were females. Our crew was like family, but our expectations from leaders were unequal. When men make mistakes, they were viewed as an individual’s flaw. For females, mistakes were usually seen as a collective gender flaw. I would do it all again. It was an honor serving alongside both men and women who deserve equal recognition.”
Anita Sergeant
U.S. Navy, Aviation Supply Operator (1990-1995)
“I was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. At only 21, I managed millions of dollars working in administration. During the audits, I was responsible for balancing the budget for mission success and couldn’t be a penny off. Being an African American female adds to the pressure. All female service members were judged as a collective. However, supervisors frequently reminded me that my performance would reflect my gender and race. I’m part of the first generation in my family to serve, and it’s an honor. Every gender and race contributed to our nation’s military legacy.”
Suzette Hibble is doing it to discover who she is beyond a wife and mother. Anna Schmitt is in it to uncover her true self — the one she was before societal roles such as educator defined her. Clint Reinhard loves saying “yes” to new things. Elizabeth Havice does it for fun with friends and heard it could help her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, too. Luke Warren wants to tap into the fun he had trying acting when he was younger.
They’re all taking a Central Oregon Community College (COCC) continuing education class in improvisational theater, or improv, in which actors have no script but simply make it up as they go along, often based on suggestions from the audience. Although their reasons for joining vary, each participant is drawn to the diverse benefits improv offers. Locally, people are seeking out improv not only as entertainment but for a range of other benefits, from boosting career skills and interpersonal relationships to helping with serious illnesses such as cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Photography by Ely Roberts
The Rules of Improv
Renny Temple, a longtime L.A. actor in television, commercials and improv theater, has been teaching “Improv for Life” at COCC since he moved here in 2018. “I decided to connect the life factor to improv,” he said. “You have hundreds of scenes every day that you call your life,” he described. “You talk to cashiers, you talk to friends, you talk to your boss, you talk to your spouse, your kids, and you don’t have a cue card and you don’t have a teleprompter, and you can use the same rules of improv in your life.”
He named some of the rules of improv: “Take care of the other person—don’t try to be better than anybody, try to make everybody better because of you. Collaborate, don’t be competitive.” People start understanding the concept of how you can take these rules and apply them to their lives, he said. “Pretty soon it starts becoming part of your life, and magic starts to happen when you start cooperating rather than arguing. You start creating things that are better than one person thinking by themselves.”
Temple isn’t alone in recognizing the power of improv in everyday life. At the Bend Institute of Comedy, professional actor-writer-director John Breen emphasized the joy and growth that comes from play. Improv boosts confidence and communication, and the physiological benefits of laughing are scientifically proven, he said. “All of your relationships will improve when you can listen better,” he said. “And, we’re laughing throughout the whole class—we’re having fun.That’s a major part of it. If you stick with it—guaranteed many things will improve in your life.”
Remembering to Play
Simply getting to play is vital, too. “If you forget how to play, life is hard,” Breen said.
For Carol Sternkopf, one of the eight members of the improv performance group The Roundabouts, the aspect of play carried her through treatment for bladder cancer this year.
“It’s pure play. It’s absolute play, and it’s not something a lot of adults get to do,” said Sternkopf, a photographer who learned the craft of improv from Temple and took classes from Breen, too. “[When doing improv] I did not even give cancer a second thought. I was like, I’m here to play.”
Improv is taking other forms locally, too. One example is the monthly show “So You Think You Got Jokes,” at Silver Moon Brewing and elsewhere. There, standup comedians do improv jokes based on audience suggestions collected at the beginning of the show.
John Breen, founder of Bend Institute of Comedy with Ally Hickson.
More improv opportunities are on the horizon as well. Ryan Traughber founded entertainment production company Bend Comedy in 2015, halted it during the pandemic, and will restart Bend Improv Group shows and workshops this year, he said. Learn more at bendcomedy.com.
Meanwhile, on any given weeknight, a local improv class is likely underway, offering lessons for life as well as for laughter. Learn more atbendinstituteofcomedy.com.
The Bend Improv Trio “Harris, Mills & Gibler” is Robert Mills, left, Liam Gibler, right and Nancy Harris, background.
Find an avalanche of flavor at Currents Restaurant & Lounge
It’s almost ski season, and while adventures at Mt. Bachelor may be a highlight of winter, the ultimate reward lies in the après scene. Stealing the spotlight this season is the Avalanche, served at Currents at the Riverhouse Lodge. This seasonal cocktail combines the boldness of an espresso martini with the creaminess of a White Russian—and adds a local twist.
Partnering with Bend’s Crater Lake Spirits, the signature drink reflects the energy and spirit of Central Oregon. The cocktail starts with Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka (HEV). Picture the perfect smooth and rich cup of coffee, blended with tasting notes of hazelnut and brown sugar in this locally produced spirit that stands on its own while lending depth and dimension to the espresso-inspired cocktail.
The Avalanche takes Crater Lake HEV and amps up the richness with crème de cacao and Kahlua. Cream evokes snow drifts, and it’s topped with chocolate hazelnut shavings. The result is a drink that’s both energizing and indulgent, ideal for festive gatherings or a quiet evening by the fire.
Starting in January, the Avalanche, or any other happy hour drink, may be coupled with the ultimate post-ski pairing: chair massages to melt away any slope-induced tension. No avalanche training is required, just a desire to unwind in a riverside setting at lower elevation. Read more about Currents at Riverhouse and their mouth-watering menu.
Currents at the Riverhouse Lodge
3075 N Hwy 97, Bend riverhouse.com
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We all love the phenomenal happy hours offered at many favorite spots throughout Bend. However, Bend isn’t the only town in Central Oregon with renowned drinking and dining deals. From Redmond, Sisters, Terrebonne and beyond, check out our selection of the best Central Oregon happy hour deals in the region.
REDMOND, OREGON
Terra Kitchen at the SPC Hotel
Redmond’s Terra Kitchen at the SPC Hotel offers a plant-forward, Mediterranean-style menu with Pacific Northwest offerings. Terra Kitchen always uses the freshest ingredients, which isn’t too difficult considering that the restaurant sources much of its ingredients from local farms. From salads and pasta to grilled salmon and some of the best pizzas around, this stop has something for everyone.
Terra Kitchen, SCP Hotel, Redmond | Photo by Aubrie LeGault
E BarGrill
Contemporary meets Western in downtown Redmond at E BarGrill. The restaurant and sports bar offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. It opens two hours early on Saturday and Sunday with a special weekend breakfast menu. Their lunch and dinner menus are extensive, with delicious options from various food genres, with a cowboy twist. Burgers, sandwiches, fried halibut, steak, meatloaf, pizza and more – true comfort food. Many of these plates are offered at E BarGrill’s happy hour, or should we say “hours,” three of them, from 3-6 pm daily. It’s $1 off draft beers and $1 off well drinks, which includes a house red and white wine. Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. are extra special, with $6 Bloody Marys and Mimosas, and pitchers of beer ranging from $6 – $7. Learn more bout E BarGrill’s Happy Hour.
Opening at 11 a.m. for weekday lunch and dinner, The Hideaway Tavern is one of Redmond’s favorite places to grab a burger, sandwich or other pub favorites. On the weekend, head into The Hideaway starting at 8 a.m. for one of the best breakfasts in town. The menu is inspired by their sister restaurant, The Victorian Cafe in Bend. If it is a happy hour you seek, The Hideaway Tavern has it. From 2 – 5 pm daily, the bar offers fries and other pub offerings, as well as $1 off draft beers, ciders, house wine and cocktails. Cider and beer pitchers are $3 off.
The Feast Food Co. brings local to your table. From vegetables to beef, The Feast Food Co. partners with local farmers and ranchers to ensure your dinner hasn’t traveled far. They also have a menu that often changes to use the freshest local ingredients in season. Many of the same dinner offerings are also featured on The Feast Food Co.’s happy hour from 2-5 p.m. daily, and go until closing time on Mondays. Well drinks are $5, house wine is $8, draft beers are $1 off, and select cans are $4. Learn more about Feast Food Co.’s Happy Hour.
Phenomenal beer and pub food can be found in Sisters, Oregon. While Three Creeks Brew Pub specializes in burgers, they also craft outstanding pizzas, tacos and soups and salads for a lighter offering. They also have daily lunch and dinner specials paired with their rotating beers on tap. Happy hour is from 3-6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and all day on Sunday. Their food menu has some of Three Creeks’ tastiest pub treats for a slim price, with well drinks, house wine and draft beers for $6. Learn more about Three Creeks Brew Pub’s Happy Hour.
Fine dining is located in downtown Sisters at The Depot Cafe. Food and drink ingredients are Mediterranean-inspired and gluten-free focused, while beer, wine and cocktail ingredients are locally sourced.
The Depot Cafe’s happy hour runs from 3 – 5 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Saturday’s happy hour picks back up at 8 pm and goes until 10 pm, Select beers are $4, well drinks are $6, select wines range from $6–$10 and select cocktails range from $5–$8. Many dishes are also offered from $6–$10.
If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food, head to one of Central Oregon’s best Mexican restaurants in Sisters, Oregon. Javier and Lorena Luna founded Rancho Viejo in 2007, growing the restaurant into what it is today with traditional food, a welcoming atmosphere and phenomenal drinks. Make their table yours.
Happy hour at Rancho Viejo is Monday through Friday, 2 – 5 pm, where most of the Mexican cocktail selection sees a $2 discount. If you only try one drink, make it the house margarita mixed with homemade margarita mix.
If barbeque and gourmet burgers are your thing, look no further than Dillon’s Grill in Prineville. For a generous deal, the Pint Club is the way to go. To become a member of the club, join the Loyalty Program. Signing up for the program is easy, and earning points is even easier. You earn a point for every $1 spent. Points can then be redeemed for cash off your next meal at Dillon’s. It’s a no-brainer. Once you join the Dillon’s Grill Loyalty Program, you can get into the Pint Club, which gives you access to a private Facebook group. There, you can download coupons for your next beer!
Okay, these last two may not be “happy hours,” per se, but we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t mention a couple of prominent establishments in Terrebonne. First is Brand 44° North. (Shown, first photo above, by Tambi Lane Photography.) From 7 am – 2 pm daily, grab some of the most exceptional breakfast and brunch treats. You’ll also find a great coffee cocktail if you’re looking for a bit of adventure.
La Catrina Chingona, Terrebonne | Photo by Tambi Lane
The other must-see is the newly founded La Catrina Chingona, which brings fresh Mexican cuisine to the table, paired with a full tequila bar. Fresh food and drinks that can pass as art await.
Our local breweries are an obvious place to start to find the best happy hours in Bend. Here are a few local breweries that offer some solid happy hours.
Deschutes Brewery
Deschutes Brewery
For locals in Bend, “Deschutes Brewery” and “local beer” are synonymous terms. The brewery, which has been around since the 1980s, offers discounts and exclusive beers to members of their Pub Club. The yearly membership offers first dibs on specialty beers throughout the year, discounts at the restaurant, and $3 pints on Wednesdays, along with other perks.
Grab an award-winning craft beer and some great food while overlooking the Deschutes River. Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2025, Bend Brewing Company is the second oldest brewery in Bend. At BBC, Local’s Night is every Tuesday from 3 p.m.to close with $4 pints. Enjoy their Smashburger combo (burger, fries, and a pint) for $15 Monday through Thursday.
Keeping this photo in memorandum of Boss Rambler Beer Club that closed in fall 2025 | Photo by Tambi Lane
CRUX Fermentation Project
One of Bend’s not-so-secret hot spots, CRUX Fermentation Project, is a treat once you find it off the beaten path. The renovated transmission repair shop is known for its spacious lawn and one of the best mountain views in town. Stop by Monday through Friday from 2-4 p.m. for $1 off all beers and $2 off shared plates from the in-house menu. With more than 24 taps, picnic tables, firepits, and food carts on site, it makes for a scenic and social happy hour.
Grab a beer, dip in the soaking pool, catch a movie, or stay the weekend atBend’s McMenamins location. Located at the Old St. Francis School in Downtown Bend, McMenamins is a complex of five bars and pubs featuring happy hours Sunday through Thursday from 3-6 p.m. Brewing beer since 1985, McMenamins serves its craft beer, ciders and seltzers, wine, and whiskey. Happy Hour deals include $1 off drinks, $2 off flights and cocktails, and discounted bottles of wine.
While our breweries are a classic choice, Bend’s happy hour scene has hidden gems offering everything from craft brews to cocktails. Here’s a roundup of non-brewery locations where you can enjoy happy hour in Bend, Oregon.
Bangers and Brews
The best way to grab a cheap drink at Bangers and Brews is to follow their social media and turn on notifications. Happy hour sees $2 off beers, $2 tall boys, and discounts on food and is daily from 2-5 p.m., except for all day happy hour on Tuesdays. Thursdays are trivia nights featuring a different brewery each week with $4 beers, with other special events and evenings sprinkled in. As Bangers and Brews would say, “E-B-D-B — eat bangers, drink beers.”
Set in a historic building just steps from Mirror Pond and Drake Park, The Commons has a laid-back vibe with a rotating tap list, wine and local coffee. Swing by any day of the week from 3-5 p.m. for its daily happy hour: $5 drafts (beer and cider) and $2 off wine pours. It’s the perfect window to enjoy drinks with a river view. Learn more about The Commons Cafe & Taproom Happy Hour offerings.
The Deschutes River flows right alongside Currents at the Riverhouse. For riverside dining, there’s no place like it in Bend. The water is so close you can almost touch it. Its happy hour is Monday to Friday from 4-6 p.m. A late-night summer happy hour is Thursday through Saturday, 9-10 p.m. Enjoy $5 beers, discounted cocktails, and 20% off select food.
For some of the best Mexican street food in Bend, look no further than El Sancho. El Sancho has three locations: its original spot on NE Dekalb Avenue, the eatery on Galveston Avenue and a taco truck at Crux Fermentation Project. Visit El Sancho’s taco shops between 3-5 p.m. Monday through Friday for happy hour deals: $3 tacos (no, you can’t eat too many), $1 off beers, and select margaritas for $7.50. Sorry though, the deal pauses for summer.
Happy hour is all day every Wednesday at Flights Wine Bar! If you head there on a different day of the week, you can still enjoy the wine bar’s happy hour menu from 3-5 p.m. Get $2 off 6oz pours, $2 off appetizers, and $1 off draft beer. Learn more about Flights Wine Bar’s Happy Hour offerings.
Fine dining meets the ranching and cowboy lifestyle at Bend’s Hawkeye & Huckleberry. From whole roasted pigs that feed a party to their infamous porterhouse steak, the newly established restaurant and lounge focuses on the best local ingredients. This extends to their happy hour menu from 4-5 p.m. daily, where you can get their Hawkeye Burger for just $10 and add a Coors Light for only $1 more. Or, if you are looking for a beer to match the local cuisine, beers on draft are $5. Learn more about Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge’s Happy Hour offerings.
For that perfect fusion of Mexican and Peruvian cuisine, look no further thanHola. With six locations around Central Oregon, you won’t have to look very far! The restaurant has some of Bend’s best margaritas, and fortunately, you can try one at Hola’s happy hour. Margaritas and mojitos are $2 off between 3-6 p.m., and appetizers are $3 off.
Here you can indulge in a triple beef patty or opt for a plant-based Vegan Sweet Potato Burger. Mountain Burger is serving up burgers, bowls, salads, and fries while serving the community at the same time. This year alone, they’ve given over $70,000 to more than 80 different organizations, including local schools. If that isn’t reason enough to have your next meal at Mountain Burger, they also have a great happy hour from 3-5 p.m. daily with low prices on select food, $5 beers on tap, and $3 Rainiers. Learn more about Mountain Burger’s Happy Hour offerings.
At Noi, the daily happy hour is called a Golden Hour, and it’s from 2:30–5:30 p.m. Appetizers and select entrees are discounted, plus it offers rotating wine and beer specials and a cocktail of the night.
Find wraps with a world of flavor at this local favorite that has been at the southwest corner of Galveston and 14th for longer than most of us can remember. Parrilla Grill is the perfect place to grab a burrito, as you head up to Phil’s Trailhead or stop in for its craveable Hefe’s Fish Taco and a $2 PBR.
Set along Mirror Pond in downtown Bend, Pine Tavern is a classic local spot. Head to the bar on weekday afternoons for happy hour, for comfort meals and classic cocktails. Happy Hour is Tuesday to Friday, 2-5 p.m. Drinks include well spirits for $5.75, draft beer specials at $5, house wine for $5.50 and a signature sangria for $6.75. Learn more about Pine Tavern’s Happy Hour offerings.
At NorthWest Crossing, Portello offers a relaxed neighborhood environment and a curated wine list. Cool off inside, or sit on the cozy patio to catch happy hour Tuesday through Saturday, 4-6 p.m., and on Mondays, 4-9 p.m., where select wines pour for about $6. The small plates on special are a draw, but Portello’s mix-and-match flatbread has a loyal following. Learn more about Portello Wine and Spirits’ Happy Hour offerings.
If it is authentic German food you crave, grab your lederhosen and head to Prost! Bend. All sorts of wurst and schnitzels await you, along with some of the best German beer you will find. Happy hour is Monday through Friday, 3-5 p.m. Learn more about Prost’s Happy Hour offerings.
Inside downtown Bend’s Oxford Hotel, ROAM offers globally inspired Modern American plates. With a happy hour that runs twice a day, every day, it’s easy to stop by for cocktails and shareables. Happy Hour runs from 2-5 p.m. and from 9-10 p.m. Buy two small bites or shareables, and get one free. Additionally, enjoy $2 off beer, wine, and craft cocktails. Learn more about ROAM’s Locals Night | See ROAM’s sample menu | Learn more about ROAM’s Happy Hour offerings
Short windows on your favorite happy hours can be an issue. Luckily, happy hours are extended with places like Washington, even on the weekends. Washington’s weekday happy hour goes from 3-5 p.m. and from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. And there’s a lot of food to choose from, like burgers, fries, salads, sliders, not to mention beer, well drinks, and wine. Learn more about Washington Dining & Cocktails Happy Hour offerings.
Creating a Sophisticated Space for Family, Entertaining and Art
The remodel of a home in Broken Top began in 2020 with a straightforward need: a place to park the owners’ camper van. “It morphed from there,” said Michelle Wilson of Lightfoot Architecture & Design. She first met with the clients in the fall of 2020, and what began as a simple project quickly expanded into a major remodel. Three years later, the structure had undergone a highly customized metamorphosis, emerging as a sophisticated home tailored for comfort, entertaining family and friends while showcasing a life’s worth of collected art.
Builder Katie Pendleton, owner of The Fort construction company, said her team initially approached this project “thinking it would be putting lipstick on an already beautiful home in an established neighborhood. [But] we ended up taking out the entire center section of the house.”Over the gutted space, they erected a gable roof at a 90-degree turn from the original roof’s direction. This redesign flooded the space with natural light, enhanced views of the golf course and Mount Bachelor, and established a new heart of the home.
The initial idea to build space for the camper van led to a complete teardown of the garage, which was reconstructed with space for the van, cars and a second story to replace space lost in the rebuilt central part of the home. In the end, nearly every surface of the 5,600-square-foot residence had been touched and improved, including installing new insulation and drywall, updated electrical and lighting controls, plumbing fixtures and a modern HVAC system.
First Impressions: Nailing the “Wow” Factor
The homeowners wanted to create a memorable first impression when guests entered the home, garnering advice from Wilson, Pendleton and interior designer Anne Mastalir, owner of Design Bar. Today, visitors are greeted by a dramatic three-sided fireplace between two vaulted rooms. “They wanted it to feel like Bend, so we incorporated burnt wood, steel and lava rock materials commonly found in the area’s older homes,” Wilson noted.
The entry introduces visitors to the first of many commissioned and collected pieces of art thoughtfully placed throughout the home, including a life-size black and white drawing of the owner’s grandfather’s saddle hanging in the entry. To accommodate lighting for art throughout the house, the clients brought in a lighting designer, Chris Ferguson, founder of Part & Process LLC.
The cohesive design theme continues as the charred wood (also called shou sugi ban) on the dwelling’s outside siding extends into the interior along a wall that conceals a powder room only discovered by pulling a discreet door handle. The wood then wraps around a corner to the wet bar and a wine cellar designed by Vieng Oudom of Sommi Wine Cellars in Portland, with a custom racking system to create the illusion that the 800 bottles are floating in the temperature- and humidity-controlled room. The charred wood continues into the kitchen where Harvest Moon Woodworks built and installed black, handleless cabinets for a sleek, complementary look.
The Kitchen Details
Revolving around the homeowners’ love of cooking, the kitchen layout includes a large island made of two different stones that visually mark areas: one for sitting and chatting and another for food prep and cooking. It merges with the large, open living room, facilitating conversation and camaraderie among people hanging out, gathered around the fireplace or having a cup of coffee.
The extensive use of exposed steel in the remodel–replacing traditional wood beams and supporting the fireplace, island stones, staircase and railings—imbues the home with a distinctive industrial aesthetic. This steel framework contrasts with the walls of glass in the open area. Sliding glass doors lead to a patio with an outdoor kitchen where the owner enjoys making breakfast for guests who appreciate the seamless blend of indoor and outdoor living.
From the patio, it’s possible to reach an in-ground hot tub and private entrance to the primary bedroom suite. The indoor shower opens via a glass door to an outside shower in a unique design. The owners said figuring out how to blend the two and provide privacy challenged the entire design and construction team.
Photo by Ryan Flood
Creative Solutions: Maximize Space and Comfort Upstairs
Over the staircase, five Foscarini Spokes pendant lights guide the way to the second level. An open-railing catwalk offers views of the great room below, keeping residents connected to activity downstairs. The catwalk also leads to a small office with direct views of Mount Bachelor and, in the other direction, to the garage wing.
One notable architectural challenge was maximizing guest sleeping areas upstairs. The corner where two nonmatching roof lines converge and the central house angles toward the garage wing presented both a challenge and an opportunity. To address this, a collaborative effort among the homeowners and the design and build team resulted in two small rooms on either side of the corner, each featuring full-size bunk beds.
“The best design is when you go through the process and create something new and unique,” said Mastalir.
A long hallway greets guests as they approach the space affectionately dubbed “The Big Ass Fun Room.” It is lined with family photos, an unexpected sauna on one side and a series of windows overlooking the driveway on the other. The room is a vibrant blend of sports and travel memorabilia, entertainment platforms and a cleverly concealed gear storage area, making it a quintessential family gathering spot.
In collaboration with a rare, all-female core team, the owners crafted a home that “facilitates connection, love and warmth,” said Mastalir. She noted that the interior space planning led to “one of the only projects I’ve done that looked even better after the clients moved in. They have spectacular taste.” It is a one-of-a-kind space that’s both new and distinctively tailored to the owners, honoring the Broken Top neighborhood and Central Oregon while serving as a welcoming gathering place for all.
Summer may get all the buzz, but fall in Central Oregon is a hidden gem of a season. Aside from being peak hiking and mountain biking season, fall also brings dynamic cultural events and festivals to the high desert. From the internationally renowned Sisters Folk Festival to the BendFilm Festival, Central Oregon is buzzing with events you won’t want to miss. As the leaves change color and the air turns crisp, these gatherings offer a chance to support the community in diverse events steeped in creativity and culture.
Fresh Hops On The Pond 2024 is set to take place on Friday, October 4 from 11 am to 8 pm, featuring live music and fresh hop beer from over 20 different breweries. Enjoy the day outside on the lawn or patio at Bend Brewing Bend Brewing (1019 NW Brooks St.) while sampling the fresh hop beers of the season. The event is open to all ages and pets, making it a family-friendly event. Learn more about Fresh Hops on the Pond.
The 2024 First Interstate Bank Bend Fall Festival is set to be a celebration of the harvest season with art, music, and family-friendly activities. The festival will feature a large-scale recycled art installation, live music, a family play zone, a harvest market, and a business showcase. The festival is made possible through grant funding from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund. Read more about Bend Fall Fest.
The BendFilm Festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, is again turning Bend into a vibrant hub for independent cinema. During four days, this event draws filmmakers and enthusiasts from across the country to immerse themselves in a carefully curated selection of feature and short films. With more than a thousand film submissions annually and screenings in various local theaters, including a historic downtown cinema, BendFilm is sure to inspire anyone passionate about the arts. Learn more about the festival here.
For more than 40 years, the Harvest Faire has been a cherished Sisters tradition, bringing together diverse artisan vendors and their high-quality handcrafted items to celebrate the changing seasons. Attendees will also enjoy local food and live music. It’s the perfect opportunity to kickstart your holiday shopping with memorable gifts. Head to downtown Sisters and partake in a tradition that celebrates the spirit and artistry of its community. Click here to see more.
The Bend Venture Conference (BVC) is a two-day event uniting entrepreneurs and investors to celebrate Central Oregon’s start-up community. As the Pacific Northwest’s longest-standing angel investment conference, BVC has facilitated over $12 million in investments, catalyzing additional funding. With 500+ attendees, 50 investors and 65 innovative companies across growth, impact and early-stage categories, BVC offers extensive exposure. Attendees enjoy company pitches, networking and insights from emerging entrepreneurs and industry leaders, making it a must-attend event for innovation enthusiasts. More about the Bend Venture Conference.
Bend Design brings together creative minds, thought leaders and action-takers in visual storytelling, AI,, graphic activism, branding and more. This two-day conference offers talks, workshops, films and immersive experiences, encouraging designers to push boundaries and envision the future. Emphasizing the vital role of reality in design, Bend Design unites diverse speakers to highlight design’s transformative power. Attendees will gain insights from various disciplines, leaving with a broader understanding of creative pursuits. Learn more about Bend Design.
It’s the time of year to tune up your “yikes,” “eeks” and primal screams. Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes a ghostly variety of Bend’s favorite haunts.
A starting point to explore Central Oregon’s haunted history is the Ghosts and Legends of Downtown Bend tour, led by mother-daughter mystery writers Jools Sinclair and Meg Muldoon. The two have been writing mysteries and ghost stories about Bend for more than 13 years. While Muldoon focuses on mysteries, having published 30 different titles, Sinclair has penned scarier tales, including a 13-book series of paranormal mysteries in which the main character is a Bend-based ghost whisperer.
Since both are mystery authors, it was an easy transition for the two to create Bend Ghost Tours in 2021. “It gave us an excuse to dig up the real ghost stories of the city and use our storytelling skills to share with local or visiting ghost-hunter enthusiasts,” Sinclair explained. The two offer ghost tours from March to November with multiple offerings daily during the month of October.
Jools Sinclair, center, in blue cap, leads a tour of Bend’s most well-known haunts outside of the Tower Theatre.
They begin on the banks of the Deschutes River with the tragic tale of a visiting presidential candidate who tried to save a boy from drowning in Mirror Pond. “We open with this story and occasionally during our narrative, you hear geese crying out overhead. These cries sometimes sound like people screaming, which never fails to give our guests goosebumps—pun intended,” quipped Muldoon. There are many rumored haunted locations in Bend to explore, whether on a ghost tour or in a visitor’s imagination. For example, the iconic Pine Tavern on Brooks Street is the site of alleged paranormal history, including a particular ghost named “Gretchen.” Muldoon describes the story of a former waitress who started to leave the building after blowing out all the dining room hurricane candles at closing. “When she passed the dining room on her way out, she was shocked to see that every candle was lit again. [The waitress] believed Gretchen, the ghost, was behind this and many other scary times,” Muldoon said.
Down the street from the Pine Tavern is reputedly Bend’s oldest haunted house. Built in 1904 by Bend’s first mayor, Arthur Goodwillie, today it’s the home of Commons Cafe and Taphouse. When things are quiet late in the evening, passersby report hearing eerie sounds and seeing strange lights inside the house. On Wall Street, theatrical tradition at the Tower Theatre calls for a “ghost light” to stay on 24/7. Many theaters have a history of ghost visits, the Tower included, which has had repeated sightings of a long-deceased couple seated together in the empty space.
On Oregon Street, the O’Kane Building (circa 1916) has had multiple reports of unexplained activity involving a elderly man roaming the building all hours of the day and night. Muldoon said tour visitors have captured interesting pictures of unexplained mists, shadows, orbs and faces in their photos. Some believe that the most notorious, rowdy haunt is the former Downing Hotel at 1033 NW Bond Street, now vacant, which is said to host a long-deceased lady in a green velvet dress who continues to roam the halls. She reportedly was the widow of Downing, who committed suicide after learning of his wife’s unfaithfulness.
Why so much interest in the paranormal? Sinclair and Muldoon agree the paranormal offers a window into what lies beyond the grave. “It’s a glimpse into the unknown and reminds us there are still things out there we don’t understand,” Muldoon said.
Goodwillie House, 1904. Today, known as Commons Cafe and Taphouse.
Historical Haunts in Bend
The 15th-annual Historical Haunts of Downtown Bend Walk, October 11-12, is a fundraiser for the Deschutes County Historical Society and Museum and is “mostly historic, with a sprinkling of the paranormal and a whole load of family fun,” said Museum Manager Vanessa Ivey.
Bend Ghost Tour guides, Jools Sinclair and Meg Kehoe.
Especially spooky is the history of the museum building. Built in 1914, it was Bend’s first modern school with central heating and indoor plumbing, and the site of the tragic death of building contractor George Brosterhous. He reportedly fell to his death from the third floor through an open stairway. Ivey explained that many people believe that his ghost now haunts the building. An interview for this story took place in Ivey’s third-floor office at the museum, and as I got up to leave, the chair seat suddenly dropped about six inches, with no help from me. Ivey’s response: “Another George moment!” Learn more about the Ghosts and Legends of Downtown Bend tours here.
From roots on a 100-acre Georgia farm to her current status as an acrylic artist, Michelle Schultz’s journey mirrors the layers and vibrancy of her art. With an approach that unifies ancestral heritage and contemporary femininity, Schultz is not just painting—she’s cultivating an artistic community that includes a global cohort.
An acrylic artist with a home studio in Bend, Schultz specializes in large-scale paintings and has most recently exhibited her work at Scalehouse Gallery. Her expressive pieces often explore themes of the female experience, heritage, nostalgia and spirituality.
These themes are deeply rooted in Schultz’s childhood. As a young girl, she spent a lot of time in her grandmother’s kitchen. “I was surrounded by my aunts with everyone cooking and laughing,” she said. The women gathered to create Lebanese dishes, celebrating their heritage. Schultz’s grandmother was the matriarch who showed her what it looked like to work hard, “She was basically the one who was working the farm,” Schultz recalled. “She was out chopping wood and driving tractors.”
The example set by her grandmother, who was “completely herself” and who embodied ancestral strength, inspires and permeates Schultz’s art today. “She was so honest and spoke her mind, but still had all of the Southern sayings,” Schultz said.
This influence is unmistakable in Schultz’s work, which has developed through her various adventures, including a defining three-year stint in New Zealand. There, she immersed herself in local culture, finding inspiration from Maori tattoos and the country’s supportive art community. “I really got to explore their culture and heritage,” Schultz said, recalling how this era taught her to create community and make a name for herself.
Art school is where Schultz became serious about being an Artist, with a capital A. An assignment with egg tempera—a painting technique that mixes egg yolk with powdered pigment made popular during the Renaissance—influenced her layered approach. “Egg tempera took so many layers to build up, and this has come into my work,” Schultz explained. “It’s almost like building something until it comes alive.”
Her 8-foot-wide piece, “Sistine Feelings,” depicts a snake navigating the canvas, with a baby’s hand latched to an adult’s as the centerpiece. “In the background there are all these patterns that represent my Lebanese heritage,” Schultz pointed out.
Schultz’s painting communicates life’s juxtapositions, revealing resilience and vulnerability. Like many of her pieces, it’s forthcoming about womanhood. The bold and multifaceted messaging is something most impactfully observed in person.
“I go back and forth. Sometimes, I will be so soft. And then I have to let the other side out,” Schultz said of her range. This is pronounced in her painted skateboards, which represent her “freedom and rebellion.”
Her latest collection, “Prisms,” shown at Scalehouse Gallery, was inspired by another kitchen moment; a sun-catching prism reminded her of “the magic in the world through my children and through the ancestry that has been passed down.” For the exhibit, she collaborated with HUE (Hearts Unknown Education) to teach children how to paint their own prisms with watercolor. Their art was then displayed alongside hers at the show.
Schultz describes the process of her art coming alive as capturing souls. “I’m pouring my soul into my work, but then there’s this amazing conversation between the artist and the canvas, and then the viewer and the canvas,” she said. “They bring their own experiences, feelings and emotions—their own life.”
Beyond painting, Schultz expresses herself and uplifts fellow artists through her podcast, “She Who Paints,” a blog, and community spaces such as her Collector’s Circle and Instagram @michelleschultzart. Through these channels, she creates resources and an outlet of expression as “a community and a space for other artists to find inspiration and to keep giving their art to the world–because it would be a sad place without it,” Schultz said.
Get Hooked on a Sport Where Excitement and Teamwork Create Community
Jason Gockel felt the alarm bells ringing in his head. It was early October 2023, and the teacher from Bend Forest School stood atop a bridge in La Pine State Park, peering 30 feet down into the Deschutes River as it slipped past, cool and green. This was his first adventure race—a multisport, human-powered contest that involves navigating between checkpoints often by foot, bike and boat—and the 37 year old had already spent the morning hiking off trail, cycling roads and using only a map and compass to orient his way through the park. Now, to complete a checkpoint, he and his partner, Matthias Ambert, had to rappel off the bridge into the water. But something wasn’t right. The rope was much too short. He’d have to free-fall the last few feet right into the drink.
“I’ve done a lot of climbing, and rappelling off the end of a rope is something you never, ever want to do,” Gockel said. “But that’s what you had to do.”
Photo by Darren Steinbach
Gockel felt the end of the rope eerily slip through his harness as he plunged into the river with all of his clothes on. It took only a few seconds to swim to shore but something far more enduring had washed over him. This first-timer had caught the adventure-racing bug, bad.
“I was totally hooked,” he said. “It was one of the most fun days of my life.”
Since then, in less than a year, Gockel has competed in no fewer than four adventure races, most of them in Central Oregon, which is an excellent venue thanks to an abundance of wild and varied terrain. On October 5 and 6, the La Pine Loop race—the same race that got Gockel started—will unfold for the seventh time. That race also includes a family-friendly version with checkpoints where kids gather materials to make something fun they can keep, for example, charms for a necklace. Other races throughout the year include the Technical Endurance Challenge near Redmond and Smith Rock in April and Sunriver Scramble, a six- to eight-hour race taking place in June.
Photo by Darren Steinbach
In September, some of the best teams in the world compete in Expedition Oregon, a whopping six-day contest that has racers tackling class III rapids, exploring caves, climbing cliffs and mountain biking single-track trails. “We call it America’s Toughest Race,” said Bend resident Jason Magness, who along with his wife, Chelsea, organizes, directs and competes in adventure races throughout Oregon and the world. Together they also manage and participate in their own professional team called Bend Racing, one of the best adventure racing teams on the planet.
Photo by Tim Crowley
Magness and Bend Racing may sound familiar. The team featured prominently in Amazon Prime Video’s 2020 reboot of the highly popular Eco-Challenge series that put adventure racing on the North American map in the 1990s. That new television series, which was hosted by Bear Grylls, saw Magness and three other teammates battle their way across the jungles of Fiji, where they built a make-shift raft out of bamboo to float down a river, sailed a traditional boat between islands and ran and biked for days on end through stifling heat and torrential rain. Mark Burnett, the series producer who also created shows like “The Apprentice,” likened the race to “an expedition with a stop-watch.”
Photo courtesy of BendRacing Media
For newcomers to the sport, such an undertaking would feel like cruel and unusual punishment, but the bite-size races are a great way to give the sport a try in a format that really ups the fun. Magness says adventure racing’s appeal at pretty much any level typically boils down to a person’s willingness to embrace the unknown. You might make a wrong turn. Maybe your bike gets a flat. Perhaps everything goes far more smoothly than ever before and no one even gets a blister.
“No two races are ever alike,” Magness said. “There aren’t a lot of endurance sports out there where you really don’t know what’s ahead.”
Photo courtesy of BendRacing Media
That element of surprise certainly appeals to Gockel but his new hobby taps into something bigger, too—a sense of community. “I love being part of a team and how you can all work together to problem solve while running through the woods or paddling down a river,” he said. “If you want to be competitive, you can be competitive, and if you want to just have fun you can do that, too. Everyone who crosses that finish line has a smile on their face.”
Photo by Tim Crowley
What is an Adventure Race?
Adventure racing takes racers off the road and into the unknown. Think triathlon, but make it wild. Instead of a swim, bike and run, the sports vary race-to-race and adapt to the natural landscape of each event. Teams of two to four athletes navigate miles of wilderness on mountain bikes, in kayaks, on ropes and by foot with no marked course. They work together and reach checkpoints along the way with the help of compasses and maps. For amateur teams, the only prerequisite is a sense of adventure. But to go pro, Bend Racing lists team requirements needs as: navigator, medic, bike mechanic, a captain to make big decisions, a pace counter to keep the team on track and “a stoker” to keep morale high.
Photo by Darren Steinbach
Where to Find a Race:
April 20-21: Technical Endurance Challenge, Redmond and Smith Rock | Features: Day one is an advanced adventure race, but a kid and family- friendly race takes place on day two.
June 1: Sunriver Scramble, Sunriver | Features: Technical sections are suited for professional racers, but there are options to shorten the course and avoid difficult segments.
September 6-14: Expedition Oregon, Columbia River Gorge | Features: A world championship qualifier for experienced teams, this event is for experienced teams and spans six days with extremely technical sections for advanced racers.
October 5-6: La Pine Loop, La Pine State Park | Features: The seven-hour event is for intermediate and experienced endurance athletes. A four-hour course is less technical and best for kids and families.
Words and Photos Bring the Lives of Oregon Athletes into Clear Focus
Some of Ben Kitching’s favorite childhood memories are from camping and road trips to national parks. It was in those places he became enthralled with stories of adventure. He poured through pages of Backpacker Magazine and watched videos of climbing, and got his first taste of the backcountry on a whitewater canoe expedition to Alaska as a Boy Scout. “There were endless possibilities around each turn of the river. I’d never felt more alive in my life,” he said. Exchanging experiences as a collegiate athlete and admission to a prestigious medical school program for his camera, Kitching works as a professional photographer in Central Oregon. His Oregon Outdoor Athlete Project, a multiyear pursuit to create 100 athlete profiles, is a way to find an intersection between his love for the outdoors and his livelihood.
Using stacked images, he uses negative spaces of his photographs to help emphasize the action in a secondary image, resulting in visual storytelling that conveys more about a subject than a traditional environmental portrait. In interviews with his subjects, athletes share their personal stories. “Sports bring out emotion and nature adds another dimension,” Kitching said. “There are so many stories to tell, and I love telling them.”
Learn More about the Oregon Outdoor Athlete Project
The following interviews have been edited from their original format for clarity. Visit oregonoutdoorathleteproject.com to discover more athletes and read their full interviews with Ben Kitching.
Listen to Adam Short’s interview with Ben Kitching on The Circling Podcast at BendMagazine.com/podcast.
From a Few of the Athletes
JT Hartman: Whitewater Kayaker
“The whitewater community is incredibly tight-knit just by the nature of what we do. The bonds that you form with these people, even on an easy chill day on the water, are different. There’s a certain amount of inherent connection and trust that you have to have with somebody to put yourself in these situations and feel ok about the potential outcomes. Struggle really bonds people…[on the river] that point of commitment, realizing that your only option is to continue downstream is in my mind one of the most peaceful moments…Realizing whether you’re afraid or not, you know what needs to happen. You have to put trust in yourself that you’re going to know how to handle the situation and continue. There’s a lot of beauty in that, that comfort with the point of no return. It’s humbling, continuously. You’re not going to win against the river.”
Erica Raggio: Ultrarunner, Climber and Skier
“I still remember the first time I ever ran three miles. I thought it was the greatest thing I could ever accomplish. Then, I just kept running farther and farther. Running became this thing that made me feel independent and powerful. It made me feel strong. It made me love who I was. For a while, I thought a 50k was the hardest thing in the world. It was brutal. It was so hard but, your body adapts if you just keep pushing it. My latest race was a 100 miler I did this year. I felt like I was able to almost unlock a new part of my brain where I was able to acknowledge the pain I was experiencing but not let the pain control me. I think the idea is that you always have more to give than you think you do, whether it be emotionally or physically or mentally. I think your biggest competitor ends up being yourself.”
Wyatt Pace: Waterfall Hunter
“People say, ‘Don’t go chasing waterfalls,’ and they are wrong. For me, it’s all about the adventure and the journey to get there…a whole day of strenuous adventure. It feels like modern day exploration, going to places that don’t exist on your apps, on your maps. There is data out there that suggests there are crazy amounts of falls that haven’t been mapped out yet. There are probably more off-trail waterfalls than the trailed ones. I would say more than half of them aren’t known to the public. The crazy part is discovering and exploring those places. The first couple of steps are always the hardest, looking back [asking] ‘What shenanigans am I about to get into? Is it worth it?’ [But] this is almost my spirituality at this point…being out here, soaking in some negative ions is the closest I come to a higher power.”
Ann Hazelnutt: Climber
“When I found climbing, I was about 16 years old. There is this grit and tenacity that comes with trying something that maybe seems impossible. I think that mentality really transfers to the rest of my life. I think climbing has given me so much confidence. I want to be outside, hearing the birds, just being outside all day. There’s something really special about that. The connection and getting dirty. Understanding that we’re just animals on our own quest. It really puts a lot of the climbing experience into perspective. I just feel like a superhero when I’m climbing slab. I love how creative you can be on it. On top of that, it’s just a mental challenge. It’s scary, that moment where I feel like I believe in myself and something’s possible, it’s just a fun way to learn. It’s just puzzles and it’s your body and it’s playing. It’s being a kid again.”
Anna Soens: Mountain Biker, Skier and Boater
“Skiing has been the most empowering adaptive sport that I found. I can ski anything on this mountain that anyone else can so it’s kind of liberating that way. I can go fast. I can cruise around. I don’t feel disabled when I’m skiing.It’s a challenge. It’s rejuvenating. It’s being able to disconnect and kind of reset. It reminds me to be in the present. I think slowing down is a big piece of it. The non-negotiables that nature gives you are always changing and dynamic. I think that’s what keeps it interesting. You never know how it’s going to go. I’m always pushing myself and trying to find steeper skiing, more technical terrain, and I think there are always ways to push yourself. You value and cherish every time you are out there.”
There’s a lot to love about the crisp, clean air of fall in Central Oregon. But the slow demise of the brightly colored plants and flowers in decorative pots can sting a bit. Instead of dwelling on the loss, rejoice in the changing season and replant those big pots and containers with something seasonally appropriate.
Pick a container: Select a container to reflect or complement your design aesthetic.
The orange, green and brown colors of pumpkins and squash are synonymous with fall, so you can incorporate those colors with seasonal plant selections. For starters, there’s the tried-and-true potted mum. This will add a burst of fall color, and the hardy plant blooms throughout the fall in Central Oregon. Or fill a pot with ornamental cabbage, kale or ornamental grasses. These pretty plants add a pop of deep purple and dark green and can typically survive the high desert’s cool fall days.
TIP: Move plants away from wind to protect them from drying out. | Photo of Schilling’s Garden Market
If you’re looking to step away from planting this fall, access your artistic side by collecting found objects from the garden or hiking trail and arranging them in your pots—whether curly willow branches, moss-covered sticks, dried flowers, lavender or the corn stalks that didn’t thrive in this year’s garden. Whatever you choose, embracing the changing of the seasons will give a fresh look to your front porch or entryway.
As the trees delight us with their orange and yellow autumnal coats, and the air turns crisp, it’s a great time to experience all the favorite seasonal activities in Central Oregon. Visit pumpkin patches to pick a gourd from the vine, sip spice-flavored coffees and hot cocoa, and don your softest, cozy sweater to feel right at home and explore the area’s all fun.
But as you’re out enjoying autumn, don’t forget safety. SAIF, Oregon’s not-for-profit workers compensation company, has tips on staying safe and healthy.
Kevin Kilroy, safety and health supervisor at SAIF, offers safety tips for enjoying some of the best places to visit and things to do this season. Happy fall!
Photo courtesy of Smith Rock Ranch
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Smith Rock Ranch in Terrebonne offers pumpkins, pony rides, and seats for the whole family to tour the ranch on a zoo train. Load a pumpkin cannon and watch your gourd shoot across fields. If a quiet activity is more your pace, visit a petting zoo or take a ride on a horse-drawn hayride. The theme of the ranch’s highly anticipated corn “maize” changes every year, so take a step inside and see where it leads you. Reward yourself afterward with caramel apples, hot cocoa, elephant ears or a selection of food truck offerings while you listen to local bands.
Tip: Lift Safely and Watch Your Step
Looking for the biggest pumpkin in the patch? Be sure to lift it safely, just as you would a heavy box. Keep the load close to your body by standing in front of the pumpkin with one foot along the side and your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chin up and face forward to maintain the natural curve of your lower back as you lift. Flex your knees and avoid deep squatting.
Work From an Inviting Coffee Shop
If you’re working from home, it can get a little too quiet and isolating day after day. Fall is the perfect time to enjoy a community feel, warm drinks and Wi-Fi. Junction Roastery, located at the restored Patrick Building in the heart of Historic Redmond, has the perfect ambience to get work done amid a bit of hustle and bustle aromas of fresh-brewed coffee, teas and indulgent pastries.
Tip: Work Safely
As you work remotely, consider bringing a separate mouse and keyboard to make sure you sit properly, without slouching. If you find that your computer is at too low of an angle, and you’re craning your neck or slouching in your seat in order to see the screen, try to create a more posture-friendly position. Prop the laptop on a notebook or find a higher table to help get your screen closer to eye level. If you plan on frequently working around town, consider investing in a portable laptop riser.
Find a Hobby and Connect with Others
As days become shorter, you may be interested in picking up a hobby. Crocheting and knitting are easy to learn and knitting circles allow you to connect with others. Fancywork Yarn Shop in Bend has classes and events to turn those idle hands into busy, productive tools. If you’re new to the craft, there are plenty of introductory classes, such as Knitting 101, Crochet 101, and First Sweater to get you started in a comfortable environment. For those who are proficient, attend a more advanced class to create comfy and warm Magic Loop felted mittens.
Tip: Reduce Stress
Mental well-being is important whether you’re at home, on vacation or on the job. Stress increases your risk of injury. De-stress by talking to a trusted friend, family member or co-worker. Consider bringing a hobby or craft to work, where you can pick up on the go or on a break. Plus, don’t be surprised if it’s a conversation starter with co-workers!
Attend Fall Events
Another way to connect with others who enjoy working with wool is to attend First Friday at Fancywork Yarn Shop, a free community gathering where people can chat while working on individual projects. First Friday in downtown Bend, Oregon is held the first Friday of each month from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. where you can visit many downtown Bend businesses to discover local artists, sample food and wine, and explore new experiences.
Tip: Walk Safely
The sun goes down much earlier in the cooler months, so if fall events have you out after dark, be sure you’re dressed properly. Wear reflective clothing or carry a light to ensure you’re visible at a distance. Stay off your phone so you can make eye contact with drivers as you enter a crosswalk. Just because you can see them, doesn’t mean that they can see you.
Drake Park, Downtown Bend, Oregon | Photo by Alex Jordan
Central Oregon offers events for every age and interest, so be sure to get out before the weather turns cold.
Dry-Land Training Minimizes Injury and Maximizes Fun on the Slopes
As the summer heat wanes and the first hints of autumn appear, athletes in Bend are already gearing up for the winter sports season. The shoulder season, that transitional period before the snow blankets the slopes, is a crucial time for both competitive and recreational athletes alike to hone their skills, build strength and stay sharp. Whether you’re a lift junkie while downhill skiing or snowboarding, love to earn your turns in the backcountry, or prefer the endurance element of Nordic skiing, with a little thought, prep and foresight, you can make the most of this off-season and be ready for opening day.
According to Mandon Welch, a physical therapist at MW Physical Therapy and Sports Performance in Bend, core stability and hip strength are paramount for all winter sports disciplines. “You can’t shoot a cannon off of a canoe,” Welch said, highlighting the importance of a stable core. “Exercises focusing on trunk strength, axial stability and hip strength form the foundation of effective dry-land training. These areas are crucial for generating the force needed in sports like snowboarding and alpine skiing.”
Shevlin Park area | Photo by Arian Stevens
Welch also noted that flexibility, power and plyometric strength are integral components of winter sports conditioning. “Doing exercises that closely mimic the specific demands of each sport without actual snow is key,” he said. “If you can go into the season at a higher fitness level, it will significantly shorten the curve to be ready, making the transition from dry-land to snow that much easier.”
A good pre-season regime also helps to reduce injury among older athletes. “The most common ski injury is ACL ruptures,” he said, while Nordic tends to be mostly overuse injuries. “Keeping good strength across those foundational areas will help reduce that risk,” he added.
Mixing Up in the Off Season
In addition to focused gym workouts and training, US Ski Team athlete and three-time Olympian Tommy Ford says he likes to mix it up in the off-season to keep training both interesting and fun. “I’m always trying to find different cross training opportunities that are helpful,” said Ford. Rock climbing increases core strength and mobility, plus climbing is great for mental focus, explained Ford. “It pushes your limits. You’re tired, you might be exposed high up on a wall—it forces you to stay calm and keep focus to get to the top,” he said.
Smith Rock State Park | Photo by Ben Kitching
Former Summit High School athlete and now U.S. Snowboard Rookie Halfpipe Team member Elijah Pyle mountain bikes to train. “Going fast downhill through the trees is similar to snowboarding in that it forces you to be focused and gets you into that flow state,” he said. Trampoline training is another key element of Pyle’s shoulder-season routine, allowing him to practice tricks in a safer environment. “Trampolining helps you visualize and perfect tricks without the risk of injury on hard snow,” he said.
For Bendite and Montana State University Nordic skier Delaney Jackson, the off-season is all about making gains. “Roller skiing is probably the most beneficial exercise as it closely mimics the movements and techniques used in cross-country skiing,” Jackson said. Using adapted roller skates and ski poles with different tips, roller skiing allows cross-country skiers to skate along roads and paths before the snow falls. “I try to use paved bike paths as much as possible,” said Jackson. “Skyliners is classic for roller skiers, but I try to do a lot in the Tree Farm neighborhood because it’s great for interval training.”
How to Keep Motivated
For any winter sport athlete, another challenge can simply be staying motivated when conditions don’t allow them to practice their sport. Elijah Pyle explained that to keep his motivation high, he works out with fellow snowboarders and it helps everyone get better.
Mt. Bachelor Downhill Bike Park | Photo courtesy of MBSEF
Pyle also shared how he keeps himself inspired by focusing on the more artistic side of his sport. “Watching old snowboarding movies is a great way to get you inspired,” he said. “Or do some art or [make] music. Sometimes that creative spirit is just as important as the technical ability.”
While not everyone in Central Oregon is a professional athlete, preparation into the shoulder season can pay dividends when the snow begins to fall.
Central Oregon’s agricultural bounty continues to grow, and there’s no better way to experience it than by joining a farm-to-table dinner. You’ll have not only a delicious meal, but also the chance to support the local farmers and ranchers who are leading the local food revolution.
There’s also the chance to connect with your neighbors and the community. Watch for events that support in-season foods and a sense of community around the dinner table, at a grower’s farm location or in your own kitchen or backyard.
Ready to learn where your food is grown? Find a farm-to-table or table-on-a-farm dinner by asking your CSA if there are events on their calendar, or take a peek at Bend’s Locavore Market, a year-round indoor farmer’s market.
Brasada Ranch Farm to Table Dinners
Chardy Parties at Brasada Ranch
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Brasada Ranch and the Cascade Mountain Range, a Chardy Party combines high notes of wine and down-to- earth foods. Wild Rye Executive Chef Karl Holl and Humble Spirit’s Chef Brett Uniss offers two nights and two experiences. On the first night, find a more casual Ranch-style event with oysters for the shucking, buttermilk fried chicken and summer-fresh green beans and heirloom tomatoes with garden herbs. On the second night, you’ll be treated to a coursed sit-down menu including Dungeness crab and crispy quail among other specialties of the season. Some of Oregon’s most acclaimed producers, Hazelfern, Big Table Farm, Hundred Suns, and Walter Scott, will be bringing plenty of namesake chardonnay to both nights. Take a look at the full menus at Brasada Ranch and/or Brasada Ranch’s full event lineup.
Kick off the Cascade Equinox weekend at an unforgettable farm-to-table, Feast-to-Festival dining experience at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. Chef John Gurnee of Lady Bird Cultural Society will present a four-course dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients paired with exquisite wines and crafted cocktails from KraftBar. Enjoy live music from Blackstrap Bluegrass Verdon and other musicians as you savor this extraordinary evening to benefit the Waldorf School of Bend.
Terrebonne’s DD Ranch is the setting for a taco-centric farm-to-table dinner featuring seasonal and local produce plus pork, beef, and lamb from the ranch. Catch the views of Smith Rock State Park with the tastes of one of Central Oregon’s best tacos prepared by El Sancho.
Throughout the year, Rainshadow hosts dinners on the farm featuringtheir organic produce and grains and pastured, grass-fed meats. These meals are unique and showcase what the farm is growing and raising that particular week. The property is available to host private events with a lush garden setting and mountain-view backdrop.
Join Terra Kitchen in Redmond for an unforgettable Farm-to-Table Dinner on Wednesday, October 23, 2024! Enjoy a seasonal menu crafted from fresh, local ingredients, with the option to enhance your experience with a wine pairing. Guests will have the opportunity to hear from local farmers, winemakers, and chefs, who will share their stories throughout the evening. Tickets are limited to just 38 people, so reserve your spot today!
Time: 5:30 PM
Tickets: $65 each | $30 for optional wine pairing
Terra Kitchen, SCP Hotel, Redmond
6th Annual Fall Harvest Feast & Fundraiser with Central Oregon Locavore
Save the date for this Halloween-themed masquerade taking place at the enchanting Hanai Community Center in Bend on Friday,October 25th. From costume contests and silent and live auctions featuring locally sourced crafts and concoctions to a hidden speakeasy, tarot readings, and mysterious brews at the Green Witch’s Tea Parlor, this harvest party is going to be a thrilling evening filled with mystery, magic, and mouthwatering delights. Wear your most creative disguises, and come prepared to eat to your heart’s content!
The culinary highlight of the evening will be a multi-course, farm-fresh meal crafted from the finest local produce and high-quality meats sourced from Well Rooted Farms. Renowned local chefs will work their culinary magic to deliver a supernatural dining experience, celebrating the rich seasonal bounty of Central Oregon.
Don’t miss out on this hauntingly good time on Friday,October 25th. Reserve your seat for an extraterrestrial experience, here. For more information, head to centraloregonlocavore.org/fall-harvest-feast/.
4th Annual Faces of Farming Gala, Silent Auction and Farm to Table Feast
When: May 3 Where: Tetherow Resort Price: $85-$95
Learn about local farmers and ranchers, join the silent auction, sip on local wine, beer and cocktails, then settle in for a one-of-a-kind feast from Tetherow’s culinary team at the resort’s event pavilion. The Faces of Farming Gala is a farm-to-table event celebrating the high desert’s champions of local food.
Sanchovore Father’s Day Farm-to-Table Dinner
When: June 16 Where: Anker Farm & Creamery Price: $65-$75
The Sanchovore Father’s Day Farm-to-Table Dinner takes place at Anker Farm & Creamery in Bend and features a farm-to-table produced by Bend’s favorite taco shop, El Sancho. It’s a great way to spend Father’s Day together and have a one-of-a-kind meal.
Rainshadow Organics
When: June 21, July 26, August 23 and September 21 Where: Rainshadow Organics Price: $65
Tour the garden and farm store at Rainshadow Organics in Bend, then settle in for an Instagram-worthy dining experience at the long table. It’s a BYOB event with multiple courses of flavorful dishes made from ingredients grown on the farm.
Brian Malarkey Serves His Own Brand of Refined Rustic Food, With a Touch of Glam
Tumalo, 1983: Nine-year-old Brian Malarkey is riding a skinny-tired 10-speed down a rocky dirt road to school. He’d already cleaned out the horse stalls at the family’s 90-acre cattle ranch and in winter, he’d have broken the ice in the animals’ water troughs. An entrepreneurial kid, he’d earned a small bundle selling Scottish terrier puppies he’d bred and was splurging on taking his family out for a steak dinner—at Beef and Brew. It was the only restaurant more exciting to him than Bend’s first McDonald’s, which opened when he was six.
It wasn’t the Central Oregon experience that draws people here today. “It was down and dirty,” said Malarkey. The first chance he got, he was off—at 17, to Portland, then Seattle, Santa Barbara, L.A., Minneapolis, and San Diego, working his way up from a chef to a serial restaurateur. After selling his first restaurant group for $25 million, he launched a second group with 10 San Diego-based concepts, including the acclaimed Herb & Wood.
Simmering on another burner throughout this time: Television — Food Network shows, Bravo’s “Top Chef,” ABC’s “The Taste,” appearances on “Good Morning America” and “Today.” While the world learned about Malarkey, he learned about the culinary world.
Coming back to Central Oregon a couple of years ago, he saw it anew. “I finally looked around. I was like, oh, my God, this is paradise. It took me a lifetime to realize I was born in paradise. I’ve been running from it my whole life.”
His brother, entrepreneur and business partner James Malarkey, piqued the restaurateur’s interest, telling him about the ways the City of Bend encouraged new businesses with programs such as opportunity zones, that offered tax incentives. The celebrity chef said he never would have considered opening a restaurant in Bend before the pandemic. But watching the success of Rancher Butcher Chef, Bosa and Bos Taurus, he thought the timing might be right. “Those are big, loud, fun restaurants.”
The pair landed on the location of a former eatery and mini-golf center on Century Drive. The name Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge popped into Brian’s head, a synthesis of favorites, from ranch raptors and Hawkeye Pierce of TV’s “M*A*S*H,” to his dad’s dog named Huckleberry. Plus, it’s a favorite summer fruit. “And then, of course, the greatest Western of all time, Tombstone,” he said. In the film, Val Kilmer, as gunslinger Doc Holliday, has the memorable line, “I’m your huckleberry.” The brothers let Kilmer be their spirit guide. A larger-than-life, black-and-white poster of Holliday with his trademark line, blazes in pink neon and greets guests at the door of Hawk & Huck, which opened in June.
More than 450 guests packed the grand opening, sipping everything from “rhinestone cowgirl,” concoctions involving vodka, Cocchi, strawberry, apricot, lemon and glitter to Coors Light. Large canvas tents created glamp-styled dining and lounge areas, with faux-shearling and bourbon-colored, tufted velvet swivel chairs. Each tent was named for local towns, with tables big enough to hold an entire stockyard laid out in the form of charcuterie. James wielded a flamethrower for the one-of-a-kind ribbon-cutting, and local band The Shining Dimes played Patsy Cline.
Rhinestone Cowgirl Cocktail
Second-hand guitars and old cowboy hats line the walls, waiting for patrons to grab them, get in the spirit and, of course, post photos on Instagram. A vintage trailer named Dolly, formerly owned by one of the players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which the movie A League of Their Own is based on, is tucked between the stage and a spacious event room.
Malarkey recruited longtime industry collaborators and chefs Tony Torres and Carlos Anthony to carry out his ranch-to-plate culinary vision in Bend. He roped them in from endeavors in Las Vegas and San Diego respectively, letting them discover their inner cowboys while living at his family’s P-B Hawkeye Ranch. Learning what it takes for cows to go from graze to glaze is eye-opening for Torres and Anthony, self-described urban cowboys, and it’s inspiring them.
For Torres, that means menu items ranging from Oregon beef tartare and ranch aioli with hand-cut chips, lime chili rub, house pickles and roasted poblanos, to P-B Hawkeye Ranch 32-ounce porterhouse steak cooked over Oregon hardwood with a variety of sauces, from bone marrow gravy to horseradish cream. Add Dungeness crab hollandaise or fried oysters for a nod to the coast. Or, order a whole, roasted local pig two days in advance as a feast for eight.
The secret sauce, though, is engaging the entire staff in championing the story of local ranchers through every aspect of the dining experience.
“It doesn’t take a celebrity chef, it takes great people in every area, and that’s what Brian does better than anybody — he empowers you to be great — the best chef, the best bartender, the best restaurant,” said Anthony, who has competed against his mentor on Food Network’s “Superchef Grudge Match.”
Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge helps boost the neighborhood as a culinary zone, from The Flamingo Room and Hook & Plow to the old-school Cascade West Grub & Alehouse — Brian Malarkey appreciates them all. “And, the world’s greatest restaurant is right across the street from me — McDonald’s,” he said.
City Projects and Nonprofits Pave the Way for Urban Cycling
ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVI AUGUSTO, INSPIRED BY JOE KLINE PHOTOGRAPHY
As Bend’s summer wanes, residents and visitors look forward to the cooler temperatures on two wheels. Lycra-clad fitness enthusiasts ride scenic bikeways, kids look forward to riding to school and those simply looking for a calmer commute to work or the grocery store enjoy the less-crowded streets in their search for car-free freedom.
Luckily for cyclists, safety in active transportation has become a high priority for local government and cycling nonprofits during the past decade. Education, advocacy and a city council sympathetic to the needs of cyclists have helped remove many obstacles to urban cycling. Dangerous intersections have morphed into protected areas for all users, miles of new bike lanes have been added and plans to separate bikes from cars are in the works. In short, what has been a bike town based around world-class mountain biking is turning into a complete Oregon cycling mecca on the trails and in the streets.
Transportation Plans Map the Future
Building a safe and connected network of bike routes will mean more options, less congestion and less pollution for everyone—visitors and residents alike, explained Bend City Councilor Ariel Mendez. “Good alternatives to driving benefit even people who drive, because it means fewer cars on the road and less competition for scarce parking.”
After years of research, planning and legwork, 2020 saw the Bend City Council adopt the Transportation System Plan (TSP) to adapt to the community’s growing needs for the next two decades. By balancing the diverse needs of Bend’s differing modes of transportation, the TSP aims to uphold the community’s values and protect what makes the city such a desirable place to live. The Bend Bikeway, or one city-wide cycling network including safe east-west and north-south routes, has become a major aspect in achieving Bend’s transportation goals while prioritizing safety.
As a result of the city’s efforts, residents and visitors are seeing upgrades to city roadways. The Wilson Avenue Corridor Project includes painted and separated bike lanes on both sides of the road. Bend’s first protected intersections with physical barriers separating cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles are popping up around town. Safety advocates are happy to see one at the corner of NW Olney Avenue and NW Wall Street where a bicyclist was struck and killed by a turning FedEx driver in 2017.
Greenways and Nonprofits Lead the Way
Perhaps the first indicator that Bend was moving toward bicycle equity was born in 2019 with the creation of Neighborhood Greenways on NE 6th Street and NW 15th Street. The Neighborhood Greenway project is a national idea to describe a route more comfortable for cyclists and pedestrians than nearby busier streets. The roads are equipped with traffic-calming improvements including lower speed limits and speed bumps, traffic circles aiming to slow drivers and signage indicating increased usage by non-vehicular users. The City of Bend has further prioritized non-vehicular travel and discouraged automobile traffic on the 16 current greenways through the installation of traffic diverters.
Kicking off a movement that has helped shift public and political perceptions on non-car transportation, the 2016 Bend’s Open Streets event featured walkers, cyclists, rollerbladers and wheelchair users inhabiting a road blocked to cars. Local nonprofits Commute Options and Bend Bikes led the event and have continued to work toward safer roads for all. Among Bend Bikes’ current list of desired improvements are a complete bike network and map, and more Neighborhood Greenways and protected bike lanes, in an effort to achieve bike equity.
To bring attention to its goals, Bend Bikes held its Bend Bike Night, co-hosted by the City of Bend earlier this summer at The Grove at NorthWest Crossing. The block party started with a “bike bus” consisting of dozens of riders for “safety in numbers,” who pedaled from Larkspur Park in southeast Bend to The Grove where cycling enthusiasts found bike training, education and community. Included in the bike bus pack were Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler, Bend Mayor Pro-Tem Megan Perkins and Oregon Representative Emerson Levy.
Focusing more on education, Commute Options has been touting the advantages of active transportation since its inception in 1991, originally under the moniker Biking for a Better Community. A cornerstone of its programs lies in the state-sponsored Safe Routes To School (SRTS) program. As its name suggests, SRTS focuses on children being able to safely walk or roll to school, thus alleviating the need to be dropped off and picked up by their parents. Benefits to eliminating car travel include not only children’s health and well-being, but improved air quality and congestion around schools. For its efforts, Commute Options added six elementary schools to the program and saw a 50% increase in participation last year.
The Future of Safety
A path toward safe biking in Bend seems to be on an upward trend with progress on the Midtown Crossings Project along Greenwood Avenue. The Hawthorne Overcrossing project is also underway, with construction slated to begin in 2026. “A big opportunity will be in 2026 when the city updates its Transportation System Plan,” stated Councilor Mendez. “Biking is the priority of safety into transportation planning. [It] will mean more kids walking and biking to school, older adults living healthier, independent lives and a more efficient mobile workforce in Bend.”
For now, the City of Bend, transportation nonprofits and advocacy groups can enjoy their successes as they seek to inform the general public on how creating safer bicycle paths is a benefit to cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.
Lily the Anatolian shepherd lives a full life here in Central Oregon—chasing squirrels through the high desert, riding co-pilot for drives through the mountains and splashing in the cold water of the Deschutes River. It’s a life her dad/owner, Nigel Wade, is proud to offer her. He snaps photos of Lily playing with her friends, a pair of German shorthair pointers named Riley and Maevis, he films her bouncing through snow for her TikTok account and he posts her milestones on the popular Dogs of Bend Facebook group. “We love living here and exploring together,” said Wade, who fostered and then adopted Lily through Cascade Canine Rescue East and West, or CCREW, in 2018.
Lily the Anatolian Shepherd | Photo by Jill Rosell
Before moving to Bend in 2014, Wade said he tried to make life fun for his previous dogs while living in Portland. But he didn’t always feel like the dogs were having the best experiences. “Us dog owners were only able to rush home on our lunches and take our pooches for your typical boring leash walk around your neighborhood or maybe go to a tiny, fenced-in dog park to let them play with other dogs,” Wade said. After arriving in Bend and adopting Lily, Wade began to appreciate the dog utopia that is Central Oregon. “Being a dog parent here in Bend allows us to literally hike along a beautiful river with our dogs legally unleased. Sniffing so many smells. Chasing chipmunks. Swimming in the river. Climbing rocks. A dog can be so much more of a dog here in Bend.”
Wade is one of thousands of dog owners in Bend, with some estimates in the past that suggested there’s one dog for every three people in the city. As more dogs move in, the dog-friendly services and activities in Bend continue to grow. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it’s everything from dog-friendly menu items at restaurants to doggie acupuncture and mud baths to playgroups and daycare, and even a new dog-friendly beer (it is Bend, after all). Bend is truly a dog town like no other.
Licensed Dogs in the City of Bend: 11,197 | In Deschutes County: 16,882
Doggone Fun!
When pups arrive at the five-and-a-half acre Doggieville Ranch, they see far more than a grassy yard for training, dog daycare and boarding. The ranch, 20 miles north of Bend and just west of Redmond, is the archetype of dogs living the good life, with hiking trails, swimming and plenty of room for naps after a long day. Owner Trudy Gardner describes it as a doggie “amusement park,” welcoming a small number of pups each day for training, daycare or overnight boarding. “We wanted to create a wonderful, clean and green environment with water features, structures to play on, space to run and areas where your dog can be alone, if wanted,” said Gardner, who moved from California to Central Oregon in 2016. “I am the epitome of a Bend dog owner. It’s why I moved here,” Gardner said. The facility goes above and beyond a traditional dog kennel, and has seen so much demand from the region’s dog owners that she and co-owner Larry Johnson are opening a second location right in Redmond. “With so many people moving to Redmond and Bend, keeping up with the demand is becoming more and more difficult. This will give us an opportunity to entertain more dogs,” said Gardner, who loves offerings pups room to roam and have fun even when their owners are on vacation. “We have so many fun things to do at the ranch because just like kids, dogs get bored,” Gardner said.
The ability to roam free is one of the best parts about being a dog in Central Oregon, according to members of DogPAC, a local organization that works to expand off-leash access for dogs in the area. The group works with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bend Park and Recreation District to enhance off-leash offerings and push for more off-leash water access. Members helped create and maintain the area’s only off-leash ski and snowshoe trails and help with maintenance of the Deschutes River Trail and Rim Rock “Good Dog” Trail, both just outside of Bend off Century Drive.
In addition to miles of off-leash hiking trails in the nearby forests, Bend itself is home to eight off-leash dog parks, with a mix of fenced and unfenced options, and some with small dog areas or water access. Residents in Bend are enthusiastic about having dedicated areas and amenities for dogs and dog owners, according to Julie Brown, communications and community relations manager for the Bend Park and Recreation District. Brown said during regular community surveys about what the community wants from the district, offerings for dogs are always top of the list. “Amenities for dogs and dog owners are always really highly ranked, and so that’s one of the reasons we have prioritized that from our community,” Brown said. In 2022, Bend will debut its ninth off-leash dog park, a section of the planned Alpenglow Community Park in the southeast part of town.
Good Manners in Bend
While dogs are seemingly everywhere in Bend, not everyone is a “dog person” and many people are afraid, allergic or have other reasons for wanting to keep their distance. Don’t allow dogs, even friendly ones, to run up to strangers.
Dogs should always be on a leash in public, except when in a specific off-leash area.Even then, owners should carry a leash and keep dogs within sight and under voice control at all times.
Dog owners must clean up after their dogs. Bags and receptacles are available at most parks and along many trails in town.
If your dog is misbehaving or acting aggressively, immediately remove your dog from the area, and take responsibility for any damage or injury caused.
Licenses are required for all dogs living in Deschutes County, and can be obtained from the county and some veterinary offices, once dogs are at least six months old and vaccinated for rabies. Puppies in Bend must be through their first cycle of vaccinations before visiting city parks and trails.
Everest | Photo by Christian Murillo
Taking Care: Healthy Hounds
When humans move to a new place or gauge the quality of living in one city versus another, healthcare is often an important topic. And for many dog owners in Central Oregon, the area’s health and wellness offerings for pooches are of upmost importance. It’s another area in which Bend has gone above and beyond, offering top-notch veterinary care and some unique wellness offerings sure to leave any dog thriving, pampered and with a clean bill of health.
When Heather and Nick Downing-Barrier’s Saint Bernard mix Arwen was diagnosed with osteosarcoma — bone cancer — the family began a process to treat the disease. Arwen’s leg was amputated, and she underwent chemotherapy and physical therapy, all here in Bend. “I follow a lot of other osteosarcoma dogs in Instagram, and not everyone is so fortunate to live in areas that offer all these services,” said Heather Downing-Barrier. Arwen went to Stride Canine Rehabilitation and Fitness Center in southwest Bend, where she used an underwater treadmill and balance disks as part of her therapy. With successful treatment here in town, Arwen’s prognosis improved, and she continues to explore Central Oregon today — often via a paddleboard on a nearby lake.
Elsewhere in Bend, dogs are getting a mix of wellness and healthcare through services like canine acupuncture and chiropractic care, both of which are offered at Sage Veterinary Alternatives. Veterinarian Leslie McIntyre was one of only two providers offering acupuncture when she first moved to Central Oregon in 1990, but today she estimates there are as many as fifteen providing the service. McIntyre uses acupuncture and other Chinese medicines to treat everything from arthritis and joint pain to cancer and other chronic diseases. Among McIntyre’s patients are geriatric and injured dogs, as well as hardworking agility pups, mushers and other sporting dogs.
Healthy pooches can get clean and even indulge a bit at many of the grooming facilities in town. At Muddy Paws bath house on Century Drive, owners can drop off Fido for a bath, grooming or more extensive services, like a canine massage or mud bath. Dogs can soak in hydrating oils and vitamins for a deep clean or in peppermint and menthol oils to invigorate an athletic or arthritic body. The mud baths can help with shedding and leave the dogs with hydrated skin and a glossy coat, plus they’re massaged in, something that bath-loving dogs enjoy, said owner Kimberly Rafilson.
“They’re getting a little more of that hands on treatment than they would with a typical bath,” Rafilson said. “It really makes a huge different with the dog’s coat.” An a la carte menu offers more options for dogs, including a brush out, nail trim and polish or teeth brushing.
Jaxson loves to play in the Deschutes River in Bend, especially if there is a ball involved! | Photo Jill Rosell
Bend, Oregon is a Doggie Destination
Over the years, Bend has earned a dog-friendly reputation, and even accolades. The city was named the most dog-friendly place in the country by Dog Fancy magazine in 2012 and again by Dogster magazine (which merged with Dog Fancy) in 2017. These rankings recognize that Bend is not only a dog-friendly place for locals, but also a destination for those who prefer to travel with their four-legged companions.
Bringing a dog to Bend? Consider staying at the Oxford Hotel downtown, which offers a welcoming pet package at a cost of $59 per stay. Dogs are given an appropriately sized pet bed, two travel bowls (one to keep), organic dog treats and a map of local walking trails and parks. The hotel will even take care of the walk for you for an additional fee.
While out and about in Bend, it’s not uncommon to see dogs joining their owners at a growing number of restaurants that offer outdoor dining. At Worthy Brewing on the east side of town, dogs enjoy a spacious, shaded patio and, if they’re lucky, something from the dog menu. For $5, dogs can grab a Diggy Dog Scoop (chicken breast, carrots and cucumber) or an unseasoned burger, known as a Diggy Patty.
Speaking of breweries, some offer brews that support local animal causes, including Cascade Lakes Brewing Co., which debuted its new Pawsitive Pale Ale earlier this year. One dollar from each six pack sold at locations in Bend and Redmond support Central Oregon’s BrightSide Animal Shelter. Taking it a step further is 10 Barrel Brewing Company, which earlier this year released Good Sit Pup Ale, a non-alcoholic “beer” which is a glucosamine-enriched malt product safe for dogs to drink. All the net proceeds from the sale of the ale goes toward local shelters. If you ask your dog, they’ll tell you the ale is best enjoyed out in the sunshine, at the end of another dog-friendly Central Oregon adventure.
Persistence and purpose define entrepreneur Dominiqe Taylor, founder of the sustainable hair products company Consciously Curly Co. A biology and environmental studies graduate of Southern Utah Polytechnic University, Taylor began her venture into the world of beauty products while working in Zion National Park, where she cooked her meals in the shadow of sandstone cliffs. Taylor’s passion for the natural world and sustainable living inspired her to delve into the ingredients that filled her self-care routine, namely products for her kinky-curly hair. She discovered the majority contained properties both carcinogenic and teeming with ground-water contamination toxins. Taylor became passionate about finding cleaner, more inclusive options that were not packaged in environmentally damaging plastics. When she came up empty-handed, she decided to create her own. Determined to help people feel like their best selves without jeopardizing health or the environment, Taylor’s Consciously Curly Co. (CCC) raises the bar for conscious living.
Your story is inspiring and courageous. Walk us through the creation of your products.
I am very much a learn by trial-and-error type of person. Consequently, my products have been made and remade and remade again. They started as painfully simple kitchen concoctions. While I really liked that they were completely natural, I wasn’t in love with the results. Despite this, my curiosity had peaked, and I found myself absolutely loving the experimentation of it all. I decided to take a formulating course online; I read six different textbooks (cover to cover), followed chemist forums, and tested everything I learned. I started expanding the ingredients I worked with–researching each one thoroughly. The formulations today are more sophisticated than their predecessors, but simple in comparison to the products you find in box stores.
I focus on naturally derived, nontoxic and sustainable ingredients to build the formulations that make up CCC products and packaging. Every decision I make centers around inclusivity and sustainability. I don’t want my products to shout, “I’m just for men” or “I’m just for women.” I want them to exemplify what they are–a sustainable option for any race, gender or identity. I really try to hear my customers and give their suggestions a shot. If enough people ask for something, I’ll try to offer it. Changes in the products I offer are a direct reflection of that.
Your logo “Mycohair: Hair on Shrooms,” is intriguing. How did mushrooms become so integral to your product line?
I have always had a deep interest in mycology and spend a lot of my free time foraging mushrooms, so I was thrilled to discover and experiment with the use of mushrooms in haircare. Each mushroom serves a different purpose, but in short, I use mushrooms in the products because they are incredible alternatives to lab-made ingredients–and they work better!
What makes CCC stand out in the beauty product industry?
Consciously Curly Co. brings the intersectionality of environmentalism and inclusivity to the table. I’m a woman of color in the sustainable beauty industry. That brings a whole different dynamic, and begins to fill a hole that is still majorly lacking. Hair products are a big deal in the black community and the lack of products for textured, curly, oily hair just wasn’t acceptable to me. So I started CCC with an aim to bridge that gap. I used what science knowledge I had, took a dive into the formulating world and got to work.
What are your long term goals for CCC?
I want people to have more access to sustainable, nontoxic products as far as affordability and proximity go. I plan to get my products into thousands of eco-shops nationally and internationally. But CCC will always be a small-run, intentionally-led and integrity-driven company. I don’t plan to be present in major box stores, but I want to have more options than online ordering. I also hope to one day offer bottle take-backs to create a closed system of production and waste, and design recycled bottle pumps and spray nozzles–or inspire a developer to create them.
Being an entrepreneur is challenging, tell us: What continues to inspire your journey?
I’ve learned about the power of integrating your passions into your work and how it fuels you to push through really hard times. I promise myself that when I feel the intuitive push to leap, I will without question. That also helps me settle into less than ideal times, trust the process and appreciate the journey. My passion is to connect people to nature through practical means and relatable ways. Mushrooms not only do amazing things for your hair, they get people curious about them. I think the more curiosity we have about nature, the more we are pulled to it. The more we are pulled to it, the more incentive we have to protect it.
In the thru-hiking community, Oregon gets a bad rap. Nicknamed the Green Tunnel by Pacific Crest Trail hikers, Oregon is known for having repetitive, wooded scenery and hordes of mosquitoes. The bug problem held true, but the five days I spent on trail were anything but boring.
The PCT spans 2,650 miles of wilderness from Mexico to Canada and can be traveled in many months as a thru-hike, but many break it up into smaller section hikes. I would be hiking a miniscule 65 mile section, but the trip seemed daunting and not entirely appealing.
My dad had been dreaming of thru-hiking the entire PCT for years. But, I had never shared his dream. I couldn’t imagine the appeal of hiking every day for months, of sleeping on the ground, eating freeze-dried food and going so long without a shower that you can hardly stand your own stench. When my dad shared photos and stories from his thru-hiking adventures each summer, I would just shake my head and smile in amusement at his overgrown beard, dirt caked legs and dorky trail lingo.
I grew up backpacking in Mount Rainier National Park, and my experience was much closer to glamping than the hardcore expedition that thru-hikers undertake. My sister and I would carry tiny backpacks for our clothes and our parents would sherpa the rest. We’d hike a few miles in, us kids whining and dragging our heels, and my dad hiding gummy worms on the trail to keep us going. We’d camp at a lake or beside a little alpine stream and my sister and I would spend all evening catching frogs. Dinner was always mac and cheese with oreos for dessert. Mornings came with hot chocolate and blueberry bagels.
Until this summer, I was unaccustomed to the type of camping that comes without glitz, glamor and gummy worms, and until a few months ago I was uninterested in learning. But when my dad asked me to join him on trail, I hadn’t seen him in nearly a year and I was missing him and the mountains, so I said “Yes.”
Leading up to the trip I regretted my burst of bravery, but I was too embarrassed to quit, so on the first of July, my dad and I set off from Six Lakes trailhead with 25-pound backpacks weighed down by tents, trail mix and freeze-dried food. For the next few days, I was destined to discover the “hiker trash” lifestyle, a term of endearment in the thru-hiking community and a way of being that my dad proudly subscribes to. I would eat strange meals, wear the same outfit every day and collect a layer of Deet and dirt on my unwashed skin.
Day One: 15 Miles from Six Lakes Trailhead to Elk Lake
On the first day, we bushwhacked over fallen trees and made our way through burn areas. The bugs were thick in the air, and I was failing to find beauty in my stark surroundings. For the first six miles I battled the question that had been in my head all week. “Why am I doing this?” But around noon, when we plopped down to eat lunch on a plot of burnt dirt a few feet off the trail, I noticed the silence for the first time — the perfect, head-clearing silence of the trail. I was accountable to no one and responsible for nothing but putting one foot in front of the other and pitching my tent at the end of the night.
“Don’t you love how quiet it is,” my dad said. “These are my favorite moments of thru-hiking — just sitting in silence and observing things.”
I nodded and took another bite of my peanut butter and banana chip burrito. Even eating felt simpler on the trail. We stopped hiking when we were hungry and ate what we wanted out of our food stuff sacks, cramming our mouths with handfuls of trail mix or glopping heaps of peanut butter into tortillas.
That day we got to know the Green Tunnel and the wildlife that comes with it — mosquitoes. When we stopped to filter water at a small stream crossing the trail, we were ambushed. I had taken off my pack and made myself comfortable on a log when the swarms attacked. Springing up from my seat, I danced around the clearing—pacing and circling just to keep moving. My skin was covered with a thick layer of insect repellant, but my back, bare without my backpack, was vulnerable. In minutes I was covered in angry, red bumps.
As I furiously itched my back on a dead tree, I received my official trail name — a tradition used by thru hikers to identify each other and make the hike a little more fun. From then on I would be Baloo, after the bear from The Jungle Book. I had the song “The Bear Necessities” stuck in my head for the rest of the trip.
We finished hiking that first day with a view of Mount Bachelor as we finally popped out of the trees. After 15 miles on foot, I was cranky, itchy and tired of walking through burned forest. I spent that evening cowering from the bugs in a full suit of rain gear with a mosquito head net, purchased from REI just days before, draped over my face. By 7 p.m., I was in my tent, staring at the nylon ceiling, feeling pathetic and miserable.
Day Two: 13.73 Miles Around the Backside of South Sister to the Backside of Middle Sister
On the first day, I was bored, trudging through a tunnel of trees just a few miles from Cascade Lakes Highway. It felt too close to home, and when I turned my phone off airplane mode that night, I discovered that I still had service. I could feel the tug of emails and tasks nagging at me to get done. But Day Two took us into the wild.
We were into the mountains and off of dry ground as we trekked across snowfields at the base of South Sister. We lost the trail frequently as it disappeared below the snowpack into the forest, and my dad had to redirect us back on track every few minutes with his FarOut GPS app (the lifeline of our trip).
When we grew tired of checking our location on the phone every few minutes, we decided to place full faith in the faint footprints in the snow. When the footprints kept leading us straight back to the trail, we named the owners of the prints “Smart People.” We met the Smart People a few miles later and ended up setting up camp within earshot of them, a certain comfort when you’re in the middle of the woods.
The bugs at campsite number two proved to be even worse than the night before so I retreated to my tent for the evening. Our campsite that night was by far the most scenic, and I pitched my tent without the rain fly so I could peer out at the Three Sisters and The Husband glowing pink as the sun set.
“I honestly don’t remember the last time I had this little to do,” I said as I stared at the mountains. We were far from service and that day I had felt the relief of being truly detached. The only thing on the agenda for the rest of the night was to eat and sleep.
“Isn’t it glorious?” my dad said, and I smiled.
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.”
As we prepared dinner that evening, we met Ducky, the only PCT thru hiker I would encounter on my trip. He had followed our tracks to find the trail, leading him right to our tent site. Averaging 30 miles a day, he was soon far ahead of us, and we became his number one fans as we followed his footprints for the rest of the trip.
Day Three: 12.36 Miles Around the Middle and North Sister and Over Opie Dilldock Pass
Night two was freezing, and the trail had transformed into a treacherous ice rink the next morning. Hiking was slow going, and we traversed the snow-covered slopes cautiously. I had forgotten my trekking poles at home so we were sharing my dad’s pair, white-knuckling the handles and kicking our feet into the hill for stability.
“That’s what dads are for,” my dad said when I asked if he was sure he didn’t need both.
We barely laid eyes on the trail all day, and 12 miles felt like 20 with all of the detours and retracing of our steps. Our only solace was our friend Ducky and the footprints he left in the snow for us to follow.
“Look, Ducky prints!” I would call out each time I saw the distinct Duck-like outline of his hiking shoes that we surmised earned him his trail name.
In the afternoon we reached dry ground and began the ascent up Opie Dilldock Pass. The trail faded from a distinct dirt path into a faint groove in a field of craggy lava rocks. Dramatic switchbacks were etched into the steep wall of rock. While I huffed and puffed to the top, the narrow rock canyon opened up to a stunning view of North Sister.
We had been so focused on finding the trail all day I had almost lost sight of the majesty surrounding us. But standing on an endless lava field, the Three Sisters looming grand and quiet above me, I was reminded how small we are on this earth. My problems and stresses shrunk to nothing and it was just so quiet.
When we descended over the other side of the pass, the trail vanished under a snow drift, and my moment of perspective along with it. We followed along the groove of the drift towards the wall of lava ahead, assuming the trail was below us. But when we reached the wall, there was no trace of the trail.
There was only one reasonable route…down. I boot-skied the first snow field, a steep slope with a big cornice at the top. My dad sat and sledded down on nothing but his shorts and skin. At the second snow field, he was complaining about a snow rash, and I had a brilliant idea. My eyes glinted mischievously as I pointed to the foam sleeping pads strapped to our packs. Seconds later we were screaming and sliding on our makeshift sleds.
One more heavy-footed mile of hiking and we made it to our camp, pitching our tents on a hill above a lake with a view of North Sister. That night we slept like the dead, drifting off before the sun set and waking after it rose.
Day Four: 16.7 Miles Across Mckenzie Pass and Past Mount Washington to Big Lake Youth Camp
As we headed out of camp, we came across “Dog Father,” a section hiker from Eugene. He was still in bed, which he told us is because he likes to hike late and sleep in. My dad got a good kick out of that one. Hardly anyone on the trail stays up past the hiker’s midnight of 9 p.m.
That day was the hottest on the trail so far and we were surrounded by black lava rock. When we realized we were nine miles from our next water source, I had less than 10 ounces of water left and my dad didn’t have much more.
“This is the real PCT experience,” my dad said.
Just a mile later we had found a patch of snow and were packing it into a water bladder. Not two minutes later we ran into a day hiker who was happy to fill our bottles with his remaining water supply. Pacific Crest Trail hikers call moments like these Trail Magic, and the people who help them along the way are known as Trail Angels. We had just met our very own angel. We were set.
The next few miles of the hike were impossibly hot as we hobbled over lava rocks on a steep incline. The only signs of life were tiny purple flowers hiding in the rocks. We were either silent or deep in conversation. He told me stories from his childhood and I giggled about how different it was from mine.
Our destination for the night was Big Lake Youth Camp, a place known for its hospitality to thru hikers. When we arrived at the camp’s PCT center we found a full kitchen, bathrooms, cell service and a complimentary dinner. My dad was grateful for the glimpse of civilization, as he would be on trail for the next few days, but I was disappointed by my early reintroduction to the real world.
I wasn’t ready to get off trail, to return to the stresses of real life. I was perfectly content being disconnected in the middle of the woods, so I kept my phone on airplane mode and remained in my happy quiet bubble. The real world would have to wait until tomorrow.
Day Five: 5.12 Miles From Big Lake Youth Camp to Santiam Pass Through Swarms of Mosquitoes
Setting off that morning, the magic of the trail was behind us and a thick swarm of mosquitoes was ahead. We speed-walked the first three miles, but when we lost the bugs our pace slowed and we fell into the same conversation we had been having all week — how much we enjoyed being unplugged and how little we wished to return to real life.
Life had become so simple on the trail. The only thing we had to worry about was walking enough, eating enough and finding a flat piece of ground to pitch our tents at the end of the day. The exhaustion from hiking all day calmed me and the mountains looming above humbled me. I was battered and blistered, but each time my dad told me he was impressed with me I swelled with pride.
As I entered the last bug free stretch of my time on the PCT, I had become nostalgic and was reluctant to leave it all behind. My dad was crying as he hugged me goodbye.
“You could totally do the whole PCT,” he said proudly.
“Only if you do it with me,” I said.
Suggested Gear for a Successful Thru-Hike
Nemo Switchback Ultralight Foam Sleeping Pads are a game changer when it comes to comfort on the trail. Tired of scoping out the perfect spot to sit for lunch? Nemo’s got your back — or more accurately, your butt. Strap one of these pads onto your pack, and suddenly, anywhere is a fine place to dine. Then, at nighttime, it takes on its sleeping pad role to make the ground a comfortable abode.
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filters are a thru-hiker’s most prized possession. Why would you spend precious time pumping water when you could just squeeze? Added bonus: The filter fits perfectly on the mouth of a plastic Smart Water bottle, aka the PCT gold standard for carrying water.
Peak Refuel Freeze-Dried Meals are the ideal end to a big mileage day. Hiker hunger is real, and nothing satisfies a craving for cheeseburgers quite like a hot plastic bag full of rehydrated pasta. After a few days on trail, their Chicken Alfredo could pass as a Michelin star meal.
Altra Lone Peak trail running shoes might look silly on foot, but in terms of luxury, they’re the thru hiker equivalent to Louboutins. Ditch your stereotypical image of a hiker in brown, dusty boots, with trail runners as the new wave of style. These shoes have a durable, spikey tread and are extra wide in the toe box which helps to avoid blisters.
Janji Pace Running Shorts are the ultimate clothing option for my fellow thick-thighed hikers. Chafing is the worst case scenario on long, hot days of hiking, and these shorts have an anti-slide band to prevent it. The side pockets also make for great, easy access phone storage so you can snap a pic on a moment’s notice.
Sea to Summit mosquito head nets are a must for the buggy woods. Worn over a hat, these nets create a safe little bug-free tent for your ears, eyes and mouth so you can at least enjoy the illusion of a bug free hike.
Bend Magazine Tip for Hikers: If you are passing through Sisters, Oregon, make sure to stop at Luckey’s Woodsman. While there, share 1 trail story, and you will receive 1 free drink, plus a Trail Butter (while supplies last). Luckey Woodsman’s mission is to bridge the divide between outdoor recreation and professional food service by offering this trail angel service to any hikers passing by their kitchen in Sisters. How cool is that?!
Set against the panoramic backdrop of the Cascade Range, The Rooftop in Redmond makes you wonder why there aren’t more rooftop bars in Central Oregon. The space atop the SCP Redmond Hotel dazzles with atmosphere, local cuisine and inspired ethos.
Spanning 1,500 square feet, the flex indoor and outdoor space provides guests with intimate seating amidst native gardens with vistas of the Three Sisters, Mount Bachelor, Black Butte and Smith Rock State Park.
According to Tobias Colvin, SCP Redmond’s general manager, “This is the place to visit for amazing sunsets, cuddly couches, glowing fireplaces and perfectly executed after-dinner drinks and desserts—ideal for romantic date nights or aprés-adventure storytelling.”
The menu reflects SCP’s core values of sustainability, community and wellness. Joseph Ortiz, the executive chef at The Rooftop explained, “The menu is influenced by blue zones and Mediterranean-style Pacific Northwest crops featuring fresh ingredients sourced from local farms, foraged from the region’s land as well as SCP Redmond Hotel’s very own rooftop garden.” The result is a plant-forward menu offering nourishing light bites, shareable plates and carefully crafted beverages. Partnerships with local farmers in the high desert community prioritize both diner health and environmental sustainability.
Standout dishes include the grilled watermelon with burrata, a refreshing and flavorful starter evoking the essence of summer. The jackfruit nachos offer bold and hearty flavors crafted from plant-based ingredients for the adventurous palate. The pizzas feature a 72-hour fermented poolish dough for a crust that’s both flavorful and easily digestible. Ortiz added, “Our special sourdough culture has been carefully developed over time with a focus on promoting healthy digestion and a strong immune system.”
The menu’s “hyper-local” ingredients are mentioned often for good reason. “Perennial plantings such as mulberries, strawberries, pears, cilantro, mint, parsley, rosemary and apples thrive in SCP Redmond’s gardens,” Colvin noted. These ingredients aren’t merely garnishes; they play a central role in the cocktail menu as well.
From Garden by the Sea, a snap pea daiquiri with fresh cucumber and snap pea-infused rum, to the Matcha Do About Nothing, incorporating vodka infused with Metolius matcha and honey, each drink offers local flavors that make for bright and effervescent summer patio cocktails. Additionally, The Rooftop offers an array of thoughtful nonalcoholic refreshments, such as the 6 am at the Farmer’s Market, a herbaceous spritzer blending fresh herbs, green tea and house-made celery shrub.
Since its inception, The Rooftop has become a gathering place for Central Oregonians. “It provides a space for the community to gather and celebrate,” Colvin reflected. From hosting weddings to offering a space for locals and travelers alike to unwind and connect, The Rooftop has become a cornerstone of the area — with a bird’s eye view.
With endless opportunities for recreation, nourishing cuisine and a peaceful high desert landscape, Central Oregon is an ideal destination for a wellness-focused getaway in the heart of Oregon. Not sure where to start or how to plan such an escape? Read on for a detailed itinerary for a weekend of relaxing, recharging and soothing the soul.
Day 1
Afternoon
Check-in at SCP Redmond Hotel, the eco-friendly hotel located in Redmond’s quaint downtown. With its warm and earthy design elements inspired by the Central Oregon landscape, you’ll begin to feel at ease the moment you arrive.
For a truly immersive wellness experience, be sure to book a Peaceful Room mindfully designed to enhance relaxation and encourage better sleep. With a meditation pillow, oil diffuser, yoga mat and no electronic screen, it’s the perfect sanctuary for some much-deserved rest and relaxation.
Once settled in, head outdoors to spend the rest of the afternoon soaking up the Central Oregon scenery. The Eagle Crest River Walk is an easy 2.5-mile trail near Redmond that’s perfect for trail running or a leisurely stroll along the river.
Mark McInnis, SCP, SCP Redmond
Evening
When you return, make your way to The Rooftop, the hotel’s rooftop garden for craft cocktails and local bites to toast your arrival. Find yourself surrounded by a serene native garden and panoramic views of the Cascade mountain range. With the best seat in Central Oregon to watch the sunset, it’s guaranteed to be an unforgettable dining experience.
The views are just the beginning; the beautiful cuisine is the true show-stopper. Each cocktail and mocktail features fresh fruits and herbs picked from the rooftop garden and the small plates are crafted with locally sourced ingredients.
Once the sun has set and you feel satiated, retreat to your room for a relaxing evening. Fall asleep soundly, knowing that you’re not only taking care of yourself but also directly supporting organizations making a positive social impact. With each stay at an SCP Hotel, you provide one adolescent with mental health resources, light the home of one family caring for a critically ill child for 24 hours, and plant one tree in an unnaturally deforested area.
Day 2: Morning
Start the morning by elevating your heart rate at SCP Fit in the hotel. The state-of-the-art boutique fitness space is fully equipped with Peloton bikes, TRX machines, and weight racks, available for any hotel guest to use. Once you’ve worked up a sweat, take a quiet moment in the peaceful meditation room to clear your head and set an intention for your day.
Next, head to Provisions Market to fuel up with a plant-forward breakfast. The menu features items such as a bagel breakfast sandwich with eggs from a local farm, french toast with sourdough from a nearby bakery, and oatmeal topped with fresh Oregon berries. Refreshing smoothies and locally roasted coffee are also available.
With a day of activity ahead, grab a salad or sandwich to-go so you can fuel up later in the day. The Mediterranean hummus wrap and crunchy cashew quinoa salad come with high praise.
Once you’ve stocked up, it’s time for some soul-enriching, heart-pumping time in nature. Grab a water bottle and throw on your favorite adventure apparel, we’re heading to Smith Rock State Park.
Afternoon
Located just fifteen minutes from downtown Redmond, Smith Rock is home to scenic hiking trails, rugged canyon landscapes and world-renowned rock climbing. The best way to see everything that this state park offers is by hiking the Misery Ridge loop. This hike is more breathtaking than miserable. The summit provides an insane bird’s eye view of Central Oregon, making it the perfect spot to stop and catch your breath before continuing.
Mark McInnis, SCP, SCP Redmond
Afterward, make your way back to the hotel and take some time to unwind. If you have work that needs to be done, head to SCP Commons, a beautiful coworking space designed to inspire both creativity and productivity.
Once you’re done with work for the day, swing by the Wayfarer Club for tavern-inspired small plates such as Spanish roasted nuts, citrus marinated olives, jackfruit tacos and more. There is also an extensive libations menu to browse through. Check out one of the adventure books laying around and enjoy a cozy afternoon. It’s been a busy day and there’s still a night full of nourishing food and fun waiting for you.
Evening
Dinner at Terra Kitchen, SCP’s plant-forward and locally sourced restaurant is an absolute must. The true farm-to-table dining experience is committed to crafting food that’s good for you, good for the community, good for the planet…and just really, really good. The kitchen’s close partnership with surrounding farms allows it to source the freshest ingredients possible while also supporting the burgeoning local food scene. The seasonally rotating menu draws inspiration from blue zones, Mediterranean cuisine and Pacific Northwest crops, resulting in a fusion of healthy, flavorful and sustainable dishes.
For an appetizer, try the Mushroom Pesto Tartine. It is grilled rye sourdough topped with kale pesto, mushroom duxelles, manchego, Fresno pepper, citrus arugula and hazelnut. For a refreshing salad, try the Terra Summer Salad. It’s full of local leafy greens, burrata, grilled watermelon, sugar snap peas, sunflower seeds and mint, all tossed with a ginger lemon vinaigrette. Check out the libations menu for a wide variety of handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, natural wines, and local beers – guaranteed to enhance your dining experience.
The Farm Vegetable Paella is a delicious first-course option. This dish offers aromatic saffron rice mixed with chorizo-seasoned cauliflower, snap peas, fennel, kale and whipped ricotta-chevre. It’s then topped with harissa-romesco sauce and a piece of grilled bread. The Primavera Pasta is another nutrient-dense and flavorful dish. Linguini is served with tarragon kale pesto, roasted garlic, cured egg yolk, charred broccolini, and garlic scapes.
With the brûlée cheesecake, a handcrafted Medjool and walnut crust filled with marionberry compote, you no longer have to choose between your wellbeing and a mouthwatering dessert.
Day 3: Morning
Before packing your bags, begin your morning with another sweat at SCP Fit or with a moment of gratitude in the meditation room. Enjoy breakfast at Provisions Market and grab some healthy snacks for the road. Leave feeling nourished and refueled, dreaming of the next time you’ll be back.
Central Oregon’s Beach Volleyball Scene Thrives Without a Beach
A couple of days each week during summer, Kendra Gulley and her friends gather before dawn at Bend’s Pine Nursery Park to get in a few touches on one of its five sand volleyball courts. Sure, they’re able to beat the heat by playing so early. But that isn’t the main reason for the pre-work sand sessions.
“If you’re not out there by 5:30 in the morning, you’re not getting a court,” Gulley said.
Other days, just before midnight on the other side of Bend, the group can be found wrapping up league night on the courts at Lifty’s Bar off Southwest Century Drive. Gulley isn’t alone. From sunup to well past sundown, where there’s a sand volleyball court in Central Oregon, players are bumping, setting and spiking.
“It’s a huge, growing sport here,” said Bob Trapnell, a leader of Bend’s adult sand volleyball scene, “and I love the camaraderie we all have.”
How This Differs From Traditional Volleyball
Those who frequent the sand courts say you get more touches on the ball compared to traditional, indoor 6v6 volleyball. And it’s a sport just about everyone can play. You don’t have to show up to the sand with a resume like Olympic sand volleyball teammates Kerri Walsh Jennings or Misty May-Treanor to have fun. (Although you likely will run into players with elite competitive backgrounds. Remember, this is Bend.)
Photo courtesy of Bend Parks and Recreation
Gulley’s immersion in the local sand volleyball scene has happened over the course of the past decade. She’d pop over to the Pine Nursery courts with her dad looking for a game and to meet some new people. “It’s a great community builder,” Gulley said. “I’ve met all my closest friends through the sport of volleyball. As you get older, it’s harder to meet new people. This is a great way to bring people together and stay active.”
How to Get Better at Volleyball
For those looking to sharpen their skills or simply learn the game, Trapnell and others host lesson clinics on Wednesday nights at 5:30 p.m. on the Pine Nursery Park courts. Roughly 150 people out of the 1,100 members of the Bend Beach Volleyball Facebook group regularly schedule games and hitting sessions there.
“The focus is on helping to deepen the talent pool in Bend over time,” Trapnell said. “I love giving back at this stage of my life. There’s so much to offer the different levels of players to enhance their game.”
With more local kids playing competitive beach volleyball, and the continued surge of new residents in the area, Gulley foresees the scene here continuing to grow.
Youth Indoor Volleyball
Youth indoor volleyball is a popular sport for students, beginning in third grade. High school teams and club volleyball programs feed the love for the sport, and sand volleyball is a natural extension. In 2024, boys volleyball was proposed as a new sport to be added to high school sports offerings. As the number of indoor players rises, the number of sand volleyball players follows, creating more opportunities to find competition.
Photo by Steve Heinrichs, courtesy of Visit Central Oregon
This summer, Central Oregon Volleyball Club will host numerous tournaments for its players as well as popular “Friday Night Lights” games on two courts located outside the Cascade Swim Center in Redmond.
The single court at Lifty’s in Bend, which can be reserved for $30 per hour, is booked from opening to closing most days during the summer. On “Free Play Fridays,” players fill the courts for 4v4 matches and Lifty’s hosts tournaments throughout the summer.
“There’s nothing like it in Central Oregon,” Lifty’s owner Chris Justema said, referring to both his bar’s sand court amenity and the sport itself.
“It’s a fun, engaging outdoor sport that’s perfect for all skill levels…it’s just an overall good, healthy outdoor activity.”
An hour remains before sunrise. The city sleeps, but it’s time for “The Mayor” to get to work. Pulling on a wetsuit, booties and gloves, all still damp from an evening session the night before, Lled Smith heads to the Deschutes River as he does every morning. He has totaled more than 1,000 surf sessions and tracks water flow on his website Greenwave Surf Report. When the water is high enough, he’ll ride the ever-in-motion Green Wave, named for the color of a glassy face on the eternally unbroken crest of river water. Smith won’t be solo for long. With the sun comes the half-dozen before-work, early risers.
They give way to a mid-morning crew, then the brunch club before lunch-breakers arrive. The groms come in a steady stream. From pre-dawn until after dark, there’s constant motion at the lineup. You’re never alone at the Green Wave, and for the community of surfers that exists there, they say that’s a good thing.
Lled Smith
All Are Welcome
“There’s a term in Hawaiian, e komo mai meaning ‘all are welcome,’” said Dave Chun, surfboard shaper and owner of Bend Surf. “Here at our wave it’s, ‘Take your turn, be nice, be kind, surf with aloha‘… that’s the Bend way.”
Smith has been there since the early days. “At first it was a ‘Bro Pit,’ a few guys that had been surfing the ditch [canal] before,” Smith said. While a few came with experience surfing a river wave, most did not and that was just as well: Surfing a standing wave is unlike surfing an ocean wave, so years on a point break don’t translate directly, which creates a camaraderie of learning together.
“It’s easier for me to hold someone’s hand,” Smith said, “than to watch them flop.” There’s a democracy in the line up, too, as everyone tests their patience waiting for their 60 seconds to ride, and inevitably does a lot of swimming when they float downriver after a wipeout. A kind of clockwork and social structure exists, one grounded in equanimity.
A welcoming vibe may be attributed in part to availability. The river flows 365 days a year, and when the flow is up, so is the wave. “The water keeps flowing, and the wave keeps coming,” said Austin Fernand, age 22 (first image on this post and shown above) and a two-time member of the U.S. River Surfing Team. He has surfed on rivers all over the world and said the consistency at Bend’s wave is part of what makes it unique. Compare that availability to the ocean, where scarcity creates anxiety, said Chun. There’s also no hierarchy in the lineup; a surfer’s position or the number of years a person has surfed at a local break don’t matter here. “Even if you got flushed down the river, you know your spot and just get back in line,” noted Smith. At the Green Wave, locals are friendly and check their egos before stepping onto an island where the line to take turns recognizes civility and order.
Poppy Smith
Aaron Smith knows a different experience, having surfed in Santa Cruz—a reef break known for its consistent waves and its localism—since he was 8 years old. At Steamer Lane, enforcers were known to keep the lineup in check, sometimes with a dose of grit. Living in Bend for more than 30 years, and an accomplished professional ski racer and cyclist, he questioned whether to introduce his 12-year-old daughter, Poppy, to surfing at the wave. That was six years ago, and the welcoming encouragement from the river surf community for his daughter contributed to Poppy’s love of surfing: “It’s different here,” Aaron said. Poppy calls him, “the ultimate Surf Dad.” Instead of enforcers, the Green Wave has teachers. It’s not uncommon to see Mr. Pipeline himself, Gerry Lopez, humbly lending a hand or offering tips to newcomers.
The minute you put on a wetsuit, you’re welcome as a surfer at a place engineered by wave shaper Ryan Richard, a river recreation specialist for Bend Park & Recreation District.
Gerry Lopez at the Green Wave
Engineered Stoke
Resembling Jason Momoa, Richard is a different kind of Aqua Man. He controls water levels at the Bend Whitewater Park’s three sections—a still-water habitat, the whitewater channel, and a fish ladder, referred to by some as the“kicks and giggles” lane for floaters. With the touch of a screen, Richard molds the surf waves of the whitewater channel remotely from an iPad, adjusting a series of 26 ramps and bladders positioned beneath the flowing water. At the top of the channel, Eddy’s Wave is the most complicated, with an interconnected structure below and frothy chaos above. Richard likens it to a “kayak rodeo hole,” with only skilled whitewater kayakers able to hold on for no more than a few seconds. Next down the channel, the Green Wave is named for the color of a foamless, consistent face of surfable water. At Jason’s Wave, below it, find kayakers, SUP riders or surfers who paddle in and pop up on a board. Each wave is technically a fish ladder, and surfers spending enough time on the water may see a fish swimming below them. But for Richard, his sights are on another species: the Oregon spotted frog, king of the river.
Dave Chun
Richard is charged with keeping the water levels upstream of the Colorado Bridge optimal for the frogs to breed and rear their young. Once the levels are adjusted for the frogs, calls come in from the surfers describing a wave that may need to change: it might be foamy, crumbly or “boney”—a reference to lower water levels exposing ramp structure, a bed of stones or a particular chicken head-shaped rocky hazard below. Conversely, if the flow is strong enough, Richards may get a call to “put in the rib”—a combination of ramp angles that creates a spine in the wave and simulates a bowl.
With spotted frogs on one side of the equation and up to 250,000 floaters during peak summer months on the other, numbers on the Green Wave island can inflate on a summer day, too, with up to 20 surfers lining up for their water time.
A Tragic Turn
Yet, despite its welcoming name and increasing popularity, the Bend Whitewater Park is not without risk. Although masterfully engineered, the wave channel is still within a dynamic and unpredictable river. On April 30, 2022, the power of the water claimed the life of a beloved member of the surfing community. Ben Murphy, 17 years old, passed away while surfing the wave in an event that deeply affected the immediate and extended surf family. Some would never return to the sport, others paused for an extended time in reverence. A memorial on the surf island invokes his spirit, honors him and is seen by every passerby. Murphy’s life and memory bind the community in ways far beyond recreation.
Island Life
Mary Ann Kruz, age 72, has surfed most of her life and is a regular at the wave.
Mary Ann Kruz
“The Green Wave community,” she said, “is one without barriers of economics, race, age or size.” This ethos carries over into the range of boards under the arm or feet of each rider. From bright pink foamies to custom-made river boards, any board is acceptable here. While traditional lengths are four to five feet, Allie Hofmann brings down her 7’6″ board—a length approaching the span of the wave itself. “At the basic level, it’s more about the rider than the board,” said Chun.
Allie Hofmann
Riders start young. The newly founded Central Oregon Surf Team Association (COSTA) high school league will host its first competition at the wave August 17. Called “Grom Con,” it features not only traditional heats, but one designated for riders on anything not classified as a board. “It’s about having fun,” said Chip Conrad, founder of COSTA, explaining how the competition will draw students from Boise and Chelan to face off against Central Oregon surfers.
“Whatever state you’re in, this is the elixir,” said Hofmann. “You can’t help but be soothed by the molecules coming off the water. It’s calming. You have socializing, physical exertion and endorphins—it’s a recipe for joy,” she said. At the Green Wave, there’s always someone there to lend a hand, let you know where your board pops up, and of course to whoop and holler at your success. That’s community. “Having a good day? Surf,” she said. “Having a bad day? Surf. It makes everything better.”
Can summer be put in a bottle? Royal Juice Company hopes so. Local proprietor Samantha Royal makes beneficial, thirst-quenching juice concoctions an essential part of a healthy summer. Royal Juice is now offering turmeric shots and blends of cleansing vegetable, fruit and herbal-infused juices at their new downtown Bend location.
Royal goes beyond the tried-and-true green blends to mix varietal seasonal veggies and tropical fruits with elixirs of herbs, mushrooms, squash, plant extracts and spices. A longtime avid juicer, she simplifies what can be a complicated nutritional science of organic, raw, vegan, herbal mixology by offering convenient modes for imbibing them. Several factors converged in the creation of Royal Juice Company. Royal brought experience combining flavors and “adjusting the palate” from being a sommelier and bartender. She has a naturopathic background as a yoga teacher, mother, doula, a student of alternative medicine, and as a chef with her own cleansing and fasting program.
Try Royal’s dynamic Lemon Basil Hawaiian Juice for an herbal, earthy splash of summer, with its blend of lemon, ginger, basil, pineapple, poppy seed and botanically infused reishi extract. Like all the Royal Juice offerings, the Hawaiian is bold and refreshing botany in a bottle.
Nearly 80% of Royal Juice is made from local produce and 100% of production takes place on a Bend farm, with hydroponics allowing greens to grow through the winter. Embrace those greens with the Get Yo Greens, a blend of cucumber, mint, parsley, cilantro, zucchini, broccoli, lemon, pear, spinach, kale, chard and a bit of peppermint oil. Or for a sweet treat, Strawberry Mint refreshes with strawberry, mint, lime, apple, botanically infused with schisandra berry extract. Nutrition is served.
Biophilic Design Blends Artistry and Nature in This Home on the River
Right in the heart of Bend, where the city hums with concerts in the park, popular restaurants, bars and food trucks, and paddlers haul their watercraft out of the Deschutes River, sits a home that exudes serenity amid the buzz. Ken Krueger and Cherisse Pazan purchased the original 1930s-era home in 2018, drawn to its prime river setting.
“The location is about as good as it gets in Bend,” said Simon Doss, project manager for Copperline Homes. “The old house was beyond repair, and when we dug out the site, it had unbuildable, unstable soils.” The builder razed the house and excavated down five feet, filling it with gravel to prep the site for a new structure.
The contemporary home Krueger and Pazan built testifies to the couple’s respect for the environment while aligning with the city’s goal to minimize urban sprawl by fitting new homes into existing lots. They complied with deep setbacks from the river to protect the riparian zone and wildlife from stormwater runoff, and honored Bend’s development focus on building vertically by creating livable space with a second story.
“The site embraces the river,” Krueger said.
“Living on the river is magical, as is being in a neighborhood where we can walk to restaurants and enjoy music in the park.”
A HOME BATHED IN LIGHT
“Quiet street side, the entry sequence allows for a sense of discovery,” said lead architect Al Tozer of Tozer Design. Visitors move through the front door and narrow hallway entry to emerge in the great room with its floor-to-ceiling glass walls to the river. “It is fun to observe guests traveling through the home, front-to-back, as they become increasingly drawn forward by the panoramic river view beyond,” he explained. The open area, encompassing the kitchen, dining and living rooms, is bathed in natural light.
“In our work, we treat natural light as another building material,”
Tozer said. “Bringing light into the residence is vital for both the architectural design and the performance of the home through the seasons.” In this home, for example, south-facing windows along the staircase boost natural light throughout the winter.
Tozer employed another architectural tenet called biophilic design, which involves connecting building occupants more closely to nature. When the glass accordion doors separating the kitchen from the covered patio are moved aside, the distinction between inside and outside space vanishes.
“Biophilic design guides our work and provides our clients health dividends and a sense of well-being,” Tozer said. The homeowners particularly enjoy the “golden hour” on the patio at sunset when, as they explained, “the light makes the trees and water pretty stunning.”
The seamless connection to the outdoors is further enhanced by a glass-walled partition between the patio and the adjacent living room. Both spaces are warmed by fire: the patio features a firepit for cool evenings when light bounces off Mirror Pond, and the living room has a fireplace for cozy winter evenings.
The fireplace is clad in tile that mimics the color and movement of the river. “Each individual tile was put in place by hand to make that pattern,” said interior designer Lisa Rhee Rokosh of Brass Tacks: Interior Products Planning & Design. Homeowner Pazan elaborated, adding that “the concrete ‘floating’ hearth looks simple and effortless, but was masterfully created by Cement Elegance.”
The kitchen features an unusual element known as “the cloud,” named by the builder because it serves as a second ceiling above the island, replacing a typical hanging vent. Joshua Wilhite, principal and co-founder of Copperline Homes, explained how his clients suggested the idea based on something they’d seen, and the builders found a way to incorporate lighting and an internal venting system while preserving the view. “It added some interest to an otherwise flat ceiling,” he said.
The quartzite island beneath the cloud “is the center of everything,” according to homeowner Krueger, who said they purposely didn’t want a sink in it. “We don’t want to look at dirty dishes.” Instead, the island keeps a sleek profile with an induction stove.
Another standout feature in the kitchen is the cabinetry, made from a combination of white oak and black laminate Fenix–an Italian-designed material made from 60% paper and thermally modified resins, creating an opaque, soft-to-the-touch surface that resists fingerprints.
In the dining room, the homeowners personalized the space by displaying their collection of handmade Glassybaby votive candle holders, a shelf with varied Fiestaware pitchers and a vintage Eames fiberglass shell chair from Krueger’s parents’ home.
The powder room features a back-lit, moonlike mirror on wallpaper–an element designer Rokosh wasn’t sure the homeowners would like, yet it turned into an unexpected and beloved jewel of the home.
PRIVACY WITH A VIEW IN BEND
As residents ascend to the second floor, they enter private quarters customized for sleeping, reading, relaxing, solving puzzles and practicing yoga. The primary suite is over the living room, with the same impressive river views. “Sunrises are spectacular,” said Pazan. The bonus room is appointed with a beverage bar and refrigerator, TV, a hanging wicker chair and a balcony with outdoor furniture facing the river, inviting connection to the outdoors. On the street-facing side of the home is a private, contemplative deck with a hot tub, a rare feature on the second floor. “Due to the small lot and the clients’ desire to maximize space and privacy, the second level provided the best location for a hot tub,” said Wilhite, noting that they were able to engineer the structure to support the extra weight.
The riverside home seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces, offering a sanctuary that enhances both physical and mental well-being. From observing wildlife, such as beavers, osprey, herons and eagles, to watching people enjoying the river, Krueger and Pazan say the river is the soul of their home.
Dive into an innovative flavor adventure that celebrates the bounty of the land while nourishing body, soul and planet. From organic salads and sustainable steak to vegetarian immunity boosters and a vegan version of a Vietnamese classic, the intersection of culinary creativity and rebellion against the ordinary lies just outside your doorstep.
(Photo of this dish shown above, by Tina Paymaster) It’s worth knowing exactly who Mama Sandy’s Mediterranean Bowl is named for. It’s C.R.A.V.E. co-owner Sandy Egge, who has an extensive background in naturopathic nutrition. The dish, with lemon grilled chicken, house-made, creamy, roasted pine nut hummus, feta-tomato-cucumber salad, arugula and quinoa, exemplifies a menu devoted to terrific taste and great health. People don’t realize how good the dish is for them, said Egge. “It is packed with fresh oregano and thyme, things that are good for your immune system and gut health. Our focus here is, how can we bring forward really good quality food—quality vegetables, quality proteins—in a way that’s different, tasty and delicious.”
Think of the umami and crunchiness of a Bahn Mi sandwich, except it’s vegan—and in a bowl. General Manager Abi Adams created this top-selling dish with roasted cauliflower, spicy sesame sauce, spinach, house-made sriracha-cashew vegan mayo, brown rice, pickled vegetables, daikon radish, cucumber, cilantro, purple kohlrabi and avocado. “Our food is not complicated. We use simple, fresh ingredients, and we try to present them in a beautiful way,” said co-owner Leila Carter. “You eat with your eyes first.” The focus is on healthy locally grown, organic ingredients and house-made sauces and components, such as cashew ricotta pesto and nut butters. “Every time you’re eating vegan, you are helping the planet,” said Carter.
The health mantra “eat the rainbow” is so easy here, just order it! Salud’s Rainbow Salad is a color-packed celebration of organic goodness. Fresh greens, bell pepper, cabbage, cucumber, carrot, tomato, beets and sunflower and sesame seeds are crowned with tender microgreens from Deschutes Produce of Tumalo. The crowd-pleaser has been on the menu since Salud opened in 2013. “It’s huge, it’s just got all the goods on it, and it is probably the most beautiful,” said owner Corrine Coxey. “When I put that down in front of someone, it does look like a rainbow—it’s really amazing.” Delicious dressings range from lemon garlic tahini to garlicky vegan Caesar. The vegan, gluten-free and organic menu includes veggie-packed nori seaweed rolls with ingredients such as basil almond paté, maple-miso-chili dipping sauce and walnut-based “tuna” and cashew cream.
Terrebonne terroir comes into focus with Brand 44’s roasted beet salad, starring vegetables locally grown at Naturally Elevated Farm, a boutique regenerative, organic grower. Arugula, spinach, goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes, pepitas, croutons and basil-lemon vinaigrette complete the dish. “It’s the perfect meal for the patio in summertime,” said restaurant co-owner Danielle Fuller, “and definitely one of our top sellers.” The balance of the menu ranges from egg dishes, house-made pastries and vegan and gluten-free items to the mimosa tower, a 100-ounce decanter of sparkling wine with a spout and glasses filled with gummy bears. “It makes you feel like a kid again, but with a mimosa,” Fuller said.
The Wholesome Bowl here is aptly named, given the satisfying ingredients: organic brown rice, organic black and red beans, cheddar cheese, green cabbage, salsa, avocado, cilantro, seasoning, topped with Active Culture’s OG Sauce. Short for Organic Goodness, the ingredients of this flavorful sauce remain a secret, but its impact is anything but. This protein-packed signature dish is gluten-free, vegetarian, tasty and a best seller. “It’s the bowl we suggest to all our meat-eating skeptics—[to show] that vegetarian food can taste good and leave you feeling full and nourished,” said co-owner Faye Wickland. The eatery makes all of its sauces and dressings daily. Don’t miss its seasonally inspired shake specials, acai bowls and happy hour every Friday.
Every crunchy bite of Jackson’s Blue organic salad not only imparts fantastic flavors, it’s healthy for you and the planet. The freshness of Pacific Northwest apples combines with the richness of candied walnuts, Rogue Creamery blue cheese, a tart-sweet blue cheese vinaigrette and the umami of soy-glazed steak from the ranch, 2T Sustainable of Sisters. The ranchers are on horseback with the cattle daily, guiding their grazing in a way that regenerates and nurtures the land. Chris Hall, who co-owns Jackson’s Corner with his wife, Anna, said it’s always fun to see customers’ surprised looks when the cowboys come in to deliver the beef. Less surprising is how delicious it is elsewhere on the menu, including the steak sandwich, gemelli pasta with Sunday gravy, the ribeye and kids’ meatball skewers.
Peak-bagging? Don’t forget the Grand Tetons—the salad, that is. Approach the bed of guacamole, make your way through black beans, cilantro, cashew cream, nacho sauce, taco-seasoned almond crumble, cherry tomatoes and green onion, then attack the “summit” made of house-made flax-carrot-chive crackers. “They’re really delicious and hearty with our nacho sauce—a spicy cashew sauce,” said manager Lila Klemroth. “They’re fun, deconstructed nachos.” Everything here is vegan, organic and gluten-free, not to mention soy-free, and decadent, too. For instance, the Big Bear gluten-free waffle is topped with whipped almond butter, whipped coconut cream, syrup, banana and candied coconut. “It’s delicious and creamy, but without any of the dairy,” she explained.
Under a towering Douglas fir on the edge of Dark Lake, tucked into the hills west of Sisters, a trio of fifth graders stare intently into a tub of murky lake water. Using a turkey baster and an ice cube tray, they examine tiny critters in the mud. “Leech!” one kid proclaims, and the others nod. It’s macroinvertebrate day at Camp Tamarack’s Outdoor School, where Central Oregon students learn ecology through hands-in-the-dirt experiences.
Along with learning about science, students gain confidence in nature, unplug from technology and have a lot of fun during their three-day stay. Whether they come for Outdoor School or for a summer camp experience, campers absorb a good dose of the Camp Tamarack spirit, captured by the motto that owners Charlie and Michele Anderson infuse into every part of camp: “Live more, every day.”
A Central Oregon Legacy
Camp Tamarack began in 1935, when two Oregonian women, Donna Gill and Lucille Murphy, realized their dream of a horse camp for girls. They leased the forested land around Dark Lake, next to Suttle Lake north of Sisters, and built a camp that revolved around horses and water skills. In an era when few such opportunities existed, Camp Tamarack allowed girls to adventure fearlessly and thrive outdoors.
Since those early years, the camp has stayed true to its core mission: To cultivate passion for the outdoors and confidence to try new adventures. As the newest owners, the Andersons recognized how Camp Tamarack sits at the heart of Central Oregon culture. “So many in our community were campers here. Their experiences shaped who they are—they still feel connected,” said Michele.
In 2013, the Andersons were seeking a location to grow the outdoor camps they’d created to honor the memory of Charlie’s brother, whose silhouette can be seen in the mountains of the Camp Tamarack logo. Tyler Anderson, an outdoor enthusiast and climbing guide, passed away in 2010 while climbing in Peru. “We felt the best way to carry on Ty’s legacy would be to nurture that spark of wonder and love of nature in kids. We started with a few small groups, and it grew from there,” said Charlie.
On their first visit to Camp Tamarack, the Andersons found the place empty and in need of renovation. Charlie and Michele focused on the camp’s potential as the permanent home of Tyler Anderson Youth Camp. Today, camp songs fill the air, campers splash along the lakeshore, and the legacy of adventure and learning continues.
Building a Local Outdoor School and Camp
With Charlie’s background in education and Michele’s experience in accounting and real estate, the Andersons shaped their programming around two guiding ideas. First, to make local outdoor experiences accessible to all kids and second, to create an environment where kids feel safe being themselves, away from technology and immersed in the natural world.
“We want to nurture curiosity, give a taste of adventure and the freedom of the outdoors. Campers might arrive with some anxieties, but a day unplugged in nature and those worries fall away. This camp has always been a place where everyone can be their best selves, learning and trying new things, away from the pressures of society,” said Charlie.
This approach is working. Each spring and fall, more than 2,000 fifth-grade students from 38 schools come for three days of outdoor school—to explore the forest and bond around the campfire. In summer, more than 1,200 campers descend upon Tamarack, choosing camp names for the week, swimming and paddling the lake, making crafts and creating memories. Throughout the year, hundreds of high school students gain leadership and mentoring experiences as volunteers.
As the camp grows, inclusion remains a top priority. The Andersons work with local business partners and organizations, such as Bend Park & Recreation District and The Bend Foundation among others, for grants and scholarships to ensure that outdoor experiences don’t depend on income. “I’m so grateful for the support that’s helped us get here, and now we’re able to give back through Camp Tamarack. This place belongs to the community, and we want every kid to be part of it,” Michele said.
For the Andersons, getting all kids outside is the best way to live more, every day.
In a fitting tribute to a man who has cultivated and shaped the future of Central Oregon for more than five decades, Mike Hollern was awarded the first annual ‘Soul of Central Oregon Award’ from Oregon Media at its anniversary event held at the Oregon Media headquarters overlooking the Deschutes River. While celebrating nine years of Bend Magazine and 15 years of Oregon Media, the award was launched to recognize people who embody the heart and soul of the community by giving selflessly to make Central Oregon a better place.
Hollern was chosen for his leadership as the visionary chairman of Brooks Resources Corporation, where his influence transcended the role of a developer; he became a community architect. His signature projects, from the iconic Black Butte Ranch to the vibrant NorthWest Crossing and Discovery West neighborhoods, have become emblematic of Central Oregon’s charm and livability. Yet, Hollern’s legacy extends beyond physical structures; he has cultivated the dynamic spirit that defines the region today.
Throughout his career, Hollern has championed a holistic approach to development, recognizing that thriving communities require more than just houses. Hollern’s vision was fixed on the high desert horizon, and he invested in long-term projects that have shaped the region’s future. He ardently supported education, becoming a driving force behind the establishment of OSU-Cascades. His passion for the arts led to numerous public art initiatives that now enrich the region’s cultural landscape. Moreover, Hollern’s unwavering commitment to sustainable growth has ensured Central Oregon’s natural beauty will be preserved for future generations. He and his wife, Sue Hollern, have served on multiple boards in the community, including Central Oregon Community College, Bend Chamber of Commerce, High Desert Museum and Central Oregon Builders’ Association, among others.
Mike Hollern’s influence and understanding of Central Oregon’s essence made him the ideal recipient of the inaugural ‘Soul of Central Oregon Award.’ It not only recognizes his past achievements but also celebrates the enduring impact of his work, which will continue to influence and inspire the region for decades to come. The Soul of Central Oregon Award illuminates the effect one individual can have on nurturing community, and motivates each of us to make our own unique contributions to this place we call home.
Summer is in full force, which means it’s time to throw a few craft brews in the cooler, pitch a tent or park your van and spend the night in one of the roughly 100 campgrounds across Central Oregon.
Photo by Whitney Whitehouse
If you’re excited to sleep under the stars during the coming months, we’ve put together a guide that breaks down the basics for an epic camping adventure—from finding a site and pampering your pooch to telling spooky stories and keeping warm around a (safe) fire. Here’s everything you need to know for a memorable trip into nature.
Find Your Next Favorite Campsite
Most campgrounds across the Deschutes National Forest and at Oregon State Parks offer reservations on a six-month rolling basis—meaning you can book a site as early as February 1 if planning a trip for August 1. While most choice sites have likely been booked since Valentine’s Day, hope for a more spontaneous camping trip is not lost.
Photo by Whitney Whitehouse
Even if your favorite campground looks full all summer long, be on call for an opening by setting up availability alerts (via ReserveAmerica.com for Oregon State Parks campgrounds or Recreation.gov for Deschutes National Forest campgrounds) that automatically email you when sites become available at your desired destination. For better odds, set your sights on the region’s larger campgrounds (such as Tumalo State Park, which hosts more than 75 sites near Bend)—where the chance of a last-minute cancellation is higher.
As your trip date approaches, look into tighter reservation windows. Some campgrounds within the Deschutes National Forest open a limited number of sites for booking on a 14-day rolling basis; Paulina Lake Campground, within the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, makes five of its 68 sites available two weeks in advance.
If your camp time inches even closer and you haven’t received one of those coveted alerts, see if your preferred campgrounds have set aside some sites on a first-come, first-served basis—and if so, try arriving early on Thursday for your best possible chance at scoring a site. (For example: Four of the nearly four-dozen sites at Lava Lake Campground along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway are set aside for last-minute arrivals.)
If you’re a fastidious planner who’d rather have a reservation before packing the car, check some of the region’s rare campgrounds that are not managed by the Deschutes National Forest or Oregon State Parks—they tend to have more availability than you might expect. It’s not unheard of, for instance, to find week-of availability at Creekside Campground near downtown Sisters (which is managed by the city)—assuming you’re not trying to reserve a site during a big event such as Sisters Rodeo. Private campgrounds—including The Camp, an RV park in Bend—tend to fly under the radar and have last-minute availability, as well.
Being a Good Neighbor
If you have campsite neighbors, follow a few simple guidelines to keep everyone happy.
Respect a campground’s “quiet” hours (usually from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) by keeping your conversation volume low, turning off the Bluetooth speaker and putting away the guitar. Just before bed, take care to put a campfire all the way out; it should be cool to the touch. And if camping with four-legged friends, respect all leash rules.
Sharing a tent with someone? Practice good tent-iquette by ensuring your headlamp is nearby in case you have to get up in the middle of the night, storing all your gear and clothing on your side of the tent, and trying to limit the amount of noise you make.
Bringing Pups to Camp
Camping is a family-friendly activity—and, in Central Oregon, that means the whole family, including fur babies.
When planning, look for a campground that offers pet-friendly amenities; for instance, The Cove Palisades State Park offers a fenced-in, off-leash dog exercise area. LaPine State Park hosts five dog-friendly log cabins.
As the trip approaches, be sure to pack dog food and a food bowl, a separate bowl for water, at least one towel, a leash, plenty of waste bags, identification tags, bedding, extra water and a pet-specific first-aid kit.
Once at the campsite, note that dogs must typically be leashed at all times, other than in your vehicle, tents, pet-friendly cabins or yurts, bodies of water and in designated off-leash areas. Note leashes should be no more than six feet long.
When the sun sets and it’s time to gather, it helps to have a few ways to kickstart the storytelling.
Not sure where to start? Take a cue from Campfire Stories Card Deck, where 50 cards offer prompts that ask about national park visits, favorite experiences, animal encounters and other revealing topics.
All three books in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series make frightfully good camping companions. In each piece, author Alvin Schwartz draws on urban legends, folklore and other genres to craft stories guaranteed to spook children of all ages.
Get a hootenanny going after packing a copy of Campfire Songs from Hal Leonard’s Strum Together series; the book includes the melody, lyrics and chord diagrams of 70 classic songs for five instruments (such as guitars, ukuleles and banjos). Sing along to notable songs including “You Are My Sunshine,” “Sweet Caroline” and “Hey Jude.”
How to Have Fun Without a Campfire
What happens when you can’t gather around a campfire or cook over an open flame? (Don’t worry, s’mores are still on the menu.)
Wildfires have grown more common in recent years, as have fire bans at campgrounds across the region. These regulations are put in place to keep campers safe and ensure that firefighters are being deployed where the need is greatest. But bans don’t need to spell the end of a memorable night.
If you encounter a campfire ban on your next trip, consider cooking meals with a butane- or propane-powered stove—which is prohibited in only the most extreme circumstances. Look for Coleman’s lineup of two-burner, propane-powered stoves that provide reliable cooktops for most car campers.
You’ll have plenty of options for gathering around a portable, propane-powered firepit after dinner; the small firepit may not keep you quite as warm as a traditional fire—but isn’t typically banned at the lowest levels of fire restrictions, won’t force you to dodge smoke all night, holds up better in damp conditions and requires almost no clean-up before bed. Outland Living is a popular producer of propane-powered firepits, with offerings in a variety of sizes and colors to match your needs and style. Whichever brand or model you go with, take heart: Propane firepits are still warm enough to roast a perfectly gooey s’more.
Gear for a Fun, Cozy Stay
You don’t need to fill your vehicle with gear and gadgets before heading out, but a few helpful items can take your camping trip to the next level.
Part puffy jacket, part sleeping bag, the Poler Napsack is a vibe, whether you’re warming up with camp coffee on early mornings or sharing tall tales at the end of a day.
Embrace your inner mixologist with the shaker set that’s designed specifically for outdoor use. The all-in-one set comes with a twist-to-lock cap that prevents spills, and stainless steel cups offer a camp-friendly alternative to glass.
After a full day of adventures, happy campers sleep deeply without interference of rocks and roots emerging from the ground beneath them. With headquarters in Bend, Luno offers comfy car-camping mattresses for a range of vehicles, from truck beds and vans, to Subarus Jeeps and Teslas. Their upcycled gear line, Project ReRoam, uses fabrics from returned mattresses to make new camping gear.
Portable, Re-Chargeable Lanterns
After stargazing, want to read a book before bed? Portable LED lanterns hook to the top of a tent’s interior, provide plenty of light and won’t blind neighbors. Black Diamond’s Moji R+ Lantern comes with a micro-USB charging port plus a full spectrum of fun colors to accompany impromptu dance parties or howling at the moon.
Out in the wild, culinary disasters can strike as surely as rain: with sandwiches soggy enough to double as sponges, mediocre meals that taste suspiciously like yesterday’s hotdogs and blame flung as freely as snack wrappers. Such gastronomic misadventures are legendary among those who venture into nature. Fortunately, the era of cooler chaos and frayed nerves is giving way to a revolution among the pines as innovative chefs transform Central Oregon’s great outdoors into a grand dining hall. Humble campfire fare can be elevated to sublime feasts, proving that the best tables in town are under a vast sky in the middle of nowhere.
Chef Jackson Higdon of Luckey’s Woodsman Off-Grid Provisions prepares dinner outdoors | Photo by Arian Stevens
Elevated Eats Made Easy by Pacaya
Once upon a smoky campfire, Jason Eckhoff and Chris Arathoon found themselves lamenting the culinary woes of camping with kids—from hastily grabbed convenience food on the way out of town to lackluster meals that sparked more groans than glee. “What if outdoor food was actually good?” they wondered. Not just passable, but mouthwateringly spectacular. From the ashes of mealtime misfires, their company Pacaya was born.
Named for a Guatemalan volcano and just as fiery in its ambitions, Pacaya is redefining what it means to eat well in the wild. No more last-minute dashes to the grocery store or the dreaded realization that the butter sits forgotten on the kitchen counter. Pacaya’s meal kits are the antithesis of traditional camp food. They are meticulously planned and locally sourced, with a dash of international flair. Offerings include flavor-packed hits such as Pork Carnitas Tacos with Guatemalan refried beans or Flatiron Steak paired with Chimichurri sauce. This isn’t roughing it; it’s dining out—way out.
The genius of Pacaya lies in its simplicity and attention to detail. Each meal kit is portioned and packed in a pre-chilled Yeti cooler and weather-proof dry box, turning the wilderness into a makeshift gourmet kitchen. Every component is labeled, organized and accompanied by easy-to-follow instructions, reducing both waste and the common campsite squabbling over who forgot to pack what. Even the culinary novice can prepare a feast under the stars in 20 minutes or less using one pot and one pan.
Pacaya Camp Meals Made Easy | Photo by Alyson Brown
From their famous Easy Clean-up Western Omelette, made with pasture-raised eggs that slide out of the bag perfectly, leaving nothing to clean, to the Walking Tamale that promises mid-day mobility and flavor in every bite, Pacaya has simplified the outdoor dining experience without compromising on taste. “We want you to have fun in the woods instead of stressing over shopping, prepping and cleaning,” said Eckhoff. “Get outside, have an adventure, and leave the meal planning to us.”
Luckey’s Woodsman plating dinner | Photo by Arian Stevens
Taste the Wild with Luckey’s Woodsman
At Luckey’s Woodsman Off-Grid Provisions in Sisters, Jackson Higdon draws on his heritage and love for the outdoors to deliver a menu that bridges Old-World techniques with modern culinary trends. Inspired by his grandparents’ original establishment, Luckey’s Woodsman celebrates the wild abundance of Central Oregon in several aways. He has a brick-and mortar-shop, food truck and hosts events, such as a forager’s dinner where diners gather raw foods he prepares for a feast in the forest.
Luckey’s menu features hearty but healthy dishes that reflect the untamed spirit of the forest. The Lumberjack—a guest favorite—features a 14-hour smoked brisket paired with local greens and woodsman beans, drizzled with pesto and chipotle aioli. Each dish celebrates the region’s natural bounty, crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Salmon Dinner Luckey’s Woodsman | Photo by Arian Stevens
For adventurers on the go, Luckey’s offers Camper Kits—conveniently prepared meals just a phone call or email away. Hot kits are designed to be warmed on a stove or over a campfire. Cold boxes are packed with items such as the Wanderlust Wrap, guaranteed to withstand the day’s journey without turning soggy.
Seated Forager’s Dinner in the Woods by Luckey’s Woodsman | Photo by Arian Stevens
As a purveyor of outdoor-inspired cuisine, Higdon insists, “The forest shares its bounty generously; we must honor it.” Deeply ingrained into every slice and simmer, this ethos is a nod to promise that was printed on his grandparents’ original menu over 60 years ago of The Woodsman Way: “To honor all who stand in awe and appreciation of the great outdoors.”
Luckey’s Woodsman dessert | Photo by Arian Stevens
Al Fresco Dining with AlpenGlow Adventure Catering
Dining under a starlit sky, accompanied only by the rustle of leaves and clink of cutlery, is not the stuff of dreams but a daily reality for Robert Dudzik and Erin DeJarnette. The brains behind AlpenGlow Adventure Catering, the duo blends extensive culinary expertise with outdoor logistics prowess, showing Central Oregon that gourmet meals genuinely belong in the wild.
AlpenGlow’s custom cook trailer transports a complete gourmet kitchen into the heart of the wilderness—whether for a romantic dinner for two by a secluded lake or a lavish meal for 60 people in the Alvord Desert. Every meal, prepared over an open flame, is infused with a smokey richness that enhances each bite.
Guests are not just diners but participants in an immersive event that blends gourmet cooking with the rugged charm of Central Oregon. “Our meals are a testament to the beauty and abundance surrounding us,” said Dudzik. “We’re giving people a true taste of the land.” Dining with AlpenGlow might include a Cowboy Cookout with smoke-tinged slow-roasted brisket and Dutch oven delights or an exquisite nine-course affair with fire-roasted duck and an arugula salad with a burnt-orange gastrique. Every meal celebrates flavors sourced directly from more than 30 local farms and ranches. AlpenGlow’s commitment to the “Leave No Trace” philosophy means that the only things they leave behind are satisfied smiles and perhaps a craving for seconds.
Aerial shot of dining table at Luckey’s Woodsman Seated Forager’s Dinner | Photo by Arian Stevens
Without a doubt, we have a lot of outdoor activities to experience in Bend. From hundreds of miles of mountain biking trails to cooling off by floating the Deschutes River, it can seem like recreation in Central Oregon is endless.
That is, until you’ve lived here for a while and feel like you’ve done all that Bend offers. But the truth is, you haven’t discovered the next best thing: exploring trails on an ATV.
Here at Bend Magazine, we try our very best to keep you updated on the happenings around Central Oregon and what to do on any given day, any time of year. So, when Matt Miller and his crew at Octane Adventures invited us out for a day of four-wheeling on some of Central Oregon’s ATV trails, we jumped at the opportunity and thought we’d bring you along for the adventure.
Hitting the Trails with Octane Adventures
Octane Adventures offers a few different trips, both guided and self-guided. After reading rave reviews online, we opted for the guided tour, which we strongly recommend, too. Octane Adventures guides take you to all the best local spots as they know the area like the back of their hands. Access areas and views most people won’t reach even on the most epic hiking days. Propelled on four wheels, see lava flows, serene alpine lakes and views of the Cascade Range. Plus, with our guide leading the way, we didn’t waste time circling the same backroads, missing the best viewpoints, spots to cool off, or secret trails. We could focus on the fun, with no risk of getting lost. Despite maps on smartphones, ATV routes can take riders pretty far out there in areas with little to no cell service.
Octane Adventures offers two different guided tours: If you only have two hours, check out Octane’s High Cascade Scenic Tour. As the name suggests, the High Cascades Scenic Tour will take you deep into Central Oregon’s backroads, to spectacular viewpoints nearly inaccessible by regular vehicles.
If you have more time, consider Octane Adventures’ Black Sands ATV Tour. The Black Sands tour gets deep into Central Oregon’s backcountry, featuring some of the area’s most challenging trails and backroads. Stunning mountain views, lakes, streams, and lava flows await you on this 4-hour ATV experience.
Tours with Octane Adventures take you so close to the Cascade Range that you can nearly reach out and touch the mountains. After winding down pine forest backcountry roads, you come upon some of the most pristine lakes and remarkable geological features, like lava flows and lava tube caves. We watched as bald eagles soared overhead. It is truly unbelievable to know this is right here in our backyard! Bend Magazine’s guided tour with Octane Adventures had us riding up to Little Cache Mountain near Mount Washington for some of the most spectacular 360-degree views we have ever seen.
To say we had fun would be an understatement.
If you have a handle on the area and know where to go, signing up for a self-guided tour is an option. Rental of one of Octane’s side-by-side ATVs, for four- or eight-hour rental options. The price of a four-hour rental was same as the four-hour Black Sands ATV Tour, so we opted to go with a guide to uncover Central Oregon’s secret spots.
How an Octane Adventures Trip Works
Booking a trip through Octane Adventures’ website is super easy. First, choose between the High Cascades, Black Sands, or self-guided trips. Next, select the dates you want to go — Octane Adventures will automatically filter out the days they are fully booked on their calendar. Lastly, after you confirm your booking, you’ll receive a booking confirmation with all the information you need for your ATV adventure.
On the day of your trip, you’ll meet Octane Adventures at their trailhead in Sisters, where they will have their brand new Polaris RZR XP1000 4-seaters waiting for you. And, yes, despite this being a “guided” tour, you and up to three friends will be driving one of these go-anywhere, off-road machines.
Driving the Polaris side-by-side should come naturally, as automatic transmission and power steering make them very similar to the car you showed up in. And don’t be afraid of getting lost, as each side-by-side is equipped with a user-friendly GPS navigation system. That way, you can track where the other vehicles are on the map at all times. Everyone stays together on this excursion.
Before you follow your guide deep into the forest, Octane Adventures goes over a few safety items. You’ll discuss where you are going and get a comprehensive orientation of how to operate the side-by-side. Next, you’ll be fitted for a helmet and goggles, both provided by Octane Adventures. And before the pedal hits the floor, you’ll be shown how to strap into the 3-point harness in your seat properly.
If you want to amp up your safety knowledge, watch the ATV safety and trail etiquette videos, along with a liability release form sent to you beforehand—they’re packed with useful tips, especially if this is your first time operating an ATV.
Pro Tips from the Trail
Use the bathroom before leaving home, there are no facilities in the backcountry.
Pack water, snacks, or lunch (you can rent a cooler from Octane).
Be sure to stay hydrated and fueled to fully enjoy your epic adventure!
Now, you’re ready to ride. See you on the trails!
Explore Winters with Octane, Too
When the temperature drops and snow begins to fall, Octane Adventures trades their side-by-sides for snowmobiles. And while they explore the Cascade Mountains outside of Sisters during the summer, Octane heads south to explore Newberry Crater in the winter.
Octane Adventures offers three different guided snowmobile tours. The first is a two-hour tour of some of the most scenic locations at Newberry Crater. Two hours is added to the second tour option, with a stop at the historic Paulina Lake Lodge for food and drinks (which we highly recommend). The third tour has riders chasing the sunset around Newberry Crater to catch some of the most spectacular golden hour views.
Pro Tip for Weather
Embrace weather of all kinds! Cloudy sunsets can reveal an equally stunning and moody winter landscape. Tours for all four seasons offer remarkable experiences, rain, snow or shine.
Ready for Your Adventure?
Octane Adventures is your ticket to discovering more of Bend. Whether you’re exploring trails in summer or cruising the snow in winter, they offer an adventure like no other. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip and explore the wild side of Central Oregon.
Pools Reopen to Encourage Splashes of Heritage and Community
Water. No other sound or element brings more relief to a Central Oregon summer. The region is rich with lakes and rivers, and since 1962, the waters at Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort at Warm Springs Reservation have provided a prime venue for “fun in the sun” in Central Oregon. Closed since 2018, this summer marks the return of the Warm Springs destination, news as reviving and relaxing as the mineral water pools that await.
The benefits of Kah-Nee-Ta reopening its pool and village extend beyond recreation. While the lodge, convention center and golf course remain closed for now, the Warm Springs community, along with Central Oregon residents and visitors alike, can once again enjoy the hot springs resort experience as a bridge between cultures every season of the year.
Running to the Pool | Photo by Edward Heath
Waters Heal and Connect Communities
The Indigenous Warm Springs people, well aware of the healing qualities of hot mineral water released from the earth, have used Kah-Nee-Ta’s hot springs for thousands of years. Member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and former Oregon poet laureate Elizabeth Woody called the springs, “a healing spot, and it always has been—a welcoming place that has mystique, but also culture.”
“Water is the giver of life,” said Starla Green, a lifelong resident of Warm Springs and descendant of the resort’s namesake. Kah-Nee-Ta was named after Xnitla, a Warm Springs woman who lived, gathered and farmed there after the turn of the 20th century. “[The water of the springs] regenerates you and cleanses not only your physical being, but also your spirit and down to your soul,” Green said. The resort’s new pools and village have been designed to highlight and share the healing qualities and Warm Springs’ traditions around water.
An old postcard inviting people to come swim in the naturally heated swimming pools.
“We’re adding to the wellness [aspect of the resort] by making this a chance to experience the water like you would in a natural hot springs,” said Jim Souers, CEO of the Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation. “The newly reimagined Kah-Nee-Ta offers a world-class soaking experience nestled in the majestic beauty of the region and with access to its rich cultural heritage.”
There are further enhancements as well— all the water for Kah-Nee-Ta will be treated by infusing it with oxygen and ozone, a technology the Japanese have embraced for 70 years, Souers explained. Rich in minerals, the naturally hot water flows into four of the seven pools at Kah-Nee-Ta. The hot-springs pools include an ADA-accessible leisure pool, and two smaller adjacent pools with temperatures up to 102 and to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Twenty private, six-person hot-spring soaking tubs sit just above the rippling Warm Springs River, creating an even closer connection between place, people and water.
Family is the foundation of Kah-Nee-Ta, both for Warm Springs residents and visitors. The new design provides even more options for all ages: A large pool offers children a place to play water volleyball and basketball, while a lazy river encircles the pool’s deck for those who prefer a slower and more leisurely float. There is a beach-entry kiddie pool with spray features and fountains, a three-leaf-clover hot tub, ice baths, poolside cabanas and plenty of sunbathing areas.
Kah-Nee-Ta Resort | Photo by Edward Heath
More Than a Splash
Beyond recreation, the reopening of the Kah-Nee-Ta pools and village will create jobs, especially seasonal opportunities for Warm Springs youth each summer. Having grown up near the resort and worked there in various roles, Starla Green is now the kitchen manager and co-food and beverage manager for the resort. She also serves on the Warm Springs Community Action Team, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people build economic independence and new businesses in Warm Springs. The Kah-Nee-Ta Village will provide a space where Warm Springs artists can sell their crafts, another added benefit for tribal and nontribal people to deepen the connection between cultures. Additionally, The Museum at Warm Springs and tribal retail stores alongside the Indian Head Casino, such as Tananawit artist’s collective, King Salmon fish and game and Pony Express coffee shop, provide places for visitors to stop, explore and learn more about the Warm Springs community year-round.
Deschutes River | Photo by Edward Heath
Kah-Nee-Ta is also bringing back the long standing tradition of a weekend salmon bake. Charles Jackson, Warm Springs tribal member and Economic Development Corporation board treasurer, described how his first job as a teenager was at Kah-Nee-Ta. He recalled the split salmon roasting on spits beside an open fire, the traditional dancing and the sense of camaraderie. “The salmon bake offers opportunities for visitors to interact with tribal members and get to know us, to get to know each other,” Jackson said. “That’s one of the things that we want to bring back–this regular intercultural communication between people who don’t live here and the people on the reservation.”
Visit and Play
Beyond the hot springs, summer guests to Kah-Nee-Ta can float a three-mile stretch of the river in tubes or kayaks, then take a shuttle ride back to the village. Alongside and above the river, several 5- or 10-mile loop trails access Warm Springs terrain for hikes, walks and bike rides. Horseback rides, along with mini golf, ping pong, frisbee golf, horseshoes and pickleball will also be available at the resort, creating diverse experiences and perspectives.
Photo by Edward Heath
For replenishment and refreshments, a sit-down restaurant and full sports bar serve authentic tribal fare such as river-caught salmon and fry bread, while a full-service spa rounds out the holistic wellness experience. Some guests visit for the day, but overnight options include a 30-room hotel, RV hook-up sites and teepees made by Bend-based Nomadics Tipi makers that include the work of Kris Lawler and Dale Rae Samples. Looking ahead, additional art for teepee canvases will be created by Warm Springs artist Natalie Kirk as part of a recent grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund.
“The region, as a visitor destination, is really excited to welcome visitors from around the world to experience our tribal community once again,” said Kristine McConnell, vice-president of regional programs for Visit Central Oregon.
Generations of Warm Springs residents and visitors hold cherished memories of Kah-Nee-Ta. With the reopening, these memories can return, aided by the comfort of mineral hot springs, plenty of sunshine and a classic salmon bake. Newcomers, too, will have a chance to make Kah-Nee-Ta a part of their family traditions. Most importantly, perhaps, the new resort allows the Warm Springs community to reintroduce the land and its water, whose beauty and health benefits these tribes know better than anyone.
Old postcard from the ’60s inviting guests to visit Kah-Nee-Ta Resort
The artists at this gallery will update throughout the year as new artists come into rotation.
Summer 2024 Issue:
Dao Hai Phong
Celebrated by Vietnam’s contemporary art scene, Dao Hai Phong is known for his evocative portrayal of Hanoi’s village landscapes. Since 1993, his exhibitions have attracted audiences with vibrant compositions of serene, verdant scenes. Through deliberate layering and texturing, Phong’s effervescent colors depict the tranquil world of his childhood, preserving the cultural geography of his youth amidst modernization. He encourages viewers to explore their own emotional landscapes, establishing a connection between artist and audience that transcends time and culture.
Chas Martin
Hailing from Portland, Chas Martin is guided by probing questions: What if? What else? Why not? These philosophical wonderings guide and infuse his creations. Through sculptures, masks and paintings, Martin delves into the world of dreams and symbols, employing a petroglyph-inspired style to illuminate universal narratives and characters. With innovation as a central pursuit, he continually reinvents his craft, challenging conventions and embracing the mantra, “If you’re not creating problems to solve, you’re not being very creative.” This fusion of playfulness and profundity renders Martin’s body of work a captivating exploration of the liminal space between reality and imagination.
Nguyen Thanh Binh
Nguyen Thanh Binh, a popular contemporary Vietnamese artist, showcases his paintings on a global scale. Drawing inspiration from Japanese Haiku poetry, Binh’s work possesses the poetic simplicity that belies its profound depth. Through the strategic use of negative space, a subdued palette and minimalistic detail, he invites viewers to imbue the canvas with their own narratives and interpretations. Harmonizing Western mediums with Eastern sensibilities, Binh infuses each stroke of oil on canvas with a wealth of memories, emotions and passion.
The artists at this gallery will update throughout the year as new artists come into rotation.
Summer 2024 Issue:
Donald Yatomi
An oil painter from Kalispell, Montana, Donald Yatomi brings the vibrancy of modern urban life to his canvases. With more than 30 years of experience, Yatomi creates work that reflects his fascination with the juxtaposition of bustling cityscapes and moments of serene introspection. Influenced by artists such as Chuck Close and Willem de Kooning, he captures the complexities of urban existence where viewers can contemplate the interplay of human connection and isolation within the urban landscape.
Shar Coulson
Shar Coulson finds her muse in the contrasts and movements of nature, capturing the dynamic relationships between wind and water, flora and fauna. Each of her paintings delves into the contrasting emotions of vulnerability and strength, depicting the delicate balance between fragility and resilience. Through intricate patterns and earthy tones, she creates layers of color which celebrate the connection between humanity and nature. Coulson’s art is a testament to her profound connection to the natural world.
The artists at this gallery will update throughout the year as new artists come into rotation.
Summer 2024 Issue:
Dan Chen
Impressively merging Eastern and Western artistic traditions, Dan Chen’s work reflects his journey from China to the Pacific Northwest. Born in China, his artistic exploration began under his father’s tutelage and blossomed through mentorship with master artists, later culminating in prestigious state exhibitions. Based in Eugene, Chen’s passion for wildlife inspires his paintings and sculptures, each crafted with meticulous detail.
When guests enter interior designer Sarah Westhusing’s West Bend home, they instantly feel at ease and, at the same time, transported.
While the clean lines and natural materials of Northwest regional style are present inside and out, there are also touches of Copenhagen coziness and playful accents—an abstract painting by Australian artist Shannon Heath and a cheetah print umbrella with tassels—that evoke the breeziness of a beach bungalow in Australia’s Byron Bay.
Visitors may also notice the lack of clutter, abundant glass, warm glow of flickering candles and earthy scent of palo santo sticks. The special touches and spaces are as thoughtfully considered as a boutique hotel, and that is by design.
“I want to create a life and a space I don’t need a vacation from,” said Westhusing.
Creative Calling
The daughter of a meticulous craftsman and contractor, Westhusing grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where she learned the importance of good design early on. She embarked on a career in product creation and global merchandising, working for companies such as KEEN and Nike.
In 2016, she moved to Bend with her husband and young daughter, Milo, namesake of her company House of Milo. Central Oregon’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired her to launch her full-service interior design studio in 2019.
House of Milo works with clients, often creatives with a unique point of view, to create functional interiors inspired by nature and the art of living well.
Hotels as Inspiration
Westhusing’s own home showcases her aesthetic and experiences. The great room, which includes the living room, kitchen with a marble island and dining, functions as the home’s “lobby” with a 15-foot-tall vaulted wood ceiling, a combination of Douglas fir and hemlock, a 1960s-inspired sectional made in Belgium and a warm gray and taupe brick fireplace flanked by window seats. Items collected during Westhusing’s travels and sourced from other countries, such as intricately patterned Moroccan rugs and decorative Oaxacan clay bowls, add personality to the room and the rest of the house. Oversized windows in the living room and full-pane glass French doors off the dining area amplify the views and connect the space to the outdoors.
Hotels are an endless source of inspiration for Westhusing. “There’s such a strong narrative that goes from the hotel room to the lobby, to the bathroom to the gym, and the story is multisensory: you smell the scent as soon as you walk in; you can feel the sheepskin rugs under your feet. It’s an experience. It’s not just about the look,” said Westhusing.
She believes hotels are the ultimate hosts, making guests feel welcome from the moment they arrive. They offer conveniences not typically found but possible in residences, such as the ability to operate multiple lights without leaving the bed and discreetly placed charging stations. They also have a distinct story to tell. Knowing someone’s favorite hotel really says alot about them.
Never afraid to challenge conventional thinking, Westhusing says builders cautioned her not to create such large windows because the home wouldn’t be private enough. She believes privacy can be overrated–she wants neighbors to feel like they can stop by–and would always opt to maximize the warmth of natural south—and west-facing light.
“I would rather see the entire height of a tree,” said Westhusing. “I think there’s something wonderful about a floor-to-ceiling window that allows you to see nature in its full scale,” she added.
Personality Over Conformity
Westhusing’s husband, PJ Jasienski, grew up in Southern California, so nods to surf and skateboard culture are an important theme. Two skateboards from his collection hang on the wall in the dining area, an intriguing contrast in shape and style with the Noguchi paper lantern light. In addition to family photos and art, the hallway gallery wall includes a mounted balsa wood handplane used to ride waves. There’s also a skate ramp in the yard.
From the main living space, a white slatted barn-style door leads to the rest of the single-story home on a third of an acre, which includes 8-year-old daughter Milo’s bedroom with handpainted wallpaper, a music room that doubles as a guest bedroom with a built-in Murphy bed and the primary bedroom. Westhusing’s sanctuary has woven rattan pendant light fixtures, a Mid-Century Modern sideboard, a speckled ceramic chain art piece by Portland-based Space Design, and a king-size bed with soft bamboo sheets and a patchwork comforter.
Like a luxury hotel room, glass doors lead to an elevated patio with a braided leather swing from Australia, a rectangular metal firepit and hot tub, and a standalone cold plunge.
Westhusing became interested in spa culture and wellness during a visit to Norway. People spend an estimated 87% of their lives inside buildings, and she believes well-designed spaces provide psychological benefits and happiness.
“I love this quote from designer Ilse Crawford, ‘Design is a tool to enhance our humanity. It is a frame for life.’ Design really affects how we feel and behave,” said Westhusing.
Westhusing enjoys creating human-centered spaces that are unpretentious, welcoming, meaningful and fun, just as she has done in her own residence.
“Your home should tell a story of who you are and be a collection of what you love.”
Hear from Sarah Westhusing on The Circling Podcast with Adam Short. Listen at BendMagazine.com/podcast.
It’s called the high desert for a reason. In Central Oregon, an average year of precipitation is between 12 inches and 20 inches, the majority of it in snow. It’s dry, it’s cool at night, and frankly, it’s not a place that’s particularly suited to a lush, green lawn.
That’s why so many people are getting on the xeriscaping bandwagon. Xeriscaping is growing in popularity in the dry climates of the American West, and the City of Bend is part of the movement. Earlier this year, Bend landowners were offered a Turf and Removal Rebate, consisting of $3 per square foot up to $3,000 for projects that replaced lawns with water-conserving xeriscaping. About 60 percent–4.5 billion gallons—of Bend’s water goes to landscape irrigation, most of which is residential.
According to Dan Denning, the city’s water conservation program manager, the funds for the rebate program were allocated within three weeks. “With more frequency of extreme drought and the variability of how we’re getting our precipitation–like these summer deluges where we’re getting a few inches an hour–and in the growth we’re experiencing, we’re seeing a shift in how much water we use and when we’re receiving the water,” he said. “So for us, it’s a strategy for trying to keep up with population growth.” Whether incentivized by a city rebate, or with water conservation in mind, xeriscaping can be accomplished with simple steps.
Where to Start
Homeowners may not know where to start a xeriscaping project or worry that their new landscaping will be a big pile of rocks. One of the biggest misconceptions, Denning said, is the idea that Bend will end up looking like a rockscape. He said plant material and mulch is vital to a good-looking xeriscape project. The lushness created by selecting the correct plants also has a cooling effect. A landscape of many rocks actually radiates heat, and the plants will require more water, he explained.
It doesn’t have to be all sagebrush, either. There are plenty of pretty, green native plants that bloom.
Denning understands the temptation of a lawn. “We continue to put grass down because it’s cheap, and it’s what we know,” he said. “We know how to mow a lawn and what it should look like. Xeriscaping is uncharted territory for some people.”
A Seven-Step Process
Xeriscaping is a seven-step process that starts with designing and planning out the space; ensuring efficient irrigation; analyzing the soil and making necessary improvements; picking out the right plants; selecting practical turf areas; using mulch; and then maintaining the space appropriately.
Xeriscaping just a small area of your yard can make a difference. Pick an underused area or a spot where your lawn is already looking a little shabby. Then, consider potential areas for use, maintenance goals and how much sun the area gets each day: does water already flow to that area of the yard? How will you irrigate it? Consider irrigation controllers that use sensors and adjust the amount of water used depending on the weather. Ensure your soil is healthy and rich in nutrients. Then it’s time for the fun stuff–deciding how much turf to keep and picking out the right plants for the new xeriscaped space.
Plants in the Xeriscape
The Oregon State University Extension Service offers an excellent guide to selecting plants for xeriscaping. Its recommendations include grouping plants that require similar amounts of water and sunlight together, and incorporating plants that provide different functions to create a diverse landscape. From ornamental chokecherry trees to fescues and phlox, there are plenty of plants that require little water but make a big impression. Bonus: The more diverse the plants in your landscape, the more varied the animals and insects attracted to them, making the environment even healthier.
And don’t forget the mulch. It prevents water from evaporating, counters erosion and cools the soil. An added bonus? Mulch will also cut down on your weeding time.
Start small. “You can do more than you think,” Denning said. Whatever you do will make a difference. Need more ideas on how to conserve water while creating a beautiful landscape? See waterwisetips.org.
Like many women, Emily LaPlume could never find a swimsuit that was both comfortable and cute, so she decided to make one. That was in 2015, when she was a junior at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. When she won a scholarship to study abroad in New Zealand, LaPlume decided to bring some of her creations with her, trading her swimsuits for accommodations. “I was just handing out suits along the way to women in these really amazing, beautiful places, and they started documenting it and sending me pictures,” said LaPlume, age 29. Instagram was just becoming popular, and after she began posting the photos, her swimwear started trending too.
Back at college, LaPlume sought out a mentor, fared well in collegiate “Shark Tank”-style competitions, and a few shops began selling her creations. After graduation, she debated whether to continue with the business or pursue her passion for traveling. She chose the latter and witnessed global pollution’s glaring impact on Southeast Asia’s coastlines and the exploitation of low-wage workers.
A breakthrough came in Byron Bay, Australia, a surfing town that promotes sustainable businesses. “That totally reignited something in me—to completely shift the focus of the company toward sustainability—for everything from hangtags to hygiene liners to packaging,” explained LaPlume. She began using regenerated nylon made of industrial waste, such as fishing nets, and in 2019, launched Saturday Swimwear. Returning home to Allenstown, New Hampshire, LaPlume and her father converted a van into a mobile workshop and home for her new company.
Driving west, LaPlume discovered Bend. Since then, sales have doubled annually, confirming the market for her product. The suits are sewn in Portland, then sold online, at LaPlume’s shop in downtown Bend and in boutiques across the United States. No longer sewing the suits herself has freed up time for LaPlume to focus on other aspects of the business. She enjoys commissioning women artists to create nature-inspired prints for her swimwear, that swimmingly continue her goal of embracing aesthetics, adventure and comfort in a sustainable way.
Ahoya Float Tubes
Whenever Emily Hoy and Justin Novicky finished floating the Deschutes River, their mood would quickly go from elated to deflated upon seeing trash cans filled with ripped, flattened, round tubes—yet more plastic destined for the landfill. This inspired Hoy, age 48, a senior graphic and color designer at Hydro Flask, to engineer an adventure tube that’s more durable, functional and has some flair. Riffing on her name and the seafaring exclamation–Ahoy matey!–Hoy and Novicky launched the Ahoya all-season adventure tube for snow tubing and river floating.
Ahoya tubes boast an array of well-thought-out features addressing Hoy and Novicky’s mission. An inflatable backrest doubles as waterproof storage. Strong “daisy chain” webbing lets users carry the tube, connect with other tubes and attach a reusable water bottle. There’s no rope to fall off in the river and no cup holder, features designed to minimize trash and de-emphasize drinking alcohol, which is illegal on the Deschutes River. “It’s our answer to the fast fashion of tubes,” said Hoy.
After testing their fourth prototype, sample tubes are available this summer, with sales beginning in spring of 2025. The couple bootstrapped their startup–and credits Bend Outdoor Worx accelerator with the mentorship they needed. “We’re so thankful because we’re getting our brand voice dialed, our value propositions, our core beliefs, our ‘why’ before we release it,” Hoy said. “We want to change the way people float the river—we want to create a river-lution.”
Pick Fresh Local Products of the Season
Zealios Sunscreen
For a high level of sun protection, without painting on a coat of thick white paste, this athlete-focused brand based in Bend promises SPF performance that’s completely clear.
Sea Salt Surf Car Freshener by Broken Top Brands
Is that the scent of beachy ocean air with notes of jasmine? No, it’s the inside of a Subaru. Hang an air freshener made with just two ingredients—essential oils and paper— from your rear view mirror.
“No Bugs” Spray by Lotus Naturals
Turns out that mosquitoes, gnats, fleas, horseflies and ticks are turned off by some scents we love. Wear this blend of essential oils, with cedarwood, lemongrass, geranium and peppermint, to keep bugs away while you play.
Lemon Citronella Candle by Broken Top Brands
This vegan, paraben-free, phthalate-free soywax candle will keep your deck, patio and dinner party bug free, too.
Meet LaPlume and Hoy on The Circling Podcast with Adam Short. Listen at BendMagazine.com/podcast.
Window treatments serve many purposes, from providing privacy and enhancing style to improving energy efficiencies and controlling the amount of light entering a room. Given their significance and potential investment, they shouldn’t be overlooked during home construction or renovation. After all, residents will likely live with them for a long time.
“The best time to consider window treatments is during the design phase of the home,” said Carrie Steele, lead design consultant and motorization expert at Classic Window Coverings and Shade on Demand in Bend. “Clients who have the highest level of satisfaction at the conclusion of their project are the ones we started working within the design stage, in partnership with the architect and designer.”
DESIGN FOR THE REGION
Big picture items that need to be considered when choosing how to enhance windows are: how much privacy or light is needed in a room; what window treatments would complement the overall style and decor of the home; how well window coverings block heat in summer and reduce heat loss in winter for comfort and energy efficiencies; ease of maintenance and care; and finally the price, which can vary widely depending on style.
For most homeowners, aesthetics are the main driver in determining the type of window treatment. “From an aesthetics perspective, natural tones and fibers remain popular in Central Oregon,” Steele said. “Homeowners tend to lean toward neutral tones which complement the natural views.”
Window treatments serve other purposes as well. Homeowners often have to balance the desire to take advantage of Central Oregon’s natural beauty with the unavoidable impacts of the high desert sun. For west-facing windows, it’s best to choose window treatments that can effectively control light and heat, while also helping to prevent the fading of furniture, wood, rugs and artwork.
INNOVATIVE PROTECTION
For the greatest energy efficiency, Steele suggests starting on the outside of the home to prevent the sun from penetrating windows.
Exterior roller screen shades are an effective solution. Mounted on the outside, they roll up and down on tracks, and are motorized to conveniently operate from inside the home. Fabrics have varying levels of “openness” or weave density, which directly impacts the shade’s opacity, affecting both outward visibility and the amount of sunlight permitted through. Steele says a density of 97% is popular in the high desert to retain clear visibility outside while also keeping a home significantly cooler and protecting belongings.
Retractable awnings are another good choice when seeking to block direct sunlight. When not in use, these awnings have minimal exterior visibility while offering the option to allow sun in when occupants wish. Adding tinted window film is another possibility.
SMART AND SAVVY
Inside a home, honeycomb cellular shades remain a top contender for the best protection against heat and insulation when it’s cold. They’ve come a long way since their introduction, and manufacturers now offer a wide selection of fabrics and textures. Honeycomb shades provide enough energy efficiency to qualify for federal tax energy credits as part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2023. Applicants may qualify for a $1,200 tax credit annually for up to 10 years on certain products.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is active in keeping window coverings safe, especially for small children and pets, and manufacturers are starting to eliminate cords on many designs. However, there is a limit to how large a manually operated blind can be. According to Steele, this is one reason why more motorized options are hitting the market and gaining in popularity.
Window coverings are getting smarter, too. A wide variety of window treatments integrate with a third-party vendor, such as Alexa, to operate by voice command similar to the way a thermostat is adjusted. Additionally, manufacturers are developing their own apps to facilitate operating blinds when you’re away. This option provides increased home security by giving the appearance of someone raising and lowering shades from within the home.
LED lighting embedded within window shades is another advance in window coverings, Steele noted. “This backlighting can set the mood and illuminate a room.”
Window coverings are the ultimate combination of form and function. Ideally, the best window treatments marry beauty, energy efficiency, tailored functionality and cost-effectiveness. With today’s array of options, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Not long ago, the Old Mill District was filled with actual mills, the Whitewater Park was simply whitewater, and the homes and businesses of what is now part of Bend’s thriving urban core were few and far between. Yet, despite all the development over the years, the wildlife that calls the area home perseveres and has found ways to adapt and even thrive among the city’s rapidly changing landscape. [Illustrations by Sweet Pea Cole]
Take a stroll along the Deschutes River past Miller’s Landing and it’s not uncommon to see a blue heron wading in the shallows or an osprey building a nest while surfers carve a man-made wave nearby. Launch a paddleboard from Drake Park on Mirror Pond and you may see the evidence of a tree being gnawed down by a resident beaver.
Though the landscape of the city has certainly changed, the fauna of Central Oregon persists and is a testament to the resiliency of nature to adapt and survive. It’s a reminder that we share this world with a vibrant and indomitable natural world, and that despite our pursuits, wildlife will always have pursuits of its own. At the end of the day, the heron will fish, the rock chuck will chuck, and the mule deer will continue to find its way into our gardens and, well, make us pay the flower tax for sharing their space with us.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias)
A favorite sight for Central Oregonians, the regal great blue heron can be spotted near the Deschutes River along the banks and in the weedy shallows of the Old Mill District. With its long and graceful neck and a wingspan up to 7 feet, this blue-gray feathered phenom is a sight to behold. Those lucky enough to witness its fishing skills may see a show when its lightning-quick reflexes, matched with a precise diving ability, give the blue heron the prowess of even the most skilled Bend angler.
Chipmunk (Tamias Amoenus)
These small, spry creatures, affectionately known as Timber Tigers, are part of the squirrel family and are known for their long black and white stripes that extend across their body and onto their heads. Chipmunks build extensive burrows with multiple rooms, complete with sleeping quarters, food storage and even a separate area for waste. They love to play but are also extremely resourceful. One chipmunk can gather more than 300 pine nuts and seeds across a two-day span, which is enough for the entire winter.
Raccoon (Procyon Lotor)
If a hollow tree isn’t available, common raccoons in Bend live under decks or porches as an adaptation to being townies. Their coloring resembles a mask, fitting for these animals and the creative ways they’ll scavenge for food as a burglar of sorts during nocturnal hunts. Their circuit may include rummaging in trash cans, or searching for unlocked doggy doors to gain access to a pet’s food bowl.
Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus)
Mule deer are large-eared herbivores that most commonly live in the nearby mountains of Central Oregon. During the fall, as the early snows hit the higher elevations, the white rump and black-tip tailed deer descend on Bend neighborhoods to pillage gardens and flower beds for their food sources. Male mule deer grow impressive antlers they use to compete for mates. With long legs and a mighty spring in their step, mule deer are excellent jumpers and can easily leap 4- to 5-feet high, so very few gardens are safe from their excellent taste for greens.
Hummingbird (Trochilidae)
There is no other bird that flies like a hummingbird: forward, backward, straight up and even upside down. Most common in Central Oregon is the Rufous hummingbird. This tiny redhead covers Central Oregon territories as it visits hundreds of flowers each day, even remembering the location of a feeder from year to year. They’re one of nature’s endurance athletes out of necessity, you would be too if you needed the energy to support wings moving at 60-80 beats per second. The Rufous migrates south from Oregon to South America, a trip that can be several thousands of miles, but your eyes don’t deceive you: one bird remains. The Anna’s hummingbird stays local year-round and can be spotted perched on a branch even in the snow.
Great Horned Owl (Bubo Virginianus)
The great horned owl earns its name with its relative heft. It can weigh more than three pounds and measure up to 22 inches. Often perched in a nest high in a Ponderosa pine, they’re the subject of many a visitor’s camera in Drake Park. Just don’t look for them in the same tree next year as they don’t use the same nest twice. Their wise eyes are also sharp: telescoping vision combined with down-soft feathers for quiet flight means unsuspecting small mammals often don’t hear the raptor swooping in with sharp talons from above.
Beaver (Castor Canadensis)
The American beaver is a furry architect that lives in ponds, lakes and rivers in Central Oregon and across North America. These busy creatures are famous for their ability to build dams and lodges using mud, sticks and downed trees—some of which they will take down if they’re not readily available. Their dams create important habitats for other creatures and they also help to control water flow and prevent erosion. These hardworking critters are a vital part of the area’s ecosystems, and their industriousness has earned them the nickname “nature’s engineers.” Today, even the stately Ponderosas of Drake Park aren’t off limits. Evidence of beaver’s work can be seen in wood chips next to the toothsome gnawed base of Drake Park pines.
Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis)
The Canada goose is a large waterfowl famous for its V-shaped flight formation and noisy honking, as well as a large magnitude of droppings where they gather on land. They enjoy a varied diet of grasses, grains and aquatic plants, and live in a variety of habitats, including wetlands, parks and fields. Canada geese build their nests on the ground near water and are monogamous and mate for life. They’re fiercely protective of their young and will aggressively defend their territory if they feel threatened. But despite their sometimes-aggressive behavior, these beautiful birds are as much a part of Bend as Canada.
Rock Chuck (Marmota Flaviventris)
With its round and fuzzy frame, short little legs and a patch of white on its nose, it’s hard not to fall in love with this yellow-bellied marmot. Rock chucks, as most Central Oregonians affectionately call them, are members of the rodent family and live in burrows under rocks, typically on slopes or hills. Rock chucks are herbivores, feeding on grasses, herbs, and flowers and spend roughly 60 percent of their lives hibernating during the winter months. They are social animals and often live in colonies. On bright sunny days, you might catch them warming themselves on the rock wall south of Miller’s Landing Park or near Regal Cinemas at the Old Mill.
Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus)
The osprey is a majestic flier and expert fisher with unique claws—two toes in front and one in the back—for a powerful hunting grasp. A pescatarian at heart, the powerful raptor’s diet consists primarily of fish and it’s known to some as a river hawk as a result. Ospreys are known to be highly protective of their young and build impressive nests high up in trees and or on man-made structures such as the perches and platforms installed near the river by the Bend Park & Recreation District and OTAK, as part of the whitewater project.
Bobcat (Lynx Rufus)
On its hunt for small rodents just before dawn or dusk, the bobcat may be spotted slinking through low brush near forest roads. Though twice the size of a domestic cat, its schedule stays true to its species, alternating between active periods of hunting, nap times and reclusiveness. Solitary by nature, they shy away from humans most of the time, though a sighting this spring prompted a brief lockdown of Summit High School, Pacific Crest Middle School and Miller Elementary in March just to be safe.
River Otter (Lontra Canadensis)
The river otter is a sleek, semi-aquatic creature that can be found along the Deschutes River, most often during early mornings or at dusk. Their long, streamlined bodies and webbed feet make them excellent swimmers, and their thick, waterproof fur keeps them warm in the cold waters. River otters can often be confused with muskrats in the water, which look similar but have a smaller, more rounded body and shorter, rat-like tail.
River otters are opportunistic hunters, feeding on fish and other small animals. They are naturally very social animals and are known for their playfulness. Visitors to the High Desert Museum just south of Bend can watch these wily creatures up close at the Autzen Otter Exhibit.
In the burgeoning Shevlin West neighborhood, Malace Homes has completed eight of 15 homes, making it the largest single builder in the development. This recently completed Mid-Century Modern home features many of the hallmarks of a high-end Malace residence, such as heated hardwood floors, quartz and slate on the counters and the island, eight-foot-high doors, 10- to 19-foot-high ceilings, prewired solar capabilities, surround sound system throughout and an epoxy-finished floor in the two-car garage.
One of the main advantages of living in Shevlin West is its easy access to Shevlin Park, a prime destination for dog walking, mountain biking, hiking and exploring the natural beauty along Tumalo Creek Trail. As a resident himself of the neighborhood, Tom Malace, founder of Malace Homes, understands the needs of fellow homeowners and builds homes that cater to every need, from seniors who prefer single-level living to young families eager to be immersed in a close-knit community.
How did Malace Homes begin?
Tom Malace
I founded Malace Homes in 2015, hoping to change the way home design and home buying were done. I knew I could make a simple shift: building spaces that reflect homeowners’ lifestyles and tastes without neglecting quality artisanship or customer experience. The Malace Homes team is approaching its 10-year anniversary, and we only feel more motivated to continue creating homes that serve the people living in them.
Tell us about your approach to working with clients.
Our job begins with understanding each client’s lifestyle and personal values so that we can create a home that supports them. I believe that building and buying a home should be a process of being listened to, prioritized and respected; this is why people choose to customize their home in the first place.
Before founding Malace Homes, I spent 20 years managing large banking teams that worked directly with homebuyers. These teams quickly noticed a common theme: Buyers were constantly dissatisfied with their home-buying process. The problem was that counteroffers, low-quality construction and generic living spaces neglected too many people’s needs. I wanted to turn the home design and buying marketplace on its head, so that’s exactly what Malace Homes has set out to do.
The motto of Malace Homes is “Expect More.” What do you mean by that?
Expecting more is a process of restoring faith in home design and buying. We never cut corners when it comes to sustainability and quality. We are all about making the American Dream accessible to our clients. Nothing is off the table during the design process with Malace Homes. Our clients work directly with our interior design team to hand-pick each finish to meet their needs. Designing and purchasing a home should be treated like the milestone it is.
How do you explain the concept of building a dream home to your clients?
The dream of home ownership for me as a builder is to design and build rooms, spaces and finishes that please our clients in a way that represents the home they envision. When it comes to home building, Malace Homes works to utilize the abundant resources and artisanship in our community to create an environment our clients are proud to call home. I know our customers have worked hard, and saved long, to be ready to build their dream home. We want to show people what luxury feels like when their needs, lifestyle and finances are put first. It’s fulfilling work, and it’s what homebuilding is all about.
It’s been suggested that Central Oregon has more stand-up paddleboarders per capita than anywhere else in the country. While it may be more urban myth than statistically supported, the sport is certainly hard to miss—from the non-stop flow of paddleboarders on the Deschutes River to its presence on Cascade lakes. Rob McDonald, owner of Bend-based Stand on Liquid, a local retailer designing and selling paddleboards and paddling accessories since 2010, attributes the popularity to the number of athletic-minded people who live here and the proximity to dozens of bodies of water found in less than an hour’s drive from Bend. Where there’s water, there’s SUP. Photo above by Jared Mantzouranis.
Next-Level Action
Stand-up paddleboarding—SUP for short—is relatively new to the outdoor scene, and was popularized in the late ’90s. Gaining traction as production boards became available in the 2000s, the International Surfing Association, founded in 1964, calls it,”America’s fastest-growing water sport.” While flatwater paddling is the most familiar and accessible way to paddleboard, it might come as a surprise that this approach is a far cry from the sport’s origins in the breaking waves of Hawaii. Hawaiian paddleboarding pioneers such as big-wave surf legends Gerry Lopez and Laird Hamilton have tested Central Oregon waters, but paddling flat water on the Deschutes River or one of the Cascade Lakes is an entryway for most folks. If you’ve had visions of paddling through a wave train or setting off on a grand adventure, there’s good news—the sport has many more dimensions, including paddling for fitness, whitewater, competition or for multiday touring. Then of course, it’s always an adventure when you add a furry companion to the mix.
Core, and More, SUP Fitness
A major draw for SUP enthusiasts is outdoor fitness, and not just to work out arms, but the core, shoulders and legs. “Stand-up paddleboarding engages muscles throughout the entire body,” said physical therapist Jenny McAteer of Resolve Physical Therapy. “It raises your heart rate, improves your aerobic capacity, overall heart function, and blood pressure, and decreases your fat stores.” The effort of keeping the board stable while compensating for a current, wind, or waves requires, what Rob McDonald described as, “subconscious micro-adjustments, engaging otherwise neglected small muscle fibers.” At the shop, he often hears paddlers describe how they feel soreness in muscles they haven’t before. “It’s a good sore,” he said, jokingly. Paddleboarding is also low-impact on the joints, which is a big plus in contrast to most outdoor sports popular in Central Oregon. Correct paddling technique should build core strength and not stress your back. To paddle for fitness, learn correct form and get plenty of time on the water.
Jordan Bohnlein tackles whitewater, below Big Eddy | Photo by Arian Stevens
White-Knuckle Whitewater
Whitewater paddling is exactly what you might expect—paddling in rapids. Most whitewater paddlers enjoy class I-II rapids, with more advanced pros advancing to higher-grade water and even dropping into waterfalls. A paddler’s success in whitewater leans heavily on experience paddling the flats, exceptional balance and skills using the paddle, as well as an ability to read rivers to be alert to dangers, find good lines through the rapids, catch an eddy and, of course, safely fall in the midst of rapids.
While this might sound like a young person’s sport, Andy Worcester came to whitewater paddling a little later in life. At age 49, he’d skied and mountain-biked his whole life and first started playing in the waves and running the rapids on an SUP when the Bend Whitewater Park first opened—it was fun, and he was hooked.“If you run a class-two rapid on a paddleboard, there’s this insane rush,” he said.Worcester has been able to run bigger rapids incrementally, and there too is a feeling of accomplishment. Sue Fox is also a passionate whitewater paddleboarder. As manager at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe, Fox supports others through the online community she created called Frisky Ripples. “I fell in love with ocean SUP surfing for the reasons so many surfers fall in love with it—you’re at one with the ocean, you’re present, and it’s just so damn fun,” adding, when she moved back to the mainland, whitewater SUPing was the closest thing to surfing she found to replicate those feelings. Outside of the physical rush, she points to the connection she feels to the river and forests, the camaraderie with fellow paddlers and the post-paddle feeling of accomplishment as highlights of the sport.
Competition Racing
Another way to add variety to an SUP repertoire is in competition. There are two basic styles of racing: Downwind racing involves racing with the wind at your back from point A to point B, with swells propelling you while surfing wave after wave. The other is SUP-obstacle paddle racing that involves paddling around buoys or other fixed points back to the starting point.
Bend’s Randall Barna was an early adopter of paddleboarding and a competitive paddler who has stood on the podium of almost every major paddleboard competition in the Northwest. While local paddleboard racing experienced a downswing following the pandemic, Barna is confident there will always be an opportunity to compete. “You get two paddlers together on any body of water and they start seeing who’s best, who’s fastest. It’s just kind of inherent in the sport,” he said. The International Surfing Association is hoping SUP will be included in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032.
To race closer to home, the Odell Lake Pioneer Cup, a downwind race held each July, is a great first race for those new to the sport, Barna said. To see (or compete with) elite paddleboarders, go to the Gorge Challenge race, held in July at the Columbia River Gorge.
Adventure Touring
Likened to backpacking or backcountry touring, paddleboard touring involves exploration and getting away from it all. With more than 30 years working in the outdoor industry, adventurer Paul Clark has paddleboarded on more than 160 different rivers around the world, including rivers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Slovenia, New Zealand and Japan. “Oregon has the best rivers for multi-day SUP trips because of the variety, from deserts to forests. And they are numerous, including the Lower Deschutes, Rogue, Grand Ronde, John Day and the Owyhee,” he said. Paddleboard travel on rivers and lakes is very low-impact, with no need for a board ramp or a group campsite, he added. He equates this approach to light and fast backpacking. “Traveling with a small amount of gear is a wonderful way to get downriver—it’s just a small dry bag, a PFD and a backpack on a paddleboard, and off you go.”
Paul has explored Central Oregon by SUP, from 150 miles on the John Day River to all 100 miles of the Deschutes River—a trip that took 16 hours. But for a more entry-level adventure-travel experience, it doesn’t take much more than a board, paddle and a short drive up the Cascade Lakes Highway. Paddleboarding on Sparks Lake is an iconic, postcard-worthy Central Oregon moment accessible to all.
Pups on SUPS
It’s an endearing image: a lazy day of summer and a happy dog posted up at the bow of a paddleboard. J.D. Platt decided to help make this image a safe reality for SUP enthusiasts and their furry friends. Platt is a lifelong Central Oregonian and innovator of all things fun, from snowboards to SUP boards to canine entertainment. As the founder and host of J.D.’s K9 Kings Flying Dog Show. He saw an opportunity to merge his interests in pups and SUPs with an innovative paddleboard that includes improved traction and a perch for a pet. Platt created a stable, inflatable board featuring a grippy deck that covers nearly the entire surface of the board, allowing dogs to travel up and down the board. Up front, he engineered a paw perch platform, providing improved balance for a furry first mate. Having a pet companion on deck proves standup paddling isn’t limited to humans. The popularity of SUP in Bend shows there’s no coastline required either. Just add water.
Sup Safely
Whether on flatwater, ripples or rapids—paddle safely:
• Wear a lifejacket or personal floatation device (PFD).
• Dress appropriately for the weather and water temperature. Wear sunscreen.
• Bring a phone in a waterproof bag, and enable location services in case of an emergency.
Jump into whitewater paddling with tales of SUP told on The Circling Podcast. Listen at BendMagazine.com/podcast.
Created in 1984, the Oregon Lottery not only provides fun and exciting chances to win great prizes, but it’s also a major financial contributor to many of the programs and places that residents and visitors to Oregon enjoy. Nearly $15 billion in Lottery funds have been steered to Oregon’s public schools, veteran services, and state parks, to ensure the legacies of places and programs exist for future generations.
“[People] may not realize that every time they play one of our games, whether it be Powerball, Scratch-its or Video Lottery, the majority of those dollars are going to fund programs Oregonians voted to support,” said Melanie Mesaros,external communications program manager of Oregon Lottery.
Park Origins
When Sarah Helmick, an Oregon Trail pioneer, donated 5.46 acres of her family’s land for use as a park in 1922, she ignited an idea that eventually turned into the Oregon State Park system.
Today, there are more than 250 Oregon State Parks—including Tumalo, Smith Rock, and Prineville Reservoir—as well as heritage sites, waysides, and recreation areas. Oregonians, known for their love of the outdoors, enjoy the wide range of activities these parks have to offer all year-round.
“We know, both in our hearts and through research, that people experience tremendous benefits from both natural and cultural park experiences,” said Jason Resch, communications division manager for Oregon State Parks and Recreation. “There are measurable benefits, like health care savings and economic activity, and more hard-to-define results, like how much better you feel after soaking in the scenery or learning something interesting and new about Oregon.”
Preserving Oregon’s state treasures and continuing a mission more than 100 years old is vital to provide the continued beauty and recreational opportunities that make Oregon special. There was a time when the future of Oregon’s state parks was far from assured.
In the 1990s, the park system was underfunded. Some parks had to close seasonally, while some were even in danger of being sold outright in order to pay for maintenance in others. The lack of full funding forced our state park system to make hard decisions and to judge which properties should be let go in order to assure the survival of others.
Solving the Problem
Luckily, Oregon voters found a creative solution. In 1995, voters directed a portion of Oregon Lottery proceeds to support the state’s unmatched state parks system. Since then, more than one billion dollars have been used to help preserve, improve and operate the parks, viewpoints, scenic corridors, beaches and heritage sites that comprise the Oregon State Parks system.
In Central Oregon, those funds have allowed access to some of the region’s favorite places:
Along with hiking and mountain biking, Smith Rock State Park is known as one of the seven wonders of Oregon. It’s a popular destination for climbers with more than 1,000 bolted routes. Just 25 miles from Bend, it’s also a great place to spot amazing wildlife such as prairie falcons, golden eagles, and river otters. Since 2020, Smith Rock State Park has received more than $16,000 in Oregon Lottery grants. This money has gone toward parking and trail improvements, as well as important work to reduce fuel for potential wildfires.
Located in the heart of Bend, and accessible by walkable trails, is Pilot Butte, with its majestic panoramic views of the high desert. To the west are the snowcapped Cascade Range, as well as Mt. Jefferson, Black Butte, Mt. Hood and the Three Sisters volcanic peaks. Just over $35,000 in Oregon Lottery grants has gone to Pilot Butte for projects such as landscaping and trail and road maintenance.
Located along the Upper Deschutes River, LaPine State Park is a draw for those who love fishing, camping, hiking, and floating. In colder weather, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are also popular. In addition, the park is centrally situated for exploring iconic landmarks of Central Oregon, such as Newberry Crater, Deschutes National Forest, and Lava River Cave. LaPine State Park has received more than $250,000 of Lottery funds spread over several projects. These range from smaller grants for updating electrical and sewer systems, to much larger grants for making restrooms ADA compliant and for parking lot restoration.
Four miles north of Bend and resting alongside the Deschutes River sits Tumalo State Park. With its alpine lakes and trout-filled streams, it’s an ideal destination for anglers. Scenic trails provide a great way to get some fresh air and exercise along the river. For more leisurely fun, there are plenty of picnic facilities, and wading or floating in the meandering river in the summer. Year-round camping is also an option.
Tumalo State Park has benefited the most during this period with $1.2 million going for ongoing necessary upkeep from drain fields and paved areas to electrical systems and accessible shower facilities.
Directing the Dollars
Not all of the state parks have the same needs. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) takes in the Oregon Lottery funds apportioned for state parks and distributes them where the needs are greatest.
“We prioritize the list based on human health and safety, recreation needs, natural and cultural resource protection goals, risk of failure, existence of other funding, and how timing matches up with other projects, among other things,” said Resch.
While paying for projects such as plumbing and electrical upgrades might seem underwhelming amid the magnificent landscapes that characterize these parks, they’re the sort of expenses that play a critical role in keeping the parks open and safe for visitors year-round.
Director at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Lisa Sumption explained, “Support from Oregon Lottery is especially important because there are no taxes operating state parks – in fact, Lottery dollars make up approximately a third of our entire operating budget. Quite frankly, our park system would not exist as it is today without this support from the Lottery.”
The Oregon Lottery slogan, “Together, we do good things,” is right on target. Partnerships and Oregon Lottery’s success help the entire state thrive. “Last year, we returned nearly $900 million to the state to benefit the public programs Oregonians care about, including our state parks,” said Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells. Funding state parks is a win for visitors and residents alike.
The artists at this gallery will update throughout the year as new artists come into rotation.
Summer 2024 Issue:
Kelley Vernon
Kelley Vernon offers a poignant exploration of personal growth and resilience through her series, “The Snag.” As a recent college graduate at age 55, Vernon found herself ensnared in feelings of stagnation and irrelevance, echoing the weathered yet enduring presence of a snag tree she’d encounter on her regular walks. Through her paintings, Vernon navigates the evolving seasons of both nature and self, finding parallels, solace and companionship in the steadfastness of “The Snag.”
Don’t be fooled by National Solar’s name. It may have “national” in the title, but the company is based in Bend and has served the Oregon market for more than 15 years, making it one of the oldest and largest solar contractors in Oregon. The company has 20-plus local employees in NorthWest Crossing, and people may have seen its vehicles around town or its sponsorship recognized on the Mt.Bachelor Sports Education Foundation vans or as a key sponsor for several years of the Bend Marathon.
National Solar was founded in 2009 by Janelle and Justin Lancaster. Shortly after starting the company, the Lancasters brought John Harley into the ownership structure to build out its installation teams; he’s also involved in training future Licensed Renewable Technicians for the industry. National Solar’s own electricians and installation specialists have been on the roofs of more than 3,000 Oregon homes and businesses. The company focuses on high-quality solar panels, back-up generators and solar battery storage, creating custom clean energy solutions that work specifically for any building, not a one-size-fits-all approach. To help meet back-up power demand, National Solar partnered with Generac, a manufacturer of generators, now located in Bend.
Janelle Lancaster took time out of her busy schedule–complete with an April run in the Boston Marathon–to chat with Bend Home + Design.
Business Q&A
How did you get into the solar business?
In 2009, at the end of the recession, we had an exterior remodeling company and decided we didn’t want to continue in that realm anymore. We wanted to do something with a little more meaning, and something a little more exciting–something people wanted versus something people had to have. We’d been thinking about solar for a while and decided to give it a shot. Solar was just picking up here in Oregon, and it seemed like a great time to hop in. We knew a lot about construction and had the basic building blocks and team members.
We’ve surrounded ourselves with great employees who have helped us from a start-up to one of the largest solar installation companies in Oregon; our success and longevity are because of our employees. We’re a full-service company that stands behind our community. It’s been a fulfilling ride that I wake up to every day, proud to be part of an industry that is changing how we get power to our homes.
Why is Bend prime for solar?
We get a lot of sun here year-round and that makes the financial side of going solar very attractive. State of Oregon incentives and the 30% federal tax credit sweeten the deal, shortening the payback period. In addition to our sun, most people living in Bend are here because of the outdoor lifestyle. Solar and protection of this beautiful place go hand in hand. People here want to do something to protect that.
What’s the most common misconception you hear when talking with a potential client?
The most common misconception is that you’ll never pay it off; that it will never pencil out. That’s just not the case these days. Federal tax credits and state incentives make the payback pretty quick. With utilities raising rates by double digits, it just makes more sense to get a system to hedge yourself against the rising cost of power.
What makes a rooftop suitable for solar panels, and if it’s not ideal because of nearby trees or angles, are there other options?
Ideally, a south-facing roof is the most desirable placement. But here in Bend, we have many low-slope roofs that make solar possible from different angles. Installation of ground-mount systems is another option if someone has sufficient space on their property.
What’s the current state and availability of battery storage to power our homes at night, during weather events such as heavy snow and to feed solar energy back to the electrical grid?
As a partner with Generac, we offer a wide array of reliable back-up systems that have become more cost-effective and user-friendly in recent years. The Oregon Department of Energy and Energy Trust of Oregon also offer battery system incentives to help offset the cost, as well as the 30% federal tax credit. Battery and grid tie combinations are a feasible investment.
How feasible is it in Central Oregon to have enough solar arrays and generating options to be 100% off the grid?
The feasibility is not quite there yet, given the current cost of power, coupled with the cost of a large system, and the amount of energy needed to be produced daily year-round in most homes here in Central Oregon.
What makes National Solar different from other solar companies?
National Solar has been in business for more than 15 years. Today you see a lot of start-up companies from out of state coming into our communities, knocking on doors and offering complicated financing solutions and overpriced solar. It’s just not in a homeowner’s best financial interest. We are here as part of the community. Everyone on our team lives here, plays here and educates kids here. We’re here for the duration–it’s not a one-year gig for us. We’re invested in our employees, paying living wages and being a big part of their lives. What makes my job fun is doing the best I can for our employees and team.
Whether seen through an artist’s or angler’s eyes, Bill Amerongen’s one-of-a-kind fishing rods are breathtaking. Mesmerizing colors form intricate bands and diamonds around the aptly named rod “blank” from foregrip to tip, weaving a spell of beauty, anticipation and—over time—memory and appreciation. Intricately conceived, these beauties are not meant to hang above the mantelpiece. With half a century of fishing expertise under his belt, Amerongen creates rods engineered to ensure the big one doesn’t get away. “They are designed and built to be fished hard,” Amerongen said. He has shipped them to anglers around the world, even as far as to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Wrapped thread on the foregrip is the site of the most flash and personalization. Farther up the rod, colorful threads secure guides through which the line flows. Amerongen’s artistry was inspired by the work of the late Steve Paterson, a custom rod maker from Grants Pass, Oregon. “I knew I just had to learn how to do this,” he said. Paterson began teaching him how to create patterns, some of which may involve as many as 250 different threads. Amerongen taught himself the rest.
Everything about his rods is custom-designed through an in-depth interview. He asks questions to determine: Where and how does the client like to fish? What length of rod, in how many sections? What kind of reel? How should the grips feel and work? Amerongen works closely with each client to select the proper rod blank, which is itself an alchemy of strength, sensitivity, power, flexibility and speed. Then comes the choice of hand grip, whether carbon fiber or cork imported from Portugal. Next, the client selects the reel seat, a functional little sculpture of metal, figured woods and tough composites. Finally, thread samples are mailed to the client for precise hue selection. Barney Page owns six of Amerongen’s rods and is awaiting the arrival of a seventh for catching large rainbow trout in Alaska. “These are pieces of art,” said Page, “but number one to me is their performance.”
Amerongen made his first custom rod at age 14, but wasn’t always a full-time craftsman: He worked as a stockbroker, stay-at-home dad and his son’s baseball coach before transforming his rod-building hobby into a business about a dozen years ago. Each rod takes up to 80 hours to complete, so there is time to savor the creative process. Amerongen makes about 20 rods a year, they are often ordered to celebrate life’s milestones such as birthdays and retirements, and most owners hope to pass them on to the next generation.
While Amerongen creates salmon and steelhead rods, as well as fly, spey and traveling rods—saltwater rods are where the magic of custom rods first appeared for him. As a child, he’d fish with his father off the coast of Southern California and remembers the first custom rod he ever saw. During those early fishing days, he learned that “highliner” is a term to describe the most committed, experienced and respected commercial and recreational fisherman in the world. Amerongen’s work is a reflection of the highliner spirit. See highlinercustomrods.com.
Formula for Wellness: Manuka Mana’s Superfoods Blend Nature and Heart
A Conversation with Adam Short
In a pivotal life moment, Courtney Rebel and Josiah Alexander turned a brain injury into a life mission, one that led to the creation of their Bend-based startup Manuka Mana. A company dedicated to sharing the healing power of nature with the community, Manuka Mana produces functional supplements with two core power ingredients: Manuka honey from New Zealand and wild-harvested mushrooms grown in the Pacific Northwest. With an innovative approach to extraction, Manuka Mana’s elixirs, tinctures and honey offer healing properties based on tradition. Bend Magazine’s Adam Short spoke with Courtney about the origins of the family-owned business and how it captures the meaning of the Maori word mana—the energy that flows from the earth and is passed on from one to another. Here, read an abridged version of their conversation.
What fueled the creation of Manuka Mana?
Josiah suffered a mini-stroke caused by a few concussions he’d had when he was younger. We left his doctor’s appointment thinking, we have a two-month-old, Josiah is only 32, we cannot take their prognosis for an answer. He was a chef at the time, and I was working in the wellness industry. We decided to find something you can take every day that will help heal the brain, leading to a personal journey of discovery, reading as much as we could about the brain. We were particularly impressed with the research behind lion’s mane mushrooms.
Mushrooms seem to be at the forefront of wellness these days. Tell us about the benefits of lion’s mane and others in your products?
The National Institutes of Health alone has more than 1,000 published studies on the power of lion’s mane to regrow neurons and strengthen what is called the myelin sheath, the protective layer around the nerve cells. When you hit your head or even your tailbone, it can cause degradation of the myelin sheath. If not repaired, the damage can cause misfiring of the neurons. So, if you want brain power, lion’s mane is for you. If you need energy, go for cordyceps. And turkey tail, research has shown, helps people increase natural killer cells, even reducing side effects from chemotherapy and radiation. Reishi is a powerful anti-inflammatory which promotes healing, and chaga is packed with antioxidants which build your immune system.
That’s impressive. Can you share what makes Manuka honey different from other forms of honey?
Manuka honey has amazing healing components. Everyone in New Zealand has it in their medicine cabinets and uses it for everything, from eating straight off the spoon to putting it on a cut. It’s really good for healing the skin and wounds. In every hospital in New Zealand and Australia, Manuka honey is on all the Band-Aids. It has a factor called methylglyoxal (MGO), a similar compound to what’s found in hydrogen peroxide, making it a natural antibacterial, antifungal and giving it a digestive component since it kills bad bacteria in your gut. It is the world’s most powerful honey. Manuka is also an extremely clean honey. The New Zealand government carries out rigorous testing to protect the name and ensure it it is free of pesticides, herbicides, mold and heavy metals.
What is one of your favorite products?
The Reishi Defend tonic is an awesome one. It has a base of apple cider vinegar and Manuka honey blended with reishi mushroom, elderberry, propolis and a little bit of vanilla. Families love it because you can make mocktails–and kids love it! They’re getting a little treat, but also an amazing daily dose of immunity building. You can also pour it over warm water for tea or drink it straight as a little sipping shot to boost your immune system. Cycle it into your daily routine, and it’ll bring you joy.
Can you explain the mission behind Manuka Mana?
Josiah, who was born and raised in New Zealand, is our alchemist. He’s the kind of person who researches extraction late into the night and is always working on product development. We use ultrasound (soundwave) technology for our mushroom extracts to make them highly bioavailable, allowing people to actually feel the effects. Our mission is for people to know our products bring value to their lives, so we make sure they’re as potent as possible. Using Manuka honey, mushrooms and other healing ingredients from the earth, we formulate them into something life-enhancing and then pass them along. We harness the mana within the ingredients and share them with the community.
The Three Sisters Wilderness is a spectacular region of shimmering alpine lakes, old-growth forests and wildflower meadows, including a family of glacier-clad peaks: the Three Sisters and Mount Bachelor (formerly, called Brother Jon). It is no wonder the wilderness trails are busy in summer.
In 2021, the U.S. Forest Service initiated a permit system to deal with overuse on the most popular Central Oregon trails. Obtaining an online permit to some of the region’s well-known destinations can be a challenge, especially for a spontaneous hike. So here are three options that don’t require advanced reservations. No planning required, just show up and go!
Matthieu Lake Trail | Photo Adam Mckibben
Scott’s Pass Trail
Named for cattleman Felix Scott who built a trail over the Cascades in 1862 to drive cattle from the Willamette Valley toward eastern Oregon, the Scott’s Pass trail climbs through coniferous forests to the namesake pass and connects to the Pacific Crest Trail near South Matthieu Lake, named for Oregon pioneer Francis Xavier Matthieu. Great views of North Sister await from the shoreline.
Trail detail: 6.8 mile out-and-back, 650 feet elevation gain | Scott’s Pass Trailhead: 14.5 miles west of Sisters off Highway 242
Matthieu Lake | Photo Christian Murillo
Six Lakes Trail
This trailhead provides access to far more than six lakes—it eventually connects to the Mink Lake Basin, home to numerous bodies of water. Nearly a mile from the parking area, the trail passes by Blow Lake, a deep glacially carved lake, visible through the woods. Another mile beyond Blow Lake, the trail passes by Doris Lake, also visible through the trees. On Doris Lake’s eastern shore, at the “day-use only, no camping” area, there is a swimming spot to take a refreshing dip on a hot summer day.
Blow Lake | Photo Richard Bacon
The trail past Doris Lake gradually climbs through old-growth hemlocks to a junction. Turn right and the trail leads toward Mink Lake and numerous other lakes. Continue straight and head for Senoj Lake (Jones spelled backwards), a shallow lake within a large meadow. It’s too shallow for a swim, but the muddy shoreline is often rich with signs of deer, elk and other Cascade critters.
Trail details: To Senoj Lake, 7.8 miles out-and-back, elevation gain 660 feet | Trailhead: Six Lakes Trailhead is two miles south of Elk Lake Resort on Century Drive.
Horse Lake Trail
From the Elk Lake Trailhead, just across Century Drive from Elk Lake Resort, this trail leads through lodgepole pine and old-growth mountain hemlock forests, crosses the Pacific Crest Trail, before almost reaching Horse Lake. The main trail does not lead to the lake, rather a “fisherman’s trail” skirts along the western edge of the shore. About halfway around, a prow of basalt juts out into the water making a fine lunch spot to share with the uber-cute golden-mantled ground squirrels.
On the return trip to the trailhead, watch for unmarked signs leading to two other lakes, Colt and Sunset. A detailed map is handy for navigating this trail.
Trail details: 8.9 mile loop, 600 feet elevation gain | Elk Lake Trailhead: 33 miles west of Bend, just across Century Drive from the Elk Lake Resort
Park Meadow Trail | Photo Christian Murillo
Central Cascade Wilderness Permits
Between June 15 and October 15, Wilderness permits are required for overnight and day use, however, no reservations are needed in advance. Permits, such as the Northwest Forest Pass or one of the Interagency Passes, are required for parking.
Ten of 44 trailheads in the Three Sisters Wilderness require an advanced reservation, with a nominal fee, through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777 (TDD 877-833-6777), starting June 5. All other trailheads have free, self-issue wilderness permits at their register boxes.
Central Oregon residents and visitors have made Sunriver a place to rest, relax, and enjoy the outdoors for decades. From its being a launching point for weekends at Mt. Bachelor in the winter to its home base for day trips on the Deschutes River in the summer, Sunriver offers a little bit of everything we want here in Central Oregon.
Despite its modest size, Sunriver’s charm lies in its intimate, community feel. Spanning just a few thousand acres, the area is ideally suited for exploration by bike. Sunriver has harnessed this advantage, making it a cyclist’s paradise.
The paved, 15-mile Sunriver Bike Path stretches around the community, taking riders and walkers alike through residential areas, shopping districts, and restaurants. Off of the public Sunriver Bike Path, nearly 40 more miles of paved path are located on the Sunriver Resort property. Staying at Caldera Springs, for example, will provide you access to this additional 40 miles of bike paths and is also one of the Northwest’s premiere resort rental communities.
But how do you get around? Where should you go, and where can you get a bike if you don’t have one? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.
Photo courtesy of Sunriver Resort
What can be accessed by the bike paths?
Almost everything in Sunriver is bikeable, thanks largely to the extensive bike path network. And, where you go will largely depend on where you stay.
Most will enter Sunriver on Century Drive, traveling south of Bend on Highway 97. The lion’s share of the bike paths in Sunriver are north of Century Drive, although a few dip to the south. For reference, the Sunriver Resort seems to be the southern cutoff for the area’s bike paths, as it also appears to be a bit of a boundary for the area itself.
What do you want to do while in Sunriver? Whether you are looking for good food, some great golf, or some activities to do with the family, Sunriver has a way to get you there by bike.
But, before you and the family head out on this extensive trail system, it is important to know some ground rules. All pathways are intended for non-motorized use, except class-1 e-bikes. Throttle-controlled class 2/3 e-bikes, Segways, hoverboards, and electric scooters are prohibited.
Just like driving, ride on the right side of the bike path and pass on the left. Only pass when you have enough distance to do so, and be sure to communicate audibly with the person or persons you are passing. Pets must be secured in a basket or carrier, not running alongside a rider.
Two more critical safety concerns to point out: first, bike riders and passengers under sixteen must wear a helmet, per Oregon State Law. Lastly, the bike paths intersect many different roads as they wind through Sunriver, and cyclists must yield to cars at these road crossings. Luckily, vehicle traffic is relatively light, and visibility is excellent, with no road crossings sneaking up on you. As you enjoy the trails, keep an eye out for those learning the ropes—young and new riders often add a dash of unpredictability to the scenic routes!
Cycling to Food
Great places to grab a beer and a bite to eat await you in Sunriver. Leave the car at the rental and hop on your bike to get there!
Sunriver Brewing has two locations in Sunriver, both accessible by bike. Their Brewery Taproom is a great place to grab a quick beer and see how Sunriver Brewing makes its phenomenal beer. It is located on Enterprise Drive and connected to a bike path.
The Sunriver Brewing Pub is located just a bit north, in The Village at Sunriver shopping center. This rustic-style brewery has excellent beer and food and has a play area for the kids, making it the perfect lunch or dinner spot for the whole family. Plus, it is easily accessible by the bike path that runs along Abbot Drive.
The Owl’s Nest, located in The Lodge at Sunriver, this cozy spot has an atmosphere that’ll make you want kick up your feet, share a few drinks and stay for a while. Especially after a heart pumping ride. With a blend of cuisines the menu offers something for everyone.
Food cart pods continue to pop up all around Central Oregon, and Sunriver is no exception. In the summer of 2024, we will see the opening of Century Commons, Sunriver’s newest taphouse and only food cart pod. Seven food carts will accompany the indoor and outdoor seating at the Century Commons, which is not too far from the Sunriver Brewing Taproom. As with most places in Sunriver, you can easily ride to the Century Commons.
Fun Pit Stops Along Your Ride
Many golfers flock to Sunriver for the incredible greens and challenging courses the area offers. And while you may want to exchange your bike for a golf cart as soon as you get there, Sunriver’s bike paths will lead the way to the resort courses.
If eighteen holes isn’t your thing, maybe disc golf is. Pedal over to SHARC for nine holes on their par 27 disc course or splash in the aquatic center’s many pools. The kids will have fun playing at Paulina Park, or you can easily pedal to Fort Rock Park for an afternoon there. Horseshoes, pickleball, basketball, and tennis are also an option.
Need to rent a bike for your stay in Sunriver? That is no problem; Sunriver has several locations where you can rent bikes. Village Bike and Ski, Sunriver Sports, and Four Seasons are all located in The Village at Sunriver and offer rental bikes. Whether you’re just looking to rent for the day or for the duration of your time in Sunriver, you’ll be able to find a bike that works for you.
And, if it is mountain biking you are looking for, hundreds of miles of Central Oregon’s best singletrack is just across the Cardinal Landing Bridge. Crossing the bridge will put you on a trail called Roundabout, connecting to Afternoon Delight, Royal Flush, Tyler’s Traverse, and more.
So, next time you’re in Sunriver, trade your car for a bike and enjoy everything the area offers. Happy pedaling!
The artists at this gallery will update throughout the year as new artists come into rotation.
Summer 2024 Issue:
Katherine Taylor
A classically trained artist, Katherine Taylor captures enigmatic parts of her subjects, exploring the unseen layers beneath their surface. Focusing on unraveling the mysteries inherent in people, animals, landscapes and even mundane objects such as a bowl of fruit, Taylor breaks away from the confines of realism to explore deeper meanings. Inspired by the insight of record producer Rick Rubin, who suggests artists reveal what they know but cannot see, Taylor’s collection is her attempt to paint the intangible.
Oregon, Winter 2014: It had been unusually cold and windy for days at Imperial Stock Ranch near Shaniko, Oregon, where 50 square miles of sheep, cattle, grains and hay have been raised since 1871. With temperatures around zero and two feet of snow, ranch owners Jeanne Carver and her husband Dan, and their team were feeling the stress of long hours and nonstop demands, heightened by the harsh weather. Jeanne moved through the lambing grounds, worriedly looking for any ewes that might be birthing amid the falling snow. She spotted two newborns near a huge snow bank. One had no heartbeat and she tried to revive it, but it seemed she was too late. Picking up the second lamb, barely alive, she prayed while coaxing the mother to follow her into the shed. Immediately milking the ewe, she tubed the warm liquid into the lamb’s stomach. She nestled it under a heat lamp, wrapping it with hot towels, urgently drying it. She went back for the other sibling, picked it up and cradled it close, shielding it from the storm.
Retelling the story, her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes, as she recalled placing it on a trailer load of straw. She was about to return to the other newborn when she saw a tiny movement of the lamb’s body. She touched its sides and put her finger in its mouth—a tiny gasp for air came, then another. Tucking the lamb inside her jacket, close to the warmth of her body, she sped on an all-terrain vehicle to her house. At the wood stove she worked for the next hour, repeating, “I won’t let you die.”
Then her phone rang. On the other side of the world, in Sochi, Russia, Team USA was about to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Following criticism that Team USA’s uniforms were being made in China, Polo Ralph Lauren discovered the Carvers’ fledgling wool company, which was working to revive United States wool production. The Carvers had worked with the fashion magnate for 18 months on sourcing Imperial Stock Ranch wool for the Olympic uniforms. The call was from the lead designer—the team was about to take the world stage and appear in the opening ceremony wearing uniforms made with yarn from the Carvers’ sheep.
The juxtaposition of the two scenes, both detailed in Carver’s book Stories of Fashion, Textiles, and Place: Evolving Sustainable Supply Chains, written with co-author Leslie Davis Burns, fueled her quest to revive American wool production. The book builds upon the ranch’s commitment since the 1980s to use sustainable and regenerative practices for the future health of the soil, water, grasslands and grazing animals. At age 70, Jeanne Carver continues to lead a “ranch-to-retail” movement. She reconnects people to the source of what they wear by delivering fully traceable, American-grown merino wool to fashion brands, and returns a net-positive value to nature.
Expanding Farming Practices To Promote Healthy Ecosystems And Biodiversity
In 2018, Carver established Shaniko Wool Company as a farm group to scale the economics of making certified United States wool widely available to apparel brands, and to expand farming practices that promote healthy ecosystems and preserve biodiversity. The company includes 10 United States sheep ranches, grazing more than 2.6 million acres in the West, and producing 500,000 pounds of merino wool annually. It supplied the wool for Team USA uniforms for the Winter Olympics in 2014, 2018, 2022, and for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The company was selected for the fifth time to supply wool for Team USA’s uniforms at the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina.
Her unflagging commitment has brought local wool to runways around the world, and caught the attention of the British Royal Family. Carver and her company were featured in His Majesty at 75: The Leadership and Vision of King Charles III, a velvet-covered commemorative book detailing the causes Charles champions, including regenerative agriculture and Shaniko Wool’s role in it. Carver, whose flowing strawberry-blonde hair and Western style translates readily from ranch to runway, attended the King’s book launch party in London in November.
Heritage Meets the Future
Her focus on regenerative work began in 1999, when globalization and a focus on synthetics torpedoed the commodity market for wool. “It changed everything,” she said. “That required us to think differently in order to sell our harvest and survive. So we began this journey of taking our wool harvest and adding value to it, meaning, you clean it, comb it, spin it, dye it, you knit it, you weave it, and you create a finished product.”
She began instinctively, with no training, educating herself along the way. Even before working with local chefs to promote her lamb in a newly emerging farm-to-table movement, she took that approach to the wool. “I paired it with our history, our deep heritage, the story of our land and stewardship, because that’s the number one thing we do—manage the health of natural resources.”
“Wool was one of those fibers that I realized was supporting my energy, my life force.”
Those efforts made Imperial Stock Ranch the first in the world to receive a new third-party certification, the Responsible Wool Standard, which aims to improve the welfare of sheep and the land on which they graze. That certification for Shaniko wool is a game-changer in getting brands such as DeFeet sock company to use it, said Paul Willerton of Bend, partner in the North Carolina-based sock manufacturer since 1993. Willerton, a former professional bike racer, believes in wool as the ultimate fiber for comfort and durability. “Whatever the conditions are, you realize that some garments are kind of supporting your life force, while other garments seem like they’re trying to kill you,” he said. “Wool was one of those fibers that I realized was supporting my energy, my life force.”
Jeanne Carver’s wool (Imperial Stock Ranch/Shaniko Wool Company) was used for Team USA’s uniforms at five Olympic Games.
A Mission of Education
Consumer awareness is key to driving change within the industry, Willerton said. Once people understand the profound value of ethically sourced products—for themselves and the environment—it can help disrupt the status quo. DeFeet and similar companies aim to challenge larger brands to prioritize supply chain transparency and sustainability, and prompt ethical and environmentally astute choices to become the norm.
That mission is central to the work of Leslie Davis Burns, professor emerita at Oregon State University in Corvallis, who co-wrote Stories of Fashion, Textiles, and Place: Evolving Sustainable Supply Chains with Carver. The 2021 book profiles five fashion and textile companies around the world—from Phnom Penh and Peru to Scotland and Shaniko—with evolving sustainable supply chains. Burns chose each company based on their values and honor for the land, the culture, and the people of the place where they are deeply rooted, leading to their successes.
Burns recalled reading Carver’s early draft. “I got tears in my eyes,” she said. “It was so beautifully written, so passionate, you could just feel it.”
Carver knows she needs data as well as passion to tell the story fully. In 2020, she launched an initiative with Oregon State University to do ongoing research revealing the collective carbon footprint of all the wool company’s ranches, and by extension, its wool supply. “We’re a ‘carbon sink’—net-positive to nature. This is very valuable information for the companies who buy the fiber and for the customers at the retail market level who care,” Carver said. “And the greatest value is to us ranchers, who now have data and a new tool we never had before to help influence our ranch management practices.”
Carver’s story of strength and determination, amid the complexities of integrating sustainability into the fashion industry, seems to be fueled by a theme from her college days. “I was a hurdler,” she shared. To Carver, obstacles are motivation. In the area of sustainable ranching practices, overcoming barriers is key to a healthy planet and future.
With the swoop of a pen, poet William Blake inspired readers to, “See the world in a grain of sand,” and with their cameras, macro photographers similarly reveal what might otherwise go unnoticed. “There is so much beauty in the small world around us,” said Christian Heeb, founder and owner of Cascade School of Photography in Bend. “You make things visible that people overlook.”
The term macro photography may appear itself a misnomer. Macro is a prefix derived from the Greek word macro, meaning big. But macro photography is not the art of capturing large objects. Instead, it is the art of making small things look grand. To qualify as a true macro image, the subject will be magnified to a larger-than-life equivalent: a drop of water, flower petal or seed now resembles the cosmos or an extraterrestrial form.
To create their art, macro photographers work with dedicated lenses and an understanding of photography techniques. A 1:1 focal-length lens is used, allowing photographers to focus very close to a subject and create compositions at life-sized—or smaller—scales. Digital advances, such as high-resolution sensors and sophisticated post-processing tools, have opened doors to discovering minutiae. Microscope lenses allow vision to go even smaller, still. “It’s more technical than other genres in photography,” said Heeb. Besides a familiarity with issues such as depth of field, macro photographers need a good eye, sense of composition and framing, he said. While an understanding of the difference between visible, ultraviolet and infrared light isn’t required to be a successful macro photographer, this subset of photographers is often versed in the details of optical science as part of the thoughtful and contemplative area in which they work. On a smaller scale, art is revealed in commonly overlooked things. “Revealing something people are unable to see with bare eyes creates a sense of wonder,” said Heeb.
Plus, there’s no need to travel to faraway landscapes to find extraordinary subjects. All that is needed is patience. A backyard, trail or garden may become exotic when the commonplace is elevated through a lens. A drop of water reveals another planet. Spring flowers look like undersea creatures. The allure for many is the genre’s accessibility. To gain access to the miniature world, photographers look for hidden beauty in plain sight or take a class to guide them. The Cascade School of Photography offers workshops, including one on flowers of the Old Mill District this summer, taught by local photographer Barb Gonzalez.
Macro Obsessed in the Pacific Northwest
Photographer Megan Baker came to macro photography as a way to quiet the noise of the world. Having photographed more than 3,000 weddings as a professional based in Maui for almost 20 years, it was the beauty found in a single snowflake that brought her to discoveries through her lens. Nature’s symmetry, or a world that could be gracefully off-center, appealed to her, she explained.
Baker, who spent her early childhood in southern Oregon and had a camera in her hands by age 7, moved to Hawaii in middle school where her family ran a coffee plantation along the flank of Haleakalā Crater. There, her father kept bees, and her mother was versed in the arts of growing things from seed. An appreciation for watching these small miracles was coupled with an early introduction to photography. Baker’s uncle, Stephen Ashley, an aerial photographer, shared his own bird’s eye view by taking images from a plane. On land, a camera provided Baker with a similar “aerial” view of her natural surroundings.
Moving to Bend in 2017 with her husband and two sons, she brought her “dream chaser” spirit to the community. “As an idea person, everything comes down to seeds,” she said. Macro photography was a place for her creativity to grow using a learned economy of scale.
Her image “The Drop” began as a search to capture the microscopic architecture of a snowflake. The fast-melted snow provided something unexpected, though. “I thought I had failed, but in the drop I could see trees, and a bud forming in another world,” she said. In another photograph, a sunflower is less a complete symmetrical form as what she witnessed as an “unfolding.”
With decades of experience as a photographer, Baker is able to use a manual focus in low light to create her images. She prefers what is discovered in the shadows, focusing on the quiet of plants and nature to create art in miniature. With 109 houseplants of her own, she need not go far for natural subjects, though by going small “the lens picks up things your eyes don’t see,” she said.
Looking at worlds hidden by the eye can often appear otherworldly. “I’ve always been drawn to the abstract,” Baker said. “With macro photography I’m really able to express myself.”
See ccophoto.com, @chasing.indigo,mbphotographybend.com.
For many skiers and snowboarders in Central Oregon, when the snow melts, Mt. Bachelor may seem closed until next season. The mountain, referred to affectionately as Bachy by locals, offers much more than you may think. Whether you are looking for a new place to grab dinner, hike, or descend 1,400 feet on the Northwest’s fastest zipline, Mt. Bachelor has you covered.
From winter to summer, spring and fall, something is always happening up on the hill — and it could be the outdoor adventure playground you’ve been looking for.
Bachelor’s History
Over 65 years ago, local business owner Bill Healy had the idea of turning what was then known as Bachelor Butte into a downhill ski slope. On December 19, 1958, the renamed Mt. Bachelor opened with one pomalift and two rope tows. The slopes were only open on weekends and holidays, and patrons could expect to fork over a steep $3 per day for a lift ticket.
Over the years, we have seen growth from one lift and two ropes. In 1962, the first chairlift took skiers up the mountain to 7,700 feet. Two more lifts were installed in 1973, while Nordic skiing grew in popularity in the 70s. Bachelor continued to grow steadily through the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
Today, Bend has North America’s 7th largest ski resort in its backyard, with over 4,300 acres of skiing terrain to tackle. There are 101 runs to choose from off of 12 lifts and over 3,300 vertical feet of elevation to ski down, with the longest run covering four miles.
Summer activities were soon to follow. The bike park started taking bikers up the chair lifts in the summer of 2013, and the infamous zipline opened in 2020.
Ditch the Lifts
Not all skiing has to start with you riding a chairlift to the top. Nordic and backcountry skiing are great alternatives to lift-access skiing. Bachy is home to world-class terrain in both categories.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
Nordic Skiing
Do you want to take advantage of the nation’s longest groomed Nordic ski season? You can, roughly, 30 minutes from your front door. Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic Center boasts 56 km of groomed trails.
No skis? No problem! The Nordic Center’s shop has everything you may need for a Nordic track for rent. They also offer a range of XC ski lessons and clinics throughout the season. After you’re done, warm your toes in their Nordic Cafe with a warm beverage.
Backcountry Skiing
Yes, you can actually ski uphill, a practice that has grown in popularity over the past several years. Backcountry skiers place “skins” on the bottom of their skis, allowing uphill travel without sliding back down. Once they reach the top, the skins are removed, and hard work pays off with turns through chest-deep powder.
Backcountry skiing allows skiers to get away from the crowds and groomed trails to fully experience the beauty and solitude of the mountain. Snowboarders can also get away into the backcountry. Splitboards are designed in two pieces that form a snowboard when attached together but skis for going uphill when apart.
Terrain Park – Snow
If backcountry riding isn’t extreme enough, head to one of the many terrain parks. Woodward Mountain Parks puts on Woodward Mt. Bachelor, which brings jumps, rails, and a halfpipe to the slopes.
Photo courtesy of Mt. Bachelor
The terrain parks feature sixteen Woodward Park Zones on the hill to encourage progression. Woodward categorizes the features in these zones, rating them on a scale from XS (extra small features) to L (large features). This allows newer riders to choose which zone they want to spend their time in—and which to avoid—based on their ability level.
Downhill Mountain Biking
As sunset dinners have laid the stage for the summer season, we can’t forget about the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park. Undoubtedly, Bendites are spoiled by the number of trail options. But, every once in a while, it is good to give those climbing legs a rest, riding the chair lift up to experience the adrenaline of downhill again and again.
Photo Jules Jimreivat
Bikers can choose from over 13 miles of downhill trails accessed by the Pine Marten and Little Pine lifts. Trails range from beginner to expert, making this the perfect bike Park for any rider. There is also a full rental shop, bike lessons, camps for kids, and clinics for women.
Wrap up the day of riding park with food and a beer on the deck at the West Village Lodge.
Other Summer Activities
If biking isn’t your thing, a variety of other fair-weather activities occur throughout the summer.
Hike the New Evergreen Trail
Officially opened in 2024, Mt. Bachelor’s newest trail, Evergreen, is a multi-use trail stretching 4.5 miles from the West Village base area. Hikers can ascend and descend Evergreen, while bikers can only descend it. The moderate hike offers phenomenal views of high cascade lakes and surrounding mountains.
The mountain is also home to several other hiking trails, including two routes to the nearly 10,000-foot summit. Summit East and West Ridge trails are black-diamond hikes that stretch far above the tree line, so bring sunscreen and be prepared!
Zipline
For the most unique alpine experience, reserve a spot for their ZipTour Adventure. Starting at nearly 8,000 feet, the ZipTour is the nation’s highest, fastest, and steepest zip line. The three-stage zip tour will have you drop 1,400 feet as you start high above the treeline before dropping in amongst the pines.
Disc Golf
If you’ve played all the disc golf courses Bend and surrounding cities offer, it is time to head west. Bachy’s 18 holes are free to play (no lift ticket required) and will challenge even the most experienced disc golfer.
During the summer, sunset dinners are offered at the Pine Marten Lodge on Thursday through Sunday evenings. Space is limited, as seating starts at 5:00 p.m., ends at 7:45 p.m., and only goes through September 1, so make your reservations now. Reservations for the dinner include a complimentary chairlift ride up and down from the Pine Marten Lodge.
Photo by Dan Price
Annual Events
Any season high in the Cascades wouldn’t be complete without the phenomenal annual events hosted on the slopes and at the lodges. Whether you aim to participate or want to go as a spectator, Bachelor’s events don’t disappoint.
Here are just a few.
Peace Park Party!
Fun music, free giveaways, and good vibes all day. This party starts at Peace Park and then picks up again on the deck of the West Village Lodge. More music, drinks, dancing, and live DJs make this the terrain park dance party to go to!
Van-lifers, RVers, and car campers make the West Village parking lot their home for a long weekend. Ski during the day and dance at night as you groove with fellow travelers to the live music throughout the trip. You know what they say: home is where you park it.
Pond Skimming
As winter ends, we in Bend say goodbye to the snow each year with the annual Pond Skim Championships. 100 participants are tasked with taking on the pond, attempting to skim across the surface 100 feet to the other side. Prizes are plentiful and include a season pass for the following ski season.
Is turning your snow skis into water skis not your thing? No worries. But don’t miss out on being a spectator of this event! Crack a beer and be ready to cheer the skimmers across those icy waters.
Pray for Snow
It isn’t just the name of a great beer by 10 Barrel Brewing. As fall slowly turns toward winter, skiers and snowboarders around Bend start praying for snow each season. And even before Bachy opens, we are connected to its slopes.
Many will head to the Cinder Cone on the mountain’s north side to get those preseason laps in. Climbing more than 700 feet to the cone’s summit is a bit of a bear, but many say it is worth it to get that feeling again before the chair lifts start turning.
Keeping You Connected
Mt. Bachelor prioritizes keeping its community up to date with all events and happenings. Whether you are on the hill or not, daily reports are provided on their website to help patrons prepare for a day on the slopes.
In addition to the weather and conditions, culture is shared through video and media projects. You can explore what they are up to at the hill on their YouTube channel and other social media platforms.
Mountain Fuel
Staying hydrated and fueled up is an essential aspect of all outdoor activities. Even though Mt. Bachelor feels like it is in our backyard, it is important to remember that you will be exposed to much higher elevation. Biking takes place well above 7,000 feet, and skiing and hiking can reach the summit, just over 9000 feet. Elevations like this can be more strenuous on your body than you’d expect.
Photo by Tambi Lane
Bring snacks and lots of water for your adventures. The different lodges have places to refill water bottles between laps, so plan accordingly. In addition to water and food, wear sunscreen and bring extra to reapply between laps.
Juneteenth is an American day celebrating independence, though it’s not the 4th of July. Following in the footsteps of Juneteenth pioneers, The Father’s Group of Bend [click to read more about one of their programs, Ujima Youth Program] unites the community for what is now recognized as America’s “Second Independence Day.”
This year’s celebration, “Jubilee,” takes place at Drake Park on June 15-16. The festival is free to attend and features an immersive experience of African, Caribbean and African American culture. Attendees follow rhythmic ancestral drums with inviting music and tour the rich, colorful activities offered by community vendors and educational booths. Tents filled with Afrocentric art capture the heart and imagination.
Learning about Juneteenth
When more than 250,000 African Americans remained enslaved in Texas two years after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, U.S. General Gordon Granger led more than 2,000 troops into Galveston, Texas, to order and ensure that all enslaved Americans were freed. The last freed African Americans coined the holiday name—Juneteenth—in an amalgam of June and nineteen. While it took decades for the federal government to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, Clara Peoples–aka “the Mother of Juneteenth”—started the first celebration in Portland, Oregon in 1972, where it is still an annual event.
It wasn’t until 2021, when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, that Juneteenth became the eleventh holiday recognized by the federal government. The state of Oregon and City of Bend observe Juneteenth annually on June 19.
Drummer Fodé Sylla also teaches drumming throughout the year.
Bend’s Juneteenth Festival
The Father’s Group, a Bend nonprofit youth development program, has hosted a Juneteenth festival since 2020 to carry on the legacy in Central Oregon.
“It started as a small community cookout to celebrate the holiday, but then we realized people kept asking what Juneteenth was. We also realized this was an opportunity to educate the community,” said Kenny Adams, executive director of The Father’s Group.
Members of the group quickly realized that educational exhibits could familiarize the community with the significance of Juneteenth. “We want to celebrate the legacy of enslaved people by sharing their history and uniting our community,” said Adams. David Merritt, board vice president and a founding member of The Father’s Group, added, “I’m from the Bay Area, and I’ve been doing Juneteenth all my life; I brought what I’ve learned from attending Juneteenth in Santa Cruz and Los Angeles, and wanted to get a similar celebration culture going when I moved to Bend.”
Education and Influence
“While other cities focus only on entertainment, people choose our festival because we focus on everything, especially education. People want to learn their roots, which makes us different from other Juneteenth celebrations,” said Entertainment Manager Tashia James of The Father’s Group. Juneteenth Central Oregon features education classes in African American history, literature, art and inventors, with additional classes designed especially for youth.
David Merritt also mentioned Bend’s need for more African American representation as an influence. “I want Black youth to see a future here, connecting them with diverse businesses local and outside,” he said. “I make it a point to bring in Black-owned vendors from around Central Oregon.”
Since the event moved to Drake Park, it has attracted nearly 100 new businesses and participants, including Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity, Fodé Sylla Drum Dance, John John’s BBQ Sauce, Urban League of Portland and more.
The festival hopes to bring innovation and diversity to the city, while honoring an American legacy. Being educated about the past and participating in the community’s future is an important message woven into Bend’s Juneteenth celebration. When asked—“What would you like those last freed slaves of Galveston to feel, if they could attend the Bend festival?”—all three leaders of The Father’s Group concurred: they hoped they would be proud to have a legacy beyond slavery that unites communities. That’s why it’s important to Bend, they agreed.
One summer afternoon, Megan Nielsen and her family were canoeing on Suttle Lake when the Sisters artist felt the unmistakable zing of inspiration. “Just looking at the lake, I knew what I had to paint,” she said. Back in her studio, she sketched a bear and rabbit fishing that are oblivious to the bounty of fish swimming beneath their boat. A mountain resembling Black Butte rises above the scene.
Nielsen’s whimsical work embodies the solace and magic of Central Oregon’s surroundings. “I want to capture those moments that reset you and connect you to both the natural world and to the people you are sharing it with,” she said. Her artistic enterprise, Canyon & Cove, features original paintings, prints, cards and stickers.
The artist’s path toward becoming a full-time artist began when she was very young, tracing Disney images while dreaming of becoming an animator. An ardent animal lover, her work honors creatures because of “their simple, peaceful nature,” but she is drawn to some inparticular. “I’ve always been attracted to bears, compositionally. Though they appear ferocious, I love their big, peaceful spirits,” she said. Otters are another favorite.
Her goal is to hit a sweet spot: “Not too cute, but not too realistic either:” A bear catching lightning bugs in a jar, a dog paddleboarding on a river, a moose riding a ski lift. Her drawings invite a smile, but her adept brushwork, clever composition and sophisticated color palette reflect an artist with studied talent. During college, she focused on interior design. The architecture courses inspired her creatively, and the teaching faculty urged her to experiment conceptually.
The charm of Nielsen’s art reveals a fierce aesthetic curiosity; she continually pushes herself to learn new techniques. “I deconstruct paintings and illustrative styles I’m attracted to and then figure out how to uniquely apply those techniques to my work,” she said. While many artists of her generation work digitally, Nielsen prefers watercolor, pencil and acrylic gouache. “You gain so much when playing by hand.” The next stop on her artistic journey may be paintings that are “larger and looser.”
“Lazy Days”
Although she has a successful stationery and print business, Nielsen asserts she doesn’t relate to a production mindset. “I must feel something to follow an idea. The intention comes from the artwork, not from a deadline.” Her husband Jarred Nielsen joined the company in 2021, applying his business background. “Jarred’s dedication, focus, organization and faith in the artwork have allowed the business to grow and shine,” she added.
Megan was born in Alaska and raised outside of Seattle. Her move to Bend in 2015 came after a single visit. “I got that feeling that so many get when they visit Central Oregon,” she said. In 2022, she and her family sought closer access to nature and moved to Sisters where she feels a particular affinity to the sight of the mountains and forest. In 2023, she rebranded and named her business Canyon & Cove to reflect “the places of erosion where beauty is found.” See canyonandcoveart.com.
Visiting Bend, Oregon, often has many reaching for their mountain bikes or skis. Bend locals here have made dirt and snow sports a regular part of their lives. Many of these same locals and visitors are also coming to Central Oregon for the abundant “greens” found in the area – the Central Oregon golf courses.
If 18-hole golf has become a regular part of your weekends, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you are here on vacation or call Bend home, Central Oregon has more golf courses than you would think.
We compiled a list of some of the best golf courses in Bend and around Central Oregon. Most of the courses are public, and several are resort clubs—perfect if you are here on vacation. Or, stay awhile and consider joining one of the private clubs.
Central Oregon’s Public Golf Courses
Widgi Creek Golf Club
The beautiful Widgi Creek Golf Club sits just outside downtown Bend near the Deschutes River, surrounded by towering Ponderosa pine trees. Widgi Creek boasts the longest Par 5 in the country—the club’s 3rd hole—despite the overall course yardage being shorter than most. But Widgi Creek makes up for shorter holes with challenging, tree-lined fairways and some of the best greens in the area.
Pronghorn Golf Club – Jack Nicklaus Signature Course
Why wouldn’t you want to play at a course inspired by golf legend Jack Nicklaus? Fantastic views of the Cascade Range and Smith Rock State Park surround the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn. While challenging even the best golfers, this course offers something for golfers of all levels.
Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Pronghorn Golf Club at Juniper Preserve
Meadow Lakes Golf Course
Crossing the meandering Crooked River four times, the Meadow Lakes course plays up to 6,783 yards. This player-friendly course is easily walkable, with nine ponds and 62 bunkers. Huge fairways and generous greens await you!
Meadow Lakes Golf Course | Photo by Jonathon Chandler
Crooked River Ranch Golf Course
Nestled hundreds of feet above the winding Crooked River is the Crooked River Ranch Golf Course. Take on the challenge of this course, surrounded by canyon views and a juniper forest. Take on the 5th hole as you gamble to avoid having your ball end up at the bottom of the canyon. Lodging is an option at nearby cabins.
River’s Edge Golf Course is for professionals and amateurs alike. This challenging course offers lush fairways and all the amenities to make your golfing experience the very best possible at an affordable price. Are the greens covered in snow? No problem. Call to set up a time at its Toptracer virtual driving range.
Man-made lakes, canals, fountains and numerous sand bunkers line the 18 holes at The Greens at Redmond. Views of the Cascade Range and beautiful rock formations are sprinkled along the way as you meander the Central Oregon course. From playing as a single to being part of larger corporate events, you’ll enjoy the 18 holes of The Greens at Redmond.
Voted one of Oregon’s best golf courses, Aspen Lakes in Sisters, Oregon is a must-play. Sitting at the base of the Three Sisters, Aspen Lakes proudly boasts a spectacular course backed by awards and accolades. After 18 holes, be sure to visit the pro shop at their clubhouse. Grab a beer and dinner at Aspen Lakes’ bar and restaurant, Brand 33.
Off the beaten track in the forest south of Bend is Quail Run Golf Course. This championship-style course offers nearly 7,000 yards of play with manicured greens and spectacular fairways. Quail Run is a resort-style course at roughly half the price.
Reserved for private members and resort guests, Crosswater is a top-tier course, given the distinction of being one of “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” by Golf Digest. Two rivers—the Deschutes River and Little Deschutes River—wind through the course and come into play several times each round. Hang out in the clubhouse or dine at one of Sunriver’s highly-acclaimed restaurants.
Sunriver Resort boasts three other courses. The same “resort-guest only” reservation system at Crosswater applies to the quick nine holes at Caldera Links. The Meadows and Woodlands courses offer resort guests a bit more affordable pay, and are open to the public.
At nearly 7,000 yards, Eagle Crest’s Ridge Golf Course boasts some of the best play in Redmond, Oregon. Ridge Golf Course is known as the “driver’s dream” course, with long fairways allowing players to absolutely crush the ball. While there are options for the public to play, benefits and preferences go to resort guests and members.
Eagle Crest Resort boasts three courses in total. Along with the Ridge Golf Course, there are options to play the Par 72 Resort Course or brush up your short-game skills on the Par 63 Challenge Course. Lessons and golf passes/memberships are also available.
It is certainly best to call ahead to get up-to-date information or set up a tee time at the golf course of your choice. Prices and hours of operation can change based on the time of year, the day and even the time of day you want to play. During winter months, some courses may even be closed for the season. Check before you go. Keep it in the short grass.
Look north from the junction of highways 216 and 197 just west of Maupin and see Mt. Hood in the distance. Notice how the pavement slightly bends to the south and disappears as it descends into town. Now glide along the road’s wide shoulder following the Sherar’s Falls Scenic Bikeway, picking up speed as you flow into town and descend toward the Deschutes River.
Of the state’s 17 official scenic bikeways, six are in Central Oregon. There’s the challenging McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway across the Cascade Range and the descriptively titled Sisters-to-Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway. Another, the Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway, originates at Mirror Pond in Bend, visits Tumalo, then loops north before returning to town.
Three other nearby routes follow less-explored roads. Each one is well under 40 miles and offers only a few hills. Experienced road cyclists and those on e-bikes may consider these rides to be easy. Those with less time pedaling may agree with these routes’ official ratings: moderate. But all will benefit by slowing to appreciate the scenery, geology and history found along the way.
Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway
Crooked River Canyon Scenic Bikeway
The Crooked River canyon, south of Prineville, is a dream destination for rockhounds searching for agate, jasper, obsidian, opal and Oregon’s prized find—thundereggs. It should be no surprise to cyclists when they see these dedicated hunters scouring the river banks as they pedal south on Oregon Route 27, the Crooked River Highway, toward Bowman Dam and Prineville Reservoir. The rocks, remnants of the region’s long volcanic history, are so plentiful that Crook County is considered to be among the best rock-hunting locations in the country. The thunderegg, a geode that reveals colorful, crystalline silica when cracked open, has been the Oregon state rock since 1965.
The ride from Prineville’s southern edge follows the river for 18 miles as it twists through the canyon on an easy, gradual climb until ending at Big Bend Campground, a half-mile shy of the reservoir. There are several opportunities to stop for pictures as the river snakes between the high canyon walls. Shade is limited until reaching the campground, so it’s important to carry adequate food and water–and liberally apply sunscreen. While it’s 18 miles to the end of the ride for those who planned to have a vehicle waiting at the end, it’s extended to 36 miles with a return to Prineville.
► Start and Finish: Prineville ► Distance: 18 miles one way, or a 36-mile loop ► Elevation Gain: 728 feet
Sherar’s Falls Scenic Bikeway
This is one bike ride, available in three parts. First, there’s a segment through Maupin, with an exploration of Wasco County farmlands and a peaceful pedal along the Deschutes River. How the day’s experience unfolds next is determined by an answer to the question: Do you want to complete the hard work early and enjoy the rest of the day, or split the uphill effort into two smaller sections? Riders may choose a steep climb from the river for six miles up slow-moving Highway 197 through Maupin before the road finally levels out. Or, another option includes a steep uphill going up and then across the countryside, passing through Tygh Valley and returning to town for several miles along a downhill stretch.
There are two key spots to take note of on this bikeway. One is Maupin, a community worthy of a rest stop, a cold drink and a look around. The other is Sherar’s Falls, a twist in the road and a river crossing steeped in history. The Sherar’s Bridge Hotel, stagecoach stop and toll bridge are long gone; the hotel burned down more than 80 years ago. The waterfalls, while modest in size, remain a traditional fishing spot for Native peoples using wooden scaffolds and dipnets as their ancestors have for thousands of years.
► Start and Finish: Maupin ► Distance: 33 miles round trip ► Elevation Gain: 1,727 feet
Madras Mountain Views Scenic Bikeway
Start this experience on a gravel path veering off of SW Mountain View Drive in downtown Madras. The road’s rocks are too deep to continue pedaling with narrow road-bike tires, so you’ll need to walk about 50 yards to a parking lot and look for a stone guardrail. Lean forward and stare down into the aquamarine waters of Lake Billy Chinook. This ride is named for its views of the distant Cascade Range, but it’s hard to take your eyes off the lake, which is actually a reservoir. It collects water from the Deschutes, Metolius and Crooked rivers before allowing a controlled stream to flow north as the Deschutes River. To the west are the mountains—Jefferson, Bachelor and Washington, plus the Three Sisters and more—if you remember to look up.
The Madras Mountain Views Scenic Bikeway is a comfortable ride from Sahalee Park in Madras south across open farmland and through the towns of Metolius and Culver before angling toward the lake. There’s one hill to climb on the way back and then the route glides for seven miles back down to Madras.
► Start and Finish: Downtown Madras ► Distance: 29 miles ► Elevation Gain: 1,175 feet
Cycling Safety and News: These routes follow public roads and include vehicle traffic. Wear a bicycle helmet and brightly colored clothes. Use a flashing tail light and obey traffic laws. Also note: Oregon Highway 242, part of the McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway, is closed for repaving and roadside improvements from U.S. 20 in Sisters to the summit at Dee Wright Observatory. Roadwork is expected to be completed by the McKenzie Highway’s traditional June opening which is June 17 this year. An Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson emphasizes that the road is not safe for bicycling until then and urges cyclists to respect the closed road gates.
Farmer Jim Fields climbs down from his tractor, surveying his 10-acre Fields Farm off Pettigrew Road in Bend. For the past 35 years, he has grown everything from verdant arugula and deep purple beets to slender asparagus and juicy tomatoes. Buildings have sprouted up all around Fields, who launched Central Oregon’s first community supported agriculture, or CSA, program in 1989. A program where people pay for a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription for farm-fresh items, typically paying in advance, CSAs help farmers offset expenses, from equipment to seeds. Photo above by Amanda Photographic.
The model is integral to small farms, allowing the farmer to share the risks and the rewards of farming with the community. Although Fields Farm is the only remaining farm within city limits, other CSAs have blossomed throughout Central Oregon, with farmers relying on the model to make their businesses as sustainable as their agricultural practices.
“A lot of folks go the CSA route because it gives them that one-on-one interaction with a consumer where they can build a relationship, even beyond being at the farmers’ market, but sometimes it can be hard to get your name out there,” said Andrea Smith, agricultural support manager for High Desert Food & Farm Alliance, an organization that focuses on improving food security and access, while supporting farmers and ranchers who grow, raise, and craft good food. “To be a farmer, you have to not only be farming and executing a crop plan, but you also need to be your own mechanic, your own marketing expert. You need to know how to build a website, so there are a lot of pieces at play there,” she said.
Rainshadow Organics offers a program including vegetables, grains, meat, eggs and milk | Photo Amanda Photographic
Community-Supported Agriculture
Several farms have risen to the challenge and have been steadily attracting increasing numbers of CSA members. One of them is Boundless Farmstead in Alfalfa, a 20-acre mixed vegetable farm with nearly 100 CSA members, a number that has been steadily increasing since the farm began in 2017. The Boundless Farmstead CSA generates 20% of the farm’s annual revenue. About 45% of income is from wholesale-to-restaurant sales and farm stands, while 35% is generated at the downtown Bend Farmers Market, co-owner Megan Kellner-Rode explained. “Initially we thought we were going to simplify and not do the CSA,” she said. “But then we quickly realized we were out of money. CSAs are an amazing way to have upfront income, especially in Central Oregon, when you’re not getting the bulk of your income coming in until July.”
Like many local farmers, Kellner-Rode strives to find ways to make the cost accessible for a seasonal share, which at Boundless Farmstead ranges from $450 to $675 for four months of weekly shares of farm-fresh, nutrient dense, chemical-free produce from July through October. She offers a payment plan of four equal payments, the first due at signup and the following three in February, March and April.
David and Megan Kellner-Rode of Boundless Farms. | Photo Liam Pickhardt
Sliding Scales Make Farm-Fresh Foods Accessible
Last year, Boundless launched a new payment option to ensure all community members are able to access their CSA program by creating a sliding scale. The farm made it possible for customers to pay based on their annual household income. At Rainshadow Organics, a 200-acre farm in Terrebonne that also offers a CSA program, a payment plan is also available, and the farm is looking to offer a sliding scale option, said CSA Manager Alison Holland. Rainshadow’s CSA program is unique in Central Oregon because it includes multiple options, including a year-round “full diet” CSA of vegetables, whole grains and flours, meat, milk, honey and eggs.
Customers can buy the shares based on the number of adults and children in their household and how much meat they want to order. Before spring, the farm had 22 families enrolled in the full-diet CSA and Holland said it hopes to add about 20 more by July.
At Fibonacci Farm in northeast Bend, Lauren Rasmussen and Aaron Stubbs bring a non-farming background to cultivating organic vegetables and flowers on 1.65 acres. Stubbs has a law degree with a focus on environmental law and civil rights, and Rasmussen has 20 years of experience in customer service, retail sales, marketing and business management.
Fibonacci Farm already had 78 CSA members signed up before spring had arrived, and developed its customer base by focusing on consumer needs and convenience, Rasmussen said. For example, customers can pick which items they want in their weekly or bi-weekly share. Growing diverse items not only offers customers choice, it protects the farmer from risk if a particular crop fails.
“From a business standpoint, a majority of small farms do some type of item that is a value-added product,” said Rasmussen. “We do flowers because it’s hard to make money on vegetables. So you have to find that item that’s going to be the higher price point to get you financially where you need to be. We also do it because we promote positive mental health [through flowers], as well as positive physical health with vegetables.”
For farmers, CSAs are part of a business plan that supports a greater vision—one offering food of the highest quality grown with practices that help improve the planet, while connecting people in the community. Alison Holland said, “As with most farming, you just hope that the business catches up with the dream.”
Kristen Buwalda, a local artist and muralist, is transforming how people experience art in Central Oregon. As the owner of Chalked Created, she aims to create inclusive and enjoyable art experiences for individuals of all skill levels in Central Oregon.
A Personal Experience with Paint and Sip
Last November, my husband and I attended one of Kristen Buwalda’s Paint and Sip nights at Bevel Brewing to celebrate my birthday. We quickly discovered that Buwalda’s Paint and Sip sessions are not your traditional art lessons but rather relaxing activities where anyone – I mean anyone – can be successful regardless of past art experience.
For those unfamiliar, a Paint and Sip event involves an artist guiding participants step-by-step through creating a predetermined painting. These sessions, lasting about two hours, provide all necessary supplies and often include one drink with the ticket. These events are typically hosted by breweries or wine bars, with all the locations serving non-alcoholic beverages in addition to your beer and wine. The designs she paints vary, but some focus on Central Oregon, including the Three Sisters Mountains and Smith Rock.
She really prioritizes building strong relationships with business owners around Central Oregon. She wants her relationships with the places that host her to be symbiotic – her events bring people into the businesses, and the businesses provide her with a great environment to conduct the event.
One of the highlights of our evening was the laughter. Buwalda’s dry wit and playful demeanor made the experience so enjoyable and far from intimidating. She likened these events to therapy sessions, noting that many people are surprised by their own self-consciousness when it comes to art.
This is exactly why Budwalda aims to create a low-stakes environment. The relaxing, fun vibe of these evenings is an intentional effort to create a space where people aren’t intimidated by being creative and doing art. “My goal is to provide something a little different to do with people you enjoy,” she shared. “I move at a pretty slow pace so you can focus on hanging out with the person you’re with.”
There’s no pressure or striving for perfection, just like when one goes axe throwing or go-carting or rock climbing, most people don’t intend to become professionals. Budwalda’s Paint and Sip evenings are meant to offer attendees a supportive place to play, get creative and have fun.
Paint by Number Bag by Kristen Buwalda, Chalked Creative
Journey to Becoming a Full-Time Artist
In addition to her Paint & Sip classes, Buwalda is a talented artist who creates in a wide variety of mediums and claims she fell into most things almost accidentally. Her professional creative journey began about seven years ago when she was working at Crater Lake Spirits. They wanted to introduce their downtown tasting room to new customers and needed an artist. “Why don’t we just buy the supplies, and I’ll do it?” Buwalda suggested. This suggestion marked the beginning of her Paint and Sip events.
From there, her artistic career further developed by chance when she created chalkboards for her own wedding, which caught the attention of the catering company. They offered to recommend her in exchange for chalkboards at a wedding expo, leading to her first commissioned art gig. Today, she has created chalkboard menus for over ten local businesses. She deeply values the relationships she has built with other artists and business owners in Bend, which have helped her foster her supportive and symbiotic community.
In addition to chalkboards, Buwalda is a talented muralist, creating beautiful, immersive works, the likes of which can be found in her newest mural for the recently opened Mill Works Pub in the Old Mill District. She says she doesn’t have one favorite art form in particular but rather likes to do a mix of things and hopes it stays that way. Buwalda also offers private parties along with the creation of marketing materials, such as logos and graphic design, where she embraces the challenge of bringing her client’s visions to life.
New Projects and Summer Markets in Central Oregon
Buwalda’s latest projects include designing two coloring books: one for younger kids aged three to eight, featuring real and imaginary animals (and a robot!), and another for ages eight and up, with detailed characters and reimagined princesses and dungeons and dragons themes. These princesses are drawn to inspire strength and bravery in children, reflecting Buwalda’s hope to empower young imaginations.
Looking ahead, Buwalda aspires to illustrate children’s books, focusing on characters that explore and express bravery. This summer, she will sell these coloring books, custom-designed stickers, paint kits, and other art pieces at several markets around Central Oregon.
Peruse the 9th Street Village Makers Market at Bevel Brewing and the NW Crossing Farmers Market in order to pick up one or two of her beautiful creations. When she’s not there, you’re likely to find her hanging around town with her husband, a ski patroller and med tech, their two children, and their two avalanche dogs, Banyan and Jetty.
Ultimately, Buwalda’s work highlights the importance of inclusive and accessible art experiences. Her Paint and Sip events encourage people to embrace their inner creativity and enjoy the process of making art.
It’s hard to miss the beauty of the Deschutes River as it meanders through downtown, as a centerpiece of the city. Those who are lucky enough to live here or visit here have the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance (BPTA) to thank for helping sustain its beauty, while also creating unprecedented access. Photo above by Regina Nicolardi.
One of the founding board members of Bend Paddle Trail Alliance, Karl Koenig, age 76, recalls a grittier time when it was prohibited to recreate in the Deschutes River due to logging and mill operations, wastewater contaminants and their toxic over blooms, which gave the town of a Bend a “not so pleasant smell.”
“We’ve come a long way,” said Koenig, who, with his wife, JoAnn Weber-Koenig, has surveyed the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance’s more than 100 miles of accessible waterways from the Deschutes River to the many Central Oregon lakes. “We started out as a bunch of smelly boaters, then we got ourselves organized to become Bend Paddle Trail Alliance, which spawned The Deschutes Paddle Trail, to what you see today,” he said.
The mission of the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance is to promote and establish a navigable paddle trail within Deschutes County that enhances river and lake recreation.
A Path and Collaboration to Create Bend Whitewater Park
By all accounts, BPTA co-founders Geoff Frank and Jayson Bowerman, were the most passionate about making improvements to the local waterways, but their ultimate dream was to make the Bend Whitewater Park a reality.
“We heard ‘no’ for a solid decade,” said Frank, owner of Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe, who never stopped believing it could work. “We organized, raised money and were persistent as heck.”
Part of that persistence was convincing Bend Park & Recreation District (BPRD) to join forces with them in 2012 and get a $29 million dollar state bond passed to make major improvements to the Colorado Dam to not only make it safer for floaters and rafters, but to also create a year-round whitewater park for surfers and kayakers.
“At the time, it was the biggest public and private partnership in the county, and BPTA contributed $1.13 million to the project, or 12% of the cost,” said Frank, who recently stepped down from the BPTA board after more than a dozen years.
Fatalities and serious accidents at the Colorado Dam had also created public outcry to make that part of the river safer, as people were already floating the river in droves by 2006. Back then, floaters had to navigate getting out of the river before the threat of drifting into the dangerous dam spillway area, then scramble along the road with their flotation devices to get back into the river and continue their float to Drake Park.
By 2015, the Whitewater Park was completed with several channels: surfing and kayaking waves with four different levels, a safe channel for floaters that allows for a continuous paddle trail and also includes a fish ladder, and a channel that protects the natural habitat in the area. Bend Park & Recreation District’s Community Relations Manager, Julie Brown said the partnership with BPTA surpassed their expectations on every measure.
Photo courtesy of Tumalo Creek Kayak
Mapping the River
While the downtown stretch of the Deschutes River may be the most popular and accessible, Koenig said the abundance of waterway miles in the surrounding areas are also worth considering, because there are stretches of river or lake suited for every recreationist. “We created Bend Paddle Trail maps in conjunction with many park districts and the U.S. Forest Service,” he said.
Koenig was instrumental in getting the BPTA maps created along with the map signage along the river and lakes. “The most important part of the maps is to educate what is on that stretch of river; for example, you don’t want tubers to go into an area of class IV rapids, where only experienced whitewater kayakers should go. Our maps highlight what’s coming up in the next couple of miles and where a person can take out and put in.”
After seeing BPTA’s dream become a reality, co-founder Geoff Frank says the biggest milestone for him is witnessing the happy faces coming off the river.
“Well, I’ve kind of become a bus driver now. I help with the floater’s shuttles from Drake Park,” he said with a laugh, “But really I love hearing the visitors from all over the country enjoying the river and listening to them rave about it. It’s pretty cool that families can have access to this river that belongs to all of us.”
Regardless of who you are, starting something new can be intimidating. It can be especially intimidating if you are a woman dipping your toes into the male-dominated sport of mountain biking.
That isn’t to say that mountain biking isn’t female. Pull into any trailhead here in Bend, and you will encounter quite a few women hitting the trails. And, perhaps, if you were to chat with some of those women, they might tell you that their mountain biking journey began with Lindsey Richter and a Ladies AllRide clinic.
About Ladies AllRide
Lindsey Richter
Although Richter had been involved in mountain biking for quite a while, her life as a mountain bike coach didn’t start until much later. It began when she volunteered for a mountain bike series that came through Bend in 2008 and 2009. This was the first time she heard about mountain bike-specific coaching.
Richter felt like she had found her calling. “I felt like it was what I was meant to do,” she explained. Pursuing coaching meant heading up to mountain bike Mecca, Whistler, B.C., in 2010 to officially obtain her mountain bike coach certification.
From there, she began coaching all over the country.
But, before that, she often felt alone in the mountain biking world. Mountain biking was much more male-dominated 20-plus years ago, and Richter was surrounded by many proficient male mountain bikers—professional mountain bikers. While they did their best to help her progress as a rider, some things were lost in translation.
Erika, Ladies AllRide, Targhee | Photo by Aaron Codling
“Nobody could articulate to me in any understandable detail what they were doing to be so good,” Richter said. “I would get advice—bless their hearts—like: ‘Your bike knows what to do,’ and ‘Just trust your bike.’”
Lindsey Addresses the Group in Bend | Photo by Katie Sox
While Richter connected with some of the advice that was given to her, she didn’t with other parts. She assumed many women might be in the same boat, especially those who lack the foundational skills many of the guys she was riding with did. She wanted to create a place where women could connect with those foundational skills and connect with the “why” behind those skills.
She wanted to create a place for more women to join the sport she loved.
“That was a big reason I started Ladies AllRide: There just weren’t many women in the sport,” Richter explained. “And there were no events centered around learning mountain biking.”
Photo by Joe Brush
It’s About More Than Mountain Biking
With Richter and Ladies AllRide, mountain biking could be described as a means to an end. It is a tool that can teach us much more than where our feet should be positioned on a flat corner. Richter believes mountain biking can teach us a lot about life if we are just a little bit vulnerable.
Different adjectives can be used to describe mountain biking. Challenging. Dangerous. Scary. Many of these exact words are often appropriately used to describe our lives. For Richter, she hoped she could help women see the symmetry between their daily lives and the challenge of mountain biking.
Practicing on a Sender Ramp in Bend | Photo by Katie Sox
“I hoped women would be attracted to the sport because they’ve got other women saying, ‘Yes, it can be scary, but when you learn how to do it, and you go through the process in a safe environment, you see that you’re capable of these things that you’re afraid of,” Richter said. “Then you go out onto the trail and apply them.”
If we try to do something hard, something that scares us, and we are successful, other difficult and scary things in life seem a bit smaller. Discussing that promotion and pay raise with your boss on Monday isn’t so daunting after staring down and smashing through a 10-foot rock roll just a day before.
Winning a Crankbrothers Tool in Bend | Photo by Katie Sox
Tackling life’s challenges isn’t the only thing Richter hopes participants might take away from a Ladies AllRide clinic. Richter hopes everyone leaves feeling connected to a new community. At the beginning of each clinic, Richter shares how women from her mountain bike community surrounded her during difficult times.
“[Participants] will connect with people they may have nothing in common with, except bikes,” Richter told me. “But a lot of times, that’s enough.”
AllRide Clinics
Ladies AllRide clinics are a whole weekend experience. While the actual mountain biking typically occurs on a Saturday and Sunday, the festivities start the evening before. Richter told me this usually occurs at the partnering bike shop or the hosting venue. For Bend clinics, that is Hutch’s and Seventh Mountain Resort.
Coaching in Bend | Photo by Katie Sox
This icebreaker evening allows participants to mingle with each other and the Ladies AllRide coaches. It’s meant to help ease butterflies and start building relationships. Oh, and have some cold beverages from two Ladies AllRide sponsors, Deschutes Brewery and Humm Kombucha. “it’s really fun to serve our local hometown beer at other places in the country,” Richter told me.
Saturday and Sunday are all about getting on mountain bikes, which can be rented from the Ladies AllRide demo fleet if needed. From there, participants are grouped based on self-reported skill level and paired with coaches. Each group has two coaches for seven participants.
Photo by Katie Sox
Skills and drills are first practiced in the grass at Seventh Mountain Resort before groups take their talents to the nearby trails. When the women return from their afternoon trail rides, they have different education stations to participate in, such as basic bike maintenance and, of course, happy hour.
Ladies AllRide calls Bend home, but they have clinics nationwide and in Mexico. If you’re interested in joining a clinic, check out the 2024 Ladies AllRide calendar.
Ladies AllRide Coaches | Photo by Joe Brush
For connections and riding beyond a Ladies AllRide clinic, Bend does have a few female-focused rides. Dirt Divas, from Pine Mountain Sports, is one of the more notable groups and one that Richter and her crew have actually helped out with once or twice.
And if you loved your time at the Ladies AllRide and want to receive more coaching but would like to get your husband, boyfriend, male friend—you get the idea—involved, Grit Clinics is a great option.
“We’re just silly and goofy,” Richter told me. “We love bikes, and we love what bikes can do for our souls.”
Come spring, the high desert beckons as Bend’s backyard playground. Head east from town and the landscape quickly changes. Massive Ponderosa pine trees and manzanita give way to old-growth juniper forests and fragrant sagebrush dotting the landscape. Clouds evaporate, revealing a wide-open and clear sky. The earth heats up quicker in the desert, where the atmosphere is arid and the soil is exposed. In May, when the cold of winter clings to Bend’s trails, and mornings may take a few long hours to warm, the desert sun rises early, calling visitors who seek endless exploration and a taste of the summer season to come.
Why Palm Desert when you can high desert?
Across the expanse of eastern Oregon are rimrock valleys, bubbling rivers and charming towns straight out of the Wild West. Yet tucked in the high desert closer to Bend, discover something surprising—a pair of luxury resorts. Fine dining, top-notch golf, outdoor adventure, spas and pool complexes to rival those found in the Coachella Valley are here under our own desert sun. These two resorts—Brasada Ranch and Juniper Preserve—are Bend’s version of an iconic sun-filled Southern California desert retreat, but without quite so much travel, so many people or Hollywood price tags. Who needs a plane ticket to Palm Springs? Instead, visit a luxe duo of Central Oregon desert destinations, for a daytrip, overnighter or an extended staycation.
Brasada Ranch
Brasada Ranch
This luxury ranch retreat sits on the slopes of Powell Butte, delivering a Western-modern vibe and sunsets featuring the expanse of the Cascade Range.
Golf
You’ll have to stay the night to enjoy the golf course, open to guests and members, but you won’t regret a night (or two) here. The longer you stay, the more time for the desert to perform its magic. Every hole at Brasada Canyons golf course offers a view, and a sense of having the course to yourself. Expect par 72 and 7,295 yards of happiness.
Wellness
Drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape, Spa Brasada is the place to unwind with a nature-based mind-body treatment. Try the Brasada Essence massage or Serenity Rose CBD wrap for a luxurious escape.
Dining
Secure your spot on the dining deck at Range Restaurant & Bar to take in Brasada’s expansive sunsets while enjoying items from a seasonal menu inspired by the local terroir—think mushrooms, steelhead, Oregon apples and pears, accompanied by gourmet s’mores and a setting sun.
Outdoors
Try a heated, circular lazy river and a quick blast down a waterslide for that slice-of-summer preview. The Sundance pool is a place for family fun, or try the more serene adults-only Cascade Pool. Hike the trail up Outback Butte to Spirit Rock—bring a picnic and enjoy the hike’s payoff views with a laid-back snack under sunny skies. Brasada is a real ranch, after all, so don’t miss the chance to venture out onto 900 acres on a guided horseback ride. See brasada.com.
Juniper Preserve
Juniper Preserve
Formerly known as Pronghorn, this destination set in a juniper forest exudes an Old-World vibe with a contemporary health-and-wellness focus.
Golf
When the resort was created in 2002, two of golf’s finest bestowed their design talents, and their names, to the resort’s twin golf courses. The Jack Nicklaus course is a 7,460-yard, par 72 public course, considered the original “desert-style” golfing experience in the Northwest. The Tom Fazio course, 7,462 yards and par 72, open only to members and guests, winds through juniper trees and rocky outcroppings for another 18 holes of desert delight.
Wellness
Soak up peace and relaxation at Juniper Spa, where facials, massage and a signature treatment, the Desert Therapeutic, loosen up muscles tired from months spent bracing against the winter cold. Juniper Preserve offers a host of wellness classes and retreats, including some in breathwork, yoga and Synergy—a kava and cacao-enhanced sound-immersion experience.
Dining
Kick back on the outdoor patio at the Trailhead Grill. With your face tilted toward the sun, sip a fresh libation and snack on free-range buffalo wings. Juniper Preserve’s seasonal pop-up dining, KÉYA, offers a multisensory feast paying homage to rich Indigenous culinary traditions, incorporating historic and foraged foods.
Outdoors
This splashy desert retreat with poolside cocktail service exudes a vacation vibe. Juniper Preserve boasts no fewer than five pools and hot tubs. Take a cool pool dip or hot soak, find a lounge chair in the sun, then repeat. Don’t forget the waterslide! Follow pool time with a round of lawn games, or search out Juniper Preserve’s hidden ancient lava cave. See juniperpreserve.com.
The word vegan can conjure images of bitter kale and tasteless veggie burgers. Mushrooms masquerading as meat? Chickpea protein? Sunflower seeds impersonating cheese? We understand the hesitation. Despite having plenty of health and environmental benefits, veganism doesn’t always get the best rap, but the best chefs act as magicians to assuage any doubts.
Vegan Dishes: Plant-Based Palate Pleasers
Fortunately, a growing number of Central Oregon restaurants have changed the narrative to prove that a plant-based menu can be just as indulgent as a dairy or meat-filled counterpart. From rich biscuits and gravy to creamy mac ‘n’ cheese, plus hearty protein-filled lunches on the go, these local eateries prove vegan eating is anything but dull. Central Oregon’s best vegan dishes are bursting with flavor and satisfaction—and there’s not a kale leaf in sight.
The Big Country Combo Breakfast at A Broken Angel Food Truck in Bend
Breakfast Without Bacon
Reimagining a breakfast menu staple of biscuits and gravy from plants may seem daunting, but Chef Richard Hull at A Broken Angel food cart defied expectations when he took on the challenge. Hull developed his gravy recipe, considered one of Bend’s original vegan classics, using wild mushrooms. While some may raise eyebrows at the idea of using mushrooms in lieu of meat, Hull’s rich and indulgent gravy may silence any naysayers. With an earthy depth and umami richness, it delivers a flavor profile reminiscent of traditional gravy. Paired with their meat-like texture, mushrooms serve as a surprisingly satisfying substitute.
Taste for yourself with an order of A Broken Angel’s Big Country Combo, a plate stacked high with a generous portion of buttery, but butter-less biscuits, handmade by owner Barbara Troyer and smothered in Hull’s creamy wild mushroom gravy. Accompanied by the house scramble of organic tofu, cremini mushrooms, roasted chilis, squash and braised greens, this hearty dish is an example of a standalone vegan dish that is filling without needing to duplicate its traditional meat-based counterparts. That is exactly what Troyer and Hull hoped for, to show people that “eating plant-based is easier than you think–and it’s fun to explore new ways of cooking.” Troyer said.
Looking for a sweeter start? Head to NW Raw off of Century Boulevard for the Big Bear Waffle topped with whipped almond butter, whipped coconut cream, bananas and candied coconut, all drizzled in maple syrup.
The Spicy Falafel Wrap at Bo’s Falafels
Powerhouse Protein
For a Mediterranean-inspired meal, take a seat in Bo’s Falafels diner. For those worried that a vegan lunch means sacrificing protein, think again. Falafels, such as those served at Bo’s, are crafted with protein-packed, tiny, but mighty chickpeas—an excellent and healthy option for those wanting to forgo meat but still fuel up with a nutritionally valuable meal. Chickpeas not only boast impressive protein content, they also have plenty of fiber, essential vitamins and minerals. But it’s not just about the nutrition—Bo’s falafels satisfy the taste buds with a delicious blend of spices, and a perfectly crispy exterior that gives way to a tender and flavorful center.
While not a strictly vegan joint, the menu at Bo’s Falafel includes a variety of delicious plant-based options, thanks to owner Sierra Phillips’ past experiences with vegan eating. “I was vegan for five-plus years and raw vegan for one year,” she shared. “I remember the frustration of trying to find a vegan option back in the days before anyone had heard of almond milk or plant-based anything.” Her soft spot for vegans manifests with dishes such as The Spicy Falafel Wrap, a warm pita stuffed with Bo’s handmade, plant-based falafel topped with pickled onions, beets and cabbage, along with pepperoncinis, toum and housemade garden sauce.
For another lunchtime option, swing by The Podski food truck lot for a crowd-pleasing midday delight from Toasty, a vegan food truck founded in 2019 by Brooke Preim-Tobias. Her mission to veganize everyday comfort food paid off in spades, as Toasty’s Nacho Crunchwrap is a calling card for Bend’s vegan community. Wrapped within a crunchy tortilla is a mouthwatering stack of Beyond Beef, black beans, cashew-based cheddar queso, avocado, onion, lime crema and hot sauce. It’s all vegan, and it’s all delicious.
Vegan Mac and Cheese at Lively Up Yourself Food Truck in Bend and Sisters
Comfort Food Without Compromise
When late-night cravings hit, one eatery stands out: Lively Up Yourself food truck, with locations at both MidTown Yacht Club in Bend and Eurosports food truck lot in Sisters. Renowned for its creamy and indulgent vegan mac and cheese, at Lively Up Yourself, diners find themselves second-guessing everything they thought about plant-based eating, and sunflower seeds. That’s right, the secret ingredient behind the truck’s beloved “Cheeze” sauce are sunflower seeds. These tiny powerhouses impart a creamy texture and a nutty, cheesy flavor to the sauce. They also pack a serious nutritional punch. Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, magnesium and selenium, sunflower seeds deliver health in every bite. Plus, the ingredient is allergy-friendly and doesn’t break the bank.
Owners Sarah McKay and Elliott Roloff launched the cart with a mission to provide vegan comfort food that evokes nostalgia and dazzles nonvegans with the potential of animal product-free dishes, they explained. “We want to show the world that vegan food is good,and not boring, for them, the animals and the planet,” shared McKay. While the Lively Up Yourself menu includes a variety of options such as burritos and appetizers, it’s the mac and cheese dishes that undoubtedly steal the spotlight. Featuring a diverse range of macs including buffalo, barbecue and the creative Krabby Mac, there’s something to please every palate. For those longing for a taste of simple nostalgia, the Classic Mac ‘N Cheeze is a must. With macaroni noodles coated in Lively’s signature OG Cheeze sauce, garnished with green onions and paprika, it shows that indulging in vegan fare doesn’t mean sacrificing the flavors diners adore.
Other savory meal options include soul-soothing noodles at Miyagi Ramen. Order a bowl of the Smoked Mushroom Hazelnut Ramen—a plant-based dish brimming with noodles in a robust and flavorful broth, topped with tomato oil, roasted tomatoes, bok choy, tangy pickled shiitake, scallions and spicy tofu.
Also, be sure to check out Dinky Dau when you are in downtown Bend – a food cart found in the Mirror Pond Plaza by the Commons Café. They offer a wide variety of vegan (also gluten-free and dairy-free) options. Their two Banh Mi specialties are peanut tofu and sweet and sour tempeh. Plus, many of their salads are vegan or can be made into delicious rice bowls with Asian-inspired flavors.
Plants are no longer stuck in roles as side dishes; instead, they prove their worth in the spotlight, with a tasty reminder people can eat well and feel good at the same time.
A bounty of spring and summer wildflowers blesses Oregon. Early in the season, wildflowers arise and unfurl their petals much to the delight of wildflower enthusiasts and pollinators, alike. Some of these plants are perennials, those that live more than two years, while others are annuals which race through their life cycle in one season, setting seed for future generations before they fade. Certain shrubs also contribute to the color of the season, with cloaks of flowers scented to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Here are three spring hikes to observe and appreciate this bright and colorful petalous performance. [Photo by Leon Werdinger / Alamy Stock Photo]
Deschutes Land Trust’s Whychus Canyon Preserve | photo courtesy deschutes land trust/Joan Amero
Whychus Canyon Preserve Rim Trail
South of Sisters
Named after a native Sahaptin word meaning “the place we cross the water,” Whychus Creek is a spectacular tributary of the Deschutes River. In 2010, the Deschutes Land Trust protected 930 acres of riparian (streamside) and high desert habitat and created the Whychus Canyon Preserve. Over seven miles of trails provide access to this scenic area and the Rim Trail offers excellent views of the Cascades and showy wildflowers in spring. Colorful blooms of arrowleaf balsamroot, Western columbine, sulfur buckwheat, two-lobe larkspur, desert paintbrush, Oregon sunshine, prickly phlox and Western blue flax paint the desert landscape with vibrant colors. Foothill death camas, named for its toxic bulbs, bears dense clusters of cream-colored flowers. Volunteers for the Deschutes Land Trust lead informative and fun spring wildflower walks along the Rim Trail. See deschuteslandtrust.org for trail status updates and current hike schedule.
Rim Trail: roughly 2.1 miles long and fairly level.
Fall River Trail
West of Sunriver
Photo by George Ostertag / Alamy Stock Photo
West of Sunriver along South Century Drive, the spring-fed Fall River arises and meanders twelve miles to its confluence with the Deschutes River. From the headwaters near the Fall River Guard Station, the river courses through mature pine forests and wet meadows where wildflowers such as triangular-leaf senecio, yellow monkey-flower, white bog orchid, scarlet gilia and blue-eyed grass hug the banks. In the drier uplands, a mix of wildflowers and shrubs such as western wallflower, Brown’s peony, Columbia puccoon, mountain trumpet, antelope bitterbrush, wax currant and green manzanita, named after its “little apples,” bloom along the trail. Visit fs.usda.gov for more information.
Trail length:5 miles out-and-back from the Fall River Guard Station, relatively level.
Gray Butte
Northeast of Smith Rock State Park
Framing the skyline above Smith Rock State Park is Gray Butte. The origin of this ancient volcano’s name is shrouded in mystery—some say it’s for the grayish-colored rocky outcrops—but Lewis “Tam” McArthur, author of Oregon Geographic Names, uncovered another possibility, that the butte is named for Dr. Asa Gray (1810-1888), the “Father of American Botany.”
Gray Butte is part of the Crooked River National Grasslands and offers trails for hikers, horse riders and mountain bikers to explore this high desert environment. The Cole Loop trailhead departs off Forest Road 57 across the road from the McCoin Orchard, a homesteader’s orchard planted in 1886, and contours around the west and south sides of Gray Butte before descending to the Skull Hollow Campground. Spring wildflowers abound along the trail and include Cusick’s elkweed with its light-blue four-petaled flowers, rough eyelashweed, yellow desert daisy, parsnip-flowered buckwheat, Douglas’ brodiaea and daggerpod—a member of the mustard family that bears slender daggerlike seed pods. Exceptional views of the Cascades compliment this hike. A vehicle shuttle from Skull Hollow Campground back to the trailhead is recommended. Visit fs.usda.gov for more information.
Trail length:roughly 6.2 miles, one-way, with 1,550 feet of elevation change.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in May, 2020.
